The Plants Want Me Dead

[houlahoops]

So I'm basically allergic to everything: Penicillin, watermelon, gold, Neosporin, Scrubbing Bubbles (yes, even the cute, anthropomorphic bubbles!)...and just about every plant in existence.

Well yesterday I was tracking one of our fox kits into the woods and I came upon my neighbor's very unfriendly Cane Corso, who decided that he would be much happier if I vacated the area post haste. He is a little faster than me, and tends to back up his opinions quite well, so I hopped up into a tree. I wasn't there for long, but I got absolutely covered in tree sap. It's black and sticky...mostly just gross but very determined to stick to every exposed bit of skin. I went home and took a shower, hoping to get the grimy stuff off...but it was a no-go. Nope. That sap wasn't going anywhere. I figured it didn't matter much, since I wasn't doing anything important today.

Oh. My. Gosh.

Whatever kind of sap this is has actually eaten through the top layer of my skin. I must be allergic to it (OR it's just evil person-eating black sludge of doom). My legs and shoulders are covered in holes, and one spot just above my collarbone is actually burned into the muscle layer. It itches. It burns. And it's gross and oozing and awful and really swollen. I took pictures (which I promise to keep to myself out of consideration for you all).

I have scrubbed myself head-to-toe with a horse brush and Technu and whatever else I could think of. The spot on my chest/collarbone is already infected and ridiculous-looking.

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Meanwhile, any ideas to get it to stop itching? Itching = scratching = bleeding = more itching and apparent spreading of the giant holes in my skin....

[Shai]

Well normally peanut butter does a good job of removing sap after a few minutes. Unless of course you are allergic to peanuts too, then that would be bad. But if you already have holes I can't imagine putting peanut butter on them would be wise :/

Is all the sap off or is there still some there making the problem worse?

My default to stop itching in an allergic reaction for me is a benedryl but umm you might need something more serious. If it's in the muscle layer and infected I vote doctor.

[houlahoops]

Peanut butter, eh? I'll have to try that next time I decide to climb up the Tree of Woe. I do think most/all of the sap is gone, so that's good. I wonder what it was.

I have work tomorrow morning, so I'll probably have one of the other EMTs poke at it and make sure it's not life-threatening/necrotizing fasciitis (don't look that up on Google Images).

Benedryl makes me sleepy but at this point I might just have to suck it up and take one. SO MUCH ITCHY.

[Shai]

Too late...I got a nasty spider bite last fall and made the mistake of looking up the possible outcomes on the interwebs. People seem to take delight in chronicling necrotizing fasciitis in all it's horror. Ugh.

Good luck. Passing out sounds preferable to scratching yourself to death.

[sillysally]

I think benedryl makes a topical spray too....

[Romy]

Owie. Next time, any sort of oil will take off tree sap. We used olive oil for the kids at school when they'd come in from recess with hands covered in pine sap. It was like magic. Works really well when it's all over dogs too.

[Renee750il]

Try a colloidal oatmeal soak?

Or maybe this recipe? http://www.bakespace.com/recipes/det...TH-SOAK/25345/

[Renee750il]

Oh, if you've got some raw honey you might try dabbing that on the sores.

[Emily]

If you need to stay awake, one of the 24 hr allergy meds, like Zyrtec (my fav), Claritin, Allegra, etc, will help. It might not kick the symptoms as hard as Benadryl but it should help.

I feel your pain though... I have sucky seasonal allergies and my skin tends to react very strongly to things as well. One time I got swimmer's itch and it was the worst few days of my LIFE. But - I did take Claritin and it slowed things down a bit. So maybe it will ease your suffering a little bit.

[crazedACD]

If it's as bad as you are describing, I'd really advise having a doctor check you out...you might need some antibiotics (ones you're not allergic to) or steroids. You don't want a staph infection if you are allergic to penicillin!