Job Discussion Forums

Rooster_2006 · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 984

You guys, I really need your help on something.

Today, I had roughly 20-minutes-each spells of extreme itching on my upper body. For about 20 minutes each time, it was like whack-a-mole with itching -- I just scratched and scratched. Then, the third time, I had this HORRIBLE experience.

I was on the subway in Kaohsiung when it REALLY hit. I STARTED ITCHING LIKE CRAZY. I kept on scratching and scratching but 10, 20, 30 minutes passed and it just got worse and worse. It got so bad, I got off the subway early, ran into a Watsons, and bought some aloe cream, thinking it was because of my sunburn.

The itching (please don't laugh, you don't understand unless it's happened to you) was HELL. I couldn't think about anything but scratching. I couldn't even put on my T-shirt, it was so bad. I couldn't even pick up a water bottle before the next barrage of extreme itching occured over all my upper body.

Long story short, after spending what seemed like a lifetime in the bathroom of the Watsons swearing my brains out and rubbing an entire tube's worth of aloe on my body, I was so desperate, I yelled for someone to call an ambulance! It was that bad!

I couldn't even put my shirt on because the itching was so bad. Imagine a loudly swearing American customer at a Watsons crazily scratching himself. People must have thought I was insane.

I went to the doctor's and the doctor gave me several pills and injected me with two shots of antihistamines in my butt. Within a couple of minutes, the itching was at least bearable, and now I am able to type this whole thing without scratching myself that much.

I'm really worried because I have no idea what caused the itching. I've had all my allergy tests, or so I thought. The doctor asked if I'd had seaweed. Well, in fact, I did have some last night, but I lived in Korea for five years and ate seaweed on a daily basis there any never had any problems.

The doctor said maybe it was something in the ocean where I'd been swimming. Trouble is, almost 24 hours had passed since I'd swum, and probably eight since I'd even waded.

I'm really worried that there's some kind of poinsonous insect here in Taiwan that bit me. Today was seriously awful. I never want this to happen again. I'd actually considering leaving Taiwan if I have to worry about this happening again. It was AWFUL.

Does anyone have any ideas what caused my allergic reaction/itching/whatever?

All I had today in the way of food/drink was a 7-Eleven Coke Slurpee. Yesterday I had some Tsingtao beer and a kimbap.

I'm really worried, can anybody tell me what this is and how to avoid it?

Pow3hatan · Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 232 Location: INDONESIA

It might be dust mites which I found out the hard way are a menace in Taiwan but only seriously to some of us.
To make a long story short, I had been living in Taiwan for many years with no such skin problems until I moved to Xin Beitou. Within a month I had worsening itching all over my body, especially upper, and for several months I visited the nearby clinic and 2 hospitals for treatment and diagnosis before finally getting tested for allergens and finding out I had a very high dust mite count in my system.
The only solution was to move out of the place in Xin Beitou and within a month of changing locale I had a dramatic recovery and was back to normal within 2 months.
You should consider getting a test for allergens, including for dust mites, and maybe find a new location.

Rooster_2006 · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 984

BigWally · Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:48 pm Post subject:

Ewwwww.....surfing on Cijin?????

That is right in the shipping lanes for the port man....are you looking to get bacteria in/on your body???

God only knows what other stuff lurks in the water there. I once saw the carcass of a dead pig floating in the water there. Embarassed

Rooster_2006 · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 984

BigWally · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:14 pm Post subject:

its cause of the shipping ports, i mean kaohsiung is in the top 5 for busiest ports in the world so its a safe bet that there is tons of stuff falling into the water off ships and such....not to mention the PRC stuff floating the 50-100km across the channel

ESL Hobo · Joined: 23 Oct 2008 Posts: 262

My brother in law got an infection from sea water that came off a tanker and almost lost his leg, spent several weeks in the hospital because of polluted water from the ocean.
From what I understand most people here do their surfing in Kending.
You might try Tealit.com for advice on where the cleanest surf is, we wouldn't want you to get really ill.
Take care,
the hobo

Mojoski · Joined: 03 May 2009 Posts: 170