I'm almost embarrassed to post but I spent Saturday in emergency room. I felt an itching on my face and arms on Thursday and it got worse on Friday to a point where my face was burning like needles being stuck in I took a benedrill and Saturday it was intolerable pain, itching and swelling around my eyes. I thought it could be shingles, any way went to emergency and they said it was a contact dermatitis allergic reaction skin rash. I also picked some Mangoes earlier in week. I have never had any allergies but started a new med in Jan which one side effect is a lowering of your auto immune system. The ER doctors are terrible and told me to follow up with my regular doctor. They gave me a steroid shot and prescriptions for steroids,cortisone and an gastric acid blocker(pepcid ) I feel much better but picked some more figs yesterday and leaves brushed my face and I could feel the burning and swelling start again, washed real well and took more meds . I will have to take more precautions picking I guess but I will stop my meds before I stop eating my figs if it comes to It ;-)  

Hey Sal sorry to hear about your allergic reaction, its quite common for this to happen I too get itchy skin if the leaves rub against my face and neck with some varieties not all but some. Mango resin is said to be poisonou's and cause rashes I know the leaves & wood of the mango is poisonous and mango resin is also harmfull. Hope you feel better

Hi Sal,

Sorry to hear that!
Yes, some people are allergic to figs (to that white-sap stuff).

A few years back; I also thought that I had became allergic to them.
Each time I went out near them (in bright daylight), I got that constant
itching feeling (mostly on the legs). It turned out that real CULPRIT was
2 newly introduced (very aggressive) Black/Tiger Asian mosquitoes.
They came to USA  inside some used car tires for re-cycling,
and  sadly, they are here to stay!

I beleive they started at up NE Maine, and that they are now
flourishing south all along the east coast.

Heck, before that, my wife used to do some back-lawn sun-bathing
on a deckchair. I bet she will not be able to that no more ...

Sal, I'm sorry to hear of your allergic reaction and am glad you are feeling better. This is a bummer for a certified fignut,lol. My grandmother used to do the same thing, but she could eat them cooked with no problems.  Find you a hazmat suit or a beekeepers suit to keep yourself protected. Don't take "dying for figs" to any extremes. Just ribbing you of course, my friend.

They clutter up your yards, they annoy our loved ones, and when those things aren't enough, they try to kill us. Hope you feel better, Sal!

Yes, the white latex sap in fig twigs and leaves (and fig stems if picked before fully ripe) does cause irritation for some people, and not others. Some people are very sensitive to it. I don't generally get more than a  mild itch and only in placesd where I have had direct contact, but it persists, even after washing, sometimes for a day or two.

Yeap!  Figs can do that Sal.  Sorry to hear about that.  I have allergies like you would not believe! 

Sal, Ciao,  Please feel better soon, I never had any kind of allergy to figs, or their blood. maybe it is from something else you did or another plants, I know people who have had a reaction to some figs, but I wish you speedy recovery.  Hope you find the culprite real soon. Ciao

Hi Sal,
hope you fell better soon.
 I sent PM.

Wow guys thanks for all the kind responses and understanding. They did not determine a figin thing gave me a bill and meds and said follow up with primary. Well being the hard head that I some times am I picked about
2-3 lbs of different figs and am eating them as I type. It is not the fruit that caused this I'm sure, but the leaves themselves and probably my new medication which makes me a little more susceptible I plan on talking to doctor in next few weeks as I'm due for a follow up. I will be a little more cautious when picking also. I gave Doc 2 nice size fig trees in FEB. so That SOB better have a good solution, I'm not giving up my figs lol ;-)) Just a side note the affected area was my face, eyes and head more than anything else, my hands are fine
Thanks Again
Sal

Sal, you have really earned those 2-3 Ibs of fig that you ate after the rash. Stay safe next time with due precaution because there is no way to stay away from them and if you try to stay away you will get worse 'withdrawl' rash.

Sal, I'm glad that eating figs isn't a problem, and hope you figure out what's causing the problem.  I don't know if it's helpful, but I find that I react to fuzzy leaves (not just figs) more when it's hot and I'm sweaty.

that white fig juice triggers an incredible skin reaction in me.  i avoid it all at cost.

on the issue of er doctors being terrible, i am an er nurse.  our focus is not on long term care.  it's on seeing that your airway doesn't close and you don't drop dead.  otherwise, you have to follow up with long term care.  there is no way in the world we can possibly answer all the questions regarding medication, etc, in the short window we see you.  it sounds to me like you got good care :).  the doctors were probably more focused on the patient having a heart attack in another room, or the person they were going to have to intubate.  that's just the way it is..  believe me, it's more often than not absolute hell for us too.

Hi Sal,

I thought I was the only fig lover with your problem.  The allergy has nothing to do with the figs or the white sap.  It is the contact with the leaves.  When I work with the figs I have to wear gloves and a long sleeve shirt, plus a hat.  I feel like a jerk cutting the grass around the fig trees with winter clothing on, but it is they only way I can get near my figs.  After working with my figs I rub Benadryl gel all over my hands and arms. These precautions seem to work well for me.

Vern 

I wonder if any of those near-naked greek guys that posed for those statues ever had this problem.

Kyle

ROTF!!!  Now, that's a thought, eh?

i know it's old thread but..

i found out that if i brush against fig leaves, i got blisters. only found it because i had to move my fig trees, and found that i had what seems like small cuts. the cuts were basically dried up blisters. i found a new blister and it looks dark, when dried looks just like someone scratch my arms with nail.

for some reason, if i touch the leaves with fingers, i don't have any issues. i get these cuts on my forearms.

pete

@Gorgi,

This year, we have finally seen the invasion of the Tiger Mosquito and they have been exceptionally brutal to me.  I can't go out and water my figs without getting bitten at least 20-30 times.

I bought a product 2 years ago called "Cutter Bug Free Backyard" and I finally sprayed it in the area around my figs (but not on them), all over the grassy area of the yard and all over my ornamental shrubs.  I sprayed yesterday.  I went out this morning and there were one or two mosquitoes still flying around, but I did not get bitten once.  It seems the product may actually work.  I think it is $5 per bottle?  The bottle would have done my entire 1/6th acre lot.

Garlic is the best thing to keep mosquitos away, 2-3 cloves raw daily taken like pills daily works great. Yes you will smell like a garlic farmer, so what, garlic farmers are totally cool.

Bullet, Generally the problem is the sap/latex that people are allergic to. Even tearing a leaf can release a small amount of sap. I have a very mild allergic reaction. Some people are extremely sensitive. Long sleeves and gloves can really help.

I know this kind of stinks but i know a girl with a latex allergy guess how she found out?? She is so bad that even a banana sets it off and she carries a needle incase some one touches he food wearing latex gloves.

That is really bad.

just like vampires.. blood suckers don't care for garlic? i love garlic, but i haven't had them raw in awhile. usually cook them over olive oil for sauce and things..

jon,

it's not too bad. just leaves little scars like i had bad argument with my wife that's all :))

pete