Thread: Allergic to fish slime?

I AM ALLERGIC TO FISH SLIME!!!!!

I developed the allergy after about 10 years of active fishing.

SYMPTOMS:

The day after fishing my hand will feel "warm" and become sensitive. A few days later my skin starts to peel-off. If I continue to fish then it gets worse and spreads. If I don't fish then it goes away. I get it from fresh or saltwater fish. It got so bad that I basically quit fishing. I only fish 2-3 times per year now.

I would love to find a cure for it. The biopsy came back as "inconclusive inflammatory reaction."

Could you wear laxtex gloves, then you wouldn't have the put on take off thing.
Take some Purell clean you hands and glove up.
Or you just not catch as many fish, leaving some for me. :-)

Originally Posted by ScooperDude

Could you wear laxtex gloves, then you wouldn't have the put on take off thing.
Take some Purell clean you hands and glove up.
Or you just not catch as many fish, leaving some for me. :-)

I tried everything. . . gloves always get holes in them.

At first, I ignored the problem and it got really bad. My skin kept peeling off again and again until it got very thin and started to crack.

I used to fish at least once a week because I loved it so much - I basically quit fishing because of this problem.

Originally Posted by CreekFidher

I tried everything. . . gloves always get holes in them.

At first, I ignored the problem and it got really bad. My skin kept peeling off again and again until it got very thin and started to crack.

I used to fish at least once a week because I loved it so much - I basically quit fishing because of this problem.

have you tried using a towel that way you don't have to touch the fish?my wife is filipino and she loves to fish but will not touch one unless she uses a towel.so i always take the fish off for her that way we don't have to take the bathroom closet when we fish.:D

Creekfidher, Did you try nitrile gloves like the mechanics use. Every type glove will stand up to different chemicals

I dont have any answers for ya...just wanted to say how I hate it for you. It'd KILL me to have to give up hunting and fishing.

I caught some bait for a guy last week.He told me he had an allergic reaction to the slime on gizzard shad.He didnt mention any other fish,just the gizzard shad.I will check and see what his symptoms are and what he does for them.Ill post when I find out.

I feel your pain. I use to have the same thing happen to me. For years I was fine, then all of a sudden I started getting the 'condition' every summer. It took me a while to realize what was causing it, cause honestly how could fishing be bad for you. I posted this same thing a few years ago. I few people commented that they get it too, but there was no real solution. All the searching I did came to the same conclusion that it was just a random contact reaction to the slim. For me summer always seems worse than cool weather for having the reaction. I don't seem to catch as much anymore, so that has helped a lot. Other than that I make sure to wash my hands off real well in that lake after each fish I touch to make sure I get all the slim off. No soap, just a good rub down. I also wear latex golves for fish cleaning since that is when I get the most contact. If you find a cure please post it, but a glove is probably your best bet.

First I've heard about fish slime, but have heard about hunters being allergic to deer hair.

Good quality gloves seems the best idea to me.