Allergic reaction to popular

customsawyer · September 14, 2006, 06:28:11 PM

I have never had any allergies to anything. I could even lay down in a pile of poison ivy and not have any trouble. With that being said I have now developed a reaction to popular when I saw it. I get a rash like a sunburn that is very hot to the touch and iches like crazy. The only thing that I have found to help is to take one benadryl every 4-5 hours can't take two as it makes you sleepy but one is not to bad.
I was wondering if anybody else has this and if they do what they have found to help.
Thanks.

WH_Conley · September 14, 2006, 06:46:22 PM

I cut and sawed a couple of large poplars a few years ago that were covered with poison oak, had to take the loader and chain to get it off, never saw so bad before. I am not allergic to poison ivy, stay away from poison oak. For probably five years after that everytime I sawed poplar I would get a fine rash between my fingers that would turn to blisters. I wondered if somehow the sap from one joined the other and developed a sensivity (?). If that is possible maybe it is a reaction more to the location that it grew in than the wood. Course I never was accused of being too bright.

beenthere · September 14, 2006, 07:23:19 PM

Customsawyer
Is it yellow poplar (tulip poplar) that you are sawing?

fencerowphil (Phil L.) · September 14, 2006, 07:24:54 PM

Never had that problem, but I do have to remove poison vines.

If this keeps on bothrin' ya', just send those nice 30" poplars to me -
I would love anything from 30 to 54".
:D

Phil L.

Woodcarver · September 14, 2006, 07:41:24 PM

I've cut popple sawbolts and pulp the past two winters. Haven't reacted to it at all.

fencerowphil (Phil L.) · September 14, 2006, 07:48:15 PM

I have heard other trees referred to as "popple." (Cottonwood, for instance.)

Are you calling yellow poplar (tulip poplar/ liriodendron tulipifero) "popple" Woodcarver?

Phil L.

Woodcarver · September 14, 2006, 09:17:33 PM

To the best of my knowledge, tuplip poplar isn't native to Wisconsin. I was referring to trembling aspen (populas tremuloides) and big-toothed aspen (poplulas grandidentata).

We have an occasional cottonwood (balsam poplar). The only one I've cut was felled by a storm and was lying in one of our logging roads. I don't recall having any problem with that either.

If Cusomsawyer is referring to tulip poplar, as Beenthere asked, my experience probably isn't relevant. I think the species are unrelated.

customsawyer · September 15, 2006, 05:07:11 AM

Yes I'm refering to yellow popular.

Ron Wenrich · September 15, 2006, 11:02:50 AM

I've cut millions of bf of tulip poplar, and have had no ill effects. I have never heard of any complaints from the lumber handlers, either.

But, I have done some work with poplar sap. Its pretty potent stuff capable of dissolving tannic acid from sawblades and taking bugs off of the windshield. The sap also contains a mild heart stimulant. It can cause dermititis in some people, so I guess there is some allergic reaction in some people.

customsawyer · September 15, 2006, 05:24:39 PM

Well if it was just me I would think I was crazy but one of my off bearers has the same trouble.

Ron Wenrich · September 16, 2006, 09:18:01 AM

Is this the first time you've sawn poplar? If so, then it may be an allergy. If not, then its might be something else.

customsawyer · September 17, 2006, 06:26:13 AM

I've sawn popular often and it didn't use to bother me. As a given rule of thumb I genrally get some popular once a month. The best week I ever had was the second week of Jan. and it was cutting popular, then when I had to cut some in Feb. I had my first reaction and I thought that mabey it was the sap stating to flow up or something that the logs had been skidded through but every time that I've cut it since I have a reaction. Thanks for all the replies.

Warren · September 17, 2006, 08:00:10 AM

CS,

I am not a medical expert, but I believe the body can build up a sensitivity to things (allergans) in the same way it is possible to build up a tolerance to things (eg: alcohol). My dad had penicillin shots all of his life without any problems. All of sudden, at age 45, he got one penicillin shot and swelled up like a balloon. Same thing happens with EMT's and Nurses who develop a sensitivity to latex gloves. At first, no problem. But, after a number of years of latex exposure, even a few minutes contact with latex will cause a severe rash.

Could be the sensitivity to poplar has been building over time, but your skin just finally reached the point of saying "Enough."

Just my $0.02...

Captain · September 17, 2006, 08:41:18 AM

Jake, I'm wondering if a product like ivy block if applied before would help your situation?? Perhaps block the poplar sap?? I'm sure you've tried gloves..

Captain

dad2nine · September 17, 2006, 09:01:37 AM

Personally I'm ok for the time being with both poison ivy and oak, no real reaction persay. But recently I got into a batch of poison sumac and that stuff tore me up. The rash lasted about 10 days and where the rash was my skin dried up and left me with some pretty deep scares.

I found a pretty good article here seems easy enough for me to read anyways...

customsawyer · September 17, 2006, 09:37:35 AM

Well the only thing that I have found is to take one benadryl in the morning one at lunch and one more on the way home. You have to limit yourself to just one because if you take to it makes you want to lay down and take a nap and I have a hard enough time fighting off those naps as it is. ;D

Faron · September 19, 2006, 09:27:53 PM

Customsawyer, I had a fairly bad reaction like yours several years ago. Early July and hot. I had sawed poplar for several days, and like you had sawed a lot of poplar over the years. July 3rd, midddle of the night, I woke up with my eyes just about swollen shut. They treated me with claritin or benedrill, or something like that. For quite a while I used it for a few days before I was sawing poplar, if I knew ahead. Poplar sawdust still burns my arms and face like pepper, especially if I am hot. Sassafras does about the same thing.