Allergies and Tarantulas

[TheraMygale]

I have read as much as I could. People sent me urls and I read them, and obscure papers. Everything i could get my hands on, until i read too much and nothing seemed to make any sense anymore.

my situation:

there were no reactions in the first months I had my tarantulas. I know i got haired once. But it was while transfering my tarantulas from the deli cups they were in, to their new enclosures.

the substrate was extremely dry and dusty. So hairs probably went flying around. That night i experienced full body burning.

i had also been fighting some
Kind of bronchitis. And possibly have asthma which, i did not know i had until xrays showed potential diaphragm issues. I still have more tests to do.

it was only a few months after, that i started getting rashes. At first, i did not think much of it. Excessive sun exposure, heat and humid can do that to me.

but the proportions it has taken is absurd. Severe dermatographia. Coughing…

to give context, i will feel a sort of itch that is like a pinch. I barely touch it with with my hands, and the hives and rash wll blow out of proportion.

does this sound like anything you have heard of? Could my brachypelmas, nhandu and davus be causing this much, even when i am not even going in the enclosure aside of minimal maintenance and feeding? They arent even hairing me, even if i know then can put hairs everywhere?

 

[Brewser]

Allergic Reactions...
Heat , Plant Poison , Food, Pollen , Mammals , Reptiles , Insects , Spiders , Man Made Products / Chemicals the list goes on and on.
Maybe get tested

 

[Wolf135]

It's most likely something else in the environment, allergens are apparently getting worse with climate change

 

[LilithArachne]

You most likely have already done this but I will suggest it anyway-

• Deep clean everything. Wear a mask and gloves while doing so. Clean the rugs, clothes, tables, etc. Anywhere that could contain the allergens. After that take a shower.
• If you have vents, it might have something to do with that but I don't know what you can do to help that I am sorry.
• Close your windows if you have them open in case you're in the countryside or have a lot of flowers, trees, etc. The wind can blow the pollen inside your home
• Have you ever had these kind of symptoms before? Before you had tarantulas?

 

[TheraMygale]

You most likely have already done this but I will suggest it anyway-

• Deep clean everything. Wear a mask and gloves while doing so. Clean the rugs, clothes, tables, etc. Anywhere that could contain the allergens. After that take a shower.
• If you have vents, it might have something to do with that but I don't know what you can do to help that I am sorry.
• Close your windows if you have them open in case you're in the countryside or have a lot of flowers, trees, etc. The wind can blow the pollen inside your home
• Have you ever had these kind of symptoms before? Before you had tarantulas?

Thanks for your advice. I have had issues like this is the past. I get phototoxicity from the sun in the begining of the season usualy. Whenever i get first sun exposures i go into allergic mode.

it has never been this bad before. Mosquitos and their like all do this to me aswell. Heat and humidity.

but when i say it is getting bad… i thought i had straight up zona or something. These pictures are exemples and not the worse. I am getting systemicaly in places there is not exposure. I wear rashguard outdoor hiking clothes most of the time. And avoid the sun as the plague. I take precautions.

i am the only one in the household with this at the moment.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

A

I have read as much as I could. People sent me urls and I read them, and obscure papers. Everything i could get my hands on, until i read too much and nothing seemed to make any sense anymore.

my situation:

there were no reactions in the first months I had my tarantulas. I know i got haired once. But it was while transfering my tarantulas from the deli cups they were in, to their new enclosures.

the substrate was extremely dry and dusty. So hairs probably went flying around. That night i experienced full body burning.

i had also been fighting some
Kind of bronchitis. And possibly have asthma which, i did not know i had until xrays showed potential diaphragm issues. I still have more tests to do.

it was only a few months after, that i started getting rashes. At first, i did not think much of it. Excessive sun exposure, heat and humid can do that to me.

but the proportions it has taken is absurd. Severe dermatographia. Coughing…

to give context, i will feel a sort of itch that is like a pinch. I barely touch it with with my hands, and the hives and rash wll blow out of proportion.

does this sound like anything you have heard of? Could my brachypelmas, nhandu and davus be causing this much, even when i am not even going in the enclosure aside of minimal maintenance and feeding? They arent even hairing me, even if i know then can put hairs everywhere?

are you Alergic to pollen?
I have been trying to avoid urticating hairs , one way is avoiding peat moss because when it dries out it scatters hairs everywhere when removing Sub . I wear gloves too.
keeping air movement low helps too.

 

[viper69]

I have read as much as I could. People sent me urls and I read them, and obscure papers. Everything i could get my hands on, until i read too much and nothing seemed to make any sense anymore.

my situation:

there were no reactions in the first months I had my tarantulas. I know i got haired once. But it was while transfering my tarantulas from the deli cups they were in, to their new enclosures.

the substrate was extremely dry and dusty. So hairs probably went flying around. That night i experienced full body burning.

i had also been fighting some
Kind of bronchitis. And possibly have asthma which, i did not know i had until xrays showed potential diaphragm issues. I still have more tests to do.

it was only a few months after, that i started getting rashes. At first, i did not think much of it. Excessive sun exposure, heat and humid can do that to me.

but the proportions it has taken is absurd. Severe dermatographia. Coughing…

to give context, i will feel a sort of itch that is like a pinch. I barely touch it with with my hands, and the hives and rash wll blow out of proportion.

does this sound like anything you have heard of? Could my brachypelmas, nhandu and davus be causing this much, even when i am not even going in the enclosure aside of minimal maintenance and feeding? They arent even hairing me, even if i know then can put hairs everywhere?

Maybe

In my office I kept boehmei and a couple other Brachy- I had not done anything with them or other Ts and “mysteriously” I had the common blister bumps their setae cause on many occasions- these are the only animals which cause this for me that I’ve been exposed to.

Clearly the setae can float in the air.

 

[TheraMygale]

A

are you Alergic to pollen?
I have been trying to avoid urticating hairs , one way is avoiding peat moss because when it dries out it scatters hairs everywhere when removing Sub . I wear gloves too.
keeping air movement low helps too.

oh of course i am. I mean, the great outdoors is the dream for me. Nothing makes me happier. And so, it is trying to kill me. I would have to take those allergy tablets everyday. I never wanted summer to be over this bad, to see if all this stops. If it those, then it is not the tara

Maybe

In my office I kept boehmei and a couple other Brachy- I had not done anything with them or other Ts and “mysteriously” I had the common blister bumps their setae cause on many occasions- these are the only animals which cause this for me that I’ve been exposed to.

Clearly the setae can float in the air.

sigh. It is what i fear. I can accept the pollen allergies and deal with it. But if the UrS are the cause, it is going to make me really sad. I really enjoy my 4 brachypelmas. Today, i saw my 2-3” female Emilia, FLY out of her burrow to catch a cricket. One of my P murinus has been pouting for 10 days now. He should be extra hungry too. I can’t imagine getting rid of all of them and just having two P murinus

 

[A guy]

If you already suspect that you may have bad reactions, start wearing protective equipment when cleaning or doing any kind of maintenance.

The more you get exposed, the worse it becomes. The worst thing people have experienced is having severe reactions just by entering the same room that has his new world species.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

If you already suspect that you may have bad reactions, start wearing protective equipment when cleaning or doing any kind of maintenance.

The more you get exposed, the worse it becomes. The worst thing people have experienced is having severe reactions just by entering the same room that has his new world species.

Yes I started doing that after this thread , it’s kept me from having to get rid of my new worlds.

Worst Urticating Hairs In tarantulas????OUCH ...which ones HURT the most?

I once cleaned out my Nhando coloratovillosus cage & got into contact with its hairs... my hands burned for 20+ HOURS@!@!@! aparently it kicked so many hairs in the subsrate I had a HORRIBLE reaction & the Itching lasted 20+ hours it also kicked hairs at me before & I itched for 10+ hour's...

arachnoboards.com

oh of course i am. I mean, the great outdoors is the dream for me. Nothing makes me happier. And so, it is trying to kill me. I would have to take those allergy tablets everyday. I never wanted summer to be over this bad, to see if all this stops. If it those, then it is not the tara




sigh. It is what i fear. I can accept the pollen allergies and deal with it. But if the UrS are the cause, it is going to make me really sad. I really enjoy my 4 brachypelmas. Today, i saw my 2-3” female Emilia, FLY out of her burrow to catch a cricket. One of my P murinus has been pouting for 10 days now. He should be extra hungry too. I can’t imagine getting rid of all of them and just having two P murinus

I was definitely more alergic in the past then currently , we’re do you currently keep them could hairs be spreading ? Via air circulation?

 

[viper69]

oh of course i am. I mean, the great outdoors is the dream for me. Nothing makes me happier. And so, it is trying to kill me. I would have to take those allergy tablets everyday. I never wanted summer to be over this bad, to see if all this stops. If it those, then it is not the tara




sigh. It is what i fear. I can accept the pollen allergies and deal with it. But if the UrS are the cause, it is going to make me really sad. I really enjoy my 4 brachypelmas. Today, i saw my 2-3” female Emilia, FLY out of her burrow to catch a cricket. One of my P murinus has been pouting for 10 days now. He should be extra hungry too. I can’t imagine getting rid of all of them and just having two P murinus

There are some NW species without Urs, and OW of course. The mini-GBB is my favorite of the NWs w/out them.

 

[TheraMygale]

I was definitely more alergic in the past then currently , we’re do you currently keep them could hairs be spreading ? Via air circulation?

In the living room. I am not having hives at the moment. Been in there for hours. Did not spend anytime there yesterday, and had hives. Terrible ones.

There are some NW species without Urs, and OW of course. The mini-GBB is my favorite of the NWs w/out them.

Which is that one? Dolicothele diamentenesis? I know OW don’t have them, but most seem like big time fossorials. I have not found many OW so far that seemed to get me interested. M balfouri is wonderful and all, but it’s still in the web tunnels most of the time.

So, for the NW with UrS, i searched a bit in the forum. Looked up some species. Nothing seemed to scream “pet rock” as much a the brachys or grammastolas… P pulcher and company seem to be hiding all the time. So i dont know if i missed anything, but does not seem like there are many options that fit with what i enjoy so far. N incei, maybe they have no UrS? I know they are understated. They are on my list. I think i have been holding because they stay small and always in their holes?

 

[l4nsky]

Going over the post and pictures, I have two questions:

1. Where are your enclosures in relation to the floor and yourself (arm height, waist height, knee height)?
2. What type of ventilation do you have on the enclosures containing species with urticating setae (screen vents, holes, slots on the side, solid or drilled top, etc)?

I have a working theory that the enclosures themselves are likely highly ventilated and likely positioned around waist height or lower. Since it's summer, I imagine like most sane people you're probably wearing shorts inside and probably walking by your enclosures atleast once or twice a day. With the dry substrate from the high temperatures, it's easy for those urticating hairs to get airborne and large amounts of ventilation means large amounts of those freefloating urticating hairs can get sucked out of the enclosure when you walk by with less protective layers of clothing between your bare skin and the urticating hairs than you had in the colder months.

On a slight tangent, I just rewatched the first three seasons of Sherlock so I *MIGHT* be looking too far into this .

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

In the living room. I am not having hives at the moment. Been in there for hours. Did not spend anytime there yesterday, and had hives. Terrible ones.



Which is that one? Dolicothele diamentenesis? I know OW don’t have them, but most seem like big time fossorials. I have not found many OW so far that seemed to get me interested. M balfouri is wonderful and all, but it’s still in the web tunnels most of the time.

So, for the NW with UrS, i searched a bit in the forum. Looked up some species. Nothing seemed to scream “pet rock” as much a the brachys or grammastolas… P pulcher and company seem to be hiding all the time. So i dont know if i missed anything, but does not seem like there are many options that fit with what i enjoy so far. N incei, maybe they have no UrS? I know they are understated. They are on my list. I think i have been holding because they stay small and always in their holes?

I had to clean the outside of all my enclosures, despite only having top ventilation here were accumulating on the outside of my cages. So I would pick them up. Then be on fire or in hives if haired bad enough for days.
Is there a ceiling fan running in that room?

Going over the post and pictures, I have two questions:

1. Where are your enclosures in relation to the floor and yourself (arm height, waist height, knee height)?
2. What type of ventilation do you have on the enclosures containing species with urticating setae (screen vents, holes, slots on the side, solid or drilled top, etc)?

I have a working theory that the enclosures themselves are likely highly ventilated and likely positioned around waist height or lower. Since it's summer, I imagine like most sane people you're probably wearing shorts inside and probably walking by your enclosures atleast once or twice a day. With the dry substrate from the high temperatures, it's easy for those urticating hairs to get airborne and large amounts of ventilation means large amounts of those freefloating urticating hairs can get sucked out of the enclosure when you walk by with less protective layers of clothing between your bare skin and the urticating hairs than you had in the colder months.

On a slight tangent, I just rewatched the first three seasons of Sherlock so I *MIGHT* be looking too far into this .

Cross ventilation a.k.a. Urt hairspreading holes. Very possible this is happening. Nice theory.

 

[TheraMygale]

Going over the post and pictures, I have two questions:

1. Where are your enclosures in relation to the floor and yourself (arm height, waist height, knee height)?
2. What type of ventilation do you have on the enclosures containing species with urticating setae (screen vents, holes, slots on the side, solid or drilled top, etc)?

I have a working theory that the enclosures themselves are likely highly ventilated and likely positioned around waist height or lower. Since it's summer, I imagine like most sane people you're probably wearing shorts inside and probably walking by your enclosures atleast once or twice a day. With the dry substrate from the high temperatures, it's easy for those urticating hairs to get airborne and large amounts of ventilation means large amounts of those freefloating urticating hairs can get sucked out of the enclosure when you walk by with less protective layers of clothing between your bare skin and the urticating hairs than you had in the colder months.

On a slight tangent, I just rewatched the first three seasons of Sherlock so I *MIGHT* be looking too far into this .

Aye, good ol’ Sherlock to get some sherlocking going. I sherlock everything

The theory is not farfetched. I have mostly faunariums. And yes, i am mostly in shorts. There is plenty of ventilation in those enclosures. They are placed higher though. I would have to seal off so much. I am sure that might help. But in the end, there is probably UrS everywhere by now if they get that air born.

Kids play in the living room and have very little regards to dirt. They on the floor all the time. The fan and a/c are in the kitchen that blows towards the living room. But it is not in the path of the tarantulas.

I got those rashes everywhere. Even on my bottocks yesterday .

The only way i would no for sure was to get rid of them. I have much to consider .

 

[fcat]

See a dermatologist, then your doctor. Would hate for your Ts to get blamed on something systemic. It's never lupus, of course, but rule out to rule in

 

[TheraMygale]

It's never lupus

It better not be. I will not be getting rid of them until i get to the bottom of this. Seeing Derms here is very complicated. Of health care system might be free, but the waitlists are life threatening. And private Derms, specialize in plastics. They come with an overrated price tag.

I will ask for a special allergy referral from my Dr when i see him and finaly got called to get my lungs checked next week.

We will be changing soaps too. Need to eliminate every small possibility.

I could always get unsightly milky plastic tubs and drill less holes in them.

I am doing all i can to get to the bottom of this.

 

[TheraMygale]

Here are some more. For documentation purposes.

 

[TechnoGeek]

Think I need to weigh in as a pharmacist, might be a long post so be warned.

Allergies are things that can sometimes make 0 sense whatsoever. You can be allergic to anything, including water (Google Aquagenic urticaria), light, and almost any kind of dust.

Allergies can also remain the same throughout your life, they can escalate quickly or shortly, or they can even decrease in severity. They also vary widely in their response to therapy, predominantly exposure therapy, as it can help build tolerance or make your allergy much worse.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/04/08/1168714814/pollen-allergies-exposure-therapy-slit-drops-under-the-tongue

It's also hard to tell what exactly makes you allergic. It's generally believed to be a combination of generic and environmental factors. Your genes can make you more predisposed to developing allergies, but I'm also a firm believer in the hygiene hypothesis. We make our immune systems naive and more likely to go haywire when we take avoidance too far, especially avoidance of things that don't cause allergic reactions in a specific person.

I've been told by a lot of people that more exposure to T hairs will make you react worse, not better. This is pretty much BS, the answer is you don't know until you try. But if you expose yourself to urticating hairs only occasionally you could end up reacting worse than someone who gets exposed more frequently.

In short allergies aren't predictable most of the time. You can try baby steps in exposure therapy but given what you describe it would be a far better idea to consult an allergy specialist.

 

[TheraMygale]

Think I need to weigh in as a pharmacist, might be a long post so be warned.

Allergies are things that can sometimes make 0 sense whatsoever. You can be allergic to anything, including water (Google Aquagenic urticaria), light, and almost any kind of dust.

Allergies can also remain the same throughout your life, they can escalate quickly or shortly, or they can even decrease in severity. They also vary widely in their response to therapy, predominantly exposure therapy, as it can help build tolerance or make your allergy much worse.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/04/08/1168714814/pollen-allergies-exposure-therapy-slit-drops-under-the-tongue

It's also hard to tell what exactly makes you allergic. It's generally believed to be a combination of generic and environmental factors. Your genes can make you more predisposed to developing allergies, but I'm also a firm believer in the hygiene hypothesis. We make our immune systems naive and more likely to go haywire when we take avoidance too far, especially avoidance of things that don't cause allergic reactions in a specific person.

I've been told by a lot of people that more exposure to T hairs will make you react worse, not better. This is pretty much BS, the answer is you don't know until you try. But if you expose yourself to urticating hairs only occasionally you could end up reacting worse than someone who gets exposed more frequently.

In short allergies aren't predictable most of the time. You can try baby steps in exposure therapy but given what you describe it would be a far better idea to consult an allergy specialist.

Thank you SO MUCH for your contribution. This is the kind of feedback i want. Diverse backgrounds and experience.

i agree with everything. I am not ready to say my tarantulas are cause just yet.

you, more then anyone, knows that certain meds can have ill effects when you get sun exposure. I am aging, and these meds i take, are accumilating in me as well.

it is still to soon to know what the cause is.

and your addition just confirms that it is very hard to pinpoint.

i spend so much time in my living room and experience nothing at all. Then i will go out, rub my clothing against my skin, and the SAME thing will happen.

at what point does clothing need to be washed to rid UrS? Sometimes it is just possibly something else. I worked in my enclosures with no gloves and nothing happened. Of course it is not habit, but it just proves the point.

like poison ivy. However, poison ivy, is consistent. UrS reactions, in my case do not seem to be.

i am not ready to give my tarantulas away. And i will take this as far as i can, medicaly possibly, to get answers. I will keep this thread alive, to keep as much news as possible.

allergies are vast. And so are their reactions. to much ambiguity in the UrS world. I will just go through the process if not, to learn. There are worse reasons to die from.