Any Way Around Allergy To Electrode Pads?

[ajw4790]

Hi all!

Is there a way (less abrasive) to do a 30 day holter? When I did the 48 hr. the electrodes were AWFUL on my skin, the burn lasted for weeks!

So, I have been waiting on the 30 day. Any suggestions?

I know a lot of people have these sensitivities, so how have you worked around that when trying to complete this testing?

Thanks!

[Mrs. Burschman]

Ugh! I have no good ideas, but I sympathize. I did a 24-hour Holter and got the red, itchy patches. Same thing happens with me and bandages, depending on the brand. Makes me feel like such a weenie!

Amy

[morgan617]

I've got blisters from electrodes last week that I wore for a few hours. I wish I could help. They do have electrodes that are made for more sensitive skin, but will refuse to use them for a Holter. I've never heard of a 30 day Holter, geez. 48 hours is the longest they do them here. Sorry I can't be of more help. One question...I don't know of any patches that will stay on that long, so do they expect you to change them?

With an event monitor, you change them every day to every other day and only have 3 ptaches. The holters I've had have had about 10 patches that have to be placed pretty specifically. Just wondering...morgan

[Dawg Tired]

Okay - the 30-day test uses the sticky pads but you can change around the locations of the electrodes. They don't do the "sandpaper scrub" like for the 24 and 48 hour ones...

NOT AS BAD!!!

[flop]

The longest Holter recording I had was 7 days. But I did have an external loop-recorder on for 6 weeks during the summer a few years ago. Both of the tests involved having 3 electrodes on at once, left and right upper chest and left lower chest. For the 6-week loop I was given a bag of spare electrodes. I was told that I could disconnect the monitor each day to have a shower or go swimming with the sticky electrodes still on, every third day I could peel off the old electrode and then stick on a new one on a bit of fresh skin near the same sites. I was ok with the glue on the paper surround pard and the gel, but there was a really sticky ring just outside the gel pad area that caused my skin to blister (from friction / stretching of the skin we think). After a few sticker changes I was running out of healthy skin that didn't have healing blisters on it!

The do make special hypoallergenic adhesive electrodes for several days of wear. I was using the hypoallergenic sort (I get really bad eczema outbreaks from the regular sort) and the techs think it was more of a friction / tension problem that caused the blistering rather than an allergy - at least it didn't itch!

If you are very allergic to glues and tapes it might be worth considering taking a daily antihistamine to control the reaction whilst wearing the electrodes?

I found it much more practical to have my reveal device (implantable loop recorder) inserted as I had had so many holters and external loop recorders without recording any symptoms at the time I was wearing the monitor.

Flop

[mom4cem]

Hi,

I too have sensitive skin with those pads. I've also worn the 30 day monitors for a few months. You can ask for the children type which don't have the gel but they tend to fall off fast or what I have done too is pull off the goopy little pad they have over the adult electrode and wipe off whatever gel is around it and then stick it on. For me it has worked. I have had no problems with not getting a good reading or anything else plus I've saved myself of itching and blisters.

Just a thought. Good luck.

[ajw4790]

Thanks for all the great suggestions! The lack of sandpaper would be great, and moving the electrode around could help! I had also wondered about if I could take a few hours off here and there to decrease everything. I also will have to see if I can take anti-histamines... great idea!

As far as the test, it seems there is so many varieties. All I know is it is a 30 day monitoring of cardiac activity. It was my understanding that it was just a three lead. I also wasn't sure if it was recording all the time or only when I press the button. We will see!

Thanks!

[mkoven]

I'm also very allergic to most adhesives and don't tolerate those pads. I turn bright red and sometimes my throat has started to tighten. I've been kicked out of the heart echo lab before! And no amount of benadryl and prednisone has stopped it! Believe me, we tried.

I had a 30 day event recorder that I would just hold up to my chest when I was symptomatic-- no adhesive. The only downside is that it can't record the interval just before you push the button (because it wasn't connected to you), so the "event" may have passed. Otherwise, itch-free. I just had to remember to carry it around with me, and be ready to pull it out when needed. All that every showed up was a fast heart rate, but normal rhythm.