Stingy Nettle Juice for Stingy Nettle Stings

[Pappa]

I assume others here know about this too, but I've never read it on the site so I figured I'd mention it.

When I sting myself with stingy nettles, I always get rid of the sting using the juice of crushed stingy nettle leaves (pulled firmly from the plant). For me, they work much better than dock leaves. I heared about the technique via Lofty Wiseman (either on TV or in his SAS Survival Handbook, I don't remember which).

Pappa

[moduser]

Not tried that. Wish I'd know as I was having a go at neetle cordage at the weekend and could I find a dock anywhere near by?

Thanks for the info. I love this forum. Something new every day

[Buckshot]

Yeah, it means you get revenge on the plant straight away

Cheers

Mark

[match]

You can in fact use any green plant that has a slightly sharp juice - docks, burdock, sorrel, dandelion - anything that you might try to make into a soup!

Never tried this with nettle, but it does sound entirely plausible!

[moduser]

True. I'm usually ok for the first 3-4 plants but after that I just can't take it - woose I know but I suppose if I keep practicing my cordage ( and I need to ) maybe I'll develop and immunity

[Goose]

Does Bicarbonate of Soda, or any other household alkali work in soothing the sting? Anyone tried, may try myself but I hate nettle stings!

[Ajali]

I don't think that the stings are acid, not particularly. From what i understand, the 'stings' are actually tiny, hollow silicon hairs that are so sharp they can pierce your skin, but so brittle that they will break off. The hollow cavity inside them contains hystamine, which your body releases as part of the immune system anyway, (hayfever is when too much hystamine is released because the immune system is over-reacting) so you're basically getting a hystamine injection. But obviously the nettle's injection is much more than you would normally find in the body in such a small area, hence the inflammation and 'bubbling' reaction you can get.
Be aware, i havent double checked this, it's just what i rememebr from an accidental reading a few years ago but it makes sense.
Lol, i know this isn't a particularly useful post (it doesn't tell you how to relieve the pain or anything) but i hope it's informative in a purley interesting way. I'll do a little more reading up on the subject and see what i can find, in terms of relief from them etc. Tired, so very tired. Night.

Ajali
XOX

[Bardialus]

It does work, I tried my hand at the cordage for the first time the other week. I used some good work gloves for the first couple to see how easy it was to strip them, lol I was confident by then I think to take the glove off which was sodden. my hands were green, by the time I'd finished pulling the fibres off my hands were soaked and bright green and I didn't feel any pain.

It does make sense though, as they say that most things antidote is part of the poison.

[Infragreen]

I have another one for you.
White Man's Footsteps or Plantains (Plantago).
I did a Google on them and found this page: http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=1434
The information that they're anti-inflammatory goes along fine with my experiences (also using others as guinea pigs).
Highly recommended.

Cheers,
Infy.

[innocent bystander]

The stings contain a mixture of histamine and formic acid ( the same used by painful species of ant).

Baking soda is supposed to be okay on the stings.

[Ketchup]

I thought they were needle shaped cristals of oxalic acid?

Any informed botanist out there?

[capacious]

I learned that one of 'Historys worst Jobs' with the legendary Tony Robinson. It dosn't bloody work though...............

[scanker]

Formic. Lots of information at wikipedia, including the nettle eating competition at the Bottle Inn - I've been there - didn't enter though, it looked far too much like hard work!

[Longstrider]

In my experience the best leaves for relieving nettle stings are those from the tip of the nettle. The smallest, freshest, and softest leaves on the thing. Crushed and rubbed onto the stung area they have always worked for me, even better than dock leaves.
Having grown up playing along the banks of the Great Ouse and mostly wearing shorts at the time I had plenty of chances to experiment with what would and would not work on nettle stings. I think the over-exposure asa kid must have made a difference though, because I am very rarely bothered by the stings these days and cannot remeber the last time I came up in the typical little white bumps that nettle stings raise on most folks. Might be like a bee keeper getting used to the bee stings I guess?

[BorderReiver]

I find wearing gloves is best.