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Original poster

Spicy pepper on hands, still burning

21 replies

Booboostwo · 12/10/2019 21:13

Four hours ago I unwittingly chopped some kind of very spicy pepper. I thought I had bought sweet peppers so I have no idea what kind of pepper it was. It was hot enough to make a huge veggie couscous inedible but also seems to have left a burning residue on my hands.

I keep being careless and spreading it all over my body, e.g. I was doing cross stitch, I touched the thread and them licked it to get it through the eye of the needle and my lips and tongue were burning for a good 30 minutes, I rubbed my eye and that was bad but is now OK. I am now wearing gloves to do things (I needed to use my menstruation cup!!!) but can still feel my hands burning in places.

How long will this go on for?! Can I do anything to stop the burning?

OP posts:

Thebookswereherfriends · 12/10/2019 21:20

Maybe have a shower and thoroughly wash your hands while in the shower. Or soak your hands in milk - milk works for when you’ve eaten something spicy, maybe it’ll work on your hands.

Original poster

Booboostwo · 12/10/2019 21:23

Washing doesn’t seem to help but I’ll try the milk thing thanks.

OP posts:

homemadecommunistrussia · 12/10/2019 21:26

Milk might help a bit, but I would go for something more greasy, vegetable oil, vaseline or something similar.

Fluandseptember · 12/10/2019 21:27

Oil - olive oil or sunflower. Rub it in really really well, wipe it off. Have another go, and wipe that off.

The capsi-whatever it's called is fat soluble but not water soluble. This saved me when I got scotch bonnet pepper on my face...

Passmeabrew · 12/10/2019 21:32

Massage with olive oil, it breaks it down!

Original poster

Booboostwo · 12/10/2019 21:34

I’ve tried both, something worked, it’s better. Thank you all.

OP posts:

Wilmalovescake · 12/10/2019 21:37

That’s a brilliant tip.
Glad it worked OP!

Original poster

Booboostwo · 12/10/2019 21:45

I know I am being a nuisance but it was only better for a short while, burning has come back now. Is this normal? Seems crazy nearly five hours later!

OP posts:

Jasmin82 · 12/10/2019 21:47

Did you wash with cold water? I remember watching a cooking show a few years back and the chef was saying that, when handling chilies and the like, it's better to wash your hands with cold water as hot water opens the pores in the skin and makes it more difficult to get the capsicum off.

AdaColeman · 12/10/2019 21:51

Try cleaning with milk and oil again, keep doing it every hour or so.

The irritant chilli oil isn't water soluble, that's why washing with water doesn't work.

OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow · 12/10/2019 21:52

Yasmin is right, don't use hot water and soap. I once spent the night with hands of fire from that.

Original poster

Booboostwo · 12/10/2019 21:54

Google suggests adding some alcohol to the mix, so now I’ve done alcohol and some more oil. This is ridiculous! Everything works for a few minutes and then it comes back. What the hell was that pepper?! It should have had a safety warning (this is a joke, I won’t be suing anyone or calling the Daily Fail).

OP posts:

AdaColeman · 12/10/2019 21:55

Are you getting any blistering or rash on your hands Booboo? Is the discomfort easing at all?

Original poster

Booboostwo · 12/10/2019 22:04

No, luckily there is no redness, rash or blisters. But no better either. All the things suggested help for a few minutes only.

I have to try to sleep now as I need to be up in six hours. Let’s hope I don’t scratch anything in my sleep

OP posts:

Original poster

Booboostwo · 13/10/2019 00:44

This is unbelievable, I can’t sleep because of the pain. I’ve tried milk, oil, detergent and alcohol, they all work but only for a few minutes. I’ve now taken anti-inflammatories and put on some cortisone but there is no improvement.

Might have to go to a doctor tomorrow. My finger, which I used to get the seeds out is now a bit red but nothing very spectacular.

OP posts:

homemadecommunistrussia · 13/10/2019 09:13

How are you this morning?

Original poster

Booboostwo · 13/10/2019 20:19

Sorry for the lack of update but it was a really tough day. Today was the PTAs big annual fundraising event so I was helping out from 6am to 18.30 pm. I am beyond shattered.

Last night was awful. The pain was really bad, I couldn’t sleep at all. Everything suggested helped, but only for a few minutes. My hand felt Ike it was held onto a hot plate. I also tried diclofenac and a cortisone cream but neither was much help. At some point I slept for an hour with my hand on a bowl with ice cubes but that was it.

By 6am, 12 hours after the pepper things were better and I managed to direct traffic with my hand in a bag of ice. 16 hours after the pepper I was managing 30 minutes before having to cook my hand down. This evening I am almost back to normal with occasional twinges.

The pain was so bad that had I not google doctored myself I would have tried to get to a doctor for help. I don’t think I can deal with any more peppers for the foreseeable future!

OP posts:

Thebookswereherfriends · 15/10/2019 20:31

Wow, nasty reaction! Maybe it was more of an allergic reaction. Definitely avoid anything like that for a while.

Twospaniels · 15/10/2019 20:56

Would an antihistamine helped?

Also, don’t be “intimate” with anyone 🤪

MeadowHay · 15/10/2019 21:02

Sounds like allergic reaction. I so sympathise, this happened to me about two years ago in early pregnancy when I chopped a red chilli peppers for dinner and OMG. After a couple of hours of pain and distress with very red hands I called NHS111, you're a stronger woman than I! They advised me on pain killers and to leave them soaking in milk, which did help, but only as long as they were in milk. Had similarly sleepless night, it was so awful. They put it in my medical records as an allergic reaction. The thing is, I eat chilli in food fairly often and have never had any allergy symptoms that I've noticed, it is just like a topical allergy for my skin. I always wear gloves when I cut chilli since.

Original poster

Booboostwo · 15/10/2019 21:09

It could have been allergic. I took antihistamines just in case but they didn’t help at all. DrGoogle suggests that it is the expected reaction to coming into contact with the pips which is why everyone should wear gloves when cleaning these peppers. Apparently the reaction can be so severe it can cause nerve damage.

Twospaniels I had to change my menstrual cup during all this but luckily it was after I realized what was happening otherwise I think I would have ended up in hospital for sure. Luckily I also realized and wore gloves before feeding the dogs and horses or it could have been worse. When I picked up the iPad two days later I got a little reaction from finger typing as I think some oil residue had been left on the screen.

OP posts:

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