Blood worm poll and allergies

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,
Just curious of something here...... so I thought I would run a poll.... Curious as to who is using Frozen Blood worms verses freeze dried Bloodworms and who doesn't use any at all.

Thought it would be good to see some more allergy data as well... This poll only pertains to BLOOD WORMS.... Blood worms are the larvae of a chironomid Midge/fly and are not true worms ...There have also been many papers done studying the allergic reaction people have reported to Blood worms...The agent in these Blood worms that causes the response is a hemoglobin related pigment,

Reference articles...
http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_6686389_...allergies.html


Please read the poll carefully before selecting an option...you can only pick one.

Thanks..

-al

[Scribbles]

Interesting article Al. I only feed Hikari frozen bloodworms and use a rubber glove or plastic bag to handle them because of allergies. I don't use freeze dried foods with discus due to the chance of bloat.

Chris

Chris

[William Palumbo]

Highly allergic to the frozen BW's, no matter what brand. I wear gloves when I use them. I have no reaction to live Bloodworms, and the only reaction with the FDBW's, was I ground some up in a coffee grinder for some fry, and when I removed the top, the dust constricted my airway, where I could barely breathe. Was scary!...But they do nothing when I handle them without gloves...Bill

[Jennie]

Hmm, weird. I have to try it now? I've been using frz bloodworms and seem to be fine? what in the bloodworms causes rashes.

[Jennie]

Ok this interesting. about the nose stuffiness etc.. for 6 weeks I have been feeding frozen bloodworms to discus and have a sinus infection from hell. Never in life had one before. On 800 mg of ammox and still not better. Hmmm would frozen bw do this?

[DiscusKev]

Not sure if my eyes are playing tricks at me as I can't find a suitable one for me.

Feed Frozen Bloodworm and no allergy.

Which selection does that fall in Al?

[Jennie]

We feed only Frozen Blood worms

Not sure if my eyes are playing tricks at me as I can't find a suitable one for me.

Feed Frozen Bloodworm and no allergy.

Which selection does that fall in Al?

[brewmaster15]

Not sure if my eyes are playing tricks at me as I can't find a suitable one for me.

Feed Frozen Bloodworm and no allergy.

Which selection does that fall in Al?

Second one from the top.

-al

[brewmaster15]

Something I should point out here as a caution.... Most of the Hobbyists I have known with Bloodworm allergies started out without any sign of a problem....It developed with usage...

I'd been using these for a while and never had a problem but then I found out the hard way that things had changed.....My hands started getting itchy when I handled the frozen ones.....but I didn't associate the itchy hands with the blood worms at first.

One day a good hour after I fed the fish I rubbed my eye and bam,,,,The burning and itchy was unbearable...I literally swelled up, so bad I couldn't see out of that eye... I took some benedryl and in a day or so I was okay....still hadn't put the pieces together.........but I had a hunch and tried an experiment...repeated what I did the day before and again itchy swollen eyes.

I posted on the forum and was surprised at how many others were in a similar boat....this was maybe 8 years ago....since then I had to wear gloves when I fed it as I found out that the allergin is not something that is easily washed off hands... matter of fact.. I was getting huge welts on my arms when I cleaned my tank if my arm rubbed up against the top rail of the tank and if I had gotten any blood worms on that when I dropped in frozen ones days before.

Hope that helps someone else.

-al

[Tito]

I'm allergic. Found out some years ago. Now if I walk into a pet shop and they just fed bloodworms I will start itching all over. My children began itching too.

I dont mess with the STUFF!

There are other foods.

Oh, and I only see two votes. Could have sworn I already read more than two person's allergic. Please vote.

[DiscusOnly]

Something I should point out here as a caution.... Most of the Hobbyists I have known with Bloodworm allergies started out without any sign of a problem....It developed with usage...

I'd been using these for a while and never had a problem but then I found out the hard way that things had changed.....My hands started getting itchy when I handled the frozen ones.....but I didn't associate the itchy hands with the blood worms at first.

One day a good hour after I fed the fish I rubbed my eye and bam,,,,The burning and itchy was unbearable...I literally swelled up, so bad I couldn't see out of that eye... I took some benedryl and in a day or so I was okay....still hadn't put the pieces together.........but I had a hunch and tried an experiment...repeated what I did the day before and again itchy swollen eyes.

I posted on the forum and was surprised at how many others were in a similar boat....this was maybe 8 years ago....since then I had to wear gloves when I fed it as I found out that the allergin is not something that is easily washed off hands... matter of fact.. I was getting huge welts on my arms when I cleaned my tank if my arm rubbed up against the top rail of the tank and if I had gotten any blood worms on that when I dropped in frozen ones days before.

Hope that helps someone else.

-al

That's a very important point. I tell people that I am allergic to it and they said "I used it and no problem at all". That was a case for me in the beginning but I think my allergic reaction stem from excessive exposure. I hand fed my discus with FBW on a daily basis and that's what started. I developed the same symptons as what's Al described when cleaning tanks not too long after a feeding of FBW.

What's worse is that it developed into an allergy in Hikari freeze dried BW. This is even worse since the powder from this product could get onto differenct surfaces. It got onto my laptop keyboard and did I get a big surprise during a meeting with a client.

I still use FBW ocassionly but only handle with gloves. I will not touch freeze dried Hikari blood worm and don't even want it in my house.

I went to see my doctor while all this was happening and learn that Alevert works best for me and I make it a point to have some around. I take it as a precaution after handling slab of FBW (when I break them up to put it in container).

BTW.. My doctor said my reaction is mild (itchy and welts all over my body and sometimes swollen lips or eyes) but it's something I need to keep in the back of my eyes. I now lock my fish room door so that I don't have to be concern when my kids have play dates.

Van

[mmorris]

Do those of you with bloodworm allergies have allergies to other things as well?

[Jennie]

codeine is it for me

Do those of you with bloodworm allergies have allergies to other things as well?

[mmorris]

It might be interesting to run a poll:
I have allergic reactions to bloodworms but nothing else.
I have allergic reactions to bloodworms and to other things as well.
I have no allergic reactions to bloodworms but I have allergic reactions to other things.
I have no allergies.

[William Palumbo]

I have always been allergic to them since the first times I used them, which was over 20 years ago. Like Al, I could not put 2 and 2 together, as to why I was itching, swollen eyes and lips, wherever I touched or scratched broke out into welts. My buddy just started to have allergic reactions...he never did for many years. Since then, I have quit using them, and gone back to them... back and forth over the years. I just started using them again recently. I probably should quit all together. I too have gotten welts from rubbing my arm on the rim of a tank that was in contact with FBW's...As far as I know, I have no other allergies. When younger I was allergic to cats bad, but as I got older it subsided...Bill