Thread: Allergic to fish slime?

I wanted to know if anybody else has ever heard of someone being allergic to fish slim.I am, and it really bothers me that none of the doctors can help.I have benn fishing all of my life,and when I catch a fish, I have to put on a glove to remove the fish.I dont use the glove to put the minnows on but after handling them for a whole day,it starts to have the same effect.First the skin that is touched starts to hurt real bad and then after a couple of days it dies and starts to peel.if you have heard of this please help.

Originally Posted by Timk

I wanted to know if anybody else has ever heard of someone being allergic to fish slim.I am, and it really bothers me that none of the doctors can help.I have benn fishing all of my life,and when I catch a fish, I have to put on a glove to remove the fish.I dont use the glove to put the minnows on but after handling them for a whole day,it starts to have the same effect.First the skin that is touched starts to hurt real bad and then after a couple of days it dies and starts to peel.if you have heard of this please help.

For some strange reason i've noticed it more when I catch green trout more than any other fish.I don't have any pain just itching and redness on my fingers and usually my skin will peel with-in a few days..With me it starts in the spring and it seems to go away later on in the season.I use a hand sanitizer while I fish and it seems to help..If its bad enough to wear gloves I would recommend you go to a dermatologist..I had a friend who use to love to fish and every time he would take a fish off the hook he would break out in what looked like tiny pimples,I thought he was pulling my leg for the longest. let me know if ya find out anything.

I'm no doctor, but with many allergic reactions they worsen each time you are exposed to the cause. I would seek out professional help, like PINETUCK said, see a dermatologist. Us fisherman may lead you in the wrong direction. If it is serious enough for a glove, don't wait. Just my opinion.

It is hard for people to understand what I'm talking about, but you guys seem to understand.It is good to know that I am not alone.My friends think that I am crazy,but they shut up when I show them whats in my livewell,lol.
Thanks for the help. TK

fortuantly im not allergic to anything that i know of. Ive heard of people having allergic reactions to a lot of different stuff. being a fisherman and alergic to fish slime would have to be the pits.

Yes Sir,It is very bothersom.I use to fish bass tournys every weekend and would not use a glove because of the time it took to get it on.And my hands were dry and peeling and sore from Feb. to Aug.I use to have to put electrical tape on my fingers just to get through the day.Anyway,I have learned to live with it and still have fun fishing.

For the dry, peeling, and infection use a triple antibiotic ointment and Neutrogena hand lotion-unscented of course. You can get it at Wally World, just like anything else.

i get a breakout between my ring finger and middle finger and that is what I use to clear it up. It may start with getting some fish slime stuck under my wedding ring. I haven't quite nailed down the cause yet. If I start catching more fish this year, I'll know more. Seems to startup about the same time I start kayaking. i fish out of my yak alot, so I'm not sure if it is the fish or my hands being wet for extended periods from paddling. When the infection first showed up a few years ago there was a show on Discovery about a person who got a flesh eating bacteria from kayaking in stagnant swamp water. I just knew I had a flesh eating bacteria after seeing that show and figured it was only a matter of time before my hand rotted off. 2 years later and my hand is just fine. Nothing but an allergy.

Seems the older I get the more things affect me. Got stung by a wasp a few years ago and I thought I was gonna die, and I've never been allergic to bees before. Luckily fireants don't bother me as they chase me down and bite me every chance they get.

Originally Posted by Bowfin

For the dry, peeling, and infection use a triple antibiotic ointment and Neutrogena hand lotion-unscented of course. You can get it at Wally World, just like anything else.

i get a breakout between my ring finger and middle finger and that is what I use to clear it up. It may start with getting some fish slime stuck under my wedding ring. I haven't quite nailed down the cause yet. If I start catching more fish this year, I'll know more. Seems to startup about the same time I start kayaking. i fish out of my yak alot, so I'm not sure if it is the fish or my hands being wet for extended periods from paddling. When the infection first showed up a few years ago there was a show on Discovery about a person who got a flesh eating bacteria from kayaking in stagnant swamp water. I just knew I had a flesh eating bacteria after seeing that show and figured it was only a matter of time before my hand rotted off. 2 years later and my hand is just fine. Nothing but an allergy.

Seems the older I get the more things affect me. Got stung by a wasp a few years ago and I thought I was gonna die, and I've never been allergic to bees before. Luckily fireants don't bother me as they chase me down and bite me every chance they get.

bee stings have never bothered me other than the hurt and a little swelling. carrying the mail, we always looked foward to a bee sting cause that usually meant a trip to the doc who always reccomended we take the rest of the day off after giving us a shot. and any incident like that always meant more paperwork for the chiefs, which was always a good thing

I must be getting allergic to work....especially on these nice warm days. The more I'm exposed to it, the worse I feel!!!!

not sure if it will help but they make a cream you can put on your hands begfore painting that forms a sheild and will let you just wash off paint when you are done. who knows it could help