Question:
Has anyone else had an allergy to the steri-strips used on the incision line?

I know that I have allergies to most of the adhesives so they used the paper tape on me for most things in the hospital and it was fine. I have done a good job of not touching my incision or drain hole area even though it's been itching like MAD! I just assumed I was healing. I also noticed a darker oval shaped area all around my incision under my steri-strips. I had assumed it was some anti-bacterial used during surgery. However, I had my 2-week follow-up appointment on Friday and the surgeon took off my strips and that oval was actually a massive allergy rash. Some of my skin came up with the strips. My skin is red, raw, and it has bubbles all over it. My incision thankfully is fine. My surgeon recommended 1% corstisone cream for the itch, which has helped. But now the bubbles are popping and are bleeding so I've been swabbing them with hydrogen peroxide. It's MISERABLE!!! Does anybody have any words of advice here for this minor calamity?    — snohflake (posted on May 18, 2003)

May 17, 2003
Hi, I had red sore places where the strips were but it went a way as soon as I got them off. It was almost like a burn, during healing I had some peeling around the areas
   — Carol B.

May 18, 2003
Hi, I too am allergic to those type adhesives. I blistered up and burned where it was located. It was 12 yrs ago and all i can say to help is always tell surgeons for future references that you are allergic to that. I dont know what they will do but I intend on telling them as my surgery date comes up. We will see. *hugs*
   — WLS_Deb

May 18, 2003
Hi, I have a terrible allergy to steri-strips. After my RNY, it was bad but I endured, painfully. But after my tummy tuck it was much worse. It got so bad that the doctor had me take the steri strips off early - that doesn't apply to you since yours are off already. But, the other thing they had me do was to take Benadryl for the itching. It helped a lot and helped dry up the rash from the allergy. Don't do this without checking with your doctor since you are early post-op and I was over a year out from the RNY.
   — Patty_Butler

May 18, 2003
I had welts and intence itching, and a couple of blisters. I went ahead and took the steri strips off the next day. I had pretty well healed, so no problems. You should notice a big differance in a week.
   — wizz46

May 18, 2003
I had my gallbladder removed Lap and had a massive reaction to the steri-stips, skin was falling off and had HUGE blood blisters all over my tummy. I found that a wet wash cloth that had sat in the freezer for awhile felt good to help with the itch.....and what ever you do....don't scratch at it...it made the rash worse, it seemed to spread and more skin seemed to fall off. It was very un-comfy, but it was gone in about 7 days after the strips were removed. I actually took them off in the shower and told me surgeon that they fell off.....then begged for him not to put them back on, thank god he listened. As the strips caused such a rash on belly button incision...that it did not close up for close to 3 weeks. Good luck to you...and DON'T SCRATCH!!!!! :)
   — jennap

May 18, 2003
Thanks everyone for your responses. I'm sure I will eventually want plastic surgery so this is a good thing to know now b/c I never want to experience this again. Yikes!! The burning and itching were so bad the other night I actually took one of my percosets! It's just so funny to think that were I was cut wide open hurts not a bit, yet this stupid bubbly rash is pushing me over the edge here. And I swear, no itching! I'll be good.
   — snohflake

May 18, 2003
hi. my surgeons group has switched to using Dermabond instead of the steri-strips. when i had the surgery, they used steri strips but nine months later when my mother had hers, they had already switched to closing with dermabond and i have to say it was much simpler and worked excellent. anyone out ther, try to request dermabond.
   — christina K.

May 19, 2003
You are not alone! LOL It was amazing to me when I had my surgery that, like you, the incision didn't bother me yet the rashes/itching from the steri strips and bandages drove me INSANE! My incision drained a bit so I had to keep gauze on it 24-7...well, gauze meant tape too. It was terrible having to change my bandages and trying to tape the gauze to 'new' areas of skin that weren't already raw from rash and itching. I have no advice to give you to help ease your terrible reaction because I unfortunately just suffered through it. So, I'll be coming back to this question and see if anyone posts the miracle 'cure' we are both seeking. Hang in there...it has to get better!
   — [Deactivated Member]

May 24, 2003
It probably isn't the steri-strips, but the adhesive they put on the skin before placing the strips. I had the exact same reaction on my incisional sites and that is what my doc said it way. By the way, this was for some nipping and tucking to correct some 'dog ears' after my plastic surgery. I watched the doc take a small tube of something, crack the glass interior tube so the substance oozed into the cotton tip and then she smeared it about the incision before laying the steri-strips in place. I forgot the name of what the stuff was, but I will warn any other doc not to use it. It was everything I could do to not use a wire brush on my new incisional sites.
   — merri B.

Click Here to Return