New & Itchy!

Hello fellow pacers!
I received my PM just this past Friday, and several hours after the procedure, I started to develop a rash on my chest. They gave me Benedril, which seemed to help...I guess. By Sunday morning my rash had spread to my neck and jaw line, and is very red and itchy. I went to see the doctor (his PA, actually) on Monday, and she felt is was a reaction to the paper tape on the bandage covering my incision site. It has been removed and I am taking Benedril orally and using a cortizone cream. So far, no improvement. How long should it take to clear up, and how long should I wait before I get concerned?

7 Comments

Dressing problems

by MsM - 2009-06-30 01:06:26

Sounds like it could be the tape or maybe a reaction to the wash solution they used...my chest, neck and upper arm were orange when I woke up but thankfully didn't have a reaction to it. My reaction post surgery was to the airtight seal dressing they had over the whole site ...kind of like Saran Wrap. I took it off and put a regular gauze square over it with some cloth tape and the itchy redness went away within minutes....guess my skin needs to be able to breathe! (giggle) No problems since then. Additional gauze squares made good padding so I can use my seatbelt (even with my fuzzy Wal-Mart seatbelt thingymabob its still very tender). Will see what the doc says when I get sutures out tomorrow. Hope you are feeling better soon amymac :)

hi amy

by Hot Heart - 2009-06-30 01:06:42

Sorry dont know much about rashes but am just saying hang on in there, and welcome to the site. The people on here are amazing, look forward to reading your posts.

HH

rash post pacer

by BJ - 2009-06-30 02:06:45

I had a very similar thing happen after my pacer was put in-I broke out in hives all along the incision area. They itched like the dickens, and I complained, but all the medical personnel jst looked at it and shook their heads saying they'd never seen that. (!) I didn't really care, I just wanted relief!!! Anyway, I am glad that you got some treatment and hope that it helps-the Benadryl should do something. I was still in the hospital due to complications, so I couldn't take any otc stuff! It all lasted about a week, so if my experience is any indication, relief will come. Good Luck!!

Rash and time

by maryanne - 2009-06-30 10:06:31

What you describe certainly does sound like an allergic reaction to the tape. Many people are allergic to the tape. Once treatment has started it can take up to a couple of days to totally go away....some people even experience residual effects for up to a week.

Now that you have started treatment what you need to watch for is that things don't get worse...i.e. the rash spreads or you get welts or in an extreme case become short of breath. Keep an eye on it....but things should start to settle down now that the tape has been removed....when in doubt always contact your doctor...

Hope things clear up well ....and welcome to the club..

cheers...Mary Anne

Itching

by bastuart - 2009-06-30 12:06:04

I have the same problem and now I know that I had a allergice reaction the form tape. I had the doctor put it medical file do to use form tape again. Barb

Itch & allergic reaction

by Vai - 2009-06-30 12:06:29

Agree. Sounds like a bad allergic reaction. I had similar reaction also to the surgery tape (or the adhesive used on the tape). Now that the tape is removed, suggest you wash the area gently and rid any residual adhesive that may be left on the skin. I was given some antihistamine tablets and the rash cleared up in a few days. Some standard precautions advised - leave the itch alone, and don't scratch lest you bruise the skin and could lead to infection. The cortizone cream will help.
Take care

allergic reaction

by biggerscamp - 2009-07-20 09:07:37

I had a lot of itching post-surgery. But my surgeon instructed me to never cover the site. They told me to expect some itching from the healing. From the day I left the hospital it was not covered. He did not use staples or stitches either. He used surgical GLUE, which was wierd feeling, but has healed up perfectly. I only used a bandage to cover when I needed to go somewhere and wear a bra, them I taped the guage square to my bra to keep the strap from scraping the site. Best of luck! Shelia

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