Allergic reaction to surgical soap (Chlorhexidine) after lumpectomy

@lisakukla1,
I have very sensitive skin, but never had problem with what is use in surgery. I surprised about rubbing alcohol, but he is the doctor. Any chance you can be seen by a dermatologist, they would have better suggestions.
When I do have problem, I use lotions labeled "Calming" , many different brands. The tube have in bathroom know I think is Target's version.

What lotions have your tried?

@lisakukla1 I am sure the alcohol was in order to remove any residual oils from the soap. I am so sorry about this, like it isn’t enough you had to have the surgery. I went through this from a reaction to a product I was given during radiation.
I hope this settles soon, the pain under the arm took a little time for me, those muscles were never really the same but the pain went away and the surrounding muscles compensate well.
Have you tried calamine lotion, or taking Benadryl as these both can calm an allergic reaction?

Hello thanks for replying, I’ve tried Jergens ultra healing and Palmers cream, I’ve also tried Dr Teals calming. I’m thinking a dermatologist is a good idea.

Thanks for your feedback, yes the alcohol was intended to remove the soap residue, it helped a little. I’ve used Benadryl every night to get relief and that took the edge off. Glad to know the pain eventually goes away, I still have a long way to go! Radiation is part of the plan so I’ll keep a watch with any products that come with that. Thank you

Oh and hydrocortisone, that also helps. But nothing has made it go away yet. Hoping as I hit the 2 week mark I’ll get relief, from what I’ve seen online it takes about 2 weeks to clear up.

@lisakukla1 Hi. So sorry you’re going through this. I want to second the recommendation of a dermatology consult. They really know skin issues, and I’ve been surprised more than once over the years at suggestions of prescription ointments and creams not known to other members of my care team.

The Benadryl does sound like a good relief. In addition to Benadryl pills, there is a Benadryl cream.

Hi! I had a similar experience after my lumpectomy and it was a reaction to the dose of IV antibiotic they gave me during surgery. It went away after about 10 days. I have that reaction to other antibiotics so it wasn’t surprising. I used a topical cream for itching. Hope yours gets better quickly!

I had something similar, but it was from the adhesive on the surgical tape. When I removed the tape, there were literally burn marks in the shape of the tape and then a rash of small bumps all over my chest and stomach area. It was quite painful and took a couple of weeks to finally disappear. I didn't put anything on it, nor did the surgeon give me recommendations.

Ouch, it’s surprising that the surgeons don’t seem to be bothered by these side effects.

Found some relief! My father in law recommended that I try this steroid cream that he got from a dermatologist when he had a similar reaction. This has calmed the rash tremendously. Used it twice and can tell a big difference. Hope this helps anyone else that may have this allergy, maybe you won’t have to wait as long as I did. Dermatologist know skin, makes sense they would have a remedy.