Talking Allergies

Hi

Has anyone, or their children, reacted with a rash to chlorine?

We took Sam to a children's museum and they had a play water table. It is a big metal tub with running water. He was fine and then about 20 minutes later he broke out in a rash from his elbows down (basically where he came in contact with water). We just closely monitored him and in about 1 hour the rash went away. He had no other symptoms and didn't seem to be bothered by the rash.

I asked the staff what was in the water and they said they treat it with chlorine. We have never taken him swimming in a pool before so this was his first known exposure to chlorine.

I asked the nurse at the allergist office and she didn't seem too concerned. She told me a story about how she reacts to certain types of household chemicals sometimes and as long as it doesn't bother him then we shouldn't be too concerned.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks!

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2.5 year old: allergic to wheat, dairy, egg, peanut, oat, turkey, and cats
5 year old: no known allergies
Husband no known allergies
Me allergy to morphine only

Ilovesammy,

We had the exact same thing happen at the Calgary science centre. After playing at the water table both of my sons broke out in a rash wherever the water had touched them. We washed them up, and the rash went away over the next several hours. They also, didn't seem to be too bothered by it.
We have gone swimming in a chlorinated pool, and as long as we wash them off thoroughly afterwards, and apply lotion liberally, they do not get rashes. Their eczema does flare up if we go too often (no more than once a week seems to be fine).

I was thinking that perhaps they put a much higher concentration of chlorine in these water play areas than they would in a pool, and that's why they reacted to it?

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1 son allergic to eggs, peanuts, green peas, chick peas, lentils and tomatoes
(avoiding tree nuts and most other legumes too)
1 son allergic to eggs, and has outgrown peanuts
Both with many environmental allergies, asthma and eczema

My son reacts the same way -- not to a full out rash, but his eczema does flare up if he's been swimming in chlorinated water. We have to wash with soap and fully cream afterwards too. Poor little sensitive guys we have! ilovesammy -- the nurse's response to you surprises me. Why wouldn't we be concerned?? Rashes aren't normal -- just because our guys aren't crying and complaining doesn't mean we want them to have rashes... My son can also become wheezy due to the chlorine fumes in indoor pools - but because my son loves swimming, we just limit his swim time like you do twinmom.

Thanks for the info.

I bet the chlorine level is high because the water is so shallow in these water tables.

We have plans for the beach (and hotel swimming pool) in June so I thought I better start thinking about whether he was going to be able to go swimming. The nurse I talked to (who by the way is always very passive- she told me to try an at home soy challenge because he "only" scored a 2 on his RAST- I did not do it) also said we could use a barrier cream. Problem is I think it might make him so greasy in the pool he might literally slip out of my hands!

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2.5 year old: allergic to wheat, dairy, egg, peanut, oat, turkey, and cats
5 year old: no known allergies
Husband no known allergies
Me allergy to morphine only

Ya, I don't know if I would try that barrier cream idea unless he's wearing a life jacket. It would be like trying to hold onto a bar of soap!

We were fortunate enough to have a salt water pool nearby our old home, and it seemed to be much easier on our guys' skin. That might be an option.
Either way I would maybe try a trial swim before your holidays to see how he will react. Chlorine can be really hard on kids with eczema and asthma.

And that nurse seems to be pretty liberal with her advice (an at home food challenge, indeed!!! ).

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1 son allergic to eggs, peanuts, green peas, chick peas, lentils and tomatoes
(avoiding tree nuts and most other legumes too)
1 son allergic to eggs, and has outgrown peanuts
Both with many environmental allergies, asthma and eczema

wow, that's rough with the nurse who just doesn't seem to take your concerns seriously! it's so frustrating when health care workers won't listen to you, and i think we've all had experiences like that, second (and sometimes third) opinions are great!

i have dermatographism and eczema and live in a town with highly clorniated water, and i fidn when i shower at friends' houses (using my same products that i bring from home) who live in the city i am a lot less itchy, so i'm thinking i may be sensative to the chlorine. i do find after i go swimming (which isn't often) i do tend to be more sensative, but it's not enough to stop me from doing it. usually just putting my usual skin lotion in my swimming bag, and applying that when i change back into my clothes, as well as timing taking my anti-hisimtine to co-encide with getting of the pool keeps me from scratching my skin off. it may not work for your son since everyone's allergies are different, and i have a second conditon that i need to treat as well. what i'm trying to say is the reaction to clrone is a royal pain the rump but it's not enough for me to never going swimming, just not to do it often, hopefully it'll be the same for your little guy. but i do enjoy beaches far more then pools!

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allergies - penicillin, benadryl, dust mites, enviornmental & chemical
conditions - dermatographism, eczema, well contorolled asthma
dietary - lactose intollerant, vegatarian

Oooh, that nurse is giving out dangerous advice. It's a good thing you know better than to do a home oral challenge but what about the next person she tells that too?
I am a bit confrontational by nature so I would have told her that that was dangerous advice she was giving out and suggest she contact an allergist to see why.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy and green beans) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: Oral Allergy Syndrome, Allergic to Birch trees