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clothing/itches/rashes/eczema: dye/latex/synthetics/PPD
Tinkered again, added the words"clothing" and "synthetics" to the title. I suggest people read this thread in reverse order since it evolved over time.
Again I have tinkered with the title and got rid of the "allergy" word, because I really don't know if I have an ALLERGY or if itching and rashes are just what happens when a caustic chemical leaches into your skin!
I have come to suspect that reactions to latex or dye might be because of acid PH sweat during VA toxicity/detox causing more release of caustic dye chemicals into the skin. You can cut to the last pages to see where my thinking has led and what action items I have taken.
End of edit.
Decided to rename this thread which was originally "latex/rubber allegory, VA connection?"
I also want to put right up front here that I spoke with an expert on latex/dye allergy and was strongly warned not to ever take part in desensitization protocols for this malady. She believes such protocols are dangerous.
End of Edit
Occasionally I've wondered if I have allergy to my clothing, I mentioned it a few times on my (overly lengthy, don't bother to look! lol) status. This post is about possible latex/rubber/elastic allergy. EDIT: perhaps this isn't actually allergy but just a normal reaction to a caustic chemical.
Anyways, I had a very clear reaction to elastic on a cuff last week.
I started looking into latex allergy (which has become pretty common in the world, actually).
I decided to put latex and carotene into the google machine and found out that latex (as you would expect, since it is a natural tree sap) does have carotenes.
I'm not really sure that is why I'm reacting to it. However, it made me wonder what the intersection IS between VA toxicity and latex allergy.
One of the things I read is that dermatologists realize that "the atopic" often are the ones who become latex allergic. Perhaps it is similar to why many people here end up gluten intolerant. The surface is exposed and irritated and vulnerable to troublesome proteins, when it should be resilient.
Has anyone noticed that toothbrushes look different now than they used to? They have colorful "massaging" tentacles on them that are rubbery? My husband likes to buy this kind for us. I'm wondering if these could be why I'm still having lip peeling. So I've purchased a different kind of toothbrush that people on support sites say is usually latex free. It's hard to know if a product actually contains latex or not, though!
Latex/rubber reactions are usually about contact with your skin, although some exposures are about inhalation or even ingestion or during medical or dental interventions. It's pretty serious and it's ubiquitous.
Some studies have been done about a year-long desensitization protocol. You put on a latex glove for a few seconds each day. You slowly build up your exposure, a few seconds at a time, over a year. Eventually you can tolerate an hour. You remain allergic, but you just don't react as much.
edit: I have since been warned that this is a dangerous thing to attempt.
In my particular case it appears that moisture makes the reaction more likely. Here are some of the things that I'm now suspicious of, hahaha
The tooth brushes.
Elastic at wrist cuffs (on coats and blouses), bottom of bra, leg holes of underwear.
I had a reaction to a new oven, and perhaps it was about latex in glues used?
I wonder if the raynauds and cracking on the bottoms of my feet could be about damp feet in rubber boots.
Wet laundry irritates my hands, and I wonder if there is enough exposure handling wet, elasticized items to cause a problem.
I've noticed many pairs of my winter gloves have areas of elastic on the tops or the wrists.
I'm wondering if the ear elastics on face masks could be leading to an asthma feeling I associate with mask wearing.
I was thinking: but hey, I paint with latex paint and wear nitrile gloves to garden! Wouldn't these exposures have set me off? It turns out that neither of these products really contain latex. Nitrile gloves are synthetic, and latex paint is acrylic.
In the spring time I often react when I start seeds in little pots with purchased potting soil. I wonder if this is some sort of cross reaction. Perhaps potting soil contains tree or plant proteins that could be similar to those in latex (which comes from trees).
Cross reactions to foods are mentioned in some of the sites, and I see tomato is there. I certainly do react to the yellow powder that comes off of tomato plants. Tomato has been involved in my food attacks more than any one particular food. But I do eat it sometimes with no troubles.
Quote from lil chick on January 30, 2023, 6:47 amHas anyone noticed that toothbrushes look different now than they used to? They have colorful "massaging" tentacles on them that are rubbery? My husband likes to buy this kind for us. I'm wondering if these could be why I'm still having lip peeling. So I've purchased a different kind of toothbrush that people on support sites say is usually latex free. It's hard to know if a product actually contains latex or not, though!
Ah, and soda like coca cola und pepsi contains fluoride too: https://truthaboutfluoride.com/beverages-that-contain-fluoride/ A little bummed about it, because I enjoy a coca cola once in a while.
Thanks @christian, yah I've lived without fluoride toothpaste for many years. When I was a kid, though, I was unfortunately exposed to fluoride quite a bit.
To all:
I want to temper my thread here about latex/rubber allergy with a little warning about common sense. I'm not sure it is a good idea to ever live "in a plastic bubble" and perhaps the people who do that actually end up worse off in the long run.
However, I am not against switching toothbrushes and bras if it makes my life better.
I think getting paranoid about exposures (because I've been getting a rash here or there) may be countet-productive.
It's just another problematic item from the vegetable world.
edit:
I have since decided that this statement isn't quite true for me anymore. I'm thinking (at least in my case) that the problem with rubber is an allergy to the man-made dyes and vulcanizing agents (harsh chemicals) that humans add to latex. In my case (just as people in early rubber factories found), it appears that sweat plays a role. Perhaps because it is wet, or because of the ph.
I think this is a problem of toxic modernity.
@lil-chick You did have skin problems right at the beginning. I too have skin problems with eczema even now at 3 yrs 4 months. So it could seem like you are reacting to a lot of things but may be primarily due to the bile acids leaking into the blood. Similar ages would indicate degree of difficulty in resolving the leakiness. Eggs have helped for last 9 months. I'm now experimenting with sulfur and cruciferous vegetables. Another avenue that might be open to you is to try a little raw milk (50-100 mls a day).