Can tomato plants cause a skin problem?

[veggiechicken]

Hope you're alive and kicking this morning Rob
The moral to this is, keep your skin covered when gardening as you don't know how you will react after contact with some plants. This is especially true of bits of your body, that aren't normally out in the open, like your back, or backs of knees.
Several common plants/weeds bring me out in a rash - like StickyWillie/goosegrass/cleavers and rue. So be careful out there, its a jungle!

[bearded bloke]

Morning Rob, how's your rash?

there was me thinking Annafelacio would give him a swelling

[bearded bloke]

StickyWillie

See post above

[veggiechicken]

I just knew it!! That's why I added the alternative names, hoping to throw you off the scent

[PyreneesPlot]

I try to remember to wear gloves when dealing with tomato plants as otherwise all the skin kind of rubs off my finger tips which go all soapy, smooth and very tender. Very odd - anyone else have this?

I'm anaphylactic to aspirin and the like, after years of taking ibuprofen for joint inflamation. The first sympton is an incredibly itchy scalp and then everything from collarbone up starts to swell. The reaction times have been 40 mins & 25 mins. So far I've avoided a full scale attack, but the consultant assured me the next one will be a biggie which I should avoid!

[peanut]

Well knock me down with a Tomato stalk

A couple of weeks ago I went into the greenhouse, fiddled with a few tomato plants, came back in. Within a very short time I noticed a lot of itching and a swollen area on my hand, I assumed I'd been bitten by something as over the last couple of weeks i've been bitten to bits by bugs, but the mark was different and appeared to not have a single sting/bite mark but a couple of little blisters.

The icthing on my hand got worse and when I woke the next day my hand was double in size....hot, red and so, so swollen.

So off to the Doctor's (as by this stage I couldn't move my hand ) who said that it was a severe allergic reaction, she said the cause was irrelevent (bite, sting or plant) but treatment was the same, a high dose anti-histamine and some bite/sting cream, she also gave me an antibiotic prescription in case the swelling increased, it didn't so I never used it.

It took 8 days for the swelling to disappear and I still have the mark.

It hasn't happened since and i've carried on tying them in and nipping them out as I didn't suspect them as the cause.


Funny how you can suddenly react badly to something after years of no such problem.

[kathyd]

Just catching up on things and read this - so Rob, did you survive? I can't see a reply from you to reassure all your worried friends?!

[ItsEssexRob]

Yes I survived lol. But they are still swollen and terrible itchy. As a test I went into my GH and rubbed one of my Tom leaves over the back of my hand and got nothing from it, so now I am very confused, maybe its only certain plants or only the stems or something. Ill cover up in future though!

Thanks guys.

[veggiechicken]

Very relieved that you made it through the night Rob!! Your hands are probably quite hardened to contact like that. If you want to test again you need to touch somewhere like the underside of your arm or inner elbow - at your own risk!

[lottie dolly]

i find that when the plant matures is the time it iriates the skin,i also find the same with runner beans,i get light red patches on the arms,when i forget about it and go picking i bare arms,sometimes the cold tap helps a bit,but i alway carry a medical box with anthisan & Hc 45,hydrocortizone cream,recomended by the chemist,i only use the latter if the other 1 not very effective,i am very prone to bites,have also been tolled that tiger balm helps subdew the sting ,

[Potstubsdustbins]

Guess I am lucky I never suffered with anything like this, mind you even flies don't land on me!

Colin

[ItsEssexRob]

I attract the gnats and mozzies a lot too! I eat a lot of sugar, must be why my blood is so good on pancakes!

[Florence Fennel]

Guess I am lucky I never suffered with anything like this, mind you even flies don't land on me!

Colin

Yes Colin, we know there are no flies on you!

[Glutton4...]

When I read the thread title, my first thought was; Tomatoes (and Potatoes) are from the same family as Belladonna/Deadly Nightshade.

So, in short, Yes, there is a chance that you may be allergic. Hope it's nothing serious, Rob.

Have to say, I did titter, though. Thanks for the laugh, you lot.

[veggiechicken]

I attract the gnats and mozzies a lot too! I eat a lot of sugar, must be why my blood is so good on pancakes!

Maybe you should stick to lemon juice