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Avatar universal

Allergic reaction to electrodes

Hi,  I received a heart monitor for a month to catch my heart arrythmias.  Unfortunately, after I wore it for approximately 6 hours, my skin burned.  I took off the electrodes and where they were, was now  weeping sores.  Then, I broke out in patches of bumps on my chest area and even down on my ankles and shoulders.  I still have them after 3 days of not wearing the heart monitor.

I called the nurse, and she said to try smaller electrodes.  However, they have that same stickly stuff in the middle which I'm sure is causing all the problems. I really need to wear this monitor but I still have all these patches of itchy bumps and I'm afraid to get those weeping sores again.

Do you have any suggestions.
Thanks.
14 Responses
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Avatar universal
DO NOT put any creams on your skin as they can interfere with what the electrodes pick up and register. (I happen to be and EKG technician.) There are different types of electrode patches so call your technical team and try the other types. I have had to deal with this problem wearing a monitor for 3 weeks as well having a daughter with severe heart disease who had the same issue. As much as you would like, don't put anything on the skin unless you have medical approval to do so.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I’m 19 and I had an ecg on for 24 hours and when I took it off it wasn’t that bad but the spots I had itched for a few days and the itching went away but it’s been a month now and I still have all the red circles that aren’t fading away, they don’t itch any more but the spots are still there on my chest. Any suggestions to make the spots go away? I tried allergie pills but nothing making these spots go away.
Helpful - 0
3 Comments
I have the same problems with them , I try to get the electrodes that are for sensitive skin but I still react and ive wore the recording device for 30 days, I just keep moving them alot.  The red spots will eventually fade it takes a while, the itching stopped so your on your way to healing.
Did your spots ever go away? I had the same thing happen to me. It’s been a month and no luck with the spots disappearing!
Mine did go away, cant remember how long it took but they will fade away, a month maybe longer.
Avatar universal
I wore one for 24 hours and I am in the process of clearing up a pretty ugly itchy rash. I am unsure if it's from the electroids are the stuff they put on it to make it stick. Nevertheless, Hydrocortisone cream helps tremendously.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm an active 59-yr-old male. For arrythmia and atrial fibrillation monitoring I was issued an eCardio monitor with a Quality Products Stable Base medical electrodes SBT60 "recommended for patients with sensitive skin."  I have sensitive skin and a history of dermatitis. These electrodes have a gell center surrounded by a translucent pad with a very strong adhesive (very painful to remove from my chest!) and are designed to wear up to 72 hours.  They do stay on during a shower or vigorous exercise outside on hot days, sweating profusely. They contain silver-silver chloride according to the package.  No other ingredients are listed.  I was able to use the electrodes for several days by changing every other day, and rotating location.  But skin redness and burning skin sensation under the pads increased each day and by the fourth day I had open lesions under the sticky pad.  Pain was intolerable - from the dermatitis. It could be either irritation or allergic reaction, or both.  I've switched to a much less irritating 1.75 inch diameter circular gel electrode made by MedTrace, it has a 1-2mm foam backing and connects to the lead wires with snaps. these electrodes are also designed for use with portable EKG monitors, but for shorter term wear. I've found they stick well for 1-2 days. I just called eCardio and they were able to determine that the recorded signal does come through clear with the MedTrace electrodes.
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Avatar universal
Jeepers88 did they clear up? Did they leave a scar? I am having the exact same thing right now and it is driving me crazy and I am terrified of having permanent scars :(
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Avatar universal
I had to wear a Holter Monitor for one month.. I was fine.. then during  the last week, I started to itch and burn and I noticed large red raised blisters under the lead adhesives (3) I rotated it every day... it was burning me badly.
I had to quit shy of 3 days of wearing.. Now I have these bright red angry rounds on my chest and under the breastbone... 4 definate marks.. they itch so bad, Im using Aloe juice and aloe cream,,, The Anti-itch stuff made it spread. but they are not going away.... its been a week and they look just as bad as the last days i gave it up. This is second degree burns.... scary. I hope it clears up.. driving me bonkers.....itchy, and burns if you touch it.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have to wear an eCardio  monitor for 30 days, change electrodes every 72 hours.  I was issued "Stable Base" SBW55 electrodes, supposedly "latex free" and  "Recommended for Patients with Sensitive Skin."
After two weeks I have horrid, itchy breakouts in all three areas.  It started with reddening, then puffy redness, now clusters of small bright red pustules that seep puss.  I have removed the monitor until they heal.  Aloe vera after cool shower seems to help awhile, as does Benadryl gel.  According to the packaging, these are "silver silver-chloride" electrodes, but no mention of what the gel contains, so I do not know what I am allergic to!
Helpful - 0
290624 tn?1202328875
I am allergic as well.  I ended up using hydrocortisone cream, and I got the sensitive skin patches, which are smaller.  I kind of rotated their positions every day so as not to cover the same portion of skin every day and this helped.  Also, there were times when I would just not wear the monitor to give myself a break.  My doctor said this was ok since all of my arrhthmias were pretty much the same (PAC, PVC, a-fib, sinus tach), so I didn't need to wear it 24/7 since nothing new seemed to be happening.  Good luck!  
Helpful - 0
187666 tn?1331173345
I'm wearing a month long monitor now. The initial stickies she put on I had to remove after 24 hours. I could see the skin turning red under the clear adhesive patch and my skin was puffing up like a muffin around the edge. I switched to the hypo-allergenic type. They still cause some itching but not so bad. And you can move them around a little bit from spot to spot. Not far but enough to give part of the red area a break. When I remove them (every 3rd day) I leave them off for an hour after my shower. Gives them time to dry out and stop itching a bit before I stick new dots on there. Good luck. It does take time to heal up though.
Helpful - 0
343765 tn?1202522532
I to am allergic to the electrodes. I have to use the peds. I have scares on my stomach from the stupid things. The peds are not as bad. I used Tea-tree Oil. I think that my doc told me that they make hypo allerginic now. It wouldn't hurt to ask. I hope that you find something to keep it from making sores. They hurt and itch. Good luck and let us know if you find a cure.
Karen
Helpful - 0
272728 tn?1194740803
there are electrodes made specifically for sensitive skin...ask your nurse to get some for you. My skin breaks out whenever any adhesive whatsoever gets on it, and yes, it gets especially irrated by that gel...the pads that are for sensitive skin don't have the gel on them at all, but they do fall off a lot easier, but that's much better than the nasty sores.

hope this helps, he really shouldn't have to deal with those electrode pads
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I get a rash from wearing the electrodes for 24 hours but it's not too bad, just itchy bumps. I may have to wear one for a month though and I really don't think my skin will stand up to that at all. I am considering rubbing a little hydrocortisone cream into the area where the electrodes go. It's best to minimise the use of steroid creams but I feel that it's use may be warranted if I really need to wear the monitor.
Helpful - 0
376186 tn?1219279505
I too have a reaction to those electrodes...for about 10 min after I shower, I apply manuka honey to the areas..this really does help. Someone said that aloe vera gel also helps. I get this reaction every time  I have this event monitor and I know that they do clear up as soon as I stop using the monitor.  I also apply baking soda v gently to the areas when I shower.
Helpful - 0
189238 tn?1208727319
My hubby gets a terrible rash from the electrodes as well, nothing he can do to stop them but he uses olive leaf extract to heal the rash quickly as well as using a perfume free, soap on his skin.

Helpful - 0
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