XP: Nickel Allergy Test (Thank you!)

housewifehobbiest

After getting some awesome much needed advice here, I went to get tested for a nickel allergy Monday.  They put 3 strips of tape, each with about 15 different allergens on it on my back, and I'm going back today at 3:30 to get my back looked at and the results back.  I'm assuming I must be allergic to SOMETHING because my back is so so itchy! I've been doing the tattoo slap since about an hour after I left the doctors.  Has anyone gotten this test before?  Do they test you for some "control" substance, like poison ivy, that most people have an allergy to?
 Also, funny side note, the allergist I went to is clearly a bit of a nut job.  She tried to diagnose me with asthma (which I don't have) and when I said my lung function was lower than average because I have some scarring there from a bad bought of pneumonia as an infant she tried to diagnose me with auto immune disease!  I left with an inhaler and a referral to get blood work (which I'm not using and not doing- but wow was she pushy!)  Once this test is done I am definitely never going back there.

On another note on taking advice here I got my ring cleaned, resized and replated (all for free where he bought the ring).  It is MUCH more comfortable now (although still a little bothersome) and I forgot how shiny it was when it was new!  I keep moving my finger around at work to make it flash, pretty!  Thanks for the great and very helpful suggestions girls!

achiduck

Yes, they always put a control substance on so they have something to compare the allergens with.

housewifehobbiest

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_xp-nickel-allergy-test-thank?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:15Discussion:1ee4b434-28a7-40e6-8437-23afce454454Post:b97abeb1-63eb-475a-be1a-d9b275bee780">Re: XP: Nickel Allergy Test (Thank you!)</a>:
[QUOTE]Yes, they always put a control substance on so they have something to compare the allergens with.
Posted by achiduck[/QUOTE]

I thought so!  Thanks for confirming!

achiduck

No problem. When I had it done, it was one my forearms and was SO itchy. I can totally sympathize with what you're going through.

I'm kind of surprised they let it go on so long. I only had to wait for 30 minutes in the exam room while they waited for me to react.

rlavach

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_xp-nickel-allergy-test-thank?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:15Discussion:1ee4b434-28a7-40e6-8437-23afce454454Post:2e1bd9a4-42dc-4db8-a366-992fc3f7bc1d">XP: Nickel Allergy Test (Thank you!)</a>:
[QUOTE]After getting some awesome much needed advice here, I went to get tested for a nickel allergy Monday.  They put 3 strips of tape, each with about 15 different allergens on it on my back, and I'm going back today at 3:30 to get my back looked at and the results back.  I'm assuming I must be allergic to SOMETHING because my back is so so itchy! I've been doing the tattoo slap since about an hour after I left the doctors.  Has anyone gotten this test before?  Do they test you for some "control" substance, like poison ivy, that most people have an allergy to?  Also, funny side note, the allergist I went to is clearly a bit of a nut job.  She tried to diagnose me with asthma (which I don't have) and when I said my lung function was lower than average because I have some scarring there from a bad bought of pneumonia as an infant she tried to diagnose me with auto immune disease!  I left with an inhaler and a referral to get blood work (which I'm not using and not doing- but wow was she pushy!)  Once this test is done I am definitely never going back there. On another note on taking advice here I got my ring cleaned, resized and replated (all for free where he bought the ring).  It is MUCH more comfortable now (although still a little bothersome) and I forgot how shiny it was when it was new!  I keep moving my finger around at work to make it flash, pretty!  Thanks for the great and very helpful suggestions girls!
Posted by NYCFoodieBride[/QUOTE]
It's your body and therefore your decision whether or not you want to listen to the allergists medical advice, but auto immune disease isn't something to mess around with. This lady might just be crazy, but it's probably worth going elsewhere for a second opinion (even though you know the background story). Better safe than sorry. 

housewifehobbiest

Rlavach- she thinks I have auto immune because I've had pnumonia 4 times in my life, which is high, but my with my crappy lungs what would be merely uncomfortable for another person causes me to have to sleep sitting up and take extra meds to keep my lungs clear. There isn't another single symptom. She also tried to diagnose my curling iron burn as a skin condition and my breathy laugh as asthma. I think if I twitch my foot today she's going to tell me I had ADD. I'm wary of doctors who give 3 random diagnoses that have nothing to do with the original complaint.

DeadUtopia

Were you having a reaction to your ring? I have an 18k white gold ring and when I wear it for a couple days straight I get an itchy blistery little red line around most of my finger where the ring sits. Is that what happened to you? I just haven't had the time to go to the doctor for the allergy test, but I'm curious to see if what I experienced was similar to an actual allergic reaction or if it sounds more like sensitive skin.

housewifehobbiest

Just got back!  No nickel allergy (yey! that should save me a few hundred $$) but I do have an allergy to epoxy resin, which is sometimes in soaps/lotions/etc.  The doctor advised me to clean my ring with an ammonia and warm water bath and a soft lint-free cloth (or coffee filter) 3-4 times a week to remove any residue that may irritate my skin.  You may want to give that a try until you get a chance to get a proper test, DeadUtopia, but I would definitely get tested for a nickel allergy as well!

Also I'm jealous of you girls who got it done in one visit- double the visits means double the copay, and this test cost me $100!  Still better than spending an extra few hundred on platinum if I was allergic though I guess.