Detergents don't cause allergies?!

[retro-man]

Funny that this thread has come up. I have been to my pc physician and now have been to a dermatologist with another appointment next week. Have had complete blood tests done and no one has an explanation. I started to get these little bumps, bites? rash on my body since February. Itches like a bastard. No one can tell me what it is. They gave me some steriod lotion to put on them to stop the itch. I am taking an Allegra in the morning and benadrile at night. Nothing major just a few little bumps here and there. On arms legs back chest fortunately not in the hidden areas. I have been using Tide liquid w/bleach and Downy April fresh for years now. I was allergic to Tide many years ago, but have been using it for about 20 years now. I have picked up a bottle of All x2 clean, no perfurmes or dyes. I am not using fabice softener anymore. We shall see in the next few weeks of washing some clothes and towels to see if this makes a difference. This is driving me crazy. I hope that this is the solution.
Jon

 

[fredrick]

Purex Free and Clear and All x2 Free and Clear

Having sensitive and dry skin-I found Purex and All to be gentle on my skin. I don't use a fabric softner-except for white vinegar which I add 1 cup to my rinse cycle on white clothing-when using bleach or oxy-clean-seems to neutralize the water and bleach smell. Never use fabric sheets such as Bounce as I tend to break out same with Downy. Of course, living in an apartment building some of the tenants use these flower scented detergents that the washers smell like a garden. Thank god, my clothes for some reason never picked up the scent. I also, air dry my clothing instead of drying-it be the residue of the fabric sheets that other tenants use come onto my clothing.

 

[retro-man]

So off I went to the dermatologist Monday. He took a biopsy off of my stomach. Man I was not planning for that and stiches followed. OWW! Then they sent me for more blood work and chest x-rays? They are trying to rule out all possibilites, cancer is what they were looking for. Has been a couple of non sleep nights after that. I am supposed to hear from the doctor tomorrow on the results. I have changed to All free and clear and like the results I have been getting from the wash. Absolutely no smell after. So after a few cocktails last night I was on the phone talking with a friend of mine stating how Tide has changed their label so the ingredients must have changed also. A lot of things are going to change because of having to drop thyolates out of products here in the US. Well during my rant something came out of my mouth and I was shocked. I stated that BJ's changed their liquid soap and I didn't care for the smell so I changed to Soft Soap back in January. I AM ALLERGIC TO SOFT SOAP. I had completely spaced that out. I bought a bar of Nutregenia soap and took a shower this morning. Well the little bumps and rash have decreased by at least 50% so far and I am not scratching. I can't believe I overlooked this for so long. Wait till I talk with the doctor tomorrow. He better not come up with any positive results on all these tests. So if you have this problem please go over and over and over again on what you are using. As we get older the mind has so many things on it sometimes it's easy to overlook one simple thing. Health and Happiness to all.

Jon

 

[iheartmaytag]

A few years ago I had a bad reaction to Tide. My doctor said to change detergents for awhile and then switch back and see what happens. Same reaction, come to find out it was the fragrence, and not the detergent that was roughing up the family jewels.

 

[panthera]

I'll keep my fingers crossed it's nothing, Jon

But great that you stumbled across the problem.
It's surprising, really, how few allergies we all suffer, given the potential allergens floating around.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Cheap store-brand detergents give me the itchies. My sister was allergic to waxy softeners as a kid, when her knees and elbows would swell and itch.

But if you REALLY want to get a reaction, but bleach in the softener dispenser withough realizing it. (DAMN those foreign imports with pictographs/symbols instead of writing... )

Bleach in the final rinse? It wasn't pretty. Every time I sweat a litle bit it drew out the bleach residue. I was on fire! (How does Miss Michael Jackson do it?) From that point on, even once corrected I tend to do extra rinses quite a bit. I am a firm believer that the final rise should be just that... a PURE rinse..water only.

So are we saying USA detergents have enzymes even though they not be labeled and/or noted on the ingredients?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzymes

 

[whirlcool]

Jon:

We tried Softsoap a few years ago and didn't like it. I don't think it rinses off the body very well. I use Basis soap or Cetaphil as it is very gentle and rinses very well. You may want to give one of those a try too. Cetaphil was recommended by my dermatologist.

 

[oxydolfan1]

"I AM ALLERGIC TO SOFT SOAP. I had completely spaced that out. I bought a bar of Nutregenia soap and took a shower this morning. Well the little bumps and rash have decreased by at least 50% so far and I am not scratching. I can't believe I overlooked this for so long."

Another good alternative, IMHO, is Ivory Liquid Hand Soap, which is sold in pump bottles and refills at pretty reasonable prices.

It is clear and doesn't have the moisturizers that products like Softsoap have. I've used it in the shower, and it performs favorably to the popular body washes, even Ivory's own IMHO plain white body wash.

 

[panthera]

Not too long ago

Our version of "Consumer Reports" tested the most expensive and "exclusive" soft soaps (which are really detergents, at least here in Germany,) the standard brands and the generic or store brands.
They all came out to be equally effective and they all have nearly identical active ingredients. The only difference is the price, scent - or lack thereof - and the perceived value.
Several years ago, one of the TV stations here in Europe tried a test -
When the cheapest "soaps" are filled into the containers of the most expensive brands and vice-versa, consumers were certain that the cheap stuff - bottled expensively - was considerably better than the expensive stuff - bottled inexpensively.
There are bound to be ingredients in one brand or another to which one reacts better or worse, but I would not make any assumptions based on price.
Sadly, there is also no guarantee that just because a brand (upscale or no) is ok for you today that it will remain so. Companies have completely lost interest in quality, all that matters is making a quick profit.

 

[retro-man]

Ok the doctor just called, boy was I getting nervous at this time of the day.I had called the office 2 hours prior. The x-rays came back negative. YEA! The pathologists report came back that biopsy was hypersensitive. Yes we knew this before. Additional blood work reports should be in tomorrow and he will know more then and will call me then. Strange thing is the past two days I am fine till like three in the afternoon and all of a sudden I start itching like crazy. Steroid cream all over the body to calm it down. I has really picked up in the past two weeks. I just also found out one of my employees has the chicken pox. Oh my. Just another day in the life of.

 

[sudsmaster]

Strictly speaking, inorganic chemicals cannot cause allergies. It takes an organic molecule - like a protein - to trigger an allergic response in the human (or animal) system.

Enzymes are by nature proteins with catalytic capability. Therefore it is theoretically possible for laundry enzymes to trigger an allergic response. But much would depend on the type of enzyme and the person's immune system.

An allergic reaction should be separated from a sensitivity reaction. Thus, many people can experience a skin rash from exposure to nickel - but this is a sensitivity issue, not an allergic reaction per se. Similarly, it's possible for a protein like an enzyme to cause skin sensitivity without causing an allergic reaction. This might be because the enzyme is good at dissolving fats, oils, or other proteins, and attacks the skin's defenses that way. This is more of a corrosive effect, such as might occur with contact with washing soda or lye, although much milder in action.

 

[panthera]

Thank you

Rich, for making the distinction. I have often wondered just, exactly, what the difference is between "sensitivity" and "allergic reaction".
I seem to recall, if vaguely, that enzymes need not be protein based, tho' nearly all are. In any event, you have to pay attention to what you body reacts to and learn to avoid or minimize the problematic elements.
Of course, once a problem like asthma enters the picture, the lines blur very fast and even suggestion can be enough to produce a reaction, regardless of how one calls it.

 

[sudsmaster]

Enzymes are the biological equivalent of catalysts. Catalysts need not be protein based. For example, the platinum or palladium catalyst in your car's catalytic converter. Other metals that can function as catalysts include nickel.

As far as I know, however, nearly all enzymes must be protein or have a protein component. There are a small number of non-protein enzymes made of RNA. These are called ribozymes, so nominally at least they are not enzymes per se. There are also non-protein synthetic enzymes, but I'm not aware of what molecules are used to create them.

Many enzymes do require non-protein substances known as co-factors. Many co-factors are, suprise, metal ions. Not surprising, really, since many metals can act as catalysts under appropriate conditions. Some co-factors are biological compounds known as co-enzymes.

Getting back to the allergic subject, ironically there are non-protein and inorganic substances that are used in immunology to help induce an immune response. These substances are called adjuvants. As I understand it, they function by providing a source of irritation to the tissues around the injection site. When the immune system responds, it latches onto the protein antigen in the injection and starts the process of creating antibodies to it. I guess the process is a series of steps - the injection with the adjuvant is regarded as a physical invasion of the body, and the immune system is "summoned" to respond just in case there are foreign proteins that need to be attacked by the immune system. As I recall an aluminum based compound is a common adjuvant. Ancient history for me, it's been about 30 years since I worked around immunologists.