Keeping getting rash after using tub now try what?

[squale]

Okay I have had my 2004 Sundance Altamar set up for about 6 days now.  Everytime I go in the hottub, I get this rash on the inside of my arms only.  The rash looks almost like poisen sumac and it's very itchy.  It doesn't look like a bacterial infection, I have gotten on of these before in a friends hottub a long time ago.  This rash just makes the entire inside of my arms all red and itchy.  Weird that it only happens on the inside of my arms though.  I get the same type of rash everytime I go to a caribbean beach destination too.  

Anyhow, I am using Bromine in the spa right now, all of my numbers are pretty good, the Alk and PH may be a little on the highside.  The bromine is right around 5ppm.

I'm wondering if it's the bromine that is causing this skin reaction.  All my other friends that have been in my tub so far have no skin reaction at all, they are fine.  So I didn't go in the tub for the past 2 days, the rash basically almost went all away, then I go in the tub again this morning, and a couple hours later, the rash is back and even itchier this time around.

So I need to figure out what to try next, should I empty the spa, and try some other chemicals, maybe switch to chlorine instead?  or should I try one of those mineral filter things.  I don't know what mineral cartridge would work in my spa, I have the 2 piece filter in mine.  I also have a CD ozonator that runs a lot during the day.

The people I bought the spa from were using the Baquaspa products.  I have some of those chemicals left over that they gave me, but my local dealer sold me bromine to use instead.  I have about 5 bromine tablets sitting in the bromine filter door right now in the spa.

The other thing I noticed is that the last couple of days, the spa water has been forming a slight foam on the top when the jets are on.  It wasn't foaming at all the first few days I had the spa, now there is more foam.. could this extra foam be caused by the bromine, etc.?  I have been the only one in the spa the last couple of days and I shower first before going in, and usually go in naked so I don't think I am bringing in any bad stuff.

Please help.. I am getting very frustrated that I have this nice spa and I am getting second thoughts about using it now since I keep getting this itchy rash on my arms.

Thanks all.

[tony]

Okay I have had my 2004 Sundance Altamar set up for about 6 days now.  Everytime I go in the hottub, I get this rash on the inside of my arms only.  The rash looks almost like poisen sumac and it's very itchy.  It doesn't look like a bacterial infection, I have gotten on of these before in a friends hottub a long time ago.  This rash just makes the entire inside of my arms all red and itchy.  Weird that it only happens on the inside of my arms though.  I get the same type of rash everytime I go to a caribbean beach destination too.  

Anyhow, I am using Bromine in the spa right now, all of my numbers are pretty good, the Alk and PH may be a little on the highside.  The bromine is right around 5ppm.

I'm wondering if it's the bromine that is causing this skin reaction.  All my other friends that have been in my tub so far have no skin reaction at all, they are fine.  So I didn't go in the tub for the past 2 days, the rash basically almost went all away, then I go in the tub again this morning, and a couple hours later, the rash is back and even itchier this time around.

So I need to figure out what to try next, should I empty the spa, and try some other chemicals, maybe switch to chlorine instead?  or should I try one of those mineral filter things.  I don't know what mineral cartridge would work in my spa, I have the 2 piece filter in mine.  I also have a CD ozonator that runs a lot during the day.

The people I bought the spa from were using the Baquaspa products.  I have some of those chemicals left over that they gave me, but my local dealer sold me bromine to use instead.  I have about 5 bromine tablets sitting in the bromine filter door right now in the spa.

The other thing I noticed is that the last couple of days, the spa water has been forming a slight foam on the top when the jets are on.  It wasn't foaming at all the first few days I had the spa, now there is more foam.. could this extra foam be caused by the bromine, etc.?  I have been the only one in the spa the last couple of days and I shower first before going in, and usually go in naked so I don't think I am bringing in any bad stuff.

Please help.. I am getting very frustrated that I have this nice spa and I am getting second thoughts about using it now since I keep getting this itchy rash on my arms.

Thanks all.

Here's an option you may want to try before draining your spa.  Try a Spa Frog mineral cartridge and bring your bromine levels down to 1-2 ppm.  Most mineral cartridges cannot be used with bromine, but the Frog can.  It is also distributed by LeisureTime carried by many spa dealers.  RHTubs also carries them.  You can check it out a www.kingtechnology.com.  Don't look at the bromine/mineral floater...just look at the mineral stick cartridge.  Just lay it on top of your filter...no need to put it inside.  See if a low bromine residual with the Frog and ozone do the trick.  The Frog will cost you about $30.

[squale]

well what's better the Frog or the Nature2, these both seem to be the best mineral ones out there.. well the most popular at least.

btw.. what can I used in a Sundance Altamar spa with the 2-piece filter?

and how do I bring my bromine levels down?  should I remove all 5 bromine tablets from the filter feeder door?

[tony]

well what's better the Frog or the Nature2, these both seem to be the best mineral ones out there.. well the most popular at least.

btw.. what can I used in a Sundance Altamar spa with the 2-piece filter?

and how do I bring my bromine levels down?  should I remove all 5 bromine tablets from the filter feeder door?

You cannot use Nature2 with bromine, only the Frog or the LeisureTime mineral cartridge which is made by the Frog.  Lower your bromine levels by reducing the number of bromine tabs in the feeder.

Just place the Frog on top of the two part filter on the back side away from the weir door.  It does not have to be inside the filter to work.  You would not want to put inside the filter anyway because the small filter is what the circ pump uses.

[Richs100]

My advice: Go to the Doctor.
A hot tub forum is probably not the best place to look for a medical diagnosis.  

[cburk0677]

Here is my advice. I had the same problem after over doing the chemicals after I bought my hottub.

1. Check your water with test strip. Is your PH and ALK correct. I am guess they are not. I am also guessing that attemps to correct the levels isn't working. Same thing happened to my tub.
2. Super chlorinate your water by adding 5-10x the normal amount of chlorine you use normally. Run the jets for 30-45 minutes with the cover open. Also make sure to turn all of your diverters on high. If you have a main diverter that controls power to each side of the tub make sure to give adequate time to each main diverter setting. If you have waterfalls, etc make sure to run them during this time also.
3. Drain your tub completely. Once the tub is drained use a diluted bleach solution to wipe down the entire inside of the tub, around the jet fittings, the headrests, etc.  Then spray down the inside of the tub with hose and drain out that water.
4. Refill your tub. Add ph down/up and chlorine based on test strip readings.
5. Do not over medicate your tub. Enjoy rash free tubbing.

Doing the following fixed the problems I was having with hottub rash. Also fixed the problems with my water balance. It was amazing to actually see my test strips working correctly after dumping and refilling the hottub. It has now been 2.5 months since the drain and refill. Water is crystal clear, no more rash and I am using a lot less chemicals now that I know what I am doing with water care.

[Bama]

I think you should see the doctor.

However, I suspect that your problem is moisture activating
a yeast infection.  It may take a round of anti-biotics.
After using the spa, make sure you shower, then pat your body
very dry.  Use a medicated powder on the inside of your arms.
Hopefully, this will do the trick.

[D.P. Roberts]

"So I'm filling out all these medical forms, and it says 'in case of emergency call... ' So I put 'Doctor': what the h*ll is my mother gonna do?" -Steven Wright

[Bama]

dp,

I love Steven Wright!  The guy is brilliant!

[squale]

I don't want to speak too soon, but I haven't gotten any rashes yet at all once I ran bleach in the brominated water, drained the tub, wiped down the tub with a diluted bleach solution and then refilled the tub up with fresh water and began using Dichlor... NO MORE BROMINE!!!
I think the Bromine might of been giving me that rash, not sure though because it could of been something else that was in the water, but since I bleached the water first, then drained it, anything that could of been living in the water is definately dead now.
Weird thing is, everytime I go away on vacation to a tropical place (which is usually the only places I vacation), I get this same rash on the insides of my arms, on my wrists and sometimes on my inside upper thighs.  I could never figure out what the heck this was from.  Then I started thinking, you know everytime I go on vacation I am going in a hottub at the resort or cruise ship I am on.  So therefor, maybe it's BROMINE that is in the hottubs causing my rash.  Because the rash was EXACTLY the same rash I got from using my hottub at home when I was running Bromine in it.  Now I switched to Dichlor, been in the tub 3 different times so far and still no rash (knock on wood!).  Plus I like the feeling of my skin better after getting out of the tub with Dichlor.  No more smell, no more different feeling of the skin, etc.  When I get out of my Dichlor tub now, my skin feels as though I just got out of my regular shower and I have no smell.  I actually don't mind NOT showering now after using the hottub and just going to bed as is.  When I was using Bromine, I HAD to shower after getting out of the hottub, I didn't like the smell left on my skin.
 
So far, THUMBS UP for Dichlor in my opinion.  Now I still have yet to shock the tub with MPS, that comes this weekend for my weekly shocking.  But so far I have just been putting in about 2 teaspoons of Dichlor after each soak.

[txwillie]

I don't want to speak too soon, but I haven't gotten any rashes yet at all once I ran bleach in the brominated water, drained the tub, wiped down the tub with a diluted bleach solution and then refilled the tub up with fresh water and began using Dichlor... NO MORE BROMINE!!!
I think the Bromine might of been giving me that rash, not sure though because it could of been something else that was in the water, but since I bleached the water first, then drained it, anything that could of been living in the water is definately dead now.
Weird thing is, everytime I go away on vacation to a tropical place (which is usually the only places I vacation), I get this same rash on the insides of my arms, on my wrists and sometimes on my inside upper thighs.  I could never figure out what the heck this was from.  Then I started thinking, you know everytime I go on vacation I am going in a hottub at the resort or cruise ship I am on.  So therefor, maybe it's BROMINE that is in the hottubs causing my rash.  Because the rash was EXACTLY the same rash I got from using my hottub at home when I was running Bromine in it.  Now I switched to Dichlor, been in the tub 3 different times so far and still no rash (knock on wood!).  Plus I like the feeling of my skin better after getting out of the tub with Dichlor.  No more smell, no more different feeling of the skin, etc.  When I get out of my Dichlor tub now, my skin feels as though I just got out of my regular shower and I have no smell.  I actually don't mind NOT showering now after using the hottub and just going to bed as is.  When I was using Bromine, I HAD to shower after getting out of the hottub, I didn't like the smell left on my skin.
 
So far, THUMBS UP for Dichlor in my opinion.  Now I still have yet to shock the tub with MPS, that comes this weekend for my weekly shocking.  But so far I have just been putting in about 2 teaspoons of Dichlor after each soak.

I hope that you have found the solution. I kinda skimmed the earlier posts, and your PH was way high, that might have contributed. Everything you said about bromine, I experienced as well. I never got a rash, but I had itchy skin, plus the stuff just smells nasty....

txwillie

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

I hate to tell ya, it's VERY unlikely resorts or cruise ships use bromine in their hot tubs. It's almost certainly chlorine (though possibly not dichlor).

[Bonibelle]

Why Doc? I am just wondering why they wouldn't use Bromine.

[solo]

Could it be dry skin?

Just being in hot water every day is enough to give some people try skin.  Have you tried lotioning the area?