suture allergy?

I started having an allergic reaction to something and haven't figured it out yet. First my lower lip swelled up, on a second occasion it was my upper lip and also my throat was involved. Along the way I've been getting hives in various locations on my body. We haven't been eating any different than pre-PCa days. I had open surgery last Oct with sutures that are supposed to dissolve. I can still feel at least one that hasn't. Doc says sometimes they take a long time. My wife did some google-ing and found some hits that indicated there is a possibility of getting allergic reactions to these sutures, even long after the surgery. I'm just wondering if anyone else has had something like this happen and if you found a solution.

I'm going around now with an epi-pen close by, but never had an allergic reaction to anything before (other than poison ivy when I was a kid).

Rigby,

I did a bit of Googling to see what folks are saying about suture allergies. I didn't remember anyone talking about them before here on the forum so I widened my search a bit.

My conclusion, from three minutes of research, is that allergic reactions to internal sutures are possible but extremely rare. Allergic reactions to sutures used to close the skin are somewhat more common but, in many cases, they are actually minor infections at the suture site caused by skin bacteria and surgeons find it convenient to think of them as allergic reactions because it makes everyone happier.

After one is treated for prostate cancer it is tempting to think of every little ache, pain and illness as a possible side-effect of the treatment. It is a post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy but with prostate cancer treatments there is always a hell of a lot of hoc to get your mind past before you can think about other causes.

This would be a good time to see an allergist and tell him about your surgery. Telling your surgeon about your allergies is much less likely to do any good.

Thanks. I went to my regular doc the first time it happened. We were going to Greece for two weeks so he gave me the 6 day prednisone course and a script for the epipen. It has happened three times now, each controlled with benedryl. The only new item in my diet has been occasional millet and amarynth purported to benefit us PCa guys. I guess it's time to talk to the allergist.

Post Edited (Rigby) : 7/28/2014 7:42:28 PM (GMT-6)

I watched a 6'6" friend hit the hardwood floor after eating turkey that was roasted in peanut oil. Getting him on the stretcher wasn't fun either.