[Homestead] hives-type reaction

Wendy crazygardens at verizon.net
Mon Aug 25 17:59:37 EDT 2008


Hi Lisa,
It stinks, doesn't it?  I am also one of these break-out-from-everything 
people.  Raspberries are my big bane.  If I get prickled, I react just like 
poison ivy only it doesn't spread, but it itches worse, takes longer to go 
away and leaves little round scars that take months to fade.  If I eat 
something with raspberries in it, my lips, tongue, throat and eyes swell up. 
My big salvation are anti-histamines.  As soon as I notice a reaction to 
something starting, I pop a anti-histamine and it kills it in it's tracks. 
Usually only one is enough to do the trick.  For really big reactions, I 
keep a stash of hydroxyzine hcl.  Very expensive. Prescription only (it's an 
addictive narcotic).   It's about 20$ and ounce, but I only need about half 
a teaspoon at a time.  It really knocks me on my ass.  And it works far past 
it's expiration date. <g>  I only use this when I feel my eyes and throat 
swelling up badly.  Works for my bee sting reactions too (yippee), and much 
cheaper than a trip to the ER.  However, for the run of the mill hives and 
swelling, just plain cheapo generic over-the-counter anti-histamines do the 
trick.  Good luck.

Wendy


> Hey gang,
>
> This seems to be the season for hives, as some of us have them this 
> summer.
>
> This is the third time in a couple weeks that I'm experiencing an itching
> rash after gardening. I tend to take my gloves often, particularly when
> picking vegetables or fruit. I don't like gardening gloves but wear them 
> as
> needed.
>
> I picked zucchini last week and probably touched a couple of the leaves
> which had little spikes on them. Not two minutes later, I developed this
> hive-like reaction up and down the arm and hand. Itched like hell. I 
> washed
> with Burt's Bees Poison Ivy soap and whatever it was subsided over the 
> next
> 30 minutes until gone.
>
> Then had a similar reaction after picking tomatoes, but not nearly as bad.
>
> This afternoon, while picking peaches, I made the mistake of rubbing my 
> neck
> after I'd picked a bunch (gloves off). Sure enough, there came the hives.
> Rushed in and washed my whole neck with the soap again. My neck is bright
> red and still itches but I can tell that whatever the reaction is, it's
> already subsiding.
>
> Need to go pick tomatoes again and I'll keep the gloves on. It's habit to
> take them off and shove them in my pocket.
>
> Has anyone experienced something like this? Is this new, funky 
> semi-allergy
> I'm developing just the side benefit of being another year older?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Lisa
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