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Post by ann- on Sept 12, 2011 11:26:19 GMT -7
While on the subject of skin irritations, has anyone here "suddenly" developed a sensitivity to a liner that they've already been using for well over a year?? I switched to an Iceross liner actually since the fall of 2009 and, while it's never been as comfortable as some others I've worn, it always did what it was supposed to and didn't cause any problems. Until this past June, when I developed both a skin growth at the base of my stump and some wide, red, itchy skin patches all over the area the liner covers. It took about a month for all my various skin problems to clear up...but as soon as I put the liner back on, the red patches returned. I've made several attempts to return to wearing the liner, and each time I break out in the same spots. Sooo...I pulled out an old liner and tried that, and I've not had a single break-out since! I would have understood it, had I just started wearing the Iceross liner...but sensitivity after two years of use??? Does that strike anyone as strange, or have you guys encountered similar reactions? Not personally Cheryl, but know others who have, one in particular who had a long running battle because the manufacturers had changed the procedure of making the liner, not sure how how they solved it. My liner is not silicone, but my sleeves are, and I find if they are not fitting tightly, if air gets in or I get a slight crease in them, they do itch like made and make the skin red and itchy, so you might want to check no air is getting in there. |
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Post by barclay on Sept 12, 2011 21:29:25 GMT -7
Actually - I am having the same problem but not with the silicon liner, but with the KBM system. When I wear the silicon liner the skin is fine, but when I switch to the nylon socks the stump gets red and irritated. I am wondering if some microscopic creature hasn't nestled in to the softshell liner or if the daily cleaning hasn't removed something or caused a chemical reaction or added something which has built-up over time - changed the chemistry in short.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2012 19:10:02 GMT -7
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Post by tedatrowercpo on Feb 23, 2012 7:26:39 GMT -7
Allergies can develop at any time, even after years of exposure without reaction.
I've certainly seen individuals who experienced irritation the first few weeks wearing a new liner that clears up after that period. It's not clear exactly what is going on but it is a fairly common experience.
Ingrown hairs are almost certainly related to high pressures on in skin in that area. Often the best solution is to tighten the fit in other areas within the socket.
I too am a fan of the Dermo liners from Ossur. They tend to cause the fewest problems and be the most durable, but they lack the easy stretch found in liners made of thermoplastic gel such as the Alps and the Alpha. This is mostly a problem on very thin transtibial limbs where the hamstring tendons are quite prominent when the knee is flexed and pressures on the tendons when sitting can be excessive.
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Post by allenuk on Feb 23, 2012 13:29:55 GMT -7
The biggest problem I've ever had has been with CUT Alpha liners - apparently (Ted is our expert on such matters) they are filled with some sort of lubricant, which is supposed to leech out very slowly and help condition the stump.
But... they are about a yard long, whereas most of us BKAs need about 24". So the prosthetic department always cut off the top 12" or so and chuck it.
Leaving us (me) with the cut end of the liner around my thigh. Now, if I leave it like that, after a couple of days it itches like hell, and little spots develop.
The answer is to wash the liner ten times more than usual, particularly around the cut end. I also put a stump sock around my thigh, so that the cut liner doesn't contact my skin. This works.
The problem wears off after a few weeks.
Allen.
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Post by cherylm on Feb 24, 2012 0:40:46 GMT -7
Gee...this thread has been revived! I wound up ordering a "new" copy of my "old" liner, as well as having an entire new leg made (it was time for that one), and have had almost no problems since then. The exception is that, as Ted mentioned, I've had enough shrinkage that the tendons on the back of my knee are more prominent...I didn't used to have any problems flexing my knee well past the 90-degree angle, but now I'm one of those amps who needs to extend my knee ever-so-slightly to prevent pain from the tendons. Overall, that's a simple-enough "fix" for me!
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Post by ann- on Feb 24, 2012 1:17:13 GMT -7
Got to say Alpha liners are my lifeline on one of my legs, don't think I'd be walking without it, though know what Alan says they do come very long, mine often get posted to me so I cut them off myself and wear a sleeve over so do need them shorter. I do get a constant non.irratative rash with little spots which I have been told is friction. My sleeves are different and I think, silicone, on my other leg where I only wear socks I do get these itchy and sometimes quite nasty blotches from the sleeve, noticed its often when they have creased or slipped and air has got in, this is the area where the skin was taken from for graft, and although it was over 40 yrs ago, its is still noticeable and I think more sensitive, I don't get this on the other side where I wear the alpha liner which actually comes up higher.
Actually my last Alpha liner was slightly different, which worried me a bit, slightly different colour and texture of material on front, it felt tighter in some areas, though sizing and everything else looked the same. It coincided with having a new prosthesis made which I've had problems with, but think it was the prosthesis and not the liner. Someone one told me though that all the liners come up slightly differently.
My tendons are very prominent on the back of my knees too Cheryl, actually having a lot of probs with knees at the moment but am sure it is due to the new prostheses but going for x rays. I've always been told I hyper extend my legs, actually pretty much most of my joints, but recently I was told by a doc that this is because I am bilateral, though it got picked up when they measured me for my first pair of legs, funny how you get told so many different things down the line. Anyhow I am getting excruiating pain on the front of my knee cap, thats the only way I can describe it, first I was told it was bruised and being pushed up by the prosthesis, but after going back a few times now for adjustments don't seem to be getting anywhere, they have said the knee on this prosthesis is much tighter, but easing it out in specific areas doesn't seem to be helping much. When I stop wearing the leg and rest for a week or so the pain goes off, so not sure what is happening really but am at the end of my tether with it!
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Post by allenuk on Feb 24, 2012 3:15:00 GMT -7
Couple of thoughts, Ann.
Even if the rash you get IS caused by friction rather than the built-in 'conditioner', it might be worth putting a spare bit of stump sock between your leg and the liner, at least in the initial stages, to reduce contact.
As far as that 'different'-looking Alpha liner: I'm currently being recast to take a GRADUATED Alpha liner (different colours from the old ones, with a thicker liner at the base, thinning down to a normal thickness at the top), but it's unwearable with my old leg (cast with a standard Alpha). If you've got real doubts, have a look at the Alpha web site and see if you can pin yours down by serial number, just to be sure it's the right sort!
A.
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Post by cherylm on Feb 24, 2012 22:42:51 GMT -7
Ann, I'm sure you've most likely thought of/tried this...but just in case you haven't....... The few times when I've had pain at the front of my knee when getting a new socket, it's been a matter of the top front edge of the socket itself pressing too firmly against my knee. It literally forced the edge of the socket into the area directly under my kneecap, and it hurt like crazy! I've found two different "fixes" that work for me, and both of them require adjustments to the socket by my leg guy. One is to roll the top front edge of the socket outward, making a small, curving "shelf" that allows me to move my knee freely most of the time, but also lets me "hang" my kneecap on that little shelf if I just want to stand around for a while. The other "fix" has been to have them cut a moderately deep "V" in the front of the socket just below my knee. That one gives lots of mobility and a rather nice line when I'm wearing slacks, but it's not as restful to stand on. (Takes more awareness of my posture and knee-bend when standing still.) At any rate, it sure sounds like you need them to do something to adjust the pressure from that one socket, and I hope they can manage it for you!
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Post by cherylm on Feb 24, 2012 22:46:00 GMT -7
Allen, just noticed the new picture...is the eyepatch a temporary or a permanent addition? I know you've had some of the same eye problems I have, so I'm hoping it's a temporary presence!
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Post by allenuk on Feb 25, 2012 6:59:12 GMT -7
You'd have thought at my time of life vanity would be a thing of the past, Cherlym, but it seems I haven't reached that particular plateau of sense, yet...
No, it's a permanent fixture, but I was fed up with that other pic of me, as it made me look even fatter than I am (hard to do) so that I looked like some sort of jovial father Christmas. At least the eye-patch pic. is reasonably close to reality.
(The right eye is bad - I can see out of it, but the distortion is such that I find life easier looking through one good eye, rather than one good and one bad).
A.
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Post by barclay on Feb 27, 2012 0:33:04 GMT -7
Hugs Ann, I am sorry to hear about that!
I use the compeed blister stick around the top of a newly cut liner to keep the irritation away. Seems to me it would work with both theories (chemicals and irritation) as it's a waxy substance so it could be blocking the pores, or, it could be lubricating. Either way it works. I wonder if chapstick would work as well ?
I've just worked out that some skin irritation I've been having on the stump is caused by dry skin. It took me a while and I only put it together when it improved after using a dexpanthenol creme at night. That stuff is great, btw.
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Post by allenuk on Feb 27, 2012 1:18:57 GMT -7
Wassa compeed blister stick? Sounds a better way than my over-stretched bits of stump sock. Do tell.
A
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Post by barclay on Feb 28, 2012 1:13:07 GMT -7
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Post by allenuk on Feb 28, 2012 2:30:27 GMT -7
Thanks Barclay.
A
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Post by ann- on Feb 28, 2012 9:38:18 GMT -7
Ann, I'm sure you've most likely thought of/tried this...but just in case you haven't....... The few times when I've had pain at the front of my knee when getting a new socket, it's been a matter of the top front edge of the socket itself pressing too firmly against my knee. It literally forced the edge of the socket into the area directly under my kneecap, and it hurt like crazy! I've found two different "fixes" that work for me, and both of them require adjustments to the socket by my leg guy. One is to roll the top front edge of the socket outward, making a small, curving "shelf" that allows me to move my knee freely most of the time, but also lets me "hang" my kneecap on that little shelf if I just want to stand around for a while. The other "fix" has been to have them cut a moderately deep "V" in the front of the socket just below my knee. That one gives lots of mobility and a rather nice line when I'm wearing slacks, but it's not as restful to stand on. (Takes more awareness of my posture and knee-bend when standing still.) At any rate, it sure sounds like you need them to do something to adjust the pressure from that one socket, and I hope they can manage it for you! Thanks Cheryl. I have been back for numerous 'adjustments' in the couple of months now that I have the leg, the pain was actually so bad that my GP recommended x rays, however, when I return to the old leg I have no problem. The edge was thought to be a problem and was pushing in my knee and that was altered, but it was also found to be too tight, so pushed out at various spots but that didn't work fully either, it was actually worse after sitting. At my appointment yesterday I asked if they could remake the sock and re-cast, which they have done, so going through the process again now, and this time fingers crossed. |
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Post by ann- on Feb 28, 2012 9:43:30 GMT -7
Couple of thoughts, Ann. Even if the rash you get IS caused by friction rather than the built-in 'conditioner', it might be worth putting a spare bit of stump sock between your leg and the liner, at least in the initial stages, to reduce contact. As far as that 'different'-looking Alpha liner: I'm currently being recast to take a GRADUATED Alpha liner (different colours from the old ones, with a thicker liner at the base, thinning down to a normal thickness at the top), but it's unwearable with my old leg (cast with a standard Alpha). If you've got real doubts, have a look at the Alpha web site and see if you can pin yours down by serial number, just to be sure it's the right sort! A. To be honest Allen the rash isn't a problem, just very small raised spots. For me putting a spare sock between the leg and liner would cause more problems, as part of that leg is skin grafted, ironically the skin graft isn't affected by the spots. But thanks for suggesting. |
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Post by allenuk on Feb 28, 2012 13:28:50 GMT -7
If it's not one thing it's another, ain't it.
I've currently got a sort of spot on a tendon, which normally wouldn't bother me in the slightest. But Sod's Law operates, and the thing is precisely where the hard bit of the socket contacts my leg! Ah well, it'll pass.
A
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2012 20:52:31 GMT -7
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Post by cherylm on Feb 29, 2012 0:53:40 GMT -7
Sorry to hear about the eye, Allen...do they know what's causing your distortion issue? My left eye has developed an epi-retinal membrane which has basically "pleated" my retina and made everything look tall and thin (and, unfortunately, bent in the middle) when viewed with that eye. I'm seeing a retinal surgeon tomorrow to discuss whether or not to attempt peeling the membrane off. If we decide against the surgery, I may be sporting my own eyepatch on the left eye. Gee...we'd have one good set of eyes between us!
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Post by allenuk on Feb 29, 2012 1:33:15 GMT -7
Usual reasons, Cherlym. Dates from my years in the bottle - I got retinopathy (similar to diabetic ret.) which meant bleeds from the retina, etc. Normal laser hits didn't stop the bleeds, so some ham-fisted surgeon decided to do the 'scatter-gun' approach, which involves firing off lots of laser over a wider-than-usual area of retina.
Which had the desired effect of stopping the bleeds. Trouble was, it also buggered up (technical term) the retina. Never mind, still got one, and as you say, between us we have a good set of eyes!
A.
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Post by cherylm on Mar 2, 2012 1:06:04 GMT -7
Sorry to hear that, Allen. My own epi-retinal membrane might also have been triggered by an over-enthusiastic laser treatment.
The surgeon and I discussed options and I've decided to go ahead and see if she can surgically remove the membrane. Three possible outcomes, from "worst" to "best": surgery could tear the retina and the repair of said tear could leave me with worse vision than I currently have; the removal of the membrane could work fine, but the retina could remain pleated and my vision would remain the same as now; or the membrane could be removed successfully, the retina would then "unpleat" and my vision would markedly improve. Per the surgeon, the worst-case scenario is a very rare occurrence, the "middle" option is a somewhat more likely possibility, but there's a real chance of the "best case" version working.
Surgery will be on March 27...we'll see what happens..........!
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