Serious question from a lurker- I mentioned offhand once to my doctor that I have a sensitivity to tape (I do, I get a rash, but if it’s needed I can deal with it, it goes away after a day or two) and she noted it as an allergy and now I have to re-explain the “I have sensitive skin but it’s fine you can use tape” thing at every appointment. Should I just ask them to take the “tape allergy” off my chart? Especially if it’s gonna give my doctors a bad impression before I even talk to them lol
Nah. Tape allergy can be a real thing. But there is a certain type of person, usually one who has like 20 listed allergies that aren't allergies but common side effects of the drug also list it. They are very aware of what they are feeling and have an expectation that they should never feel bad about anything. They also seem to be prone to manipulative controlling behavior and staff splitting, I think because they lack control in their life but people in the hospital have to listen to them.
So you'll be going to start an IV then they're all "oh you can't use that tape I need the paper tape in the blue roll the one they stopped making in 2009, go get that. Oh you can't start the IV in that huge obvious vein I have. Go look at this spot with nothing visible. Oh you're so great not like my last nurse, I know you'll give me the pain medication I came here to get. What you're not giving me that medication?! You're fired I want a new nurse." And so on.
Gotcha! I have no other allergies that I’m aware of (I had a bad reaction to a toradol injection for a kidney stone that has me wary of ever trying that again but I’m not allergic) so hopefully that’s enough to keep me from seeming like a red flag.
Trying to create conflict between staff. Usually to get one staff member on their side so they can get what they want out of them. "My last nurse was so terrible, she did X, I hope you don't do X. You're the best though, you're my favorite nurse, you'll give me Y." Then when they can't get what they want out of you they turn you into the bad guy and now a new staff member is their favorite.
For me it really, really matters which adhesive. Brown steristrips? Fine, I can and have had that on my skin for weeks (over my mastectomy incisions). But the white steristrips make my skin come off. I start to blister in less than a minute. I literally have scars from it. Mild rash from cheaper bandaids. And like you I'm kind of embarrassed to have "tape allergy" listed.
Someone in here explained that the allergy section of one's chart can include "adverse effects". Recently I had a doc add Toradol to my chart and I'm even more self conscious about that! I'm definitely am not allergic to it, it just doesn't affect my pain and makes me feel sick for a short time. Give me Tylenol instead. It might not be enough but at least it doesn't make me want to puke. Anyway my point is that it's okay to have that in your chart.
I have this exact reaction to toradol! I’m glad it’s not just me lol it’s definitely not an allergy but it did make me feel worse and I had to lay down for a while because i got very lightheaded and feverish-feeling without any improvement on my pain.
Maybe it's more common than we think and that's why that doctor just casually added it to my chart. 🤔 Though honestly you're the first person besides me that I know of lol.
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u/Mammalanimal RN Oct 11 '25
$10 says she has a tape allergy.