Latex Allergy Stories

Deborah's Story

I had breast reduction surgery and every time I went to see the surgeon for follow-up care, he would be wearing latex gloves when he examined me. He would check the suture sites, redo my bandages after applying an ointment at the suture sites. By the time I got home, the entire suture sites were irritated and inflamed. This went on for about two weeks. The sutures in my right breast literally fell apart from the inflammation. My husband was the one to finally figure out was was going on. The surgeon thought I might be allergic to the ointment the doctor was applying but no, my husband

Rachel P's Story

I have a latex allergy as well as Crohn’s Disease, and use the injectable drug Humira to control my symptoms. Unfortunately, the rubber stopper on the end of the syringe contains latex. This causes me to immediately develop painful, raised, red welts at the injection site that last for days (& I must inject weekly). This seems a Pyrrhic medical victory that I trade in my continuous, painful Crohn’s symptoms for an almost continuous painful, unsightly allergic reaction. It’s one more medical issue I just don’t need. Please make non-latex syringe covers!

Rachel P

Rachel's Story

I was diagnosed with latex allergy 7 years ago, after the birth of my third child. At that point, with all the check-ups in the last months of pregnancy, I was such a mess that my OB/GYN determined to induce labor, so that he could hand me over to my allergist for whatever I needed. As it turned out, I needed a lot. I have Type I reactions, meaning that I start wheezing, then stop breathing, to even small amounts of latex. During one not-well-remembered year, I took 60 Epi-pens in 6 months.

Jennifer's Story

We first suspected a latex allergy when my daughter was almost two years old. We put a bandaid on a sore on her arm. A few days later, when we took it off, welts had formed just under the adhesive part of the bandaid. The welts gradually shrunk, but even a year later, you can still tell where the bandaid was placed, as some redness remained. She always had sensitive skin when she was in diapers. For example, if we put her in any diaper except Huggies Supremes, her bottom would break out in a horrible rash that got worse as she got older.

Kristal's Story

Me and my boyfriend would use latex condoms. Before him, I wasn’t really sexually active so there was no possible way that I could have known that i was allergic to the condoms. Every time after having sexual intercourse, my lady parts would get itchy. They would also burn, and occasionally get a little swollen. This would only happen after sex. Luckily, the reactions never got severe enough for me to go to the doctors.

Cathryn's Story

I am a nurse working in the operating room. After a few years of wearing powdered latex gloves I developed a dermatitis reaction and changed to non latex gloves. One day I went in to relieve another nurse. Within a few minutes, I had red welts on my face, chest and trunk. After a few more minutes, I began having trouble breathing. I went to the emergency room got a shot of epinephrine and was soon feeling better. The next day, I asked the nurse I had relieved if there was anything unusual going on in the OR the day before.

Angie's Story

I had never had a problem with latex allergies before. In fact, I was a clown you used the “character balloons” in my shows. I was diagnosed with MRSA in late 2004. Soon after, I began a treatment for the MRSA with a drug called Zyvox. It threw my immune system into overdrive and I could not tolerate ANY medication necessary to maintain my healthy life; i.e. my thyroid meds, my hormone replacement, etc. I then began having trouble eating kiwi and bananas.

Laura's Story

I am (was) a health care worker and I was recently forced to leave the field because of a progressive latex allergy. I was diagnosed 2 years ago with a contact allergy which was reasonably easy to control. However, in the past month, I had 2 reactions in which I started to experience respiratory symptoms. I was informed by my employer that I could not be allowed to return to work because there was no way they could protect me from environmental exposure. The Occupational Health and Risk Management departments made this decision on June