Wood to avoid if you might be sensitive to skin problems..pics now

[Rob Bourgeois]

Avoid Fig. We had a "Black Turkey" fig in our backyard that the previous owner cut down. It sent up sprouts that were about 2in or so in diameter. Saturady I cut it down and on Sunday every place that the sawdust hit me turned in to a red mark that resembled a burn. It seemed to get alot under my watch and that area is the worse. This morning I woke up with the larger patches looking like clear fluid filled patches. Its on my arms and my legs and but not on my hands( wearing gloves)

It does not itch but rather feels like burns from touching a hot pot or something.

Fig has a white milky sap.n teh past i have picked figs when I was a kid and I would get red lines on my arms from the leaves but they would go away in a few hours. I usually figured that to be scraps from the tree limbs now I have to figure out who is going to finsh removing this stupid stump from my yard.

OH yeah...I had cut some of the branches for pen blanksand wine stoppers...I just finished throwing them away.


EDIT: OH look what I just found....http://extoxnet.orst.edu/tibs/cutaneou.htm. The photo activated thing makes sense...I went inot teh pool wiht my kids after...

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Thanks for the info...sorry you had to discover this the hard way. I sure hope it clears up soon for you.

[Bill Grumbine]

Rob, it looks like you got it from one of those that will get just about anyone (I had no idea about fig, but then it doesn't grow around here either). The thing to remember is that any species can prove to be an irritant or an allergen to just about anyone, so it is always a good idea to pay close attention to those symptoms. Ignoring them only makes things worse. I hope yours get better soon!

Bill

[Frank Fusco]

Eastern aromatic red cedar is common where I live. I have handled and smelled the aroma for many years. But when I started woodworking, I found that the dust is wicked stuff on my mouth, throat and sinuses. Even a small amount will make me suffer for days. I now wear a Dust Bee Gone mask whenever working it. As said, almost anything, wood or otherwise, can cause an allergic reaction to some people. But I do appreciate the warning about fig. That's a new one to me. Below is a link I post whenever a subject like this comes up. Hope is it useful.

http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/roche/rec.wood.misc/wood.toxic

[Mike Cutler]

Wow! We used to play in the fig tree in my Grandmother's back yard as kids. That tree was also the source of many a "switch" back in the day when corporal punishment was considered normal. I've had a few red marks from a fig tree, but it wasn't an allergic reaction.:eek: (Hmm... maybe it was;) )

Seriously though. Monitor it well, and go to a dermatolgist if gets worse. You may try some Benydryl, or another form of an antihistamine. A hydrocortisone topical may alleviate some of the discomfort.

[Chris Barton]

Hi Rob,

Sorry to hear about your situation but, it is not at all uncommon. Many woods that loosely belong to a group called "fumerates" will produce allergic reactions in select people. Some people have no problem with these woods that include rosewoods, wenge, cocobolo, etc. I am very allergic to wenge and found this out the hard way after buying a huge wenge turning block and getting halfway through a bowl when I began to notice the reaction. This is kind of like the situation with poison ivy, some people are sensitive to it and others aren't. Some people can develop what is called an "acquired allergy" to a wood following an uneventful exposure. Their immune system will develop antibodies to the contents of the wood and on repeated exposure it will cause an allergic reaction that at times can be life threatening.

If your reaction is not too bad over the counter medicines like Benadryl or Claritin can help reduce the redness and swelling as well as some of the respiratory reactions. Topical hydocortizone creams can help relieve the itch and also reduce the healing time.

Good luck with your recovery!

[Michael Stafford]

Sorry to hear about the allergic reaction. First question that comes to mind are you able to eat the fruit? Or is there something in the sap that everyone should be aware of? Hope it doesn't get any worse....

[Rob Bourgeois]

I can eat the fruit and had some a few weeks ago.


My dad thinks its funny...sicne he did the same thing but neglected to tell me....:mad: :rolleyes:

[George Conklin]

Thanks for posting this thread and the link to the toxicology information. A very interesting read, for sure.

[George Conklin]

Just got to thinking about Adam and Eve and the whole fig leaf apparel thing. Yikes!!!:eek:

[Ed Frie]

It seems like I remember a discussion of this on another woodworking forum. I think I remember a number of people reporting allergy problems with purpleheart.

[Jason Roehl]

Rob, this is just a shot in the dark, but you might try using isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to clean the affected areas. Once while I was in Brazil, I got into some stinging-nettle-type stuff, and my arms started to swell up whereever I was touched. Considering I was in the tropics, I thought I would let my folks know (I was 15, and didn't want to die of some weird tropical toxin), but our maid told me to just rub it down with alcohol. The swelling went away almost immediately.

On a side note, I know a carpenter who has troubles if he works with white pine for too long--he'll start to get rashes and such after a couple days.

[Rob Bourgeois]

I am using poison ivy arrest or something..its seesm to be working...

here is some pics of my left arm.

http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/1790/blister8ug.th.jpg (http://img50.imageshack.us/my.php?image=blister8ug.jpg)

http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/1393/arm4mx.th.jpg (http://img68.imageshack.us/my.php?image=arm4mx.jpg)

[Frank Chaffee]

Just got to thinking about Adam and Eve and the whole fig leaf apparel thing. Yikes!!!:eek:
My thought on that subject is that if I had been intended to run around naked I would have been born that way.:eek:
Frank

[Paul Downes]

I would think twice before rubbing the affected areas with rubbing alcohol. If it is a true allergic reaction, the alcohol may allow it to enter your system more readily. I would opt for soap and water. I also have sensitivity/allergic reations. I was trying to knock a hole through my 2' thick masonry wall at the chimney yesterday and had a rather severe athsma attack. I don't know what I reacted to, but I went out and bought a good respirator today. I have to raise the exhaust pipe higher because I bought a taller hot water heater, and I can't shut off the outdoor wood stove until I get the heater operational. It was 90+ degrees today and it's a bummer I can't shut off the heat yet. Cold showers aren't popular with the wife and kids.

Allergic reations can get worse with repeated exposure. It's best to play it safe. So far I only seem to have minor reations to some of the pines. Knock on wood, :D, all the other woods have been ok.