Compeed - I love it!

[Anniesantiago]

Ooooh... I read on another thread where the person did not like Compeed.
I totally disagree about Compeed.
I love the stuff!

I find people who have trouble with it are using it incorrectly.

The Compeed must be put ON the hot spot or blister and then LEFT until it falls off on its own.
From the website comes the best advice:

The patch contains hydrocolloid technology which creates an optimum environment for wound healing while instantly reducing pain. Its also waterproof & helps protect the wound from harmful bacteria & dirt. The patch should not be removed too soon, wait until it starts to lift at the edges and then it can gently and easily be peeled off in the bath. Do not deliberately burst the blister but if it does open clean it with mild soapy water, soak it in a salt water footbath for 10 minutes and cover with another protective pad such as COMPEED®.

You should never attempt to remove the patch unless it is loose.

If the patch does start to detach from the skin, it can be removed and replaced with a new one.

To remove the patch, loosen it at the edge.
Use both hands to hold loosened edge of patch.
Stretch the patch sideways, pulling hands apart as it is peeled away.

If you just try to rip it off, yes, you'll take off your skin with it.
But I've had great success with Compeed and wouldn't walk the Camino without it!

 

[Kiwi-family]

Annie, that would be all very well if it stayed ON! I used Compeed and it had worked off my foot within an hour of walking (and yes my foot was totally dry when applied). With the addition of surgical tape, it mostly stayed put and worked well on a large blister that I allowed to develop before treating What has worked even better though, is changing my sandals for a pair that are just minimally looser and now I have no trouble at all!

Agree with you that Compeed works, but I needed to tape it in place - this might be a useful piece of info for someone at some stage.
I also had success with plain old plasters when I ran out of Compeed - this might be useful advice for someone on a tight budget!

 

[CaminoGen]

Tried it and it ruin both my foot and my sock because it "melted" into it and it cannot be washed out, either by hand or in the machine washer.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I've never had the problem of it not sticking, unless my foot was either damp or had lotion on it.
As far as it "melting" .. yes, that's an issue.
But I'm still in love with it! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Removing Compeed from socks:

equipment-questions/topic11392.html

 

[ffp13]

I love not needing it, and I hope that never changes

 

[Anniesantiago]

Maybe I wasn't yet awake this morning, but I thought there was a thread attached about removing the Compeed from socks. Maybe I dreamed it.

Anyway.. yes, that is a problem. I just figure it will be so. Last year, one of my walking partners put a little surgical tape over the Compeed on the heel, which is the place it seems to want to goo up most. That kept his socks clean.

Otherwise, I just pick it off before washing. Most of it comes off. For me it's just part of my Camino experience. And I find the Compeed does a great job of keeping a hot spot from becoming a blister.

Also, on my last walk, one of the ladies was using nice soft hiker's lambswool. She wrapped it around her toes and it worked GREAT to keep those toes from rubbing together. Not sure how it would work on a heel though.

 

[Peregrina 2013]

Annie, yes! Compeed is the very best there is. I do know that there is a difference (or had been) in the adhesive used in the similar product sold here in the U.S. European Compeed is definitely the way to go. Surgical tape is also a good measure to avoid lifting and sticking to the socks. Thank God I don't need this anymore!

Buen Camino!

Mary

 

[TerryB]

Annie, that would be all very well if it stayed ON! I used Compeed and it had worked off my foot within an hour of walking (and yes my foot was totally dry when applied).

It may be that compeed does not suit all skin types! On my first camino (2009) I had some given as "essential equipment" before leaving the UK. On developing a "hot spot" I carefully followed the instructions but it came off overnight!!! I do have the same problem with waterproof elastoplast so I was not too surprised. I found that "Dermomed Fix" (from farmacias in Spain) stays on even after two or three showers. - as does ordinary elastoplast. I guess that it is something to do with natural skin secretions - maybe the medico folk wll know?
Compeed is not for everyone - the best advice is to try a small patch before you go

Blessings
Tio Tel

 

[Anniesantiago]

Nothing on the Camino is "for everyone." :lol: :lol:

Every person must have their own experience, do what's best for their own body, mind, and spirit, and walk their own Camino. Each person knows if they sleep hot or cold, need a down bag or a liner, hate getting wet and need a poncho and rain pants, or don't mind and wear shorts and a jacket. Each person makes their own choices, based on their own experience.

To me, that's just called "life."

There is no one Way.

 

[David]

you can put a piece of gaffer tape (duck tape) over the whole shebang if you wish, keeps it in place, adds extra sealing and makes the foot slippery at that point.

Ah, Gaffer tape - it is The Force you know - has a light side, a dark side, and binds the Universe together :wink:

 

[ready to go]

I have heard many people talk about compeed and how it is not available in the US. I just found a product made by band-aid which says on the package it's made w compeed moisture seal technology. They are called advanced healing blister. Has anyone seen this or used it? Hoping it is the same!

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi ready to go,

I have used both compeed and the Advanced Healing product and I think Compeed is superior. I use compeed only for hot spots and for unburst blisters. But if you get it on top of an unburst blister, and do what others have suggested about taping it on so it won't fall off, it may be a magical solution.

NEVER put compeed on a blister that has burst! That's just creating, as I think David once said, a petrie dish for infection! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[jirit]

I have used Compeed and I would recommend caution using it.
Used it once and then removed it after a couple of days after it failed to fall away
In the process of removing it, it took a strip of skin 2 cm wide and 6 cm long and .25 cm deep with it
Took another 2 months after finishing my walk for my feet to heal completely
Next time I will stick to Second Skin or simple bandages

 

[julie]

The day before setting out on a long distance trail, I walked around town in my sandals and was dismayed to find I had developed a lovely blister - something I don't usually suffer with when I'm wearing my boots. I tried Compeed and had to tape it down to stop it curling at the edges. Left it on for a few days and found that the blister had continued to grow underneath the dressing. It was enormous by that time. I drained the blister again applied Betadine and padded it with sterile gauze held down with Elastoplast and it healed very quickly.

I no longer take Compeed with me.

 

[Kathy F.]

I had problems with Compeed. It was applied correctly and left on until it came off on it's own. However, it did not prevent the hot spot from forming into a blister. Because I couldn't remove it, the blister didn't get any air circulation and couldn't be cleaned. No major harm done because the blister was totally protected from the elements but it wasn't getting better, actually worse. As soon as the Compeed could be easily removed, I drained the blister, used an antibiotic cream, and covered it with a bandaid that let the area breath. Within hours, (and after a good night's sleep) I was walking without pain.
There are lots of blister remedies and there is a definite learning curve. Each individual and each situation seems to call for a different approach. You might have to use different approaches on the same foot for blisters at different locations and at different times! The best remedy is prevention, but when Mother Nature challenges you in spite of your best efforts . . .
Kathy

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Hoping it is the same!

I think FDA required that the adhesive be changed. The BandAid product does not stick as well as the Compeed. Obviously, that is a positive for many of those who have commented on Compeed. Compeed will remove good skin if removed prematurely. It will not prevent a blister if the source of the friction still exists. Clean skin thoroughly with isopropyl alcohol, apply the Compeed, then apply lubricant over the Compeed to reduce friction.

 

[brawblether]

I have used Compeed and I would recommend caution using it.
Used it once and then removed it after a couple of days after it failed to fall away

But...why did you try to remove it? It can surely take more than a couple of days to fall off...so why not leave it on?

 

[Magwood]

I took the advice posted of one of the forums and picked up some sheep's wool that was caught in a fence on the road out of SJPP. It was said that it the wool was good for cushioning hot spots and blisters, and the natural lanolin in the wool would be good for the skin. I tried it out on day 3 when an old training blister returned. I don't know if it was any better than other methods, but the blister did not get any worse, although it didn't get muh better either. Eventually, after many more days I resorted to a compeed which attached itself to my sock immediately, but when I taped it in place it stayed put. I was never quite sure what the compeed was supposed to be doing but my feet finally healed about two and a half weeks into my camino and I had no more blister problems.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I was never quite sure what the compeed was supposed to be doing

It is wet wound technology that keeps the wound sterile assuming it was sterile to begin with. The material inside the Compeed absorbs the fluid from the blister, and turns it into a gel. If the blister never breaks and oozes, the Compeed is a friction barrier. The gel that is formed will leak from under the patch and get into your socks. It can be removed with soapy water, isopropyl alcohol, or acetone (fingernail polish remover). Freezing the sock also aids in removal.

 

[jirit]

But...why did you try to remove it? It can surely take more than a couple of days to fall off...so why not leave it on?

After two days and two showers, my foot, Compeed, socks, and blisters were looking pretty messy and it was getting hard to figure which one was what. I had bits of blue poly prop sock blended in with bits of skin and blister, so once I concluded the Compeed was not going to fail off any time soon, it was time to find out if any of my foot remained.

From that point on I stuck to a simple 3 by 1 1/2 inch bandage on the left and right side heel of each foot ( 4 strips in total ) to protect what was left of my feet. Did this for 2 weeks until I reached Finisterre. Personally I found this a far more effective solution and a lot less expensive than buying more Compeed.

The bandage would fall off in the shower and I would leave them off for the balance of the day and then apply a new set each morning before heading off. It became a ritual

Now I carry a pack of 10 wide bandage strips just for this reason.

 

[christer1]

I have never had problems with Compeed as long as I applied before the hot spot became even became vaguely painful. I did have to use one on a blister once as an emergency measure and it tied me over for the last few k but I removed it with hot soapy water when I got to my destination and then lanced and drained as usual. One has to apply early and correctly positioning wise amd then there should be no problems. There are of course other solutions but personally I will have multiple packs with me along other items of course

Buen Camino

 

[brawblether]

Jirit - ouch. Good to know the bandage worked for you, I'll keep it in mind also. Isn't a shame there isn't just one way to deal with blisters, eh?!

 

[nellpilgrim]

Like Annie I'm a Compeed 'true believer' use it, love it, and start to panic if my stock begins to run low (sad but true)
Thinking about the ever increasing numbers of pilgrims on the CF the company that manufactures Compeed must be making an absolute mint Don't you think they should sponsor some form of pilgrim support services along the way as a thank you for all the moolah made on the back (feet) of us suffering pilgrims-or at least provide pilgrim goody bags at SJPP, Pamplona, Leon and Sarria

 

[TerryB]

I find people who have trouble with it are using it incorrectly.

Just a reminder to new pilgrims to read the whole of this thread! There are some skin types for whom Compeed just does not work! It is wise to check it out before you need it. As David says above, you can always cover it with Gaffer Tape. But that will not stay on my skin either.
I am just a slippery type of guy . . . . . . . . . .

Blessings on your feet!
Tio Tel

 

[mikevasey]

I take compeed with me but will only use it when i feel the outcome not to use it will be quite bad blisters. Before then i have a go at various different options, stretching my footwear, changing my lacing arrangement, not wearing certain socks or combination of socks( this one can really work) or even to try to be mindfull enough to see how my walking style or footsteps could be contributing to an ailment. Only then does the compeed come out, its the same as gaffer tape it has a light and dark side.

 

[Kathy F.]

. . . and keep in mind that Compeed is expensive!

 

[Houlet]

Compeed gets my vote, the next major advance in medical science needed is a guarenteed hangover cure.

 

[vicrev]

There is a cure for a hangover............don't drink !!!!..........Vicrev

 

[MendiWalker]

As well as being a pilgrim I´m a regular hiker ( every weekend - both days). I don´t suffer from blisters but when I get a new pair of boots I use surgical tape ( 3 fingers wide type made of cloth not the paper one). I tape up my feet in those spots which blisters can appear ( heels & big toe) I put on 2 or three layers of tape, on top of each other. Prevention is much better than treating the problem once it appears.
But I must say Compeed is great if minor problems appear if its serious perhaps it´s time to go home and come back some time in the future.

 

[Cathy Simpson]

Ooooh... I read on another thread where the person did not like Compeed.
I totally disagree about Compeed.
I love the stuff!

I find people who have trouble with it are using it incorrectly.

The Compeed must be put ON the hot spot or blister and then LEFT until it falls off on its own.
From the website comes the best advice:

The patch contains hydrocolloid technology which creates an optimum environment for wound healing while instantly reducing pain. Its also waterproof & helps protect the wound from harmful bacteria & dirt. The patch should not be removed too soon, wait until it starts to lift at the edges and then it can gently and easily be peeled off in the bath. Do not deliberately burst the blister but if it does open clean it with mild soapy water, soak it in a salt water footbath for 10 minutes and cover with another protective pad such as COMPEED®.

You should never attempt to remove the patch unless it is loose.

If the patch does start to detach from the skin, it can be removed and replaced with a new one.

To remove the patch, loosen it at the edge.
Use both hands to hold loosened edge of patch.
Stretch the patch sideways, pulling hands apart as it is peeled away.

If you just try to rip it off, yes, you'll take off your skin with it.
But I've had great success with Compeed and wouldn't walk the Camino without it!

Thanks for Compeed info. Can i purchase on Camino? Also, what is" plaster" i keep hearing about?

 

[KinkyOne]

Hi, Cathy Simpson,
You can purchase Compeed in every Farmacia in Spain and especially on Camino Frances and even in some supermarkets. I think the "plaster" is referring to duct-tape.

Ultreia!

 

[Deleted member 22638]

Thanks for Compeed info. Can i purchase on Camino? Also, what is" plaster" i keep hearing about?

I think "plaster" is what you may call a " band-aid" ?

 

[JohnMcM]

All this talk of blisters is making me want to go for a walk It's like when you are not even thinking about eating and someone walks past you munching on your favourite snack.

 

[Beth-o]

Ooooh... I read on another thread where the person did not like Compeed.
I totally disagree about Compeed.
I love the stuff!

I find people who have trouble with it are using it incorrectly.

The Compeed must be put ON the hot spot or blister and then LEFT until it falls off on its own.
From the website comes the best advice:

The patch contains hydrocolloid technology which creates an optimum environment for wound healing while instantly reducing pain. Its also waterproof & helps protect the wound from harmful bacteria & dirt. The patch should not be removed too soon, wait until it starts to lift at the edges and then it can gently and easily be peeled off in the bath. Do not deliberately burst the blister but if it does open clean it with mild soapy water, soak it in a salt water footbath for 10 minutes and cover with another protective pad such as COMPEED®.

You should never attempt to remove the patch unless it is loose.

If the patch does start to detach from the skin, it can be removed and replaced with a new one.

To remove the patch, loosen it at the edge.
Use both hands to hold loosened edge of patch.
Stretch the patch sideways, pulling hands apart as it is peeled away.

If you just try to rip it off, yes, you'll take off your skin with it.
But I've had great success with Compeed and wouldn't walk the Camino without it!

 

[Beth-o]

A very sweet lady from France gave me two Compeed bandages and they were a lifesaver! I was fortunate enough to literally run into the woman again in Madrid's train station and was able to thank her again for her generosity and concern. I'm a believer!