Don't do as I did....

[Paul Moulton]

Last night I was cleaning out my 3 T's - nothing out of the ordinary, just picking up bits and washing the water bowls but somehow managed to disturb some urticating hairs which were then lodged in the V of my polo shirt.

Some minutes later while on the phone i had a little itch - and a little scratch to try to alleviate it and that was the start of the problems. It only took a few minutes for the irritaion to spread to the whole of my upper chest and it was very unpleasant indeed.

I had a burning/itching sensation that would come every minute or two and last for about 30 seconds. There was no relief to be had during the attack. Once I realised what was going on I jumped in the shower until cooled but as soon as I got out it restarted. I then used packing tape to try to lift any remaining hairs which was better but still uncomfortable. After a rush to a chemist for some anti-histamine and several liberal applications it was better. About 2 hours after being hit the irritation was bearable and by the time I went to bed about 4 hours after, it was much reduced however, even after nearly 24 hours it still feels like a nettle rash.

So, I will in future be VERY careful about poking around in the substrate and disturbing the surface. I'm sure it was this aspect as all 3 of my T's are quite docile and I didn't see any flicking while the doors were open.
I will also be making sure there is a bottle of lotion for treating any mishaps in future - just in case.

Please learn from my experience - you really do not want it to happen to you!!

[Colin D Wilson]

I think if we're honest we've all been there Paul, my problem is type I urticating hairs so genus like Acanthoscuria are a pain...luckily i have no reaction to types III and IV so i'm safe with my favorite genus......... Grammies.

You did the right thing with the anti-histamine although i've heard of some poor people on whom the lotion has no significant effect.

Thanks for posting it may serve as a "heads up" to some members and a reminder to others

[Matthew Baines]

I remember when i used to keep new world spiders how it was like being maced in the mouth if i ever inhaled any of the hairs , especially from my Nhandu coloratovillosus, I didn't mind it tho as it made us both laugh when i was coughing my guts up.

[Yvonne Woolley]

I have been there too Matthew but it seems that the worst was off my fresh moult of my T. blondi I was so determined to pin out her moult whilst still soft I took it from her cage early one morning still in a very soft chennille (do you spell it like that?) dessing gown and of course just felt a bit of an itch on my neck so what do you do scratch it of course not realizing at the time that I had transfered some of the hairs onto the neck and every time I moved my neck must have spread them. Bingo one week later I still had a nasty rash well more of a red raw mess in spite of the antihistamine cream and the tablets, the dressing gown now dumped as even after washing it brought my neck up again so the hairs seem to be impossible to get out of fabric. I have my T.apophysis viv to empty out and clean in the morning as she has been rehoused to a much larger viv,
needless to say I will be well covered and look lke someone going into battle face mask and all LOL LOL Just in case!! strange really as none of my others seem to afect me.SHAME on you Lisa laughing at poor Matthew TEEEHEEE.

[lee dangerfield]

Being There

Yep...it happened to me too....IN THE EYE!!!!!!!
Mr Woo...my brazillian white knee...3 weeks of hell,looked like someone had hit me.. hard!!!!!
But its all good fun...you can laugh about it after,well sort of!!
Lee

[Maria Clarke]

not very nice I know that aswell, my b.smithi is a prolific flicker, no matter how gentle you are around her, she flicks,
the rash I had on my arm has made me cover up now whenever I need to do any maintainance on her cage.

[Warren Beattie]

Wow.

I've had brachys, paras and genics flick at me, but I haven't had a reaction yet. Not a noticeable one anyway, and certainly not one as strong as those mentioned. I don't know whether to be smug or apologetic about that.

I wonder if immunodepression has anything to do with it?

[Yvonne Woolley]

Yes Maria it could do with me anyway, I had my Thyroid out a few years ago now and as that controls the immune system it could well be why I reacted so badly.( I must admit I never thought about that side of it before ) mind you I have not been caught by any of my others so I am not sure about those. YET!!!!! LOL

[James Box]

i reckon certain people are sensitive to varying degrees, and to different types of hair...
for one thing, Colin is lucky...i so much as look at a Grammostola and i itch!
they don't have to kick or anything, they cover their enclosures with hairs so you always end up touching them!

Yvonne, i did the same thing with my T apophysis moult the other day and am paying for it now...and it was all pointless, it was too mashed for me to prise open to sex the blasted thing! oh well lol

[vincent winyard]

hi yvonne is that right that the thyroid controls the immune systum. i want to know because my wife had hers removed three years ago and i have 9 t's so i need to find this out as my wife does get up close to the gang sometimes.

[Warren Beattie]

Personally, a lot of treatment for leukaemia mucked up my immune system in general, so my immune response isn't (or shouldn't be) as strong. Also, it mucked up my thyroid in particular, too; which means I'm on daily doses of hydrocortisone. Although it's only meant to replace lost adrenaline, not as extra.
I wonder if either of those have anything to do with why I don't react. I'm not sure, considering your experiences, Yvonne.
It's something to ask the docs in passing, anyway. But in the meantime I don't think I'll test the theory further by rubbing blondis in my face...

[Craig Mackay]

None of my T's flick much so I hadn't had much contact with urticating bristles until yesterday when I was sexing an Avic exuvium and ended up with a good pile of them all over my hands. Haven't had any rashes though I've had a very faint ticklyness on my hands today. Nothing at the time though. I washed them off straight away as a precaution. Am I right in believing that Avicularia possess type II? It's good to know which ones do and don't give me a reaction.

[Lisa Baines]

oooh I know that feeling but that is from my 'normal' skin condition never mind urticating hairs! So I am on really strong antihistamines every day.. but one home skin medication you could make that can offer some very good relief is to make your own menthol aqueous cream...

get a good unscented moisturiser and some sort of menthol like olbas oil. now you want 5/95 ratio of menthol to cream. give it a good mix together and literally blather your affected area in it... works a treat but you stink of menthol for a while. re-apply when necessary.
You could also order this from your doctors if you tell them why you want it. But I just make my own because I always forget to order it lol!

[Yvonne Woolley]

My Doctor ( bless her) is scared of my Ts but the last timee she came she went home with one of my moults for her son who is only 5 but loves Ts I am trying to get her to one of the shows but she is cringing at the thought at the moment LOL but I am still working on her. I react badly to alot of my meds too and just half a Piriton knocks me out Lol but the cream works really well I get that on scrips from her. My consultant is much worse I cant even put my spider earings in or she just about climbs the wall Lol . anyway I have chores to do now you know the boring ones in the home and not in my Invert room those I love. Take care all of you!!! always bare in mind that a bee sting can kill some people !!!