Rash on board ship

I have sailed the high seas since 1947 with no adverse affects whatsoever. However, during the past 7 years, I have been experiencing a very uncomfortable and itchy rash. It has occurred on various ships - Balmoral, Seabourn and Silver Whisper and starts on my hands a few days after boarding. It then spreads up my arms (sometimes neck and face), legs and feet, but not the body itself. It can turn to blisters so it is not a mild rash. I have been prescribed hydrocortisone cream and cetrizine to no avail. However, as soon as I disembark the ship, within 24 hours, I begin to feel relief.

I am desperate to find a cause for this and have been through all the usual thoughts of the drinking water, showers, washing powder used on sheets etc, chemicals and cleaning agents. I am at the stage where I am considering stopping cruising to avoid the discomfort, which is so disappointing as I enjoy it so much.

I have discussed it with my doctor who doesn't have any answers other than the above prescription. Having travelled worldwide, something must have changed on board ship over the years to cause this. Perhaps something is being used on ships that wasn't previously? I wish I could identify it.

I'm desperate to know the cause so that I could avoid it. Can anyone help?

Have you written to each cruiseline to see what they use in their laundry facilities? If ou explain the reason I am sure they will be willing to help you. And this way you will be able to compare each list, side by side, then you can see if there is a common denominator.

EDITED to come and welcome you to Cruise Critic.

Are you sure it's not medications you are taking that are affected by change in the environment.

Simply speaking, my wife is now allergic to the sun due to medications. She'll break out in a rash of red itchy spots. Cabanas or palopolas for us when at the beach.

Do you take pills for motion sickness when you are at sea? May be that?

I'm not sure in what part of Europe you live, but the rash does sound like (descriptions are always a bit tricky for rashes!) a variation of polymorphic light eruption, so if you are usually in the northern climes where there isn't too much bright intense sunlight it could be a form of this when you are exposed to sunlight.

Apart from that it sounds as if you have explored most of the 'usual culprits' such as laundry agents.

How frustrating, as well as irritating, for you.

Sunscreen? Medications you take while on board ie for motion sickness? Psychological? :confused:

Mine was more of a burn. I think was caused by the cleaning solvent on balcony table leg. While reading a book, my bare foot rested against the leg of the table. After about an hour, I had a burn mark that lasted a day. It had a burning sensation. I could see the distinct line of the table leg edges on the burn. I just washed it throughly and put lotion on it. I stayed away from the table legs the rest of the cruise. Even put a towel around them to prevent accidental touch. It was not a heat burn as the table was in the shade. I have never had that happen before. Maybe I will be adventureous and test it again on March 24th!

If it happens again, I will go to the ships doctor as they are the only ones that would be familar with previous cases and potential causes in their environment.

From your description, it seems that all the parts of your body that would touch the sheets are affected. I would suggest taking your own sheets and pillow cases with you as an experiment.

My first thought was the sun.

DH thinks it could be an allergic reaction to the hand sanitizer.

I do hope you figure this out.

My DH gets a rash similar to this it shows as large welts type

He has a steroid cream RX that works

at first they thought it was poison ivy but it happened when he was no where near any

He seems to get it with the heat & humidity even here at home

Dr said it was an auto immune type disease

See a dermatologist

It sounds like a contact dermatitis to me, but the question is, what particular surface are you contacting on all these ships that causes the same dermatitis? It could be a stain guard on upholstered furniture, the detergent used on sheets, towels, bathrobes, dry cleaning solvent (if you have clothing dry cleaned on board). Maybe there is fireproofing in the upholstery or other fabrics such as draperies.

It could even be your sunscreen if you are using any. I am very allergic to most sunscreens. Be very careful you don't use any with PABA and some parabens. Read the labels. PABA is rarer now, but parabens are hard to avoid.

If you put a bug spray on before you go to a beach or excursion, you could be allergic to that. I can't use those.

It would be a real shame to have to give up cruising. You could try a cruise line you haven't tried before. How about Oceania or Cunard?

Allergies come and go throughout life. Chances are that you've developed an allergy to something.

In my life I have cycled through allergies to: Tomatoes, Carrots, Chicken, Dill, Celery, Shellfish, Laundry Detergent, and now Oxyclean. I now have a sensitivity to SOMETHING they use in baking on cruise ships (perhaps it's a type of gluten) and react.

Chances are that you've developed an allergy to something - either in the laundry detergent, or in the water in the pools. Speak to a qualified allergist and find something that will limit your reaction. It might be a benedryl, or even something like a benadryl lotion. Good luck, allergies are a pain.

Everytime we cruise I get a red rash on my forearms. I am assuming its from something they clean the railings with since it only appears on my forearms right where I lean on the rails. It always goes away about 2 days after I get home.

My first thought was the sun.

DH thinks it could be an allergic reaction to the hand sanitizer.

 

I do hope you figure this out.

I also thought of hand sanitizer. Since it has just shown up over the past few years, and the increase in use of sanitizer has been in the past few years, there may be a correlation.

It could also be a reaction to Chlorine Bleach being used by the Cruise lines to disinfect everything to kill off the Norovirus.

I started reacting in 2009...seems to be the disinfectant used on the carpets/flooring. It gets on my shoes, then when I cross my ankles or what-not, it ends up on my leg.

Like most, I take benadryll and use a cream...disappears after a couple of days at home.

Well, since it doesn't affect your body and seems to start at your hands and moves up. I think you can rule out anything to do with the bed, sheets, pillows or blankets. More than likely something to do with hand lotion, sanitizers etc.

I started to suffer from a similar rash in my early sixties, but it occurs in summer- I have similar medication as you, but can only relieve it with very hot water- but beware- I have scalded myself. I have also developed an allergy to tree nuts, and, as the above poster says, these things can develop at different times of your life.

On board, you get such intense light because of the reflection from the sea, so it may be that your skin has altered and now you're suffering from an overdose of it.

I would try your own sheets and towels, though, as a new washing powder can trigger some allergies, and I can't cope with any softener on fabrics. I sit in shade, and wear long sleeved, Indian cotton tops.

I hope you can discover the cause, because stopping cruising sounds awful!:(

Everytime we cruise I get a red rash on my forearms. I am assuming its from something they clean the railings with since it only appears on my forearms right where I lean on the rails. It always goes away about 2 days after I get home.

I have experienced something similar... not all the time. I believe it is do to salt that collects on the railings, from being at sea. I try to remember to wipped the railing before leaning on it.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

You need to see a dermatologist.

Before you leave on your next cruise, make an appointment to see a dermatologist the day you return or the next day so the he/she can see what you are talking about.

I also thought of hand sanitizer. Since it has just shown up over the past few years, and the increase in use of sanitizer has been in the past few years, there may be a correlation.

 

It could also be a reaction to Chlorine Bleach being used by the Cruise lines to disinfect everything to kill off the Norovirus.

Cruise Lines use very little chlorine bleach these days. It damages the equipment and the environment.

Instead we mostly use activated hydrogen peroxide, sold under the names Virox and Virkon.

This is a non-chlorine bleach that is sold as Oxy-clean in North America.

I have sailed the high seas since 1947 with no adverse affects whatsoever. However, during the past 7 years, I have been experiencing a very uncomfortable and itchy rash. It has occurred on various ships - Balmoral, Seabourn and Silver Whisper and starts on my hands a few days after boarding. It then spreads up my arms (sometimes neck and face), legs and feet, but not the body itself. It can turn to blisters so it is not a mild rash. I have been prescribed hydrocortisone cream and cetrizine to no avail. However, as soon as I disembark the ship, within 24 hours, I begin to feel relief.

 

I am desperate to find a cause for this and have been through all the usual thoughts of the drinking water, showers, washing powder used on sheets etc, chemicals and cleaning agents. I am at the stage where I am considering stopping cruising to avoid the discomfort, which is so disappointing as I enjoy it so much.

 

I have discussed it with my doctor who doesn't have any answers other than the above prescription. Having travelled worldwide, something must have changed on board ship over the years to cause this. Perhaps something is being used on ships that wasn't previously? I wish I could identify it.

 

I'm desperate to know the cause so that I could avoid it. Can anyone help?

Two thoughts-

1. Do you eat quite a bit of shellfish when you are on a cruise? There is shellfish allergy that can start off not so bad, rashes etc. but can become dangerous.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/shellfish-allergy/DS00987/DSECTION=symptoms

2. if you are spending a lot of time you could be getting what is called "sun poisoning".

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sun-allergy/DS01178

My guess is also polymorphic light eruptions. It will come on the areas most exposed to sunlight, ie hands and feet. This is a type of "allergic reaction" to sunlight. For me it started very mildly in my 20's but got significantly worse in my 50's. I get it the first sun exposure of the season, hence, on my annual March cruise. Once it runs its course, it stays away until the following year. I have used oral steroids to prevent it with good results. Once it comes, nothing seems to make much difference. You can google good information. Hope this helps!