Seem To Get A Rash From Bf's Water- Any Ideas?

[Waitingindreams]

Hi all!

 

Okay, so whenever I am at my boyfriend's house, I develop a red, patchy rash on my hands...and on my legs/arms when I shower. It does not burn or itch. It fades on its own, no medication/cremes needed, and it only appears at HIS house. I do not have this issue at my house. 

 

At first, I thought I was somehow getting wheat on my hands (to my knowledge I don't have DH, but I do have a wheat allergy, and it irritates my skin when I use anything containing wheat - (e.g. lotions, hand sanitizer) My diet is the same at his house, and there is definitely less cross contamination chances at his house than there are at mine.

 

Then I considered it was his hand towel in the bathroom, maybe I was allergic to the fabric/fibers or something. 100% cotton. Okay, then I considered it was his laundry detergent. I didn't see any offensive ingredients, and my parents don't buy organic/chemical free laundry detergent, they buy whatever is on sale. 

 

I figured maybe it was his soap. He uses regular Softsoap in his bathroom (which I don't have an issue with) and he had a bar soap of Dove in his kitchen (which I usually don't have a problem with either) I considered because we were sharing the bar soap, maybe somehow the soap was getting wheat on it from when he washes his hands? I'm aware it's a reach, but I was out of ideas. I brought my own gluten free pump soap and tried it out.

 

As soon as my hands went under the water in his kitchen sink (no soap added yet) they turned red. It's hard to explain...I don't mean they turned completely red as in the water was too hot, I mean it was like red splotchy dots. Again, no burning or itching. 

 

Great. So I googled that, and I came up with results for water urticaria. That sounds similar to what I have, only there is no itching or burning...and it only happens at my bf's house. It is said that high levels of chlorine in the water can cause it. Does anyone have any experience with anything like this? The rash itself seems pretty harmless, but I have other skin issues and I am afraid using his water is going to make it worse. Should we assume it's chlorine and get filters for his sinks/shower? Should we have his water tested for something else? He doesn't seem to react at all. 

 

I just took a shower (I'm at his house) and again, splotchy redness down my legs and my arms. By the time I could show him, the redness in my arms had faded, but he has seen the redness on my legs and hands. Also, this seems to happen no matter what temperature the water is, so although I'm sure the heat doesn't help, I don't think it's the cause. 

 

Oddly enough, I was on the swim team as a child and my mom thought I had a chlorine allergy. Interesting...

 

Thanks in advance!

[GF Lover]

I have filters on my kitchen sink and showers.  I would look at the chlorine first.  They probably make a test strip to measure this.  If you do that do one at his place and one at home, see if there's a difference.

 

Colleen

[Waitingindreams]

Thanks for the reply! I was considering getting the strips (because I really do think it's chlorine) but I wasn't sure if we should be looking out for something else instead/as well. That's a good idea to test the water at my house/his house to compare. I think I'll do that. I hope my bf is okay with getting filters...

[cyclinglady]

It is possible. I have cold urticaria. Had it since I was a baby. I get red itchy skin, swelling and big hives. Makes for fun conversation when you are a kid and you rub an ice cube on your leg during a party. Not so attractive as a teen coming out of the ocean. Tough to ski whn it takes 30 minutes to get your boots off due to the swelling. I was allowed to wear pants under my dress to school when I was little, but had to take them off when I got there. School rules! Girls could not wear pants! Yep, I am pretty old.

I would get filters.

Nothing life-threatening to my knowledge.

[Waitingindreams]

Wow! I would always get itchy skin in the ocean, but my parents always told me it was the salt. Then when we started going to lakes around our state, I had an allergic reaction the pond water (itchy rash) not sure if that is all connected, but it is interesting! 

 

What? Why were girls not allowed to wear pants? That is so strange..I remember my 5th grade teacher YELLED at me for coming into school with clothes my mom and I had tie dyed together. (tshirt and shorts, nothing too short or revealing) my mom ended up talking to the principal about it. It really made no sense...she was just a bitter, mean old lady.

 

 

It definitely is his water. When I looked in the mirror after my shower, I saw a pretty big red mark on my face...it's gone now. Yikes. I don't want to stress him out (he has so much to do to this house - I don't want to add more stress) I'll try to find affordable filters.

 

It does seem like a harmless reaction, but I am mostly worried about it making current skin conditions worse. I brush my teeth/rinse with the water from his sink, and so far no negative effects *knock on wood*

 

Thanks

[GF Lover]

I think you can rule out the Cold urticaria unless you take cold showers 

 

Cycling Lady....you have so much going on...I don't know how you do it 

 

Colleen

[1desperateladysaved]

I got splotchy when I stuck my hands into a public sink and accidently used their soap.  I thought it was the soap, but chlorinated water could be the culprit.  Anyway, don't you have chlorinated water at home?  I don't.

[Waitingindreams]

I really don't know what is going on with our water vs his water. We don't use any filters at our house, but I still don't get any rashes from the water. I feel like his house used to be well water, but they switched it over to city water before he bought it (not sure if that makes any difference at all) I also don't remember having these reactions anywhere else. I remember reacting at work, but I switched soaps and was fine.

 

I'm just guessing that his water must have higher levels of chlorine. It's not a severe reaction (no burning, itching etc and it fades away on its own) so if it IS chlorine, it must be just enough to get me to react.

[kareng]

You could also get a ph test strip. They have them for fish tanks, so maybe someone you know would give you one? Or a little kit with liquid to test ph.

Looks like Walmart has some. Not sur di would buy " sweet wheat" brand. Lol

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Also chlorine

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You could experiment. Take a big bowl and fill with his water and let it sit out 24 hours. Chlorine evaporates out, so try putting a hand in the water that has sat out and see?

[mamaw]

My vote  goes to Chlorine  too.....  we  have the same problem...

[psawyer]

It might indeed be chlorine, and it is quite possible that her water at home is not chlorinated. An increasingly common alternative to free chlorine is chloramine. Unlike chlorine, chloramine does not evaporate and it must be chemically removed from water to be used in an aquarium, for example.