What is causing this?

**mommy4ever** · 09-21-2008, 10:13 AM

3 days ago, I was getting ready to fix supper, and went to wash my hands, and noticed I had something brownish on them, so I scrubbed good and it didn't come off. Just a few spots, some on palm, so on fingertips and a trail up my arm.

Then the next day, dh sends dd11 to wash her filthy hands! She comes down saying it won't come off, dh starts to scold and I look, and told him, no, it's a stain. Then I check dd4, and her entire palm of her right hand is stained, (now fading around the creases), and spots on her left hand. dd9 has a spot on her foot(no idea here) and a little on her hand. DH and ds14 have nothing.

This morning I wake up and have MORE on my arm. I fades some when I wash, so I know it's something we've touched.

Trying to figure out what would cause it? Any ideas? We've checked areas that all 4 of us use, but there is nothing. Some of the spots on my look like drag marks, or a running drip or splash. I'm clueless. We suspected teh dog, but we all play with her. If it were saliva, dd4 face should be brown. She is white and has no staining on her other then a minimal around her mouth. Nothing around eyes, ears or derriere. She lays on me all the time and doesn't leave anything but dirt if she's gotten into something. Her pillow isn't stained, she doesn't leave marks on our light carpet, and ds and dh aren't affected.

DD4 has the worst of it. The only thing in common was lettuce, dd is my salad maker, I helped, could there have been something on the romaine? I handled it helping, there were a few pieces here and there that had to go. I picked it out. DD9 and dd11 are notorious for eating salad with their fingers.

I have no idea! Any ideas? I've never seen this before. I noticed new stains again this morning, I did have more salad last night....

**Jskell911** · 09-21-2008, 11:04 AM

I wish I had some idea. Hope you figure it out soon and if it continues to get worse I would speak to a doctor.

**mommy4ever** · 09-21-2008, 11:10 AM

it's not a rash or skin color change it's an actual stain... like of you got icing color on you, it doesn't wash away it fades, eventually gone. I'm just trying to see what we touched so I can eliminate it! What's weird is no clothes are stained..lol. So our body chemistry is oxidizing with something. Looks like henna stains.

**PrairieRose** · 09-21-2008, 01:46 PM

That's a very strange....I've never had anything like that happen to me. I mean I've gotten something like iodine on me but otherwise nothing. I hope you figure it out, that would be driving me nuts too....

**mommy4ever** · 09-21-2008, 02:01 PM

That's exactly what it looks like. I just found it on my feet! Looks like that is the main area, whicch is weird as I don't go barefoot, and my socks only have a *little* on them. So to me, this is something that is reacting with my skin.

It's SO weird!

**Lady_V** · 09-21-2008, 02:18 PM

This is going to sound like a totally off the wall question... but...

Are you taking anti-diarrheal meds?

**mommy4ever** · 09-21-2008, 02:31 PM

NOpe, no turkey are anti-diarhea.

There's 4 of us with the same stains, and it is that, a superficial stain, it fades with the first handwash and then takes a few days after that.

ON my feet, I used the paddle as I do every Sunday and it's mostly gone, so it's only the top lay er of skin.

**staciah** · 09-21-2008, 03:24 PM

I would look at some of the new items you have bought into the house. Detergents and/or cleaning products, new foods or medicines, toys or clothes. Do you take vitamins? Sounds really strange to me also. Hope you find out what it is.

**FrugalWitch** · 09-21-2008, 05:01 PM

You're infected with the creeping death from contact with the Brain Eaters of Neptune. Better get your affairs in order. Sorry.

**HisDaisy** · 09-21-2008, 05:46 PM

This is going to sound weird, but it sounds like silver nitrate stains. Have you been exposed to silver nitrate? I am not sure of any everyday products that contain it.
I remember from chemistry, that if you spill it on your skin your skin turns brown. It fades, but only goes away if you remove the skin.
This seems like a long shot, but it sure sounds like it to me.

**Shoshana** · 09-21-2008, 06:12 PM

You said the marks sometimes look like drops -- could something be wrong with your water supply? I believe silver nitrate can be found in well water. Whatever it is, you probably should call your physician first, maybe the town water department.

Good luck.

**mommy4ever** · 09-21-2008, 07:14 PM

not the water, as the others in the house don't have it.

I think I have it narrowed down......

to a piece of watermelon that had gone bad. It leaked onto the floor, I wiped it up, but may have missed some, today I'm seeing some brown spots on the floor. We had similar stains last year after peeling apples for 6 hours straight, the oxidization on skin with prolonged exposure.

BTW...lemon juice got most of it off.

**Lori Biever-Launder** · 09-22-2008, 01:23 AM

I was going to suggest walnut husks. I can remember having stained hands as a kid when we were removing the husks.

**mommy4ever** · 09-22-2008, 09:13 AM

No walnuts here..lol.

That is the ONLY thing I can think of was some rancid watermelon juice. We've had nothing more appear.

Wouldn't be the water as well use the same faucets and not every one has it.