Have you shares in Compeed?

[everyday.journeys]

Are other Pilgrims finding the same thing?

We knew that we were going to get blisters, it comes with the journey! However, did anyone else expect to be purchasing so many Compeed packs? We have tallied at around €80 so far and we are only on Day 18!

If anyone has any tips on how to see the price down on this purchases, please do let us know

We are sharing our journey as a family on YouTube (which includes the occasional (or two or three or four) Compeed purchase: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_FWJOFBQs53u-846958UNQ

 

[J Willhaus]

Are you wearing them until they come off on their own? That is what the material is designed for. They provide a cover for the bilster and containment for the fluid. If course they mess up your socks so add that to the cost. We also use large patches of it for bed sores.

 

[dougfitz]

Buy a conforming tape like Fixomul to put over the compead to stop it sticking to socks. Have a generous overlap, trim off the corners and don't remove the dressing, let it come off by itself.

If you have time, visit www.blisterprevention.com.au and read up on a full range of blister prevention and treatment techniques.

 

[trecile]

We knew that we were going to get blisters, it comes with the journey!

I'm sorry that you have blisters, but they definitely aren't inevitable.

 

[Bradypus]

I've tried Compeed in the past and decided that it caused more trouble than it was worth. In my experience it keeps the blister or raw patch painfully tender and soft and likely to expand. I've found that a drained blister dries and ceases to be painful quite fast. And is far less likely to grow larger with more walking. Treatment of blisters is always a controversial topic and I know that many people disapprove of draining them. Has worked for me over thousands of km of walking though.

 

[grayland]

I quit using Compeed many caminos ago. It was never the best solution and often made the situation much worse.

I now use simple duct tape. It does the same job as Compeed in preventing blisters. The trick is to use it early and put it on before a blister develops. Generous application is best...taking care that edges are down to prevent sore spot.

The tape transfers the friction to the surface of the smooth tape instead of your skin. It has worked for me and... many others for years.

I normally wrap a about three feet around each pole rather than carry a roll of duct tape. It also helps to identity my poles. Use a good quality brand name tape as the cheap stuff has poor adhesive.

 

[Katherine Radeka]

Paper (aka Micropore) tape to prevent blisters /treat hot spots — easier on my skin than duct tape. About a Euro a roll at a farmacia.

For the one blister I got anyway I did the same but with a bit of gauze over the blister so that I didn’t pull the roof off with the tape. Not painful after Day Two and fluid reabsorbed by Day 5.

 

[Kathor1]

Hi @everyday.journeys. I did watch your video "Blisters are starting to appear on walk from Roncesvalles to Zubiri".

So not only what appears to be a massive blister on the side of your right big toe but also blisters on each of the two little toes? A known area with issues? A bit pointy and squashed, you said? Welcome to the club. There's a name for it: "triangle toes". I went from never-a-blister person to having to deal with this issue as I and my feet grew older and their mechanics changed.

I carry Micropore tape, another wider kind of tape, Compeeds of different shapes and sizes, and New Zealand Hiker's Wool. A large wad of Hiker's Wool will keep the little toes separate from their neighbours and will also help to reduce their downward pressure. An orthopedic specialist showed me a way to tape them to keep them separate by about 1 cm from their neighbours but that alone does not help and I also lack the talent to tape them properly in this way so that this lasts. Changing shoes from time to time for a while during the day's walk (no matter how well they fit) also helps because it changes the downward pressure points for my feet/little toes. Crocs are actually quite good if the terrain allows it; good and well fitted hiking sandals are another option. Good luck and Buen Camino!

PS: Unfortunately, Hiker's Wool, especially the NZ type of Hiker's Wool, is not easy to get in Europe. I personally would never use completely untreated wool (i.e. plucked from the fences ...).

 

[Former member 22438]

Our experience. Buy nylon pantysocks Put some vaseline or such greasy stuff on your feet.
put on the nylon socks and over these panty socks thin walking socks

we walked from Lisbon to Santiago without any blister at all.
but this is our experience

bom caminho

 

[Kathor1]

visit www.blisterprevention.com.au and read up on a full range of blister prevention and treatment techniques.

This is an excellent website. Look for the section about "toe blisters" and then there especially for "pinch blisters". The issue is not only friction but also the weight bearing forces.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

You probably are using Compeed more than you should or need to. Compeed is a brand name for a hydrocolloid gel bandage. These are intended for open wounds and should be left on until they start coming off by their own (as mentioned above). They will work as padding over hot spots but there are cheaper pads and ways to prevent getting the hot spots in the first place (again as mentioned above).

You should not use Compeed on a torn blister, one that has a flap of skin still present. This can make things worse. What often happens is the sticky edges come loose from your skin and end up sticking to your sock. When you remove your sock that can then peel away the bandage taking the loose skin with it. Use the forum search engine to look for Compeed posts by @davebugg to find the proper way to bandage a blister with a torn roof.

I hoping this may make you heel faster (and save some money).


An abstract on hydrocolloid bandages published on the US National Institute for Health says:

Abstract​

1. Hydrocolloid dressings have two layers. The inner, hydrocolloid adhesive layer has particles that absorb exudate to form a hydrated gel over the wound, creating a moist environment that promotes healing and protects new tissue. The outer layer (film, foam, or both) forms a seal to protect the wound from bacterial contamination, foreign debris, urine, and feces; it also maintains a moist environment and helps prevent shearing.
2. Hydrocolloid dressings are designed to be worn for up to a week. Infrequent dressing changes are less disruptive to the wound bed, provided that healthy skin is not compromised. Many patients--and even some medical professionals--still incorrectly believe that wounds need to be exposed to the air to heal properly.
3. Hydrocolloids are not always the dressing of choice in wounds that have limited drainage or in wounds with copious amounts of drainage. The hydrocolloid dressing is designed to manage drainage; if drainage is minimal, another approach may be more economical and comfortable for the patient.

 

[Purple Backpack]

I'm a Compeed fan and frequent user. Also used to work in a Burn Unit so used to wound care. Once the blister bubble has formed (yep, I know, easier to prevent them!), I use a Compeed and cover it with a regular bandaid, ideally waterproof. I try to keep it dry in the shower but if it gets really wet and boggy, off it comes and a new one goes on. I find that keeping them dry and covering them with a regular band aid helps the Compeed budget!

 

[Mrs. Bloem]

Our experience. Buy nylon pantysocks Put some vaseline or such greasy stuff on your feet.
put on the nylon socks and over these panty socks thin walking socks

we walked from Lisbon to Santiago without any blister at all.
but this is our experience

bom caminho

Usually I have a lot of blisters. Butfor my comino I used these pantysocks and walked from Léon to SdC without blisters.
They are cheap, have no weight and are very thin.
Bom comino

 

[Former member 49149]

Compeed? On my last training walk prior to my first camino, I was obliged to buy something, anything, because of a terrible blister on a very hot day. I never used another one of those things. I know they are supported by those who know how and when to use them. In the end, let me say, my method is to have my walking companion deal with my feet. Details not needed, just suffice it to say our method is not approved of, but my walking companion is a doctor.
And I paid a sum of money for some wool from NZ - thank you, New Zealand! Enough to use for some time, as well as to share...

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I have had good luck with Compeed for treating hotspots on my five Caminos, but never needed to purchase any additional packages. I have also used duct tape on occasion successfully. Like @grayland, I wrap a length of it around a hiking pole as it has multiple uses.

 

[Marbe2]

Not a Compeed fan!

 

[David Tallan]

Are other Pilgrims finding the same thing?

We knew that we were going to get blisters, it comes with the journey! However, did anyone else expect to be purchasing so many Compeed packs? We have tallied at around €80 so far and we are only on Day 18!

If anyone has any tips on how to see the price down on this purchases, please do let us know

We are sharing our journey as a family on YouTube (which includes the occasional (or two or three or four) Compeed purchase: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_FWJOFBQs53u-846958UNQ

View attachment 126938View attachment 126938

Do what works well for you.

That said, when I took my son to the podiatry clinic in Astorga with terrible blisters, they were pretty vehement in their disapproval of Compeed and didn't use it.

One thing I found interesting from that experience was that for the bad blisters, the podiatry clinic didn't put cushioning on the blister but rather around the blister. Putting cushioning on the blisters just adds to the pressure, they said, while putting the cushioning around it relieves it.

 

[Purple Backpack]

Do what works well for you.

That said, when I took my son to the podiatry clinic in Astorga with terrible blisters, they were pretty vehement in their disapproval of Compeed and didn't use it.

One thing I found interesting from that experience was that for the bad blisters, the podiatry clinic didn't put cushioning on the blister but rather around the blister. Putting cushioning on the blisters just adds to the pressure, they said, while putting the cushioning around it relieves it.

The doughnut hole approach never worked well for me...kind of old school technique to cut a doughnut out of moleskin and pop it around a blister or wound. I never put compeed on an open wound, only closed blisters. To each his own...