Healthcare Gripe - some parts might be cringy!

Before I put my gripe I'll give a bit of background,as the title says there might be some parts in here that might make some people cringe,so you've been warned!

10 years ago I dyed my hair burgendy and had a severe allergic reaction,I was taken to the ER and put on steriod drip straight away and they wouldn't let me leave until they seen some improvement:
About 2 years ago I put blonde hairlights in my hair no allergic reaction.
So about 6 months ago I dyed it blonde, again no allergic reaction

So 2 days ago I decided I wanted a change and dyed it hazelnut..I had a severe allergic reaction. I have a rash all over my neck,face and I have puss oozing out of my head constantly. Everytime I wash my hair and dry it,within hours it will be soaked in puss again.

My supervisor tells me to leave work immediatly and go to the A&E. I get there and all they do is give me 2 boxes of medicine and thats it! They didn't check me over, didn't ask me any questions. Every question I asked was followed by "Take the prescribed medication".

I'm very disappointed in it. Yes I understand that in the states you pay for your medical treatment and therefore have better treatment. But still, you'd think they'd be more concerned here about this type of thing. They didn't even give me any steroids,just penacillin and ibprofin, I was in and out in 2 minutes

I hear ya.  I was misdiagnosed as having a UTI when I actually had a large cyst that exploded on my ovary.  And that was the second Dr we saw, the first one told me I had the stomach flu.  Doubled over in pain crying... stomach flu....right. 

Dont you have private insurance through work?  Sounds like you should try seeing another Dr. 

I won't be able to get the private healthcare for another 7 months. I have to be employed there for a year to get it!


Dale just told me tonight he has BUPA through his work, I don't know if he can add me on it though because he pays nothing for this,his employer pays it for him

It sucks, I went to the GP today for Courtneys appointment,after he was finished checking her out and getting her diagnosed, I tried to explain my allergic reaction and he said he couldn't see me until I make an appointment...I was already in the friggin room!!!

How horrible!

Get yourself on the private if you can. My husband got Bupa at work for free and then paid to add me/the children...which we waited too long to do thinking the NHS 'would be fine'. Only problem we had was pre-exisiting rule was quite strict--they won't cover for 5 years I think it is (yes, years). Might be just his policy type though. And, at least we've had Bupa for added protection.

Well peeps, My face has now swollen up twice almost 3 times its normal size, my eyes are slits now because of it. The medics just left, they said I should take another pill ..making it 13 a day. I told the medics I have trouble swallowing and its harder to breath. They couldn't care less,they were more intrested in me being American and why I came here. 

Heres a pic of me now.

Oh my god, you poor thing!!! I hope you get better soon.

I'm really sorry to hear this.  I would certainly go back and press that it happened once before and what was done to clear it up.  I hope it eases soon, you must feel miserable.

(BTW, your daughter is growing up into such a lovely little girl!)

I can't believe you tried dye again after having an anaphylactic reaction! 

I am also allergic to hair dye, had anaphylaxis, and haven't dared to touch the stuff again.  That was 10 years ago . . . they told me at the hospital (I was in for 6 days) that the next time can happen even faster.  And yes, depending on brand and ingredients, you can also have a dye job with no reaction, but please don't take that chance again . . . Buy some pure henna (not dye with henna in it) if you must have colour. 

I'm just going to have to grow old gracefully, and I think you should, too!    PLEASE don't do such a scary thing again!  (I'm also extremely careful about going to the salon for a cut -- I either choose ones that don't do colouring, or let them know ahead and take the first appointment of the day, befor there are possibly traces of it on smocks or things around the shop that people could be touching and passing on to me.)

Oh, and back to your question, if you aren't showing signs of anaphylaxis, I don't think that they'd treat for that.  Sounds like you've had a reaction that's in the middle, between none and severe. 

QUIT, while you're still alive!!!!

I
Oh, and back to your question, if you aren't showing signs of anaphylaxis, I don't think that they'd treat for that.  Sounds like you've had a reaction that's in the middle, between none and severe. 

I had the same thought. I didn't get from the first post that Englands Yank had an anaphylitic reaction the first time, either.

Also, I get the impression from the fact that they prescribed penicillin that they were concerned about her getting or having an infection (from the open wounds with pus).  Steroids would make it harder to fight an infection.

She does say she is finding it hard to breathe now, though.  It's hard to tell what that means in terms of severity, though, and I don't understand what the medics did, exactly.

edit: Now that I've thought about it, when they were chatting to her about America, they probably were assessing her breathing. If she couldn't breathe, she wouldn't have been able to carry on a conversation.

I can breath ok but I have to take deeper breaths to catch my breath then normal.

onmyway- As I said I dyed it 10 years ago and had the same problem.since then I've dyed it blonde a couple times and had no problem,so I figured the first time was a one off thing,.

I'm gonna push my GP into refering me to get a skin test done to see what exacatly I'm allergic to.So I know for future referance

But nah,not gonna risk dying my hair again...ever.

Did you do a skin patch test before dying? I believe going blonde is different chemicals completely! Anyway hope you are feeling better soon!

this does sound like anaphylaxis, and that can very easily send you into shock & asphyxiate you!

i've been to the ER a million times with my mom for this very reason. (she goes into anaphylaxis from hives, which have appeared randomly & with increasing intensity since she started having hot flashes during menopause--no doctor can figure it out & they all say she's a medical anomaly.)

what we always end up doing is this:

we have the ER give her 80mg of depomedrol & prednisone (a steroid).

she then goes onto a months-long course of benadryl, zyrtec & allegra, which eventually tapers down till she can function with no meds & has no more hives.

when you're in the ER, they may also want to give you solumedrol & a medrodose pack (tapering doses of steroids). they may also try to give you adrenaline--be wary of this if you've ever had any kind of erratic heartbeat or murmur. they gave my mom steroids once & sent her into cardiac arrest.

good luck & keep us posted, please.

Did you do a skin patch test before dying? I believe going blonde is different chemicals completely! Anyway hope you are feeling better soon!

Just an FYI . . . putting the dye on your arm, on on your head, will cause the same reaction.  I went into anaphylaxis from the skin-patch test.

onmyway- As I said I dyed it 10 years ago and had the same problem.since then I've dyed it blonde a couple times and had no problem,so I figured the first time was a one off thing,.

I'm gonna push my GP into refering me to get a skin test done to see what exacatly I'm allergic to.So I know for future referance

But nah,not gonna risk dying my hair again...ever.

I had dyed mine for years, but then one day your body says it's not going to like this any more!     Just be careful with the skin test -- I'm so allergic to several things now that even a trace is too much.  You may react violently from just that little bit . . .

Also, different dyes contain different ingredients - I have no idea which one specifically I'm allergic to, but don't intend to find out through a test.

We'll be the 'grow-old-gracefully' group.  No more dye jobs.