CUunderH2O
Contributor
Hi all,
Just wanted to share my experience with allergies I seem to have developed since I started diving. I started diving in July last year, and had a 7/5 full wetsuit that I wore with no problems, as well as having no problems with my 6mm booties. Unfortunately, after I started wearing a drysuit in October, I found I was breaking out in an extremely itchy rash 12-24 hours after a dive. I thought it was just the glue in the suit (the suit was freshly made when I got it, it was a 7mm neoprene suit and it smelled strongly of rubber cement and other chemical smells). The suit had latex neck & wrist seals, but I didn't have any reaction in those areas. The allergic reaction didn't seem as bad as time wore on, so I didn't think much about it. I did, however, get tested for a latex allergy, both scratch & blood tests, and they both were negative. In the meantime I went on a tropical trip where I wore a new 3mm suit. I found out after the first day of diving that I had a rash again. When I got home I was slated for patch testing which tested for many different types of allergies (see this link: http://dermnetnz.org/procedures/patch-tests.html) I immediately reacted with an itching, burning sensation to something; it made it very uncomfortable for the next 5 days! Also, small pieces of my wetsuits & drysuit were taped to my back to see my reaction to them.
Turns out the only allergy I have is to a specific group of rubber accelerators, the Thioureas. There are other types of chemicals added to rubber, but thankfully I'm only allergic to one group of them. Of my wetsuits/drysuit tests, I reacted strongly (dark red, extremely itchy welts) to my drysuit, and my 3mm wetsuit. My 7/5 suit did not cause a reaction, just as I suspected. I'm also lucky; my allergic reaction is limited to a very itchy rash which, although it can be so severe it interferes with sleep, it won't cause me an anaphylactic reaction. I can take Benadryl at night to help me sleep, use a prescription corticosteroid cream and be back to normal within a week.
I also found out that this group of chemicals is found in photocopy paper, which explains the occasional dermatitis I get when I have to deal with paperwork at the office. The dermatology clinic where I was tested gave me an information sheet that explained my allergy and the sources of exposure I could expect to encounter in my day-to-day life. There are also many sources on the web.
I'm an avid diver who intends to become a DM and eventually an instructor, so my only choice is to do what the dermatologist recommended: if I need a new suit, I'll need to get a piece of it from the manufacturer first to conduct a patch test to see if I react to it. I'll be getting a trilam drysuit eventually, when I get some $$ for one. In the meantime, if I don't sweat in my drysuit I seem to get off fairly easily with only a mild reaction. And for summer diving, my 7/5 fullsuit doesn't cause me any problems, so I'll be OK. Tropical diving will be tricky, unless I choose to wear my 7/5 all the time.
Just a note: if you think you're allergic to neoprene or any of its components, don't attempt to do a patch test on yourself. You may be more allergic than you think. Make an appointment with a dermatologist to get yourself patch tested. It was not the most comfortable test, but it's over and now I know what the problem is, and how to get around it.
Hope this helps any of you who have had similar experiences.
Just wanted to share my experience with allergies I seem to have developed since I started diving. I started diving in July last year, and had a 7/5 full wetsuit that I wore with no problems, as well as having no problems with my 6mm booties. Unfortunately, after I started wearing a drysuit in October, I found I was breaking out in an extremely itchy rash 12-24 hours after a dive. I thought it was just the glue in the suit (the suit was freshly made when I got it, it was a 7mm neoprene suit and it smelled strongly of rubber cement and other chemical smells). The suit had latex neck & wrist seals, but I didn't have any reaction in those areas. The allergic reaction didn't seem as bad as time wore on, so I didn't think much about it. I did, however, get tested for a latex allergy, both scratch & blood tests, and they both were negative. In the meantime I went on a tropical trip where I wore a new 3mm suit. I found out after the first day of diving that I had a rash again. When I got home I was slated for patch testing which tested for many different types of allergies (see this link: http://dermnetnz.org/procedures/patch-tests.html) I immediately reacted with an itching, burning sensation to something; it made it very uncomfortable for the next 5 days! Also, small pieces of my wetsuits & drysuit were taped to my back to see my reaction to them.
Turns out the only allergy I have is to a specific group of rubber accelerators, the Thioureas. There are other types of chemicals added to rubber, but thankfully I'm only allergic to one group of them. Of my wetsuits/drysuit tests, I reacted strongly (dark red, extremely itchy welts) to my drysuit, and my 3mm wetsuit. My 7/5 suit did not cause a reaction, just as I suspected. I'm also lucky; my allergic reaction is limited to a very itchy rash which, although it can be so severe it interferes with sleep, it won't cause me an anaphylactic reaction. I can take Benadryl at night to help me sleep, use a prescription corticosteroid cream and be back to normal within a week.
I also found out that this group of chemicals is found in photocopy paper, which explains the occasional dermatitis I get when I have to deal with paperwork at the office. The dermatology clinic where I was tested gave me an information sheet that explained my allergy and the sources of exposure I could expect to encounter in my day-to-day life. There are also many sources on the web.
I'm an avid diver who intends to become a DM and eventually an instructor, so my only choice is to do what the dermatologist recommended: if I need a new suit, I'll need to get a piece of it from the manufacturer first to conduct a patch test to see if I react to it. I'll be getting a trilam drysuit eventually, when I get some $$ for one. In the meantime, if I don't sweat in my drysuit I seem to get off fairly easily with only a mild reaction. And for summer diving, my 7/5 fullsuit doesn't cause me any problems, so I'll be OK. Tropical diving will be tricky, unless I choose to wear my 7/5 all the time.
Just a note: if you think you're allergic to neoprene or any of its components, don't attempt to do a patch test on yourself. You may be more allergic than you think. Make an appointment with a dermatologist to get yourself patch tested. It was not the most comfortable test, but it's over and now I know what the problem is, and how to get around it.
Hope this helps any of you who have had similar experiences.
Lots more fun!
