Guys,

My surgery was Dec 17, and I've been down to just nipple coverings for 2 weeks. I'm using paper tape, which doesn't seem to bother my skin. However, my skin is highly irritated over most of my chest and around the backs of my armpits, like it was right after the incision bandages were removed. And those irritated areas haven't seen a bandage since surgery. I'm going shirtless at home because anything touching my skin there just feels like sandpaper or bad windburn or something.

Anyone else experience this, and is there anything I can do to make it stop? I went back to work this week and have had to leave early twice because I couldn't stand my shirt touching my skin any longer. It just doesn't seem to be getting better.

-Jay

Edit: The skin looks perfectly normal. Not red or inflamed in any way.

Quote from: JayDawg on January 07, 2015, 04:28:56 PM
Guys,

My surgery was Dec 17, and I've been down to just nipple coverings for 2 weeks. I'm using paper tape, which doesn't seem to bother my skin. However, my skin is highly irritated over most of my chest and around the backs of my armpits, like it was right after the incision bandages were removed. And those irritated areas haven't seen a bandage since surgery. I'm going shirtless at home because anything touching my skin there just feels like sandpaper or bad windburn or something.

Anyone else experience this, and is there anything I can do to make it stop? I went back to work this week and have had to leave early twice because I couldn't stand my shirt touching my skin any longer. It just doesn't seem to be getting better.

-Jay

Edit: The skin looks perfectly normal. Not red or inflamed in any way.

I haven't heard of this.  Must be a reaction to something.  I would call my surgeon.

I only had a few patches like this - presumably where the original medical tape was.  I don't know exactly if it's the same thing without seeing yours, but I definitely had some irritation.

It was like that for probably over a month.  Then it just went away.  Mine was dry and red - almost like a psoriasis patch, but without the flaking.  I didn't do anything to it to help it go away.

I agree - probably something to ask your surgeon or GP.

I had a lot of irritation from the band aids and so on around the nipples. Dr Garramone told me to use hydrocortisone cream which did help, along with moving the bandage site around as much as possible, but this sounds different.

--Jay

I had such a problem. I used medical hypoallergenic tape, but still I had the irritation. My surgeon recommend me to stick this ribbons every time to another place. And she prescribed me some cream (may be, it was hydrocortisone, like Aleon515 mentioned). The main reason for this irritations – that skin have no «breath». T must have a rest tape and some breath. It is good to use tape with perforation.

But still a bit of my skin came off. Post-op period - need's some patience.

This did not happen to me with top surgery, but I experienced something similar with my abdominal surgery in that the skin around the incision felt hot and prickly!  It was not red, or infected, or even very swollen, but it just felt like there were sticker burrs in my skin and wearing pants was downright irritating.  It dissipated in a few weeks and then became almost numb for many months.  For me, I believe all the nerve endings in my skin went a little nuts from the trauma.  Seems to be okay now.  Maybe you are experiencing nerve regeneration as your body heals and it is causing the feelings you describe. Have you been able to wash thoroughly yet where the bandages used to be?  Maybe there is some residue causing an allergic reaction.  Either way, some hydrocortisone cream might help dull the intensity...but I would check with your doc...or call a nurse.

Update: I still have the skin irritation. Did some googling this morning and found where some women have had the same thing after mastectomy, one of them said her oncologist prescribed Gabapentin and it helped her a lot. So emailed what she said to my surgeon, and he phoned it in for me. I get the first dose at bedtime tonight. Will update again when I see if it works or not.

Once a day at bedtime for 3 nights, then 3x/day until gone, no refills.

Another update: The Gabapentin (Neurontin) helped a tiny bit, but not enough to make the dopiness and laziness worthwhile. I took the last one on Saturday, and by Sunday evening I felt much better mentally, and had more energy and brain power at work today. As it wore off, the skin irritation got slightly worse, but I've decided I have to live with it. My surgeon assured me at my follow up last week that it would get better over time.

-Jay