days later, stinging nettles still aggravating me??? help

[Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive]

Hey guys, i was cutting some arrowshafts on saturday morning and wasn't looking where i was reaching and got into some stinging nettles (Cnidoscolus stimulosus) Usually 10 mins later its over and it doesnt bother me ever again...so i walked around all proud and tuff thinking "yeah i will hold out 10mins...you aint gonne keep me down".     yup  10 mins later it quit but ever since my arm has still been welted up and itchy.  its tuesday now.  never had them have any effects this long.   i assume the spines are still in there, but its on my hair covered arm. i cant see them and dont know what else to do. I have been using a hydrocortizone cream....but it doesnt work.     anyone ever have them aggravate you this long?   and treatment ideas?   i have 21 little welts itchin the crap outa me.

[cracker]

Might try putting vinegar on it. If it doesn't help it won't hurt. If that doesn't help might need to see a doc.Ron

[Parnell]

Maybe have your wife urinate on your arm?

Seriously though, that sucks.  I'd thought vinegar, also.  Had to do the urinating thing on a girl that got stung by a Man'o War diving down in the keys.  It makes for a good story to tell my high school students.

I'm wondering about something that may help to dry it out also - aloe?

[darwin]

Have you tried rubbing alcohol? Or finger nail polish remover? When I was little I was holding with my grandpa and he gave me a little playful push that landed me in a catus. I had the same problem as you except the spines were in my butt.

[criveraville]

If I remember correctly from immunology class...

You may be experiencing an allergic reaction. You have to be "exposed" to allergens before you become allergic. This may have put you over that threshold..

Cipriano

[Stringman]

It may also be a reaction to something else you inadvertantly came in contact with... Poison ivy comes to mind and often grows near nettle.

[cracker]

If you live near a blacksmith you can cool the poison ivy by bathing the affected area in the filthy water in the cooling tub the theory is the high iron content is what does it. Ron

[Josh B]

If you have mullein growing there, rub some of the leaves vigorously on the afflicted area.  The juice neutralizes the acid that causes th itch.  Mullein is a weed with thick velvety leaves that usually grows in close proximity to sting weed where I live.  Josh

[SA]

i agree w/cip you might be having a reaction try some benydryl or  somtheing like it .

[youngbowyer]

when i was a kid back in holland stinging nettles were quite common. we would spit on wherever we got stung and rub leaves on it, seemed to help and i never had a problem of swelling.

[bowtarist]

I'm thinking poison ivy also.  Jewel Weed will help them both and here in Indiana grows nearby both.  I just rub the leaves on the area, my wife makes a boil of the leaves w/ some water and used the strained juice.  It keeps in the fridg for a week or more.

Parnell,  That's HI larious..

dp

[Cherokee B.]

dry using some jewl weed and some  hand sanitizer (high alcohal content). Hope it geets better
Bowtarist: I do the same type of thing except I freeze the juice for later use in the fall.
Drew

[Buckeye Guy]

Next time you get in them rub mud on the area it will cool the area down and when it dries the needles will come off with the mud !!

For now that you are all festered up Clorox bleach will dry it up in no time ,but I aint saying it wont hurt !!!

Have fun !!
Guy

[Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive]

thanks guys.  most i think are fixes for the immediate burning affects.   doesnt burn anymore but acts like a bunch of little mosquito bites.  they are a little better this am.  I may use a dam of bleach..lol  i know the wrestlers when i was in highschool used to use it on their ring worm.

         No poison Ivy, infact that is one things that i have spend a lot of time in and never get a reaction from it.  They guy at my old work years ago would get poison ivy from touching something i touched.  i was always cutting bow staves surrounded in it. I never get even 1 symptom...but be would start getting mad b\c i would touch a tool without watching and he would come in the next day all welled up...lol  oops.

[CowtownClown]

Crush the leaves of a burdock and rub the sap on the nettle-afflicted skin.  The two plants often grow near each other.  There's even a poem about using burdock for nettle stings but I can't recall it.