Mango- Beauty and the Beast-Urushiol Induced Contact Dermatitis
Posted by Dr. Cason on Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
I was 22 when I first had a Mango. It was ripe and juicy but a little difficult if not messy to peel. I cut and sliced and then just picked the whole thing up and sucked the sweet orange flesh from the peel. My teeth were excellent tools to get at the embedded fruit. I was pretty proud of myself. I laughed when I was teased for the mess I created. I didn’t care. Juice dripped off my chin and I wiped it away sloppily. I had found a new fruit and I was in heaven. Until the next day.
A fine erythematous papular rash slowly erupted. First over my lips and cheeks and finally over my forehead. I scratched and scratched and took shower after shower. I called the doctor and then stayed home. I drowned my troubles in even more Mango. Still sweet and rich I kept eating. I was a little slow at putting the pieces together.
It turns out that Mango is in the same plant family-Anacardiaceae-as poison sumac. It’s peel contains the oil, urushiol, which can elicit a skin rash called “Urushiol-Induced Contact Dermatitis”. Who knew!!
I still eat Mango. I usually just make an exaggerated bite to get the mango fruit in my mouth without touching the peel. But the other day, I don’t know what came over me. God help me I could see the flesh still stuck on the pit and it looked so good and a little won’t hurt that much right?
Wrong. I’m sporting some “Angelena Jolie” lips right now and they don’t as good as I ever imagined they would!
Filed in Everything Medicine,My Life | 31 responses so far
Sarahon 22 Jun 2008 at 3:56 pm 1Maybe I didn’t run into you that week, but I had a really annoyingly itchy and swollen eyelid from apparently rubbing it while I was eating a mango at the beginning of 3rd year residency. Hydrocortisone cream took care of it pretty well. Since then, I’m careful to cut the peel off first, wash my hands, rinse the mango and knife. Then I’m OK. I haven’t run into any problems from biting it off the seed, because there’s no peel there. . .
Dr. Casonon 22 Jun 2008 at 5:03 pm 2That was my thought as well. “Pit” is not “Peel” right?
Wrong! Must be some Urushiol in the seed as well. I’m proof positive.
(smiling through itchy swollen lips)
Audreyon 23 Jun 2008 at 2:11 am 3Hmm you could always leave it on the floor of your car and see what develops?
Hmm looking left you’ve asked “should you let your child watch television?” Can I ask back….how would moms ever keep their little bit of sanity without a television? The only reason we don’t have one in the car is because I never owned a van ROFL.
Audreys last blog post..Chinese Casserole
Dr. Casonon 23 Jun 2008 at 6:17 am 4They wouldn’t.
which is why my kids are watching Chicken Little as I write this and the baby is scavenging for food in the kitchen!
My life as a pediatrician is a little different from my life at home- as you can see from my blog. BUT as a doctor I feel obligated to let you know that (and pardon me for yelling) BABY EINSTEIN IS NOT MAKING YOUR KID SMARTER!!
Mary Aliceon 23 Jun 2008 at 9:38 am 5Don’t the leaves make you itchy too? I vaguely remember one of my kids getting a rash climbing in the mango tree when we lived in Hawaii.
Mary Alices last blog post..Catch and Release
White Hot Magikon 23 Jun 2008 at 1:12 pm 6Good to know in case that happens, I have eaten mango fresh before but it has been a while. I am more worried about cutting myself, trying to get around the seed. Now I am going to have to go buy one at the store tomorrow.
White Hot Magiks last blog post..The Art of being Crafty
Barbara Swaffordon 23 Jun 2008 at 4:03 pm 7Oh My Gosh, Dr. Cason,
I didn’t know that about mangos. Thank you so much for sharing.
Hopefully your husband finds those “Angelena Jolie” lips sexy.
Barbara Swaffords last blog post..You’re Only As Good As Your Current Post
Ambre Hodgeon 24 Jun 2008 at 2:49 am 8Thanks for the info, sorry about your lip situation.
Ambre Hodges last blog post..Maybe an Old Woman Can Learn New Tricks
Mad goat ladyon 24 Jun 2008 at 2:12 pm 9Oh what a shame! I just luuuurrrvvvve mangoes and buy them by the tray load when they are in season here in Australia (around Xmas time)
They are so messy to eat and I have been informed that the best place to eat a mango is in the bath tub…naked!
Apparently it is quite common to have a reaction if you actually suck on the large seed but less common from just consuming the delicious, golden flesh.
Thanks for dropping by Mad Goat Lady….am enjoying exploring your site and will be back for more
Mad goat ladys last blog post..What do you mean move over?
Dr. Casonon 24 Jun 2008 at 3:13 pm 10Mary Alice- Seems reasonable to assume the leaves would make you itchy as well.
White Hot- Did you get that mango?
Barbara- He thinks my lips look like her lips a little already. God Bless him! Why do you think I keep him around? But now he keeps looking at me and shaking his head and saying, “What did you expect Sheila?”
Ambre- No problem. If anyone can benefit, I’m happy to share!
Mad Goat Lady- We went to Cairns in January and the Mangoes were amazing. Ruined it entirely for me. Now I get the ones from the Commissary and John keeps saying, “Not quite the same is it??”
“Um, No.”
Mangomanon 23 Aug 2008 at 11:12 am 11Yep-
Ran away from home in 1977 and lived in Jamaica and ate “the mos’ mangoes outa ebry white bwoy”.
Gatey, John Finnegan, Number, Stringy, Black, Kidney, Strawberry, Water, East Indian, Green Gage, Red, Beeswax, Beefy – I got the rash pretty good especially during April when there was lots of green ones oozing that white sap. Never had problem pealing with teeth if they are absolutely and perfectly ripe.
I currently have a urushiol rash all over my face, eyes, ears, neck – very sensitive to poison ivy. Don’t know how it got there. I had been eating two sliced oranges after dinner for the past couple nights and got quite a bit of that of that orange rind oil around my mouth- was wondering if that might have the urushiol in it -couldn’t confirm. Otherwise, it must have either been that dead vine I was pulling off the tree in the park or that “different” mango I ate the other day- come to think of it – it was different. Hmmmmmmmmm.
saglikon 09 Oct 2008 at 12:00 am 12Thank you.
Amaryllison 10 Dec 2008 at 11:24 pm 13I currently also have a urushiol rash all over my face, lips, neck and ears. Didn’t know about mangos and poison ivy – found out the hard way! Just couldn’t think what caused it until I remembered the three organic mangos I bought – three for the price of two. First tried to remove peel a la Hercule Poirot -no success. Then bit into one – if only I’d known! It was so juicy and ripe I have never tasted such a delicious mango – I just had to have another. It was really sticky though- don’t think I did a very good clean up job..and it seems that urushiol stuff is really difficult to get off…and I don’t think I’ll be eating one again in a hurry. …
Mangomonon 11 Dec 2008 at 12:28 am 14Following up on my earlier post:
It turns out that the vine WAS Poison Ivy and the cause of my rash. I unsuccessfully tried to treat this with Calamine, Caladryl and tons of cleaning of every possible place I touched in my house. This was the worst case of Poison Ivy I’ve every had i.e severe.
Finally a friend reccomended Olux Foam (Clobetasol Propionate). This is prescription that contains the steroid Prednisone. One application and the unbearable itching was completely gone and the rash immediately began to recede and was gone in a few days. I’ve been doing natural healing for more than three decades, even teaching it and I hate drugs of all kinds. On this one I concede; it was a miracle for me.
A co-worker took Prednisone internally only to see his rash return. I see no point in exposing every cell in my body to a potentially dangerous drug when you can apply it locally only where it is needed.
MangoMomon 10 Feb 2009 at 1:26 am 15Wow – can’t believe it took me so long to find this information. My daughter had a nasty reaction after eating 2 entire mangos (peeled with a knife, but I guess the urushiol got on her hands anyway). Horrible rash all over her face – then got a secondary infection from scratching. Put her on a steroid (internally) to stop the allergic reaction (I was afraid of it going down her throat) and anti-biotics for the secondary skin infection. Poor kid ended up even sicker – too much meds in her gut. Finally took her off everything and let the rash run its course – took a good 2 weeks.
But the doctor thought it was pretty unlikely the mango caused it! So guess what – we decided to try mango again – this time I peeled it myself, just in case. Didn’t matter – she still had the puffy lips and itchy skin on her face … so unfortunately for her, NO MORE MANGOES!! EVER!!
I won’t even let her have mango-flavored juice … just in case. Who knew??
Severe Mango Allergy! - MBWorld.org Forumson 10 Jun 2009 at 9:05 am 16[...] http://drcason.org/2008/06/22/mango-…and-the-beast/ I suppose, but I believe it to be the urushiol induced contact dermatitus directly from the mango [...]
Billon 18 Jun 2009 at 8:52 pm 17I am having a bad mango urisol attack right now. I tried 4 home remedies today and bought some calamine lotion and CVS brand something that starts with a z that cost $40. All didnt work. Actually spread it. I had a small spot on my penis, not to get you all excited but that has swollen the most. My whole face is red and I recently touched the corner of one eye.
billberggren@yahoo.com
Jaelleon 01 Jul 2009 at 6:32 pm 18I’m 23 and just bought my first mango a few days ago, I recall not liking them as a child so I thought I’d give them another shot. I’m VERY allergic to urushiol and had no idea my horrible rash on my face and ears was because of the stupid mango skin. (And surprisingly, not many other people know this either)
Here’s my question, if mangoes all contain urushiol, why don’t grocery stores provide proper handling instructions and a warning label? Items that contain dairy and nuts are required to, so why not mangoes? A urshiol rash mild or severe is no laughing matter.
Tanyaon 04 Jul 2009 at 3:41 am 19OMG! I just had a urushiol reaction to magoes as well. The first doctor I went to told me I had herpes…and my heart sank! I had this rash all over my face, eyelids, ears, neck, and even fingers. It was the itchiest and most embarrasing rash I have ever experienced, except for the last two summers where I came into contact with poison oak and had severe reactions in both instances! After my second trip to the same doctor telling me I had herpes, my test results came back negative and I was releived. He then thought I had an immune deficiency or some sort so I did some blood work…again negative…finally he sent me to someone who knows that they are doing (dermatologist) and he instanstly said WOW…you have come into contact with something you are very allergic to. After discussing my life and what I had been doing for the past week we came to the conclusion that eating a Mangoe as you are peeling it is the worst idea ever for me! All in all…if you ever get a strange line of blisters that itch and ooze like crazy…go see a dermatologist right away!
Levion 07 Aug 2009 at 1:28 am 20I had the same experience as Tanya. Doctor ruled out Herpes which is what I initially thought it was (thank goodness). He told me it was probably a random virus and gave me some Prednisone. The symptoms went away immediately. I was so excited I went out and celebrated with a feast of mangoes, only to find my symptoms come back in full force. I returned to the doctor and told him my suspicions about the mangoes after reading about their relation to poison ivy. He still isn’t convinced that it’s a mango allergy but I know it is. My symptoms are identical to everyone else’s. The only thing that has helped me is taking Benadryl once every few hours and applying cortizone cream to the affected areas a few times a day. I look like I’ve been punched in the face but I think it’s on the decline. It’s a miserable rash, but at least now I know to steer clear of those temptingly delicious mangoes.
Moral of the story: You know your body best; if you suspect something is wrong, follow your gut.
Glennon 26 Aug 2009 at 1:28 am 21Oh good grief. I’ve recently fallen in love with mangoes. Bought the Ataulfos in CostCo, already cleaned and in plastic. No issues. Then my wife and I bought some different ones (Kents, Keitts) in the store.. I haven’t had quite the reaction as some folks have, but like Dr. C I must have rubbed an eye because my right eye is swollen and on FIRE. It hurts like heck. I went to two doctors yesterday, one thought I had iritis and the other said it’s conjunctivitis. I can’t believe it. My mango addiction comes back to bite me in the backside. Thank goodness for this site – I have been losing my mind as this has been going on for 2 weeks now. I’ve been eating more and more mango all the while, thinking no big deal…….
DON’T RUB EYES….
Glennon 26 Aug 2009 at 2:06 am 22That was Sarah, not Dr. C – my apologies.
Katherineon 28 Nov 2009 at 8:31 am 23I am having a horrible reaction on my lips. Dermatologist said I have contact dermatitis contained to my lips. I was using Tom’s of Maine Orange Mango toothpaste. Could the Mango flavoring be the culprit?
Natalieon 31 Dec 2009 at 11:50 am 24I think the oil is in the whole mango. I’ve tried eating fruit off the pit and it’s rash city.
Tamon 10 Feb 2010 at 12:05 pm 25I’ve always had severe reactions to poison ivy and had a similar experience when I “discovered” mangoes at age 18. The day after eating (messily) my 1st mango, I ended up in the emergency room with swollen lips, nostrils, and eyes, and a fine blistered rash around my mouth and down my neck. That was over 15 years ago. To my dismay I ate a pluot last summer and got swollen lips and a rash. I eat plums and apricots with impunity. Go figure.
Laurenon 20 Mar 2010 at 2:52 pm 26Has anyone ever had a reaction to mango with a tooth sensitivity? Also for me, I was explaining to my dentist how I ate a mango and needed to floss and after that I thought I needed root canal. She told me it was highly unlikely to have such a sudden onset on both sides of my mouth and that I am probably allergic to mango skin. Anyway I feel like i have cavities in the top half of my mouth and I have 2 canker sores. Has anyone ever heard of this?
Tangomango!on 04 May 2010 at 5:54 am 27I had my doctor friend do a favor and look at my lips this week after they became itchy, swollen, and covered in blisters. I thought I had herpes (no), then thought somehow I had poison ivy (unlikely) but just found out about mango dermatitis and realized I bought and peeled a mango the day before the rash broke out!
My question is this: is the oil that provokes such reactions just on the peel and seed? I’ve eaten mango before many times, but usually I avoid the peel. This time with the rash, I was eating from the peel and probably didn’t wash my mouth for awhile after.
Do those of you that have had reactions but continue to eat mangos have any tips?
Tom Eon 05 May 2010 at 6:03 am 28My tip, DON’T DO IT!
It just gets worse and worse each time. Mangos were my favorite fruit. Mango ice cream with cinnamon, mango salsa with seafood, I would never cook something fancy without a bit of mango in it. Now I’m just asking for trouble if I do. Doesn’t seem to matter with me if I try and avoid the skin or not. I heard a tip somewhere that if you wash your mouth right after eating with dish soap, you are likely to be OK, but it’s not worth it for me.
I now get scabs over both lips that weep so much it drips off my chin. Yuck. Waking up and putting a hot rag on my mouth so that I can open my lips cause they are scabbed together.
And you don’t even want to hear about the time I took a bath after my roommate had used a mango shave cream on her legs. I thought I was going to die, lol.
For those of us who suffer from poison oak, ivy, sumac, it’s just one thing that’s not worth it. Also fresh pistachios are in the family as well, though I’ve never had a reaction from pistachios, I’ve never seen one fresh either.
Tom Eon 05 May 2010 at 6:07 am 29OOPS cashews not pistachios. Here’s some others..
ginkgo, Japanese lacquer and rengas trees, pink peppercorns and cashew shell oil
Annon 01 Jun 2010 at 2:52 am 30It took me years to make the connection between mangoes and my severe reaction–actually to the point of heart palpitations, sweating, swollen lips, etc. It was awful. I had my first mango at age 40 and it was love at first bite, but that night I had a “heart” episode…we thought it might have been the shrimp I ate or something. Anyway, through the next 10 years I slowly made a connection…the “heart” episodes were always after ingesting mango. Doesn’t sound possible, but I have not had one since I stopped eating mango 3 years ago. Drat.
Wow, didn’t know about pink peppercorns, thanks!
Randyon 06 Jun 2010 at 3:21 pm 31Okay, I have a serious problem haha. I was eating a mango earlier today, doing my usual, washed it, cut it into strips and sat down to eat the strips. The problem is, I didn’t know it had urushiol in the rind. I’m pretty darn allergic to poison ivy. I get a poison ivy rash that lasts for a month and can turn my body part it’s on purple (even after using calamine, baking soda, you name it I’ve tried it).
Here’s the problem, I eat mangoes peel and all, except the seed, that’s a bit too tough for me. Then after wards, I washed off the seed and was thinking of growing a mango tree… Then I saw a site that said mangoes have urushiol in it and my heart sank. Seriously, I love mangoes, I eat them fresh, in sorbet, with ice cream, some chicken, I even have mango peach tea (store bought).
Now I’m freaked out because I have a humongous fear of poison ivy, just because it’s so painful, and I’m being told my absolute favorite fruit has an oil in it that I’m topically allergic to, I’m worried my insides will develop the allergy and I’ll be screwed. I really hope I’m not internally allergic to it, otherwise I’m going to freak out.