I find that I have to constantly remind medical personnel that I'm allergic to Latex. If I am inpatient, I insist of having signs taped to the wall. Things have improved in the last 45 years. At one point in time, as soon as I checked in to a hospital, they gave me a huge box with latex fee medical supplies in it. I had to carry that stupid thing every time I left my room for tests. *shaking head*

As I have gotten older and have had more and more exposure, I developed Latex food cross sensitivities that really had an impact on my diet. Following the correct diet did solve a lot of digestive annoyances. When I check in, I ask to have the dietitian come to see me. Dietitians must be the loneliest medical profession with the fewest amount of challenges. I have become friends with the one at the hospital I go to. She sits down with me and literally special orders my diet.

When I was in ICU last month, they had to move me to a private room on the medical floor after only 14 hours. While they were careful and did not have any latex come in direct contact with me, the dust from the latex products was in the air and had an adverse effect on my breathing. Since I was there for heart and lung problems, they put me on a telemetry heart monitor.

The best part of all this? I always get a private room now. They have to avoid having any latex dust around me and since I have autoimmune problems, they do not want me to be exposed to any other illness. Shoot, they even make sure they keep my door closed. I have a rescue inhaler in case of emergency.

As for tying the band around my sleeve for a blood draw, I've never had any problems with that. I do have problems with the bandaids and paper tape. Some of the adhesives have latex in them.

I know what you mean about all of the little stuff that comes with a latex allergy. I can't even buy certain toys for my dog because they have latex. Thanks for repsonding. I just feel alone sometimes when I try and explain how serious it can be.

i have had a lot of medical problems this year and was in the hospital 9 times. I now have my own patient relations person at the hospital because they have screwed up so many times and tried to kill me. I have a sign on my door, outside my room on the wall, and above my bed plus 5 boxes of the correct gloves and people still screwed up. When I asked the lab person to move the latex tourniqet he said "you have to be kidding" People don't understand. Now I demand a private room and do get nasty. It seems that is the only way they get it. One lab tech came in my room with latex gloves on and tourniquet in hand as she passed the sign on the door. When I questioned her she said I can read but took the gloves off in the room (powder makes it airborne) and then got mad when I asked her to wash her hands. I have gone into shock and it's not fun. I just think people are idiot's. also I just remind them that the next time they make a mistake like they made before my family will sue. That usually get's admin. to listen but then all the staff thinks I complain and am nasty but I don't care.

I work in the field of medicine (OT) AND have a latex allergy. I hear ya. I hear all of ya. I am just shaking my head reading of the difficulties that you have with this. For you, butterfly, who goes into shock, I suggest you just say that in a matter-of-fact tone and I can nearly guarantee you will get an immediate and respectful response. No hospital worker wants to explain that their negligence has set off a cascade of events like that. Or at least, I hope so.

I think being persistent, not nasty, is the way to go. Sarcasm, threats to people that are trying to do well by you, is not a good thing in the big picture. I do think reporting errors to supervisors is how we all learn. Advocating for ourselves is tiring but necessary. What I worry about is when or if we cannot speak. I've thought about wearing a bracelet or necklace warning of the latex allergy. Would people read it in time? Ha!

Now, the other side of it is trying to locate those latex free gloves when I need them at work. Very frustrating when they cannot be found.

I agree, it shouldn't be the burden of the patient to keep his/her hospital room latex free. This is the job of the hospital and its staff. In reality though, we must always be assertive (not aggressive) about it.

I agree with Ronas. Our hospital has gone latex free. My issue is the Dr. offices that I go to. They want to take your blood and don't have ANY non latex items; but on the wall, it says, "please tell the nurse if you have a latex allergy". Why bother posting the sign then? It just makes me crazy sometimes. I'm really glad I'm not the only one.

One question if you draw blood what do u use for it?

At the hospital, we wear Non latex gloves, and a non latex tournaquets. My Doctor only has the non latex gloves and latex tournaquets.

Yeah... when I had my last back surgery they set up the operating room latex free, but gave me surgical stockings with latex in the fabric! When I tried to tell them after surgery that they were latex and itching me, they told me it was the morphine making me itch. I was stuck in those stockings for 3 days before someone finally listened to me and pulled them down to reveal my red inflamed skin... it was amazing. I was supposed to be laying perfectly still but of course I fidgeted nonstop and even tried to scratch one foot with the other. I still can't believe that they ignored my repeated complaints. After I was discharged I made sure the hospital knew all about it, but of course the damage was already done.

How horrible that you had to wear those things for so long, and that they wouldn't listen to you! It's amazing to me how much stuff contains latex! As I've said, I've even had to tell my hubby not to get certain dog toys for the pup because they have latex! Poor deprived pup.LOL!

i always got to remind all medical ppl that i am allergic to latex...how i found out about that allergy while ihad sex with a man who had a condom on..

i swelled up had a uti and yeast infectin and such an allergic reaction that my vagina swelled up so bad with hives and hurt in my gut i thought i was dying...

so yes i know how dangerous it can be to have this allergy to latex and that is why i let all medical ppl know this the first thing when talking to them...

now days they have latex free gloves and tournaquet and tape too..i am allergic to all types of tape but paper...

when i had that bad reactin to latex with the condome i was given a shot but it didn't help in my arm so i had to have another down below before the swelling stopped and i was out of it.

Yes, the condom situation is awful too. The non latex are hardly worth the protection sadly enough. But, what's a person to do?