I’ve been on the pods for a little over a month. I had been wearing them on my arms with no problem. I decided to wear one on my abdomen, just to get a feel for it. Everything was fine until I had to change the pod last night. When I took it off, there are these red, itchy, sore welts where it was stuck on. What can I put on them to ease the itching and the pain? Is this an allergic reaction?
Karin,
You might try something like Bard Protective Barrier Film. That can protect your skin.
Steve
Probably an allergic reaction to the adhesive. I did not get this originally, but after several months it suddenly appeared. My dermatologist prescribed a cream which makes them go away in a few hours. The adhesive used is the same as in most infusion sets, its just that it covers a larger area and is thus more likely to cause a problem. Try experimenting with various things like bard (mentioned by karin), IV3000 film, skin prep spray. etc. I found that the problem was worse if i did it soon after a shower or bath - ie the skin under the pod was still damp. If i remove it when everything is completely dry, use “unisolve” or equivalent, letting it soak into the adhesive pad, and take my time, the problem more or less goes away.
Steve,
Sorry for the “stupid” question, do you apply the Bard before you apply the pod? It seems like you would? Alex, my son with diabetes, has the red itchy welts as well.
Thanks,
Joel
yes, I apply the Bard barrier before I put the Pod on. Some people also put on a IV3000 under the pod because that adhesive does not bother them. By the way there are no stupid questions just stupid answers.
Steve
Thanks Steve… I look forward to trying this with Alex. Joel.
When my son had to remove his very first pod and the adhesive was a problem, I remembered a product we had in the laundry room called De-Solv-it that I’d bought years ago to remove melted crayon from a dryer-load of (new) clothes. I remembered the label saying something about it being safe enough to use for removing adhesive from the skin of babies in PICUs – so we gave it a try and it really helps. I’m not sure if it is the same product, but the company also makes something specifically for medical use:
http://www.orange-sol.com/medical/index.html
If we ever run of the bottle we have, I’m going to order the individually wrapped wipes.
BTW, when I bought the De-Solv-it, their website said it was available at Home Depot, but it wasn’t. Walmart is the only place I’ve seen it.
Good luck!
P.S. It also works great at removing melted crayon from clothes & the inside of the dryer!