I'm allergic to Vegas!

January 9, 2008 7:59 AM

What in Vegas am I allergic to? Both times I've been to the Vegas Strip, around the 3rd day in I get a rash on my legs. I've never had this rash before, and I'm perplexed.

The first time I was in Vegas (last May), I ended up with a rash on both my legs. It started at my sock line, continued up about halfway to my knee, consisted of little red dots and generally looked rash-like, and is rather itchy. When I scratch however, it burns. Once I got home, it cleared up its own in about a week or two. I'd never had this rash before, and never had it again, until...

I just came back from Vegas on Monday, having been there since Friday. Different hotel - the first time I stayed at the Stratosphere, this time I was at TI. On Sunday, the same rash appeared. Identical symptoms. Because it starts so abruptly on my sock line, I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to something - but I have no idea what. No other parts of my body are affected. I'd guess perhaps I walked through something that brushed against my pant cuffs, which caused the rash when they had contact with my skin. But what? Is there some sort of allergen force field hovering 4 inches from the ground along the strip?

I know you're not my doctor. I know that the hive mind can't ever really know what is causing my legs to break out like this, but lets pretend, k? I'm just looking for ideas on what it might be, more for curiosity's sake. What on earth could be causing this ever-so-specific rash to occur while in Vegas?

posted by cgg to health & fitness (12 comments total)

What was the heat index like in Vegas, and do you normally live in a cooler climate? Because this kind of rash is common when walking on extremely hot pavement. Not sure what it's called, but it happens in Florida to tourists a lot. I'll try to find more about it.
posted by misha at 8:04 AM on January 9, 2008

I found this. ..weird. They mention the same two hotels. Did your clothes have any kind of residue on them?

One weird thing that happened to us. After walkinf from TI-to the Stratosphere we both came back with a terrible rash on the front of our legs and our pants had a weird white residue inside them. I'm not sure if we had a reaction to the lobster bisque or maybe the carpets were cleaned with a cleaner we were allergic to but I still have th rash today. It's getting better, but we still haven't found out where it came from.
posted by iconomy at 8:07 AM on January 9, 2008

Not sure how much this helps but, I was also in LV during this time period. (Thurs-Sun). The weather was cool (upper 30's, windy, and light rain Friday & Saturday).
We stayed at The Mirage, but ventured over to TI on Friday for a bit. No rashes or outbreaks to speak of. This was our 1st visit ever so I really don't have a baseline to compare to.
posted by GurnB at 8:22 AM on January 9, 2008

ccg, you're used to cool, humid weather. Vegas is hot and very, very dry. Lots of people have health issues related to the dry air, including rashes, bloody noses, cracked lips, painful dry eyes, sore throats, and empty wallets.
posted by TheNewWazoo at 8:26 AM on January 9, 2008 [1 favorite]

Nthing TheNewWazoo. I'm not in Vegas, but every winter when the humidity drops, I get dry itchy rashes on my lower legs.
posted by jrishel at 9:08 AM on January 9, 2008

Could it be prickly heat?
posted by cior at 9:10 AM on January 9, 2008

Vegas-dwellers, and people who go there often, almost never leave the house without two things:

1 - a bottle of water.

2 - a liberal application of a very strong body lotion.

Even when it's cold and occasionally rainy, Las Vegas is still the desert, which sucks your body's moisture out through your pores. Next time you go, coat yourself in Curel or Intensive Care Lotion before you go out. It'll make a big difference.

(Your cotton socks don't wick away moisture, so once they've gotten a bit of perspired water vapor in them, they form something of a light barrier, and help to keep your feet and ankles moisturized)
posted by toxic at 9:24 AM on January 9, 2008

It amazes me that you found that, Iconomy!

The sentences just before the one you start your quote with provides the clue upon which I'm going to base my guess:

Our feet didn't get sore at all. Static cling was a problem for mom with her polyester pants.

With the dry desert air made more dry by air conditioning, and the thick synthetic carpeting casinos must have to use for the sake of its comfort and durability, there must be a terrible problem with static electricity. Imagine the average customer walking eagerly into the casino, heading over to the slots with high anticipation-- and getting a quite painful shock when he touches one. No way casinos are going to let that happen if they can help it.

So I'm betting the rashes are caused by some compound these two hotels spray on their carpets to prevent the build-up of static charge on their customers, and that as ccg waked through them a residue of the compound was kicked up by his shoes and deposited itself on directly on his legs underneath his pants where they were not protected by his socks.
posted by jamjam at 9:46 AM on January 9, 2008

Have you considered that they might be bug bites? I don't know about Vegas, but I've had symptoms very similar to what you describe that were caused by no-see-ums in the Arizona desert. I got small red welts around my ankles, and the bugs were so tiny I didn't notice them at all when they were biting me.
posted by TungstenChef at 9:51 AM on January 9, 2008

It sounds like exactly what I get, and is a cross between a heat rash and a sunburn. It is caused by the heat of the pavement reflecting up on your legs. I get this rash whenever I go to theme parks with my kids and walk around on the pavement all day. At first I thought it was an allergic rash, but Benadryl cream did not work at all, and an aloe gel makes it feel much better. Plus one amusement park I was at, I stopped at the first aid booth and asked what the heck was going on, and the nurse said that she sees this rash all the time, and it was reflected pavement heat. Sure enough, once I started paying attention, I started noticing the same rashy thing on quite a few people. When you get home in the evening, put your feet up and put ice packs on your legs. And aloe also helps cool it off during the day.
posted by molasses at 10:34 AM on January 9, 2008 [1 favorite]

Something similar happened to me both times I went to Orlando last year. Two different hotels, same rash. The difference is the rash was on my hand. My aunt got it too.
posted by cmgonzalez at 1:26 PM on January 9, 2008

My wife got a similar rash when we spent last Christmas in Orange County - I definitely think that the dryness had something to do with this, and also having our ashy skin exposed to the sun and elements (because we are midwesterners used to MUCH colder late December weather).
posted by sluggo at 7:50 PM on January 10, 2008