What's the weirdest thing you've ever seen someone react to?

[minkajane]

Just this a just-for-fun thread. I know people can react to some pretty strange things and sometimes it's so strange it's funny.

I've had some pretty strange allergic reactions. Last year, I was sitting in a nurse's office and asked for a tissue to wipe my nose. In the next five minutes, my eyes became red and puffy, my nose stuffed, and I even got hoarse. Turns out the tissues were that kind that supposedly kill germs. I guess I'm allergic to the germ-killing ingredient.

The other day, I picked up some anti-itch eye drops. The second I put them in, my eyes got MORE itchy. Sometimes that happens if my eyes are super dry, so I waited a couple of minutes and put more drops it. My eyes got red and puffy and even MORE itchy! I ended up having to put a cold compress on my eyes and tossed out the drops.

What's the weirdest thing you've seen someone react to?

[mtn.mama]

MinkaJane- have you considered that maybe you're sensitive to the corn(starch) in the kleenex?

[k9sarchik]

Always Maxipads. Let me tell you, no fun.

My mother used to be so chemically sensitive she couldn't leave the house. Anything from the smell of carpet, or perfume made her very very sick. It was a rough 2 years for her. There almost wasn't a single thing she didn't react to.

[kjbrown92]

Personally, I thought the weirdest thing was when I put neosporin on a cut and it got worse and worse. Went to the doctor, and turns out I was allergic to the neosporin.

My daughter reacted to anti-bacterial soap. Rash all over her body.

[mirlee]

The Sponge and spermicide. You don't even want to know.

[purplepaisleymama]

I am also allergic to neosporin, and apparently to the anti-fungal neosporin which I found out when I had a very bad cat scratch about 1/2 an inch from my eye and DH accidentally put the 'jock itch' treatment neosporin on the cut, the next day when I took ds to the dermatologist the doctor was very concerned about the cut and asked 'exactly what did you put on that?'
After I went home I checked the label of the stuff and realized that you are not supposed to put it on open wounds, the scar is quite nice!!

DS is reactive to almost everything on the planet, he will break out after every meal and after he touches anything. We are not sure what the deal is, either he is allergic or his immune system is just REALLY overreactive.
laura

[wednesday]

Bananas. Avocado. Wellbutrin. Almost any lip balm other than plain chapstick.

The wellbutrin one is sort of funny. I was prescribed it in college for being depressed. took it for a couple days. On the third day I developed what looked like little insect bites all over my body. I went to Student Health and asked if it could be an allergic reaction to the wellbutrin. The physician's assistant (who had originally prescribed the wellbutrin) was adamant that nobody is allergic to wellbutrin and it couldn't have caused that reaction and there must be bedbugs at my house. Uh, okay. So I took another dose the next morning, and swelled up all over like CRAZY! Like, I almost couldn't see because my eyes were being squeezed shut, mouth was swollen and huge, and I had enormous welts all over. The person I saw at Student Health that day decided maybe I shouldn't take the wellbutrin any more. Yeah, you think? Although even he was saying wellbutrin couldn't cause that, it must be a filler ingredient or dye or something I was reacting to. Whatever. I'm not going near the stuff again.

[minkajane]

Originally Posted by mtn.mama

MinkaJane- have you considered that maybe you're sensitive to the corn(starch) in the kleenex?

I've never had that issue with any other tissue, before or since. It was the one and only time I've used the germ-killing kind of tissue. It has to be whatever antibacterial ingredient they add.

[elisent]

I've had problems with Always pads, too. I used them postpartum once and ended up with the worst diaper rash ever.

I'm also allergic to spermicide. Major swelling is never good in that area. Major.

[JessicaTX]

I had a rash on my arms one year and went to the doctor. He prescribed an allergy medicine, when I took it everything swelled shut and I started wheezing. I never figured out what i was allergic to that caused the rash on the arms..but i'm allergic to that allergy medicine for sure!

[tanyam926]

Kool-aid for me....Well, all red dye actually. My hands and feet get a horrible itchy rash.

Also any feminine hygiene products. I can use Natra Care or 7th Generation, but no reg. (not from health food store) brands, not even the fragrance free ones.

Any fragrances from any body care product.

I think the red dye is the funniest though!

[WildIris]

Originally Posted by k9sarchik

My mother used to be so chemically sensitive she couldn't leave the house. Anything from the smell of carpet, or perfume made her very very sick. It was a rough 2 years for her. There almost wasn't a single thing she didn't react to.

k9sarchik--Sorry to get off topic, and I hope you don't mind me asking, but you say your mother had this for two years. Did she heal from it somehow? And if so, HOW? I am having what my allergist called "multiple chemical sensitivities" right now--reacting to all kinds of fumes and smells... anytime I'm out in public, in stores, at other people's houses, etc., I end up getting sick. I'm wondering if I'll ever be less sensitive or if it will just get worse and worse.

[k9sarchik]

WildIris~ This is a huge issue with yeast overgrowth in the intestines. So that we don't highjack the thread I will PM you.

[applejuice]

I have known people who are allergic to the sun.

[krissi]

DS had a facial swelling, hives, hoarse voice type reaction to Houston's digestive enzymes. They're supposed to be nearly impossible to be allergic to. He also got eczema from rice as an infant.

Also I know tomato sensitivity is not uncommon (both my DC are intolerant to tomatoes), but my father went through a period of weird tomato sensitivity where even the slightest bit of tomato would have him down for the count with a 3-day severe migraine headache.

[UptownZoo]

DS is sun sensitive (how could he not be, an uber-fair redhead living on the high desert?), allergic to almost all sunscreens, and sensitive to chlorine.

How is this fair for a kid who lives to swim?

[kjbrown92]

I forgot that I had a reaction to condoms once when DH and I first started out (that goes with the TMI of previous posters). I didn't know what it was and went to doctor. Well there went that form of birth control!

[k9sarchik]

kjbrown92~ You could use the real lambskin condoms....a little expensive though.

[minkajane]

DH and I are out of luck when it comes to condoms. He's allergic to latex and I get chronic yeast infections with polyeurethane. I won't use lambskin for moral reasons. So I got an IUD inserted and we're good to go!

[bigeyes]

Originally Posted by k9sarchik

Always Maxipads. Let me tell you, no fun.

My mother used to be so chemically sensitive she couldn't leave the house. Anything from the smell of carpet, or perfume made her very very sick. It was a rough 2 years for her. There almost wasn't a single thing she didn't react to.

I'm that way, and have been for most of my life. Being out in public around other people swimming in chemical smells sucks.


The reaction to Always isn't so rare. I had a gyno who warned all of her patients about them because so many women had come in with reactions.