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First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Oct 2006
Posts: 3
Default West System epoxy allergic reaction solution?

The active ingredient in "Afterbite", a campers cure for insect bites
seems to be ammonia. Maybe you could try some of that. Maybe some ice.
I had slight itching problems but only for a few hours at the end of
each day after a week of sanding epoxied GRP surfaces. Had the same
reaction to some species of hardwood dust too. Went away when I
stopped doing it.
I doubt if it's the 105 that did you in all though it could have
trigger something in your system that started the ball rolling. There
are some rash and hive type problems that come to people later in
life. Doctors don't know much about it and can't do much for it.
Sorry you're having a tough time. This can drive you crazy, I know as
I had adult chicken pox once. Imagine a grown man laying there with
oven mitts duct taped to his hands screaming.
Smooth sailing, I'd go with the ice, it's cheap.

On 10 Oct 2006 06:57:32 -0700, "SkipGundlach"
wrote:

Hi, y'all.

I assume that there are several here who have successfully dealt with
the problem I have:

I seem to have developed a sensitiviy/allergy to West System epoxy
sanding dust, or perhaps fiberglass.

Over the time we were working on the bottom of Flying Pig (now
launched, hooray!), my left arm, one day, itched uncontrollably. All
the usual itching relief failed: hydrocortisone cream, steroid
lotion/ointment, spray topical anesthetic (Lanacaine, e.g.) and the
like.

The only way I found relief was mopping it with clear vinegar, and
overdosing on Benadryl. The vinegar provided temporary relief from the
itching, but depending on how severe it is/was (more below), it took
constant application to keep it at bay. The benadryl apparently
worked, or, possibly, it just knocked me out so I was unconscious.

Later, by a couple of weeks, however, this seems to be spreading. My
initial spot, the top of my left forearm, has now spread to all the
forearm, and creeping up my bi/triceps. Worse, I'm now experiencing
the same thing in my right arm.

Heavy activity, such as was the case yesterday during our splashing,
seems to keep it in check. The symptoms come most aggressively shortly
after going to sleep. This morning was the worst - every hour to 90
minutes I had to get up, vinegar, and take another benny. No relief.

It's impossible to sleep like this - and overdosing on Benadryl puts me
to sleep, which is one thing, but I have too much to do on the boat to
allow that to continue.

Anyone here successfully dealt with this problem? That is, found a
means to keep it at bay and still function?

Thanks.

L8R,

Skip, off to another vinegar batch and then try to get a nap so I can
function today