Hi--I've posted about this in the past few weeks. My daughter had a PICC line installed about a month ago. After about 10 days, she started having rashes around the edge of the tagaderm patch. We assumed it was a reaction to the adhesive. Since then, many different kinds of bandages, tapes, ointments, etc have been tried--as well as Diflucan in case it's yeast. The itchy rash has spread beyong the area of the PICC line itself--down to her wrist, upper arm too. I'd be interested in people's comments about this--what has been your experience?
Posted by proud pup (Member # 4152) on :
up for comments..
Posted by char (Member # 8315) on :
Poor baby.
My daughter had similar problem with piccline this winter.
We also tried different dressings, ointments, etc.
The only way thing that she could tolerate was just guaze over with very little tape and then wrapped up. The rash was severe, angry red, but not so spread out as your daughters.
I have heard of folks here using this guaze only set up, but it didn't turn out for us. 2 different lines slipped out. The severe itching was the main reason. She would try SO hard not to itch, but she rubbed it in her sleep. Perhaps adults or more sickly would do better.
I believe her problem was yeast. She had a piccline 9mos earlier at the beginning of her lyme treatment and did very well with the tegaderm. I never touched anything-once a week the nurse change it and no problem. (I didn't appreciate the ease at the time)
By the time we put this 2nd picc in, she had been on abx for over a yr which makes you prone to yeast. We tried diflucan and some diet changes. Diet changes were hard as she has stomach problems and craves carbs.
Anyway, I would suggest looking into the yeast aspect. Our excellant LLMD did not bring this up til we were 6wks in and rash very bad. Seemed like once this rash got going it was real hard to get it calmed down. Benadryl helped some. It was hard to get health professionals to take the itching seriously. One friend of ours who looked at rash when we had problem on wkend-MD suggested the itching was psychiatric.
My daughter is doing very well on suspension Zith, which has been a pleasant surprise.
Oh, just remembered, some are allergic to the statlock.
I hope you can get her rash settled down. Saying a prayer.
I posted endlessly about this problem this winter, so you may turn up some good info by doing a search.
Char
Posted by david1097 (Member # 3662) on :
A few questions?
Is it under the tegaderm also? Or is it just the exposed areas?
Which way is the rash spreading, ie is the site the clear focal spot?
Is it worse when persperation is present?
Is on only in areas where the skin is in contact with clothing?
What about the actual entry site (wound) how does it look?
Have you tried opsite as opposed to tegaderm?
Is it really realy itchy?
The above might help to zero in to the cause.
Posted by ksparks (Member # 8098) on :
I am so sorry your daughter is having this problem. I totally can sympathize. I had the same problem with my PICC site and now can only use gauze and over my site. I still use a stat-lock to hold the line in place, but they don't stick for long because of the weeping from the dermatitis so we change everything every other day.
I use claritin, a steroid cream, and recently I was put on elidel (sp?) for my problems. The cleaner in the PICC kit ( chlorohexadine?) made my redness and swelling worse, so now we use betadine and alcohol.
Good luck.
Posted by jblral (Member # 8836) on :
We switched from tagaderm to opcit, which helps a little bit. rash is both uder and aroudn the dressing. None of it is in contact with clothing. The entry site is okay so far. It's really really itchy. It goes primarily from wrist to elbow==only a little above the elbow.
Posted by riversinger (Member # 4851) on :
I've been having very bad rashes lately, even without a PICC. This year allergens have been so bad, it has caused a lot of extra reactivity.
Taking Clarinex helps substantially. I have also had good luck with using a paste of baking soda and water on the rash, or breaking open an acidopholis capsule and making a paste with that and water. You could try these on a very small area of the rash to see if it helps first.
My last resort has been a pain cream made at the compounding pharmacy, that contains lidocaine. With the recent heat, I had a bad area in the soft skin inside my elbow that was inflamed. This cream, which is supposed to be for neuropathic pain, cooled it right out.
I hope you find something that helps soon!
Posted by david1097 (Member # 3662) on :
Hi, if it is under the tegaderm then it is the same sort of thing that i had, I think I mentioned this before, but just in case I did not.
I had the same rash and itch problem you describe, It later degenerated to some type of serous discharge from the entry point, i lost 2 picc lines as a result.
In the end it was yeast. It took several weeks ( and two lines where pulled and new ones put in) of diflucan at really high dose (double the sustaining dose) to get rid if it. It all started when I desided to try to eat normal food again (ie with some bread) and then had some nuts and chocolate.
I only mention this as it took a very long time to get it under control with the anti fungal.
Posted by lymelighter2 (Member # 6953) on :
Hi, don't know if this is the problem or not, but there is a substance in the plastic of the picc lines that is actually a high-allergy substance. I had the same problem with my picc line. Where the pic line plastic came into contact with my skin, it was incredibly itchy. I did whatever I could to minimize the skin contact with the plastics of the line and the extension sets. I stuffed gauze under everything, which minimized the contact with the skin.
I wish I could remember the substance (ingredient) in the plastic that caused the problem, I know it was listed on the extension sets, and is considered a cancer-causing agent. It also causes the sensitivity reactions. Also, I cannot use many gauze tapes due to the adhesives, which also cause anaphylaxis in me, believe it or not. Thanks Lyme!
Anyway, hope this helps, good luck
Posted by lymelighter2 (Member # 6953) on :
Hi, don't know if this is the problem or not, but there is a substance in the plastic of the picc lines that is actually a high-allergy substance. I had the same problem with my picc line. Where the pic line plastic came into contact with my skin, it was incredibly itchy. I did whatever I could to minimize the skin contact with the plastics of the line and the extension sets. I stuffed gauze under everything, which minimized the contact with the skin.
I wish I could remember the substance (ingredient) in the plastic that caused the problem, I know it was listed on the extension sets, and is considered a cancer-causing agent. It also causes the sensitivity reactions. Also, I cannot use many gauze tapes due to the adhesives, which also cause anaphylaxis in me, believe it or not. Thanks Lyme!
Anyway, hope this helps, good luck. Posted by lymelighter2 (Member # 6953) on :
Hi, don't know if this is the problem or not, but there is a substance in the plastic of the picc lines that is actually a high-allergy substance. I had the same problem with my picc line. Where the pic line plastic came into contact with my skin, it was incredibly itchy. I did whatever I could to minimize the skin contact with the plastics of the line and the extension sets. I stuffed gauze under everything, which minimized the contact with the skin.
I wish I could remember the substance (ingredient) in the plastic that caused the problem, I know it was listed on the extension sets, and is considered a cancer-causing agent. It also causes the sensitivity reactions. Also, I cannot use many gauze tapes due to the adhesives, which also cause anaphylaxis in me, believe it or not. Thanks Lyme!
Anyway, hope this helps, good luck. Posted by lymelighter2 (Member # 6953) on :
Hi, don't know if this is the problem or not, but there is a substance in the plastic of the picc lines that is actually a high-allergy substance. I had the same problem with my picc line. Where the pic line plastic came into contact with my skin, it was incredibly itchy. I did whatever I could to minimize the skin contact with the plastics of the line and the extension sets. I stuffed gauze under everything, which minimized the contact with the skin.
I wish I could remember the substance (ingredient) in the plastic that caused the problem, I know it was listed on the extension sets, and is considered a cancer-causing agent. It also causes the sensitivity reactions. Also, I cannot use many gauze tapes due to the adhesives, which also cause anaphylaxis in me, believe it or not. Thanks Lyme!
Anyway, hope this helps, good luck. Posted by lymelighter2 (Member # 6953) on :
sorry, only hit that once, but it posted 4 times! AND I got an error on the page when it went over....so must have been scripting problems at lymenet.org
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