Allergic to competition dress...

[cazzie]

More of a rant really. Feel like this could only happen to my daughter. And less than 3 weeks before competition.

She has a princess on ice dress which really suits her personality and her program. (Belly dancing sort of music).

First time wore dress - itchy, excema, peeling skin. No problem - got a nude leotard. Second time (with leotard) itched a bit and reddish skin but seemed OK.

Tried it on last night (to check she hasn't grown too much) and instant red blotches all over her. (Didn't use bodysuit as it was a 2 second trying on).

Forth time wearing it - even with bodysuit - wheals/nettle rash - huge things with raised bit in middle. Granted she wore it for an hour for a whole skating session (it was a dress rehearsal and she didn't want to come off ice to change after 2 minutes).

So - need to locate something quickly or give her loads of anti-histamines, just wear for one competition or wear a pretty but completely unthemed dress.

PS She is very allergic and when little had significant allergic reaction to various foods - started with wheals and after a few more accidental exposures, eventually had breathing problems on exposure to these foods. She also has excema.

Busy checking ebay to see if there is something almost instantly available.

http://cgi.ebay.com/COMPETITION-ICE-SKATING-DRESS-DANCE-BATON-TWIRLING-CS_W0QQitemZ280294477600QQihZ018QQcategoryZ4939QQc mdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262 was the dress

[phoenix]

Have you tried washing it and/or having it cleaned?

Wow, that's really terrible!

[CanadianAdult]

Have you emailed the eBay seller and asked for a list of the source materials?

It's probably got melamine in the glitter glue. LOL. Do you want to think twice about what you've bought? The eBay seller asserts that it's made in the USA, it easily has 10-15 hours of work on it, yet is being sold for $65.00. Taking out the cost of materials, how much do you think that home-worker got paid? I suspect it's a Chinese made dress.

I really don't believe that it was made in the USA, something on that website says "shipped from USA". I'm sort of joking that there's melamine in the glue, that's my China reference. It is more likely that there is latex in the glue, and if that's the case, your child shouldn't even be near the dress.

[SkatEn]

Definitely try to get something else. Check the manufacturer of the dress and if I'm you, I'll be wary about getting the same brand for the daughter. Also, check the fibre content.

Why not try doing an allergy test to find out her allergies so she won't have to risk so many things?

And yes, try to wash it, but I don't think it'll work. And I think the bodysuit won't work because well, it's still porous...

I wish you luck in finding a last minute replacement! ;) No matter how suited it is for the program, I don't think wearing that dress just ONE more time is worth it. I had one episode of hives. Terrible, and I won't wish anything similar on anyone.

[Query]

They say allergies usually get progressively worse with each exposure.

I've heard a lot of people are allergic to the chemicals sometimes put in new clothing. Starch (I'm not sure that applies to dresses), whiteners, whatever. Not everything washes out - specific fabric or dyes, or even to wearing something super tight or scratchy.

But talk to the dressmaker - maybe you can't even cold/hand wash or dryclean it. He/she might also know what substances are in it, so you can consider avoiding them in the future.

[cazzie]

It was washed (by hand) after the last competition. Good idea about finding out the chemicals possibly in it. There does seem to be a lot of glue involved and most of the stuff is glued on. The glitter stuff sheds a lot. Definately she won't be wearing that again. Personally think they are really OTT, although daughter is such a show off she seems to do OK in the dress. (If you know what I mean).

I live in the UK where they do not believe in allergy testing! (When she was a little kid she had some potentially life-threatening reactions to egg and a severe reaction to an anaesthetic and couldn't even get those tested).

Think I contacted the seller about the "made in the US assertion" but you're right - more likely to be Eastern labour. Off to hunt for info on melamine allergies.

Probably a good thing we did the "dress rehearsal".

[Sessy]

Daughter of a friend of moms has got an allergy to synthetic fibres. She developed it when she was 3 or 4. Your kid might have the same thing.

[herniated]

OMG!! How horrible!! Try your local dance shops to see if they have any skating dresses or a simple type dance dresses with attached leotard. Then you could use hot fix crystals to decorate it or appliques. I do this all the time and the dresses look beautiful. Do you have Danskin suppliers in the UK? They have some great simple dresses that with decorating turn out gorgeous!!

By the way, why is there no allergy testing in the UK? Kind of OT but curious.

Danskin's website is www.danskin.com

[FSWer]

More of a rant really. Feel like this could only happen to my daughter. And less than 3 weeks before competition.

She has a princess on ice dress which really suits her personality and her program. (Belly dancing sort of music).

First time wore dress - itchy, excema, peeling skin. No problem - got a nude leotard. Second time (with leotard) itched a bit and reddish skin but seemed OK.

Tried it on last night (to check she hasn't grown too much) and instant red blotches all over her. (Didn't use bodysuit as it was a 2 second trying on).

Forth time wearing it - even with bodysuit - wheals/nettle rash - huge things with raised bit in middle. Granted she wore it for an hour for a whole skating session (it was a dress rehearsal and she didn't want to come off ice to change after 2 minutes).

So - need to locate something quickly or give her loads of anti-histamines, just wear for one competition or wear a pretty but completely unthemed dress.

PS She is very allergic and when little had significant allergic reaction to various foods - started with wheals and after a few more accidental exposures, eventually had breathing problems on exposure to these foods. She also has excema.

Busy checking ebay to see if there is something almost instantly available.

http://cgi.ebay.com/COMPETITION-ICE-SKATING-DRESS-DANCE-BATON-TWIRLING-CS_W0QQitemZ280294477600QQihZ018QQcategoryZ4939QQc mdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262 was the dress


I'm no expert. But if you mean your Daughter is allergic to the material of dresses. I should think your Daughter should be able to wear something. As I can't see Skating manufactures (sorry if that's spelled wrong) denying skaters who are allergic to there dresses not having anything to wear. That's rediculous right there.

[RachelSk8er]

Oh that's so sad for her :( Hopefully you can find a suitable replacement fast. Is there anyone her size you could borrow a dress from?

I've never had any allergy issues, but last year I knit a sweater with this gorgeous Peruvian alpaca. Designed the sweater myself, it's a lace pattern, V-neck, 3/4 sleeves (which I planned to wear with just a coordinating cami underneath) came out gorgeous and fit perfectly, only to find out the first time I wore it that I must be allergic to the particular blend of alpaca I used. My skin got red, bumpy, itchy, you name it. This wasn't cheap yarn, either. And I had no issues with the yarn while I worked on it.

[dbny]

I'm shocked that there is no allergy testing in the UK. It's true that allergy testing is not 100% accurate, but no testing?

My older DD is extremely allergic to all milk products, still, at the age of 25, so I have lots of experience with allergies (she has others too, as does younger DD). The progression of symptoms sounds scary to me. Can you get your doctor to prescribe an epi-pen for your daughter? That is a single dose of epinephrine that is injected with just a jab. It is packaged in a plastic tube so it can be easily carried with you. It provides a 20 minute window in which to get to a hospital

[Lsk8]

From a skating Nurse Anesthetist.--Allergic reactions often do accelerate with repeated exposure, with the possibility of anaphylactic reaction (aka anaphylactic shock) with acute closure of the airways causing wheezing or even total inability to breath and sudden, severe lowering of blood pressure. This can be life threatening. It is not worth the chance. Just accept the loss of $ and use a different dress.

[fsk8r]

Some UK clubs have dress hire and second hand dresses for sale. You might be able to get lucky and find something else in a hurry that way. And yes it will be a shame to not wear the dress you've bought, but her health is way more important.

I know there's a book available which explains which allergies are related to each other because the chemicals are similar. It might be worth having a look at down the library / local bookstore just so you can see if there's something she's already allergic to that's similar to anything that might be in a dress / glue. Given that there is no allergy testing (I've also heard it can be unreliable which is why we don't get it) it may be easier for you to do your own homework and work out what's causing it.

[Query]

Daughter of a friend of moms has got an allergy to synthetic fibres. She developed it when she was 3 or 4. Your kid might have the same thing.

Huh. I'm allergic to wool, not synthetics.

Just curious: Is allergy testing illegal in UK, or just not covered by insurance and/or government medical programs, so you have to pay someone?

There are mail order allergy test kits, or one could wear swatches of different available fabrics under other clothing, and expose oneself to different (dried) glues, detergents, dyes, etc.

There are dance costume shops that sell and rent outfits. Maybe even real belly dancer stuff.

Maybe a dressmaker could duplicate the dress using other materials, by taking measurements off the original. Some fabric stores have notebooks full of them, or maybe people advertise, or other skaters could refer you to one. But a gal her told me they charge a lot.

Some skin tight outfits might stop allergens, like the skin suits sold by dive shops to protect stop jellyfish stings. The warm water models aren't hot or bulky. Don't know if they come in or could be dyed to skin tone color.

Would she go for a nice cheap conservative cotton sweat suit? Works for me. :lol:

[cazzie]

She has a couple of pretty (unthemed) dresses which would be great with some hotfix crystals so hope to chat more to the coach today and tell them that she can't wear that dress again. I think they thought I was over-reacting yesterday I was told when she was little if the hives have a large raised central (white) area it indicates a potentially severe reaction.

They can be particular about competition dresses but at her level I don't htink its that serious not to have a costume themed to her music.

Not sure why the UK is like this about allergy testing I've heard its possible to get peanut allergy tested for and nothing else. Certainly she was under hospital paediatrician for many years and not one agreed to testing.

She had one severe reaction which needed resuscitation (anaesthetic reaction) and had several reactions which probably should have had adrenaline but all her allergies have improved a great deal and she is eating anything and everything with her only problem being excema. She used to have an epipen when little because her reactions to dairy and egg were so severe but as these aren't really a problem anymore we don't have them anymore.

It took about 12 hours for the rash to go down and I don't think she will go near that dress again! Will also never buy glue/sequin stuff again.

[fsk8r]

She has a couple of pretty (unthemed) dresses which would be great with some hotfix crystals so hope to chat more to the coach today and tell them that she can't wear that dress again. I think they thought I was over-reacting yesterday I was told when she was little if the hives have a large raised central (white) area it indicates a potentially severe reaction.

They can be particular about competition dresses but at her level I don't htink its that serious not to have a costume themed to her music.

Not sure why the UK is like this about allergy testing I've heard its possible to get peanut allergy tested for and nothing else. Certainly she was under hospital paediatrician for many years and not one agreed to testing.

She had one severe reaction which needed resuscitation (anaesthetic reaction) and had several reactions which probably should have had adrenaline but all her allergies have improved a great deal and she is eating anything and everything with her only problem being excema. She used to have an epipen when little because her reactions to dairy and egg were so severe but as these aren't really a problem anymore we don't have them anymore.

It took about 12 hours for the rash to go down and I don't think she will go near that dress again! Will also never buy glue/sequin stuff again.

Not sure what level your daughter is skating at, but a nice blinged up dress should be fine. It's what a lot of the adults were wearing at the British over the weekend, so I can't see why the kids shouldn't.

I think I'd contact the ebay seller and see if you can find out what's in the dress so at least you can start trying to eliminate things for the next time. and maybe mention it to the GP next time you're there. He might have some ideas as to what might be in the dress which is causing it.

As for allergy testing, I've heard that it's possible for anyone to come up allergic to everything based on some of the allergy tests and I suspect that has something to do with why we don't test more rigorously in the UK.

[sk8tmum]

[QUOTE=cazzie;386351]Not sure why the UK is like this about allergy testing I've heard its possible to get peanut allergy tested for and nothing else. Certainly she was under hospital paediatrician for many years and not one agreed to testing.

She had one severe reaction which needed resuscitation (anaesthetic reaction) and had several reactions which probably should have had adrenaline but all her allergies have improved a great deal and she is eating anything and everything with her only problem being excema. She used to have an epipen when little because her reactions to dairy and egg were so severe but as these aren't really a problem anymore we don't have them anymore.

.[/QUOTe}

The skin problem may be allergy related, of course. What you may want to consider doing is running her thru an allergy elimination diet. It essentially is removing all potential allergic foods from the diet (i.e. eggs, corn, wheat) for a period of a few weeks. The food you eat is pretty bland ... then, you reintroduce the food groups, one by one, over a few days. If you have the reaction, then, you know you're allergic and you can avoid that food group in the future. If you don't, then, you're okay. If it turns out your allergic many things, it gives your doctor aid in helping you construct a safe, balanced and healthy diet.

It is very effective, and generally very safe, although like any medical experiment or test it's best done with a doctor or allergist's supervision. It helps to identify mild, chronic allergies that can make your life quite miserable without making you overtly ill. Key things to watch for with a kid with chronic allergies: skin conditions; itchy nose; puffy skin; purple circles under the eyes; irritability; upset tummies, or just an aversion to some foods. Just google Allergy Elimination diet. It's not "quackery" its legitimate medical practice. Oddly enough, the paediatric anti-allergy diet we followed here was based on British research!!!!

Just a thought. It's easy to do, and can make a huge difference for you.

[Mrs Redboots]

They certainly used to do allergy testing in the UK, as my sister was tested many years ago, but as it didn't show that it was the cat that was causing her problems and did show that she was allergic to other things, it wasn't much use - and it wasn't until the cat died that she got better!

How maddening about the dress, though - is this the first time she's had a reaction to fibres like this? Well worth finding out what the dress was made from. Let's hope you don't have to go the route of making all her dresses yourself to be sure of the fibre content - but if that's what it takes....

[sk8lady]

If you want something more authentic and she's willing to accept a unitard, River's Edge dancewear:
http://www.riversedgedancewear.com/shorsleevbel.html
sells some neat-looking unitards that have a top that looks like a choli, nude mesh at the middle, and a jazz pant style bottom. Tie on a hip wrap with lots of coins and voila--instant costume.

[CanadianAdult]

Where I live they only allergy test twice a year, and you've had to have had a proven reaction (eg, hives, doctor and ER visit) to even get into clinic. Go live in your bubble in the meantime and wait for your appointment!

I've been trying to think of other things that could be in fabric and/or decoration. Possibly in the glitter there could be metals, ? That could be a problem for figure skating, being allergic to bling!

Good luck finding something suitable, and definitely a reason to do a dress test well before the competition.

[cazzie]

What an amazing unitard! Will be contacting them. Daughter prefers unitards to dresses anyway and what a reasonable price!

If you want something more authentic and she's willing to accept a unitard, River's Edge dancewear:
http://www.riversedgedancewear.com/shorsleevbel.html

[Sessy]

Glitter is usually attached by a kind of glue onto the fabric. She may have a problem with that. Or she may have a problem with the dye of the costume.

Myself, I'm allergical to metals (nikkel always, and also something else, not sure what, fact is even surgical steel and 18 carate gold and high-grade silver gives me a reaction) and I've never had a problem with any sort of glitter.

A far more likely candidate for allergies though: many third-world countries use a kind of powder on clothing that prevents moths, rats and fleas infesting the clothing. I think it's actually been banned on clothing for import into the European Union a few years ago, but it's still legal to use on for example feet wiping mats (like the ones you put in front of your door) and some people react violently allergical to that powder.
And, some people are allergic to moths or cockroaches themselves.

And read this: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/497713
And this: http://au.todaytonight.yahoo.com/article/40502/consumer/formaldehyde-clothes

Across the country, worried parents are checking their kids' clothes to see if they are made in China, and potentially contain a dangerous chemical.
It is skin reactions to Chinese-made clothes that have worried parents across the country.
Maddy Line had bought her son Milo a new set of clothes. How could she possibly know the 100 per cent cotton clothes allegedly contained formaldehyde?
Milo broke out in a shocking rash all over his body within 20 minutes of putting on new clothes.

You could try washing the costume in baking soda or soap nut just to be sure it's not something perfume-related.

[cazzie]

Lovely coach is asking her grandmother (who sews) whether she'd be able to make us something in a hurry.

Will wash dress again but don't really want to put her in it. She has had increasing reactions every time and wouldn't trust it.... but - will need a wash anyway.

Sk8tmum - you're right about the low grade allergy skin stuff. After 9 years of being dairy-free though, daughter adament she wants to continue to have small amounts of dairy (to be able to eat with friends and ahve school dinners). Excema definately related to this but recent attempts to once again remove dairy met with sneaking/rebellion etc. Compared to when she was little when she became extremely ill after traces of dairy in her mind this isn't a reaction. I think she may change her mind eventually but currently one of those battles that it doesn't seem we can win. (Her little brother OTOH is very careful and gets quite cross when he has excema flares...)

Thank goodness they both chose skating as preferred sport. 10 minutes outdoors in spring and they are not well kids.... The refuge of the skating rink!

[Sessy]

Well... I'm 23 and I completely understand your daughter (I've got e.a. yeast and soya allergies myself and they put yeast extract in *everything* these days, crisps, soups, etc) so don't count on the problem solving itself in the future too much.

Did she try any cortisol creams for the eczema?

[Query]

I've got e.a. yeast and soya allergies myself

How awful. Yeast is virtually universal in foods and the natural environment, including airborne sources. Did you do any controlled tests, or is your diagnosis based on more ambiguous criteria? I know someone who thought they were allergic, then changed her mind after more careful testing.

She was advised to try a rotating diet for her low level allergies, where she didn't eat foods with the same ingredients twice within a two week period. That way no allergens could build up high levels. It worked very well, she got a lot healthier - but it takes a lot of time to cook that way, so she gave it up.

Oops. I got off topic again.

[Sessy]

It doesnt really present itself as an allergy sec. What happens is, I have something with yeast to eat and next day, somebody sneezes at me and I have a 40 degrees centegrade fever for a week. Or I suddenly have a yeast infection, which is generally also a sign of a weak immune system. Or my inflammatory processes suddenly flare up.
And perhaps my generally low immune system is just that - reactions to yeast in the atmosphere thing, I don't know. I do know that mushrooms, cheese and the like don't really sit well with me either.

I got some beer on my hand during a student party once. Five minutes later, the skin where the beer had dripped was red, itchy and slightly swollen. I'd say I don't need an allergy test to prove it, lol... The only allergy test I've ever had was after I was given immune boosters to keep my body fighting against an infection, and not surprisingly I was allergic to almost anything back then. Strangely enough, only cats and pollen didn't react lol.

[cazzie]

I'm not sure about yeast but certainly I and both kids probably react to mould. (Autum hay fever +++ when leaves lying everywhere and getting really soggy and wet).

I do know when sensitised (be it pollen/dairy or whatever) my daughter's skin is way more reactive. A light scratch by accident leaves a bit of a wheal etc.

Do think ice-skating just about the best sport for allergic individuals. (provided not a damp mouldy rink).

[Sessy]

Or you could just move to Antarctica while you're at it. :twisted:
(I suppose an off-shore drilling platform would work too. Unless you're allergic to seagulls. LoL) :lol:

Dancing and martial arts are also indoor sports.

[Query]

What happens is, I have something with yeast to eat and next day, somebody sneezes at me and I have a 40 degrees centegrade fever for a week...

FWIIW, an allergy is an immunity to an inappropriate thing. It is plausible for one immune response to suppress another, but that incident is pretty indirect evidence.

Yeast is in just about every natural food (and many unnatural foods) with sugar(s) in it. Like fruit. Like just about everything. To say nothing of bread and cake.

Before forgoing grapes, apples and donuts, I'd do a much more controlled test! :twisted: Isolated reactions to mixtures of many substances do not establish an allergy to any specific constituent.

Especially if the substance I had decided I might be allergic to, like yeast, is in just about everything, including some of the very best things I didn't want to give up. I wouldn't decide I was allergic to water after once having a rash a day after drinking cranberry juice.

But maybe that's just me. I love testing things.

So, maybe I'd bake a sweet quick bread with minimal ingredients (flour, water, sugar, baking soda), and breath over the batter. Any reaction? Next day I'd eat it. Any reaction? Next day I'd bake the same recipe with yeast instead of baking soda. And so on. Repeat in opposite order after waiting a week.

Or maybe I'd just eat a little yeast.

Or you could just move to Antarctica while you're at it. :twisted:

Some people move to Arizona for allergies.

But you've a way better idea.

Lots of ice!

[Sessy]

Okay so maybe I'm not allergic but I do have those reactions I described *every* time I have bread or beer yeast. Or cheese (except cottage cheese), or mushrooms, or soy. Even when I don't know I had them (accidents happen when you don't eat at home). So I'm gonna pass on the sensitivity test if it's all right with you, because bread and beer are the two #1 killers for me. I really don't need more nizoral or flucanazole in my system to get rid of the consequences of eating yeast - it's very, very bad for my already damaged liver...

My point is though, I do understand the kid of topicstarter. I'll have some yeast-extract tainted crisps on regular basis even though I know it's probably not good for me. I'll do the same for eggs and chocolate. Even though I'm itching all over the next day and need to use make-up to cover the red spots, lol. It's a kind of freedom to be able to chose what to have. It's very constricting when you can't have this and that and that. And it's a freedom I personally am willing to pay a little for - and topicstarters daughter too, apparently.

[TiggerTooSkates]

I got some beer on my hand during a student party once. Five minutes later, the skin where the beer had dripped was red, itchy and slightly swollen. I'd say I don't need an allergy test to prove it, lol... The only allergy test I've ever had was after I was given immune boosters to keep my body fighting against an infection, and not surprisingly I was allergic to almost anything back then. Strangely enough, only cats and pollen didn't react lol.

Never thought about how someone with a yeast allergy would be allergic to beer - this would not sit well with me at all - especially being married to a Brit!

You have my sympathies. . .8O

[Sessy]

It's actually quite bad with beer and wine - if my boyfriend drinks it and then kisses me, I get sick too. :lol:

[miraclegro]

Well, bless you all, allergies are awful. I have a lot of allergies myself, but not like the eczema. I do know from experience, though, that when new clothing is brought into the stores for the new seasons, sometimes they really bother me, and i don't even try them on! Its the inhaling of the fibers & fabrics, some synthetic, which is reallly bad.

So it may be something inhaled, who knows? I hope you can make another plan, although it's frustrating.

[Query]

It doesnt really present itself as an allergy sec. What happens is, I have something with yeast to eat and next day, somebody sneezes at me and I have a 40 degrees centegrade fever for a week. Or I suddenly have a yeast infection, which is generally also a sign of a weak immune system. Or my inflammatory processes suddenly flare up.
And perhaps my generally low immune system is just that - reactions to yeast in the atmosphere thing, I don't know. I do know that mushrooms, cheese and the like don't really sit well with me either.

I got some beer on my hand during a student party once. Five minutes later, the skin where the beer had dripped was red, itchy and slightly swollen. I'd say I don't need an allergy test to prove it, lol... The only allergy test I've ever had was after I was given immune boosters to keep my body fighting against an infection, and not surprisingly I was allergic to almost anything back then. Strangely enough, only cats and pollen didn't react lol.

I know this thread is mostly dead - but I may just have figured this out.

First off, an allergy is an inappropriate or excessive immune system response. But people do get infected by a number of strains of yeastie beastie (the technical name :) for the organisms under discussion), in various places, so some immune response isn't inappropriate.

More to the point: Do you respond to exposure to yeast by taking anti-allergy medications? They work by supressing the immune system. So it is perfectly reasonable that you would get fever, cold, flu, cold sores, etc. Are you unwilling to run a controlled test by trying exposure to yeastie beasties without taking an anti-allergy medications 5-10 times? Then how about taking the anti-allergy medication 5-10 times without the exposure, and see if you get any of the symptoms you are talking about?

Your "generally low immune system" is certainly consistent with taking anti-allergy medications.

In other words, apparent allergic responses to an agent may actually be results of using a medication to control the allergy.

A lot of people with medical problems take a lot of drugs. They start with one problem, for which they take a drug. The drug modifies their biochemistry (that's more or less how "drug" is defined), which causes other problems. So they take more drugs, which further alter their biochemistry, both directly, and through their interactions. So they get more problems. And so on.

I've wondered whether many people wouldn't be better off stopping all drugs. (Not suddenly - standard theory is that people's internal biochemistries react to introduced substances by adapting to them, so they become chemically dependant. Better to stop over a period of many days.) Then if it turns out they really need one or two, they can start over.

Again, remember I'm not a doctor, and many doctors would be horrified by the idea of patients experimenting on themselves by not taking what they prescribe. But for myself, I will not take anything long term.

Except food. I've heard the withdrawal symptoms from food are severe. :roll:

Here is an article by a doctor who doubts yeast allergies.

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/candida.html

[Schmeck]

To the OP - sure it isn't an allergy to latex?

One thing you could do is sew a lining into the entire dress. I used to make linings out of a very thin fleece when my kids were very little and only in the big group numbers at the end of the year show. Lots of standing and waiting and about 3 minutes of skating is very cold when you are 3 or 4 years old. Of course you wouldn't want to use fleece for a competition dress , but how about a stretchy cotton/non latex fabric?

[SkatEn]

First time wore dress - itchy, excema, peeling skin. No problem - got a nude leotard. Second time (with leotard) itched a bit and reddish skin but seemed OK.

Tried it on last night (to check she hasn't grown too much) and instant red blotches all over her. (Didn't use bodysuit as it was a 2 second trying on).

Forth time wearing it - even with bodysuit - wheals/nettle rash - huge things with raised bit in middle. Granted she wore it for an hour for a whole skating session (it was a dress rehearsal and she didn't want to come off ice to change after 2 minutes).



One thing you could do is sew a lining into the entire dress. I used to make linings out of a very thin fleece when my kids were very little and only in the big group numbers at the end of the year show. Lots of standing and waiting and about 3 minutes of skating is very cold when you are 3 or 4 years old. Of course you wouldn't want to use fleece for a competition dress , but how about a stretchy cotton/non latex fabric?

OP already used bodysuits, so there's already an added layer of "buffer".

OP- Are you chucking the dress? How's the competition after all?

[Skate@Delaware]

You should try to get another epipen...just in case.

As for future dresses, you will have to go the old fashioned way and have the bling sewn on, once you find a basic dress to which she doesn't react to (the dyes). I have one that has the beads/sequins sewn on so people still do sell them.

I understand what you go through. My daughter is deadly allergic to shellfish and she would have to ask 50 questions every time we'd go out to eat....just in case they cooked shrimp or other shellfish on the same grill as her potential dinner. Luckily, no mad dashes to the ER or trials with the epipen, just benadryl and watching for hives.

[Sessy]

No, I respond by taking flucanazole which damages my liver, since nothing else kills the yeast infections. Doctors have tried a variety of medication, flucanazole is the only one that works. And the yeast infections also cause me to get itch all over my skin when I have them - way before other symptoms such as pain during urinating appear and way before I take the flucanazole. The extreme case of this skin itch would be beer and fresh bread, which causes itch to the skin upon contact, as well as redness.

I do not take any anti allergy medication of any kind, even for the test-confirmed allergies I have (eggs, dog hair etc) because I do not believe in taking pills that aren't vitally necessary is good for my damaged liver and kidneys (that, too, is blood test confirmed). I have a history of my immune system collapsing completely (doctors at one point gave me about 2 weeks to live because of it, I had a 41 degree centigrade fever for several months because of a common bacteria that floats around in the air everywhere and doesn't even make people sick, which had inflamed all my internal organs and even caused some reaction in my blood, BP of 70/50 and stuff like that) which all was happening for no apparent reason (every viral, antibody and petri dish breeding test fanthomable was run with no results other than that common bacteria, which was also supposedly sensitive to a bunch of antibiotics which weren't killing it in me). After that I was treated with medication for my immune system (no idea what, it was all in bags dripping into my veins and I was far too sick to care what was in it) which caused a bunch of allergies, and the yeast reactions have also stuck since, but at least I lived. I still have a gazillion of health problems left though. They've tried everything to treat them but my body doesn't respond to any of it. I am fairly certain my body's response to the yeasts happens because of the drugs I was treated with to keep me alive. I know one of those medications wasn't even approved yet and I don't recall what it was, so I don't know whether it ever got approved. I don't even know what stage the tests were in, I was a teenager all alone in a hospital in a foreign country dying, gee, it slipped my mind to ask, weird huh? At first, I was allergic to *everything* except wheat and tomatoes and cucumbers, and the reactions slowly ceased one by one after they took me off those drugs, but not in the case of yeasts.

I don't care who doubts that people can be allergic to yeast, when you start messing with the immune system with experimental treatments out of sheer desperation, you're bound to get some weird side effects. Redness and itching upon even contact with things like beer, that's allergy in my book. I don't know why I'm only allergic to food yeasts and penicillin-like yeasts, either. Maybe it's because they're the only sort I came into contact with during the treatment (I've got reasons to think that which I won't go into right now).

Query, I don't mean to be rude or anything but I notice that you have a tendency to deal out medical advise in many different threads without being a health professional. Now as much as I understand that a non-professional might have gathered a significant amount of relevant knowledge through general knowledge sources and have very helpful advise because of this, I don't think that's true in your case. You're an engineer, an inventor and a scientist, but your doctoring skills need work on. Or perhaps, it's not so much your knowledge as your assumptions about the situation. You assume people haven't seen a gazillion of specialists about their problems when in fact they do tend to do so for serious, persistent and debilitating problems. In fact I have spent years of my life in and out of hospitals. You're a brilliant DIY'er and problem solver, just not in this area.

[Query]

Sessy:

I understand your perspective, and I very much sympathize with the horrible set of circumstances that your health problems create. To a large extant your criticism is valid.

I have for the most part been careful to say I do not have a medical background. But I see many skaters who have medical problems that are easily fixed, and who do not try to find the right treatment, and it is impossible for me to ignore this. Clearly your problems are not in this category.

The ability to reason from first principles, to experiment, to read the scientific literature, and to solve problems, is not limited to the trained professionals in any field of study. The whole point of the scientific method is that others should be able to duplicate your results.

Health care professionals are trained and bound to specific "standards of care" which theoretically limit their treatment to approved methods. They have to be extremely bright people to master the extraordinary amount of material in their training, but standards of care limit their application of basic problem solving methods. Sometimes the standards of care produce nearly miraculous results - and I have experienced this in my case a couple times. But there are long-term problems that current medical practice has not yet developed good solutions to, and specialists in different medical areas apply very different standards of care. I have experienced that as well.

So I believe that problem solving by ordinary individuals should apply to medical issues.

A large fraction of new medical tools, techniques and drugs originate with people with little or no medical backgrounds. Plus, most of the medical people have relatively little training in running controlled experiments or designing equipment and software (though some do), and it is much too easy for certified medical personnel to find work that pays well in their areas of study, so they have little motivation to question standards.

One of the extraordinary "benefits" of study in the fields like mathematics, astronomy, geology, physics and biology, is that they produce a large number of people who can not find work in their fields. So they are available to solve problems in other areas. (And engineers, which I am not, are happy to work at good paying biotechnology companies.) Therefore you have medical imaging technologies developed by applying the methods of those fields to medical needs, you have drugs designed and tested in simulation by those methods as well, and so on.

A physics professor who worked in computational molecular biochemistry once offered to take me on as a grad student. I wish I had said yes. A fascinating field.