Your Lives - Allergy Testing

Patch Tests have proved positive - Carla, Milton Keynes, UK

I am a 19yr old trainee hairdresser who has recently had an allergy patch test done. I've had eczema/dermatitis for 3 years on and off till recently it got worse that my fingers started to swell and are sore and itchy 24/7. I had 75 patches done on my back and had a reaction to:

melamine formaldehyde which is in fabrics

bromo nitropropayne which is in antiseptics, cosmetics, creams, shampoos, cleansing products washing detergents

methychloro isothiazolineone which is in shampoos hair products, soaps, polishes, household products

nickel from clothing, handbags, hair clips/pins, coined money - lol how can you be allergic to money, scissors etc.

cobalt chloride which is in jewellery, furniture, paint, hair dye, and things listed above all these is an everyday use and I got to wear gloves to try and prevent the eczema getting worse. It's going to be very hard but I can't afford to change jobs. At least I got an excuse to by new cosmetics lol!

I hope the information I've provided will help you all out there suffering but worth looking at as you never know I didn't and I'm glad I had the patch test as it's helped me an awful lot. Please fill free to contact me and good luck to everyone out there. (May 2007) Contact Carla

My allergy test showed how much I was allergic to! - Lindsay, Bristol, UK

I had an allergy test earlier and found out I'm allergic to pretty much all the things I eat:

Cow's milk and goat's milk
Sugar
Bananas
Cheese
Yeast
Margarine
Sugar alternatives
All alcohol except vodka and gin
And pollen

That cuts out milk, bread, biscuits, cakes, rolls..

The lady said she was being strict with me and cutting out all these foods from my diet so as for me to detox. Apparently my body hasn't been digesting foods properly, and these foods have stayed in the stomach and released toxins, which have made my body react. All the foods I've been eating a lot of I'm not allergic to. No more banana sandwiches or cereal!

Alternatives are:

Rye bread/soda bread
Rice milk/soya milk
Cottage cheese

The woman said I had to make sure I have a lot of carbohydrates so I don't lose all my fat since I'm not big to start with. I don't mind, as long as it makes my eczema go away. I'm so glad I'm not allergic to tea! I strongly advise anyone with eczema to go and get an allergy test. (July 2005) Contact Lindsay

Patch testing - the way to determine possible allergens - C Schneider

Patch tests indicated I am allergic to fragrance...no specifics. I am required to use products my allergist researched and found to be truly free of fragrances. Just because the label says fragrance free doesn't mean anything. If you'd like to know what the products are, contact me and I'll send you a scan or copy the paper my doctor gave me. He said I was one of the 25% who have a reaction.

Patch testing...a true test of patience...is evidently the only way to determine possible allergens. I have suffered with this condition off and on for 30 years, always on my hands, and varying degrees of severity. The longest I had it as 10 years continuoulsy (cortisone shots), then it simply went away for another 10 years. I had it again for almost two years, gone for three. Back for one, gone again, but now crops up regularly.

Although not debilitating, the condition has interfered with my employment, my daily life, and my sanity. I feel tremendous empathy for anyone else who suffers with it. I am seriously considering my future education which would lead me in a field where wearing latex or vinyl gloves would be part of my life. I can't use them. Unbelievable. (November 02)

 

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Page updated: 2 May 2008