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[OT] Poison Sumac


JJFIVEOH

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Do yourselves a favor and make yourselves familiar with what it looks like. I'm not going to post pictures, but I have hives and blisters running up and down all of my limbs. Considered going to an urgent care center, but it seems to have subsided. Pharmacist at Ingles said at this point I just need to wait it out, which could last 2-5 weeks. Have had very little sleep in the last four days, and had to go out and buy some cheap pants and love sleeve shirts so I can go out without people staring at me.

This ain't fun. Luckily it didn't spread to my nether regions and my face..................... yet. 

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Interesting, never had a reaction to it and have been around it and touched it.  People I knew in Canada made tea out of it unless there is a difference.   Always heard about poison Sumac, but was wondering if there are different varieties or am I just immune having grown up around it?

P.S. Sorry for your pain..  Sounds like it sucks.

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I'm not 100% sure if it is Sumac. It has arrowhead shaped leaves, but looking through a tree book of plants in western NC, there are several different types of plants with arrowhead shaped leaves. My next door neighbor has a giant patch of the plant I think is sumac, but I have none in my backyard. I've been working on my backyard for quite some time and nothing affected me unItil I went into her backyard to try and kill kudzu. (I kid you not, I had a kudzu vine that grew 10 feet in a week). 

I've heard poison ivy is more manageable and usually only leaves a rash. I also read sumac is more aggressive. But North Buffalo, you said it never bothered you, maybe I'm allergic to it. 

 

Here is a pic. Wglm8qSh.jpg

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Interesting. It sounds like you know your stuff so I'm not going to question it. I thought poison sumac was more of a tree than a vine. 

It's going to take me a few more days to get over this, I think. Then I'm going to go out and eliminate more vines. This time with two layers of long pants and long sleeve shirt. The neighbors have given me permission to go in and try to eliminate all this crap. Well, the house behind me hasn't been sold yet and the neighbor to the east is moving soon because her house just sold. 

It's really not my responsibility, but we have an entire line of 12-14 white pines that are over 100' tall and I'd hate to see vines kill them. Plus the only other neighbor sharing these pines (right now) is in here 70's, I can't expect her to go out and do it. I'll have a couple of new neighbors soon, but I need to get back to South Florida and pick up my cats and my motorcycle so I'd like to get this done ASAP. Right after I stay here for the Parade of Nations at Folkmoot. 

Thanks for the info. 

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Regarding going out and eliminating the poison sumac, when you damage the plant, it is the oil inside that usually causes the reaction.  You can expose yourself to it just taking off your clothes when you are done working with the sumac.  remove your clothes with care.

And I'd be damned tempted to call those clothes disposable. 

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 The poison sumac plant looks similar to the regular sumac. The fruit looks very different though. Poison sumac grows cluster of white berries that sort of hang from the branches.

Regular sumac grows drunes that stand tall on the branch. They are whitish early in the season but turn a burgundy color as summer progresses. North Buffalo is right about a drink being made from them. It’s called Indian lemonade up North. Late August the drunes develop a powdery coating that is very high I n ascorbic acid giving it a very sour taste. It’s used to make a drink and as a spice in cooking.

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My wife is very allergic to regular sumac.  Many people from Arabian countries cook with it, as it is one of their favourite spices.

It is very problematic and grows may places around NS, but we do not have the 'poison' variety, as far as I know.

That is what I would call a severe reaction, JJ.  Be very careful if it is your first reaction, as the second is often worse and sometimes there is not a third reaction, so it may be best to call in 'experts' and pros to eliminate it.

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45 minutes ago, JJFIVEOH said:

Thanks for all the info everybody. Very insightful. 

That is one painful looking rash. I’m guessing you were just pulling the kudzu by hand? Get yourself a couple of these. https://m.galeton.com/product/detail/safe-n-clean-grayguard-trade-disposable-coveralls-hood-elastic-wrists-ankles-each/12717-product/?set=FreeShip50&code=FREESHIP18&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_cC94s6f3AIVkYJpCh0t_AmIEAQYBCABEgIcOPD_BwE

I have a supply. I carry a few of them in my truck. Cheap and easy.

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everybody is different...... sumac doesn't give me what you've got..... that looks awful.... 

Poison Oak (white berries) and poison ivy gives me what you've got. And I'm very allergic to it...... 

but the one you really don't want to mess with is Hogweed..... become familiar with it and avoid it and call it in.

https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/39809.html

 

 

 

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3 hours ago, Ogre said:

That is one painful looking rash. I’m guessing you were just pulling the kudzu by hand? Get yourself a couple of these. https://m.galeton.com/product/detail/safe-n-clean-grayguard-trade-disposable-coveralls-hood-elastic-wrists-ankles-each/12717-product/?set=FreeShip50&code=FREESHIP18&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_cC94s6f3AIVkYJpCh0t_AmIEAQYBCABEgIcOPD_BwE

I have a supply. I carry a few of them in my truck. Cheap and easy.

I pulled off what I could. Mostly the small stuff on the ground. I then cut the roots going up the trees. Some are 2/3 the way up 100 foot pines so I'll never be able to pull those down. Just need to kill them and let them rot away eventually. Still have lots more to go. 

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1 hour ago, hsif said:

everybody is different...... sumac doesn't give me what you've got..... that looks awful.... 

Poison Oak (white berries) and poison ivy gives me what you've got. And I'm very allergic to it...... 

but the one you really don't want to mess with is Hogweed..... become familiar with it and avoid it and call it in.

https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/39809.html

 

 

 

Not really sure if that grows around here. Then again I've read sumac isn't common around here. And I'm still not 100% sure this is poison sumac. But, I've never had any problems until I went into the neighbors yard. 

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9 hours ago, Brawndo said:

JJ a short course of oral steroids (Predisone) works wonders for this. 

It would help with the rash, also watch for secondary skin infections even with putting rubbing alcohol on it. 

I'm going to wait it out. I think that requires a prescription and I'm not living in the state where my health insurance is. So out of network coverage costs would be through the roof. I've had a couple of small breakouts today, but for the most part everything is healing. If it doesn't get any better over the next couple of days, what you're saying is a strong consideration. 

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16 minutes ago, JJFIVEOH said:

I'm going to wait it out. I think that requires a prescription and I'm not living in the state where my health insurance is. So out of network coverage costs would be through the roof. I've had a couple of small breakouts today, but for the most part everything is healing. If it doesn't get any better over the next couple of days, what you're saying is a strong consideration. 

Unfortunately it does require a prescription. 

Health Insurance is great except when you need to use it 

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