Allergic to scrapbooking ?!?

Anyone ever have a sudden allergic reaction while scrapbooking?

A week and a half ago, I was scrapping away in my room, and everything seemed fine. That night, my hands turned bright red and broke out in the rash. The next day, it was so bad I had to go to the emergency room. I was diagnosed with an allergic reaction and sent on my way with three prescriptions. By last Sunday, I seemed to be cleared up, so went back in my scrap room and cleaned up my space to scrap a bit. Within 30 minutes, I'd broken out in the same rash.

The only thing that seems to be in common between the two incidents is being in my scrap room. Now, it's also a spare bedroom, and my mom had been staying with us, so it's possible I reacted to something of hers. And it's also possible that my hands weren't up to doing anything manual, even if it was just sorting papers. But I'm wondering if anyone had heard of someone having a reaction like that to paper? I was using a new pack of paper and was cleaning up the scraps from that in the second (admittedly more minor) incident.

Hubby scrubbed the room - twice - in the hopes that I'm allergic to my mom's hairspray or something, but obviously, I can't exactly wash my papers. I'm incredibly nervous to go back in and scrap - and find myself hoping that I'm not suddenly allergic to my paper!

Work by process of elimination. Touch one thing at a time, with lots of time between items and see what makes you react.

My mother had psoriasis, and it really acted up when she was handling a lot of paper. Paper is very drying.

Hope it was something your mother left behind, and not your supplies!

Are any of the papers a really different type or have a really different finish? Are you using mists or anything chemical?

That really is odd.

As was suggested, I'd touch one kind of paper just a little bit and see if there is a reaction.

Henri - no, no mists or anything chemical - you saw the last couple LOs I did, so it's all pretty standard for me. The new paper I opened was just basic black cardstock, so I'm really confused.

That is puzzling. Is it a brand of black cardstock that you usually use?

I would go into the room and touch nothing. Stand in there 5 or so minutes and then go out. The reason I'm suggesting this is I at one time got a terrible break out that was from a combination of my perfume and the girl I was working with perfume.

Don't touch anything just stand....then wait a while and rest don't do anything that could irritate your hands. If you don't break out go back and move only one sheet of paper then leave again.

alergies are such a tricky thing it could be a hand lotion you put on two days ago and it's reacting with something.

Sometimes my fingers peel if I get any of my Zig glue on them. I have a lot of allergies but have noticed that both soaps and glue makes my fingers peel. Did you use a liquid adhesive?

Whenever I have a sudden strong skin reaction I always suspect pesticides. That new paper pack may have come in contact with insecticides. The fact that you broke out twice makes it very suspicious. I would chuck it. Just for piece of mind.

Ps I thought of one more thing. I recently had a very bad reaction to a liquid glue that I have been using for years. The formula/composition must have changed.

• J-M Said:

I would totally suspect the new paper....I would throw it out and then double check that you aren't reacting to anything else....
As mentioned already, the new cardstock could have come in contact with almost anything and that could be causing your reaction....

Alison

What a nightmare!

It could be the paper. There might be a chemical in the paper that you are having a reaction to. When I was a teller many years ago a co-worker was allergic to a chemical that is used in the process of making money. She would break out all the time. Her hands would get beet red and swell up. She had to put some kind of prescription cream on her hands to help with the break outs. She refused to wear gloves when handling paper money. I hope you find out whats causing the allergic reaction. Keep us posted.

It does sound like the new black card-stock, doesn't it? Why not get your DH to remove it and put it somewhere else like the garage, and see whether you're OK without it there? Don't throw it out until you're sure.

It IS a process of elimination.

I was horribly allergic to carbon paper (tough when you were a secretary back in the carbon paper days!) So I'd immediately be suspect of any new black paper.

I hope you can find the source of your reaction so you can enjoy this hobby again!

I'm thinking dye in the paper. Different dye lots in almost every set of paper.

I agree with the suggestions above - go into the room and just stand there for a few minutes without touching anything and see if you have a reaction. If you don't, have someone move the paper into another room at a distance from your scraproom and then handle it. By a process of elimination, you should be able to figure it out.

But I'm curious. Let us know!

Curious too.....I would hate to have a bad reaction like you described.

I'm curious also. I have just a little eczema on my hands right now. It's a little unusual for me,but I have been distressing a lot of paper lately. That is really dusty, so I would suspect the dye.

I hate to mention a brand, but a very popular brand has a STRONG odor when you open a kit and I also noticed this when I bought some of their paper in Archivers. It had just been put out. Makes me wonder. That has to be from the printing process.