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Oh Death to the Stinging nettle caterpillars.... I loathe, despise and very much dislike you, Darna Pallivitta.
Your hairs burn, then sting, then itch with insane glee.
That blasted camoflauged skin of yours makes you impossible to see.
Blisters that resemble chemical burns are just a glimpse of stage three
Of the rampage your toxins are inflicting on my poor pinky.
Two weeks from now, I'm sure the itch will still be
About the same, while the hoards of your thousand and three
Prick offspring plot to mar and maim the rest of me...
MF aka YG
ps. Does anyone have a remedy suggestion that actually WORKS for this blown up finger of mine that itches like poison ivy, hurts like a burn and swells like a balloon? [V]
Melissa Fletcher
___________________________
"Make yurts, not war" Bill Coperthwaite, 1973
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Topical benadryl on the finger and oral benadryl to slow the internal allergic reaction are the standard medical approach for that kind of allergic reaction. I tend to be super allergic to insect bites and had amazing results with a polstice of tobacco mixed with a little water when I got nailed by one of those evil little creatures.
Carol
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
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Tobacco, eh?! If I take a benedryl capsule and open it and mix it with a dab of water, that would likely suffice for the topical version of benedryl, right? And with the tobacco, what do you do, use a pestle and mortar and add a bit of water?
Melissa Fletcher
___________________________
"Make yurts, not war" Bill Coperthwaite, 1973
Posts: 3,035
Threads: 201
Joined: Aug 2006
I don't know if the oral benedryl can be turned into the topical, I use the gel kind and just keep it in the house. For the tobacco I just deconstructed a cigarette, added just enough water for it to glom together and the put it on the affected area, I had to use spit one time when I got stung by a yellow jacket at an outdoor concert, the hardest part was bumming a cigarette to use, but after applying it I could see the red streaks recede from around the sting, it was amazing! I have no idea how or why it works, but it did for me. I have had stings on my hands before, I know how awful it can be, I had to ice my hands one time to keep the skin from splitting open from 4 wasp stings on one finger. It turned black before the swelling went down.
Right after you get stung ammonia applied topically can reduce the reaction for most insect bites, but not later.
Good luck, I hope something helps.
Carol
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
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Joined: Feb 2006
I feel your pain, Yurtgirl . . . or at least I used to, and Carol's advice is good. Looking for a preventative approach, we got one of those mosquito zapper lights at Home Depot. They're worthless at controlling mosquitoes, but they do kill the moths that lay the eggs that turn into stinging nettle caterpillars. Since we got the zapper light, we have about 95% fewer stinging caterpillars and 95% fewer stings. When we first installed the thing, we would find piles of dime sized dead brownish moths under the light. Now that the population is way, way down, we only see a few.
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I get eczema and I'm prescribed Olux (clobetasol propionate) Foam to treat it. I'm also allergic to several insect bites or stings and sometimes have to go to the clinic for a shot if I get stung. I discovered that if I treat the area of the sting quickly and repeatedly with the Olux foam I can avoid a trip to the clinic. It may be an option for some of you but you will need a script. I don't know if it's prescribed for that purpose but it should be.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
