questions about types of tub rashes..

[Catfish]

Ok here goes. We got our beautiful Artesian spa about a year ago. We LOVE it. In fact, I love it so much I can't stay out of it even when I have this RASH. Here's the story. About 3 months after we got the tub we went out of town for 3 weeks. A friend stayed at our house and though he meant well, he didn't really understand the chemical thing. So, when we got home he said your tub should be great I jsut added bromine...That night when we went out there the tub smelled really strongly of chemicals and we shouldn't have gone in but we did. About 2 days later I got this itchy, burny rash on my forearms. I started putting hydrocortisone cream on it which I found out later wasn't the thing to do. It didn't get better. Even thought it was December, we then drained and cleaned the tub and switched to chlorine. The rash didn't go away. I did try to stay out of the tub for a couple weeks and it did mostly go away. I went back in and got the rash again. We found out that we were using too much chlorine and adding it too close to the time we went in.

Meanwhile, I am the only one who has ever gotten a rash from our tub. In the year we've had it probably 2 dozen different friends and neighbors have been in all w/out a problem. Just me.

The doctor said he didn't think it was folliculitis and that it was some kind of reaction. That's when we switched to chlorine.

 Our tub has been  perfectly balanced and sparkling for about 4-5 months and the rash was gone. now that the weather is cooling off a bit it seems to be coming back!

questions are: could it still be folliculitis even if no one else got it? Since the first occurrence we have drained, flushed cleaned our tub 3 times and chemicals seem good could there still be bacteria of some kind? What other types of rashes occur from tubs and what are the causes?  Would it be obvious if our tub was unsanitary? By smell etc?
If the chemicals seem balanced could it STILL have bacteria and we wouldn't know it?

Sorry but I'm kind of freaking out and I tried to get another appt w/a derm and all are booked till dec.

Thanks in advance (and sorry soo long)

[PotomacG]

Check this out http://www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming/derm.htm

It sounds like what you're descrbing, and poor sanitation is the cause.  I would keep a close eye on your free chlorine levels.  If they are good, then it's probably not hot tub rash.  I would then suspect a reaction to one or more of the chemicals you are using.

Best of luck finding the cause.

[Catfish]

Thanks for the response.

The thing is I have read this link and many other like it. My question is how could it be poor sanitation if levels have been perfect for months? Alsoif it was psuedomonas, wouldn't someone besides me have gotten the rash? I do have fair sensitive skin but not extremely so. My other question is are there other types of rashes people on this forum have gotten attributed to the tub in some way? and if so, what did you do about it? Oh and they other thing is they say that folliculitis occurs usually uon areas covered by swimsuit. Mine is on calves and forearms.

[PotomacG]

As I'm sure you are aware, chlorine is an oxidizer as well as a sanitizer.  As such, you want your chlorine levels at their lowest point just prior to bathing.  Are you adding dichlor right after bathing so that your free chlorine level drops before your next soak?

You might want to post your sanitizing routine in more detail.  Someone on this forum might have an answer for you if you can provide more detailed information.  

There are people who develop reactions to both chlorine and bromine.  If that is the case, you may want to consider biguanide.  I know most people who post here don't like it, but it is an alternative you may want to consider.

[Catfish]

up until recently we had been adding about 2 tbls everyday with not very much rhyme or reason other than noticing an unbalanced reading on a strip (then adding chems to get it to read ok) lately though I have begun adding only about a teaspoon of dichlor either right after or way before (like in the morning when we are going to tub @ 10pm.) the water has been great. And I heardly ever have to adjust ph or alkalinity since beginning this routine.

At this point the rash has recurred in one little 2" area on my calf. It's not little red dots like pictures of folliculitis that I've seen. but a couple 1-2" spots on one calf. This is one of the same spots where the rash (or whatever it is) started way last december. It's almost like a burn. It reminds me of a hot oil burn I got once when it got splashed on me while cooking. (sorry if this is TMI)

Is it clear that it's not pseudomonas since I'm the only one that's ever had a reaction or does it happen that way sometimes?

Anyway thanks again..

[gores95]

I am not the rash expert but you mentioned the rash looking similar to a burn you received while cooking.  Is it at all possible your skin is just ultra sensitive to hot water?  I know this is probably over simplifying but what temp do you bathe in?  Maybe having the water a couple of degrees cooler would help.  I had a friend who after lowering the temp on his spa it helped his skin immensely.

Worth a shot!!!

[Catfish]

Thanks.

I think I am very sensitive to the water temp, to me there is a big difference between 102 and 103 for example. This time of year we keep the temp around 102. I don't think it actually is a burn I was just trying to describe it. At least I don't think it's a burn from heat but maybe from chems?

I also went back and read the vermonter technique for sanitizing and saw that the PH should be around 7.2. I think ours is a little higher than that. I also was wondering is it crucial to dose after you tub as in right after and not just make sure that you don't go in too soon after dosing? sometimes I wait til morning after tubbing to put chems in.

I also read something else on this forum that seemed interesting. Someone thought that the jets could sometimes cause a reaction by
sort of wearing away the skin..

I'm going to try to be religous about keeping the ph around 7.2 and evrything else and see what happens.

[In Canada eh]

up until recently we had been adding about 2 tbls everyday with not very much rhyme or reason other than noticing an unbalanced reading on a strip (then adding chems to get it to read ok)

WOW!!!

     That's a lot of chlorine and it could be a hypersensitive spot on your skin that has broken out.   It could take a while for that rash to settle down.   Have you seen a dermatologist?


     In the meantime try this for your sanitizing system,  

                                 1   1 teaspoon per bather added after you soak
                                 2   shock with MPS once a week on a schedule
                                 3   adjust PH and Alkalinity accordingly
                                 4   test for CYA and hardness once a month

This is pretty much the system that most on this site use,  you can adjust to suite your own needs.   By adding dichlor after each soak to a level of about 3 to 5 ppm(after 20 minutes), the next time you use the tub the chlorine level is almost at zero.    During periods of low use you can add a teaspoon once every couple of days to keep the tub sanitized

                                                Good luck and I hope the rash clears up

[Vinny]

up until recently we had been adding about 2 tbls everyday with not very much rhyme or reason other than noticing an unbalanced reading on a strip (then adding chems to get it to read ok)

WOW!!!

     That's a lot of chlorine and it could be a hypersensitive spot on your skin that has broken out.   It could take a while for that rash to settle down.   Have you seen a dermatologist?


     In the meantime try this for your sanitizing system,  

                                 1   1 teaspoon per bather added after you soak
                                 2   shock with MPS once a week on a schedule
                                 3   adjust PH and Alkalinity accordingly
                                 4   test for CYA and hardness once a month

This is pretty much the system that most on this site use,  you can adjust to suite your own needs.   By adding dichlor after each soak to a level of about 3 to 5 ppm(after 20 minutes), the next time you use the tub the chlorine level is almost at zero.    During periods of low use you can add a teaspoon once every couple of days to keep the tub sanitized

                                                Good luck and I hope the rash clears up

I second that!

2 Tablespoons is about 10 PPM and if you soak every night and the chlorine hasn't disipated (my tub takes 3 days if not used to get to 1 PPM from 10) you're now adding to the chlorine level. By the end of the week you may be soaking in 6 or more PPM.

[Catfish]

I know..it's only recently that I've grasped the concept that the test strip doesn't have to be in the  "ok range" for sanitizer before you get in it.

It's just that I was so freaked about the possibility of their being bacteria somehow in the tub that I thought more was better.. wrong.
I know this sounds idiotic. I'm pretty sure I was WAY overcomplicating the chems and testing and everything because of the rash, which never allowed us to get in a regular sanitizing routine..we were always troubleshooting instead of just maintaining.

[In Canada eh]

I know this sounds idiotic. I'm pretty sure I was WAY overcomplicating the chems and testing and everything because of the rash, which never allowed us to get in a regular sanitizing routine..we were always troubleshooting instead of just maintaining.

Catfish

           Don't worry it gets easier as time goes on, stick to the Vermonters Method and things will be OK

[Vinny]

I know..it's only recently that I've grasped the concept that the test strip doesn't have to be in the  "ok range" for sanitizer before you get in it.

It's just that I was so freaked about the possibility of their being bacteria somehow in the tub that I thought more was better.. wrong.
I know this sounds idiotic. I'm pretty sure I was WAY overcomplicating the chems and testing and everything because of the rash, which never allowed us to get in a regular sanitizing routine..we were always troubleshooting instead of just maintaining.

If it makes you feel any better ... I was so worried about cooties in my water that when I got the tub I dumped a cup of dichlor and left it in 24 hours and ran the pumps for over an hour to make sure I killed anything that might be living in the tub's pipes.

As In_Canada_eh said, it does get easier and it sometimes is a learning experience even if you have experience. My tub developed a chlorine lock once and I don't know why.

[SPABEAR]

I too have developed rashes in the last few months. I also have the golf ball size area on my calves that drive me nuts, as well as rashes on my arms, back, and stomach. I stayed out of my spa for two weeks and then tried 30 minutes in. It just made them worse. It now has been about five weeks with no spa other than the 30 minute test. I have seen a doctor and was given a cream to use for 7 days. Also told to stay out of spa till it clears up . I am not convinced that the spa has caused this althogh it was worse when I was using the spa. I have had my spa for over a year now and will not give it up. I will continue to read all the postings and as soon as I can get this rash under control, I will start my spa with fresh water and pay close atention to the chemastry. By the way, I have a D1 @ Home with added ozone and circ. pump.

[Catfish]

hmm, that's odd about the spot on your calf..I have that too. Did your doctor have any idea as to what about the spa may be causing your rash? What sort of cream did he give you? antibiotic or?

Have you had imbalances w/spa chemicals in the past few months? Do you think it's a sanitary issue? I'm pretty convinced that mine has to do w/a reaction to sanitizers at this point. When I see the amount of chlorine we're adding now compared to what we did before, it must have something to do w/it. Anyway, I don't think it would be possible for
"cooties" to survive w/all the chlorine we were adding...