Comments on: Medical Adhesives: My Allergy Hell

By: Erika

Erika — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:15:06 +0000

I too have had problems with itching, redness, and the Omnipod. The Dexcom doesn’t itch when I use it. It has gotten so bad that I have switched to MDI this week because I couldn’t take the itching anymore. I am trying to get a Minimed pump because I never had this problem when I was on a tubed pump with a regular infusion set. But my insurance won’t pay for another pump right now because my Omnipod is not out of warranty yet.

I think the Omnipod is the worst thing I ever did for my diabetes…

By: KAT

KAT — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:31:27 +0000

Hello. I have had diabetes for 22 years and I was diagnosed at the age of 13. I have always been on shots until recently. I have been on the OmniPod insulin pump for 2 months. I was fine for the first month and now I am allergic to the adhesive. I went through hell pricking my finger to get the dosage perfect for this pump. Now this! I get red, swollen, and itchy. I have been using Cortizone cream to relieve the itch. It also gets rid of the rash slowly and it leaves a mark/scare. I have been using Eucerine cream for itchy dry skin and it has oatmeal in it. This cream has been working for the scares on my stomach. They have faded a lot. I might have to go back to shots (Doc says you can use steroid creams for ever) but I don’t want to give up yet. I am going to try some of the suggestions on this website first and maybe more before I come off them. It is sad that I have perfect blood sugars now and by going back on shots they will be like a rollar coaster again. Up and down. I have tried Hollister Skin Gel Barrier wipes and Skin Tac. Both of them do not work. Skin Tac was so bad it made it worse! The Hollister Skin Gel seems to work a tat bit but not really. Also I was told not to use the Adhesive removers because they have acitone in them like nail poilish remover. I stopped that as well. I use baby oil to remove my Pods every 2 days. If any one else recommends any adhesive barriers I can try let me know?

Thanks
KAT

By: Helen

Helen — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:27:00 +0000

Same with me, no problems with the actual pump or sensor site, but I started developing very painful and scarring blisters around the adhesive. I have never had any problems before. Still no problems with the pump, just the continuous glucose monitor. I am beginning to wonder if my skin is reacting to the metal in the sensor. I have always had to wear real gold or silver because any other metal would itch my hands. The CGM has what appears to be copper. I am wondering if the copper is making my skin sensitive and reactive to the adhesive. Just a thought. Nothing seems to work. I have lived 17 years with “out of control” diabetes. Rarely having an A1C under 9. The CGM brought my BS’s right under very tight control. I am sure my next A1C will be in the 7’s, and likely lower if I could have kept the CGM in. Help…..I need the CGM…

By: Eliza

Eliza — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:48:11 +0000

I’ve been using the minimed pump for about five years, and I’ve used both iv3000 and tegaderm adhesives successfully. Two months ago I got the minimed continuous glucose monitoring system. I’ve been covering it up with iv3000. It was fine until last injection site – after around a week, it itched so badly I had to take it off. The area under where the sensor had been was red with a rash, but the are under the tape was fine. This injection, I tried using tegaderm instead – after three days, it was unbearable. Now the entire area under the tape was red and itchy. The same thing happened today, when I used iv3000 today. I just don’t understand why I’m reacting at the sensor site but not the pump injection site… any ideas?

By: Michelle

Michelle — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:18:45 +0000

Wow, I am so glad I googled adhesive allergies. I have been on the pump for about 3 years now. I am now having severe reactions to the adhesive. I paid an allergist a $50.00 copay to tell me it’s an allergic reaction…. duh? Nothing to do, but use a steriod to treat the area. What I find totally crazy, is that the pump companies have not developed an hypoallergenic adhesive. I have dark marks all over my abdomen. Each time I change my site, (every two days), within hours, I’m itching. The marks are hideous. My doctor said they look like I’ve been burned w/ a cigarette.

By: Diamond

Diamond — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 17:05:47 +0000

I have had T1 Diabetes since I was about 14 months of age, currently 51 years old. I started using the Animas pump in March of 2004. My pre pump A1c’s were consistenly in the 4.9 – 5.2 range…no complications to date – tight control for a lifetime has paid off, just easier be tight controlled now with pump.

From late 2005 until now I have had increasing allergic symptoms (Hives) from the surgical tape that I use for a “safety loop” – I am yet to experience any allergic reaction to the actual infusion set adhesive. The itch, welting reaction to the surgical tape is so bad now that it leaves wounds for a week or so after removal. I have recently stopped using the safety loop, which I understand that a lot of pump users do not use anyway. I look forward to trying some of the products mentioned in the replies to this issue. Thanks!

By: Nedsatomic

Nedsatomic — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:54:20 +0000

My 9 year old daughter developed a severe reaction to medical adhesives in Jan. 2008. She had to give up her insulin pump and CGMS. She has zero hypo awareness so the forfeiture of the CGMS is pretty tough. She’s tried just about every infusion set on the market. She just finished a trial with the Omnipod and she’s quite allergic to that adhesive as well. Bandaids never used to bother her until Jan. 2008. The doctor also switched her insulin from Humalog to Novolog around the same time her skin went all wonky.

By: Emily Bertman

Emily Bertman — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:36:54 +0000

After about 6 months of wearing the Omnipod I started getting allergic reaction at the adhesive site. It’s so itchy I scratch it and my skin turns into sandpaper within minutes. It sucks. My endo suggested I try this spray called Cromolyn, (Nasal Chrome, Benamist). I have yet to try but every time I change my site I think about getting it cause it’s totally worth a shot (hehe).

By: Ab

Ab — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:06:39 +0000

Hi Amy,
I have been having a similar thing with minimed quicksets for almost 9 months now. I have tried a bunch of things and have heard a bunch of reasons about what might be causing it:

1. You are wearing each set for too long( i.e., 3 days). Cut it to 2 days.
2. Your skin is dry. Use a moisturizer (no idea which one).
3. Try a bunch of things, Smith Nephew, IV Prep, Bard Protective Barrier Film (they maybe helped but did not make the problem go away).
4. Some kind of ointment for local reactions 0.05% strength. Seems to have worked the best: I apply it after removing the set from a site. BUT, I don’t think it was meant to be used regularly.

My own thoughts:

1. Maybe it is early sign of Gastroparesis?
2. Maybe lactose intolerance?
3. A standard MD (e.g., mine) just doesn’t get it. I doubt if they have any tech to discover the source of allergy through some tests at our univ’s clinic. Also since it comes and goes, I doubt if they can do much w/o asking me to stay in clinic for 24 hrs or more.
4. Its so widespread, and still the best a company can tell you (Medtronic, probably others too): Talk to your doctor, change the infusion set more often, a 3 page pamphlet on site rotation, adhesives etc etc.

By: LaurenK

LaurenK — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:20:13 +0000

Yet another reason I’ll stick to injecting and sticking my finger.