Possible Wood Allergies

[Michael Koehne]

I haven't been feeling well for the past several months. First, my sense of smell and taste seemed to diminish drastically. My mouth is constantly dry, sometimes with a metallic taste. More recently, I've developed a skin rash with severe itching, over most of my body.

I was talking to a good friend today, and telling him of my symptoms. Our discussion eventually turned to woodworking. I asked about some cedar he had given me months ago, to see if he had more he would sell me. (He has a Woodmizer sawmill and cut much of the lumber for his new log home.) He told me that what he gave me was actually juniper, and that it was a known allergen. I've recently been turning some Western Red Cedar I bought from Home Depot.

Do any of you recognize any of my symptoms and/or had a similar reaction to cedar?

[Bruce Pratt]

Go see your GP.

[Scott DelPorte]

I have resawn lots of WRC without ill effects (with dust collection), but it is considered a potent irritant on this listing of woods and their toxicity.

http://www.wood-database.com/wood-ar...-and-toxicity/

[daryl moses]

I've never turned "Western" Cedar so I can't help you there. I have turned quite a lot of "Eastern" Cedar [the aromatic kind] with no ill effects. Eastern Cedar is actually a Juniper not sure about Western Cedar but I think it is a Juniper as well.
I have been turning a lot of Black Walnut recently though and my sinuses are all messed up. I would venture a guess that different species affect people differently.
I'm not an MD but your symptoms sound too severe to just be a wood allergy. You need to see an MD ASAP.

[Stan Calow]

western cedar is not a juniper.

[Len Mullin]

Nor is true Eastern Cedar here in Canada, it's a species all its own. It doesn't even look similar to a Juniper, and it doesn't loose its greenery in the fall like juniper does. There's no comparison in the wood, eastern cedar is very soft, whereas juniper is a lot harder. If cut into boards, eastern cedar is nice wood to work with, it sands well and it doesn't split when mechanical fasteners are used on it. Juniper on the other hand is not nice to work with, it doesn't sand well and mechanical fasteners always seem to split it.

[daryl moses]

As I said previously..........."Aromatic Cedar" [Juniperus Virginiana] is indeed a Juniper. Also called Red Cedar, Eastern Red Cedar, Virginian Juniper, Eastern Juniper, Red Juniper, Pencil Cedar. It grows from Southeastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
Our Junipers, Aromatic Cedar, Red Cedar or whatever you want to call it doesn't loose it's greenery in the Fall, it retains it's greenery year round. Our Eastern Cedar is hard especially after it has dried and very rot resistant.
I've never heard of a "true Eastern Cedar" I have herd of White Cedar [Thuja Occidontalis] which is a member of the Cypress family. It is not a Juniper and is native to Eastern Canada.

[Jamie Straw]

Go see your GP.

Second the motion -- best to see a doctor! Yes, it could likely be the wood, but some of the symptoms you cite seem pretty drastic.

[robert baccus]

Some woods, mostly tropicals, can kill on exposure. Hemlock and Yewwood can also be very fatal if ingested. Many local species can make you very sick if allergic to that species. Also you mention symptoms that are associated with lyme disease--it has 100-400 symptoms. If not treated with antibiotics rapidly it is incurable--makes life a living hell.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

As I said previously..........."Aromatic Cedar" [Juniperus Virginiana] is indeed a Juniper. Also called Red Cedar, Eastern Red Cedar, Virginian Juniper, Eastern Juniper, Red Juniper, Pencil Cedar. It grows from Southeastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
Our Junipers, Aromatic Cedar, Red Cedar or whatever you want to call it doesn't loose it's greenery in the Fall, it retains it's greenery year round. Our Eastern Cedar is hard especially after it has dried and very rot resistant.
I've never heard of a "true Eastern Cedar" I have herd of White Cedar [Thuja Occidontalis] which is a member of the Cypress family. It is not a Juniper and is native to Eastern Canada.

You are right Daryl, the so-called Eastern Red Cedar is a Juniper and is an evergreen there are more native Junipers, a low growing Creeping Juniper, and a rocky mountain Juniper.

The Eastern White Cedar and the Western Red Cedar are both Thuja genus species.

As for allergic reactions, yes some can have them, but this is not the place to speculate on what his ailments is caused by, he should go see his doctor.

[Chris Fairbanks]

Some of your symptoms sound like an allergy but others seem like something else. As Bruce suggested go see your doctor. While you are waiting to see him try out some Claritin. I am allergic to a few types of exotics like lacewood and Claritin clears me up really quick if I come into contact with it. Good luck.

[Frederick Skelly]

Mike, please go see a doctor ASAP.

[Michael Koehne]

Go see your GP.

Saw him day before yesterday. He seemed stumped. At the time I wasn't aware of the allergenic qualities of cedar. He prescribed saline nose spray, OTC lotion and sugar-free lemon drops. All of which seem to me to be nothing but "band-aids".

[Michael Koehne]

Thank you for the replies. I'm not looking for medical advice. I wouldn't come to a turning forum for that. I was hoping to find some correlation between my symptoms and wood allergies, since turning and sanding produce so much dust. I thought this might be the place for that.

[Reed Gray]

Western Red Cedar and Redwood are both woods that you can become sensitive to, and I have a couple of friends that had to give up turning them. Rule of thumb for me is that the stronger it smells, the more likely it is to be an irritant to you.

robo hippy