Allergic reactions during trimming (skin itching, sniffly nose etc)

[PhenoMenal]

I'm just curious as to how many people experience allergic reactions (and to what extent) when harvesting/trimming?

When I trim I always wear a longsleeve shirt to avoid accidental contact with the resinous buds on my forearms... they annoyingly make them itchy for a few hours. Sometimes I'd also wear one of those cheap disposable facemasks to prevent inhaling pollen, as that'd often make me sniffly.

I've tried to break this poll down into ~5 levels of allergic reaction.

I guess when we're dealing with flowers, pollen, bananas etc there's always going to be allergic reactions ... but to what extent?

Antihistamines also seem to work really well -- the 'superdrug' fexofenadine hydrochloride works wonders for me! But i dont know much about antihistamines and there may be better ones out there for all i know, but if you do have any allergy issues, whether its from pot or else, you may want to consider antihistamines. I just take a tiny 60mg tablet an hour before trimming (and it lasts ~24hrs, its non-drowsy but wont stop you sleeping as its not a stimulant, and doesnt give me any side effects at all).
NOTE: Ask your pharmacist/chemist for the GENERIC version of fexofenadine and you'll get the exact same results but for quite a few $ less

So, this poll! ...
WHEN NOT USING antihistamines and other protective measures like masks, longsleeve shirts etc, do you in any way experience any allergic reactions???

Note: This poll is private - the choices people choose are not displayed to anyone, and arent even available to myself or moderators, you're simply adding to a number anonymously, although if you're curious, my vote was for Itchy Skin & Sniffly, just one below Severe

 

[growsflowers]

I can't resist rubbing a bit of fresh heads on my skin even though I know it will be irritated. Topical application is not to be underestimated in my opinion. From experience I recommend avoiding purposefully putting it in your eyes.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

I have no allergic reaction at all.

I also cover my arms and am careful about contact... I plan on being around this stuff my whole life and I've run across too many threads in the last 10 years about people developing allergies after a few years.

Stay Safe!

 

[OrganicOzarks]

I wear gloves, but in the past I have not. I have extremely sensitive skin. I just got over a heat rash that I developed in August. What is that about 6 months? With the latter half of it being fucking winter?

That being said I have not had this happen to me. This is very interesting. I will continue to follow this thread.

 

[twelsch24]

I usually get a passing wave of nausea a few times while harvesting. I think it's more from lack of food and the pungent stank. It's certainly a noticeable thing though.

No skin irritation.

T

 

[PeopleWish]

I have to wear my 3M Respirator when handeling dry material.... It sucks, I would literally sneeze 100 times in a row and blow enough snot to fill a trash can if I didn't. I also break out in hives all over my arms. A small price to pay.

I also wear a "hazmat" suit, booties, hair net, goggles and gloves to prevent not just an allergy attack but a contamination of the meds. Over the top??

 

[vapedg13]

my wife gets hives on her arms if she rubs against the trichs....sneezzes, eyes water

Some strains are worse than others....people with alergies to grass mold weeds experience this

she also gets a adverse reaction to some strains when we vaporize..

 

[Bag]

i get very very sticky fingers, i didnt see a check for sticky fingers . so i voted no side effects

 

[exploziv]

great thread! I wonder if any of the people that report itching on their skin or other more severt effects got any type of reaction when smoking/vaping it.

I don't seem to have any reactions when trimming, but I do have a mild come-and-go allergic reaction from time to time that I can't attribute to a certain irritant yet.

 

[hempyftw]

Yeppppp

Yeppppp

I've had that itch!

You guys really wear long sleeves and facemasks and stuff?

I don't cover up, but I do notice I get a bit irritated come harvest time. My skin gets irritated really easily anyway. I have the skin writing disorder called {Dermatographic urticaria (also known as dermographism, dermatographism or "skin writing")}. Which is kind of cool. When I used to weigh in, for wrestling, I would have my girl write something on me with her fingernail. No one messes with a kid that has KILLER welted on his back in huge bubble letters. I even wrote "I love ya coach F***" I actually had to run for that one haha - but ya I welt up from just about any contact with my skin, I've even had people draw pictures on me and let it become 3d welted in a few minutes.

I"m also allergic to ragweed.

But I fee like most others here, it's a small price to pay for those sweet sweet buds.

 

[Aksala]

I used to think I was allergic to pretty much everything but what I found out is that wheat was the root of the problem. If I eat too much wheat (I still eat some..hard to avoid..just stay away from pure wheat products now) my allergy symptoms go through the roof. Everything would cause a itchy throat..runny nose..sneezing ect...

Its waaaay better now but I still get skin irritations from trimming and stuff...but my nose/throat doesn't act as bad as it used to.

 

[wildgrow]

No problem trimming.

Got a male stuffed in a closet - when I go in there... sinuses dry out and my nose gets plugged.

 

[Derka]

Beyond sticky fingers, and the amazing spiderman like ability to lift objects by touch, no adverse reactions. Wife who is severely asthmatic cant handle being in the house when I harvest, although she has no problems smoking (with inhaler on hand)

 

[PhenoMenal]

I have no allergic reaction at all.
I also cover my arms and am careful about contact...

Why do you cover your arms and be careful about contact if you have "no allergic reaction at all"?

 

[PhenoMenal]

I used to think I was allergic to pretty much everything but what I found out is that wheat was the root of the problem. If I eat too much wheat (I still eat some..hard to avoid..just stay away from pure wheat products now) my allergy symptoms go through the roof. Everything would cause a itchy throat..runny nose..sneezing ect...

Its waaaay better now but I still get skin irritations from trimming and stuff...but my nose/throat doesn't act as bad as it used to.

I guess many of us have underlying allergy issues - your wheat allergy is a very good example... glad you've been able to identify it and help put the brakes on it a bit

[EDIT]
At this stage after 34 votes, "NO allergic effects at all" = 38.24%

Early days though, so PLEASE VOTE so we can get a clearer picture!

 

[Hydro-Soil]

great thread! I wonder if any of the people that report itching on their skin or other more severt effects got any type of reaction when smoking/vaping it.

I don't seem to have any reactions when trimming, but I do have a mild come-and-go allergic reaction from time to time that I can't attribute to a certain irritant yet.

Using lab tests on those bud samples that give you a reaction... you'll probably find the beginning traces of mold.

I swear I can taste/smell mold on bud about 2 weeks before anyone else can. I always plug up immediately when toking those. (no... nobody else around me can smell or taste it, but it's definitely there.)

Stay Safe!

 

[NancyBotwin412]

I get very itchy when plants touch my arms. Also, certain buds make me sneeze whenever I smoke them. Lately it was an Orange Kush, sneezed after every exhale.

 

[Greyskull]

my wife doesnt touch the garden.
but the master bedroom of my house has a window thats "downwind" from the garden.
the last week-10 days of a crop my wife will get a runny nose. shes a trooper. she doesnt complain.
we took some time troubleshooting why this was happening... repeatedly... itd never happened before when we grew in other locations.
but the winds rolling of haleakala swing right thru my garden, and bring the pleasant aroma of my cannabis right in thru the window.

but me... i fucking molest my shit. i become one with it in all phases of its growth and harvest. and nothing. we're all fucking the same. goddamn different hahahaha

 

[shuswap]

i have become very sensitive to the plant,i now wear a 3m non breathable suit and a mask when i am working on plants or harvesting,my asthma has gotten alt worse the last few years and when im around tons of cannabis my throat swells causing a restriction when breathing out,my doc and i are working on finding out if it def is pot or not,i feel wrapping up is the best way to be around it without symptoms

 

[watts]

phenomenal recommended me fexofenadine hydrochloride also known as Allegra in USA. I took it before i started trimming and i haven't had itchy watery eyes, nose, and throat at all. I haven't even sneezed since i finished hours ago. I didn't rub weed all over me or anything and I still wore a basic mask as always, but normally its hell on my allergies when trimming most any weed. So from now on i'll be taking it before trimming sessions. One pill is good for 24 hours.