View Full Version : Poison Ivy
I searched for "Poison ivy" and got zero hits.
For some reason over the past several years I have become a poison ivy magnet. I bought a home that had some ground cover over growth a few years ago and I know how I got into it that way but at least twice I have gotten it on my face and I believe I have it on my eyelid and side of neck now ( either that or I got some sort of bug bite, maybe spider ).
I can deal with it on my legs and arms but when it gets around my eyes I begin to worry.
I obviously never seem to -know- I've gotten into it even though I can spot it very easily now.
Does anyone have any remedies for reducing the swelling. It seems to react differently on my face and I seem to get rumply swelling rather than the typical oozing blisters.
The only -cure- I know of is a doctor visit and the steroid pills. Are there any -home remedy- deals anyone knows of?
I have some Zanfel and that does help but very expensive. also got some PI wash from a medical supply that is much cheaper. Just wondering what else might help.
Thanks,
Tom B.
Do you have pets? I have gotten Poison Ivy numerous times and never gone near the plant. I can only surmise that either the cat or dog has it on their fur and I contracted it that way.
There is a product called Technu (google it) I have heard good things about it but never tried it.
chavez_e_chavez
05-10-11, 09:25
my job forces me to go into areas which PI is..They hand these moist towels in a pack that you rub when you think your going to be subjected to the plant..the whole dormant thing is BS in the winter.I had in the winter this year...I get it bad!!
"Technu (google it) "
Yes, that's what I bought at the medical supply. Have not tried it yet, but will today.
Pet's = Yes, but indoor cat. I have been concerned about that with the outdoor pets though.
Dormant = Yeah, that is definitely BS. Found that out chopping down a snow covered Christmas tree many years ago.
My next door neighbor and I are convinced that if it gets hot enough that the oil actually vaporizes and your pores are open more so it can get on you that way as well. Both of us have gotten it on the inner forearm / wrist area and we were both dead certain we had not touched any but knew we were in the immediate vicinity of it.
It's a frustrating thing I know that
QuietShootr
05-10-11, 11:37
Do you have pets? I have gotten Poison Ivy numerous times and never gone near the plant. I can only surmise that either the cat or dog has it on their fur and I contracted it that way.
There is a product called Technu (google it) I have heard good things about it but never tried it.
Tecnu is THE SHIT. Follow the directions exactly.
I had it so bad I was put on steroids. They cleared it up really fast.
My next door neighbor and I are convinced that if it gets hot enough that the oil actually vaporizes and your pores are open more so it can get on you that way as well. Both of us have gotten it on the inner forearm / wrist area and we were both dead certain we had not touched any but knew we were in the immediate vicinity of it
I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if that was the case.
Poison Ivy is bad shit. Whatever you do, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BURN IT. The oil will be released into the air, you will breath it in and you will get a bad infection (and it has been fatal before, too)
The oil is viable for years even once the plant is dead.
Goats like it.
Poison Ivy is bad shit. Whatever you do, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BURN IT. The oil will be released into the air, you will breath it in and you will get a bad infection (and it has been fatal before, too)
The oil is viable for years even once the plant is dead.
So very true. As a teenager, I have contracted this way on three separate occasions...as well as two times via yellow lab.
The worst cases were by burning...70%. I was treated as a burn victim.
I don't know about modern products, but back then I went through scores of tubes of Hydrocortisone ointment, laid in the sun a lot, and took lots of scalding hot showers.
Cagemonkey
05-10-11, 18:05
As a Arborist, PI is an occupational hazard that I just have to deal with. Different people have different degrees of sensitivity to it. Technu works well as a after contact wash. The quicker you wash up after exposure the better. If you don't have Technu use dish soap. Remember that the oils from the PI contaminate everything. You have to decontaminate like in Chem Warfare. Wash your cloths, boots, tools etc. Benedryl helps with the itch. Calamine lotion helps with the itching, swelling and blistering. Learn to be able to identify it. Its good at blending in and sneaking up on you. Best way to control it is with 2% solution of roundup herbicide. If you have lg. vines in a tree, cut the vine. Make sure to remove a small section when you cut it. Once its brown, dry and dead, you can pull the vines off with gloves or let it wither away.
I have a pair of rock climbing shoes that I walked through PI in over 15 years ago that to this day can cause red marks on my feet. Not a full blown exposure, but obviously still causing irritation.
Absolutley DO NOT use dish soap to wash away posion ivy from your skin. Equipment fine, skin no....
The rash you get is a result of your body's over reaction to the oil of the plant. Everything that is happening, puss, rash, itch etc, is the result of your immune system. You also develop the allergy. For most people, it takes about 7 exposures before you start getting the typical effects. Benedryl (really any anti-allergy/anti-histimine sp?)and hot showers works great. I never had any of the creams work for a shit.
The oil has to soak in past your outer skin layer to get a result. The outer layer is thicker on your plams, which is why that save for cases of really extreme exposure, you will never get it on your palms. You also can't spread it by scratching. It can show up at different times due to the varying thickness of this outer skin layer, and by cross-contamination.
Back in my paintball days, I always used to get it to the point of having to get shots of hydrocortisone and was put on steroids at one point. None of which helped. It would always show up first and worst on the bottoms of my forearms. It took me a while to realize that I was getting it from my pants. When I would drive home, my arm would rest on my pants. I started taking everything I had on and putting it in a trash bag for the trip home. When I got home, clothing went straight into the washer by dumping the bag over the machine. Any equipment would get hosed off in the driveway.
After doing this, I never got it again. Cross contamination is a pain to deal with, but must be done.
All you really need to break down the plant oil is lots of water. Dish soap will dry out your skin, cause it to crack, and strips the natural oil from your skin. Your skins natural oil is what protects you.
I haven't used Techu in a while, if it leave an oily residue, I would use it BEFORE getting exposed. That or a good oily hand lotion. If your skin is dry and cracked its going to be that much worse. Ounce of prevention/pound of cure and all that jazz.
chavez_e_chavez
05-10-11, 18:56
what i get besides Steroids is a cream is called Triacinolone...Works well
I keep a full regimen of prednizone in my toiletry ket for any encounter with poison oak/ivy. Nothing else will cut it for me.
ArRazorback
05-10-11, 23:52
I keep a full regimen of prednizone in my toiletry ket for any encounter with poison oak/ivy. Nothing else will cut it for me.
Same here. Growing up, I made a couple of trips to the doc or even ER during Christmas break after running into the stuff hunting. Woke up one Christmas eve morning with both eyes swollen shut. Not good times.
Over time, however, it seems that I've built a bit of a resistance to it. Once the rash develops, I've found that washing the affected area often with a strong anti-acne face wash (the kind that really dries the skin out) helps keep it from spreading.
Quiet-Matt
05-11-11, 05:06
Technu works, but has been hit or miss for me. After I've been in it, I clean the area with 99% isopropyl alcohol that we use for cleaning fiber optics. That stuff will remove any trace of oil from your skin, wash with cold water after because it'll dry your skin out as well. That's usually all it takes to prevent it is removing the oils immediately, but if you end up with a rash, we have found that Ivy Dry is the absolute best treatment for poison oak/ivy. It can be hard to find, but it flat works awesome.
http://www.ivydry.com/images/ivy-dry-super.jpg
Fels Naptha soap is also quite good for using in your washing machine to remove PI from clothing. You can do the Homemade Laundry Soap thing to get a big batch of soap.
IvaRest. Made by Blistex. Works pretty well.
H
I keep a full regimen of prednizone in my toiletry ket for any encounter with poison oak/ivy. Nothing else will cut it for me
That's what the doctors typically give me. I don't think there is any way I could keep that on hand.
Never seen that IVY-DRY. I might have to check that out.
I've been using the TechNu since yesterday and it's not hurting that's for sure. The area over my eye is definitely better. The side of my neck is about the same. I would not say the Technu dries your skin but makes it feel somewhat slick. Not oily slick but like powder slick. Like rubbing silicon dioxide between your fingers.
I think I figured out where I got it from. I was at a property where I brushed past an evergreen and the branches hit the very areas I'm having a problem with. None on my arms, hands, only those spots on that one side of my face. the thing is I never saw any leaves and we were actually talking about poison ivy as I had spotted a tall vine of it on another tree. I'm thinking someone might had recently cut some vines out of that tree.
I do believe this one is going to pass with no doctor visit. So I got lucky this time.
I'll keep all these prevention and cures in mind. This will be the 4th time in 5 years straight that I've had it. I used to get it maybe once every 5 or 6 years and then it was usually very minor on an arm or leg. The sad part is all this is coming from basic suburban residential properties where you would think people would keep it knocked out with Roundup and such. I have seen fences, trees, flower beds, you name it, just loaded with it.
TB
photosniper
05-11-11, 22:36
Call me silly but for really bad cases of poison ivy, I use a hair dryer.
Set the dryer on low and hold it a couple inches from your skin. Keep moving it back and forth until the heat is just about unbearable. Remove for a minute or so and do the whole thing over again. After about five minutes the itching goes away long enough to get a good night's sleep and the rash dries up about twice as fast as just using ointments. Just be careful that you don't burn yourself.
Inkslinger
05-14-11, 22:20
I get it so bad that reading this thread gave me a rash.
She is hot, but I always liked cat woman.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Su1huB9X_hk/SyEuu2ihQjI/AAAAAAAAAEw/evZ8pszfSXM/s400/micheal+newpoison-ivy.jpg
http://www.moviemobsters.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/catwoman-batman-returns-pfeiffer-2.jpg
On a more serious note, when I was a kit I was covered more times than I can remember.. More recently, I have done very well at staying away from poison ivy. I wonder if I may have developed an immunity.
I don't know of any good natural cures.
I've tried most of the over the counter remedy's- Tecnu, Zanfel etc. Mixed luck with them, seems to depend on the time of year, length of exposure, response to cleaning off. Years ago I visited my aunt in West Virginia and got a dose. She swore by washing off with straight Chlorox. Gotta admit it worked and have used it since right after exposure, seems to dry up the skin. :bad: I've found the best relief for the blisters is to run really hot (lobster red) water over them and then as cold as you can get, then apply whatever topical meds you have found to work. At least then I can get to sleep. Like others, back in the day, all the paintball clothes went right in the washer, do not pass go or leave them in the bag. Do the same thing now after a hike off trail. BTW, our GSD will bring the oils back on his coat although it's usually a much milder case which seems to depend on how I handle him. Severity of the case seems to depend on the body part exposed.
The tougher parts seems more resistant (hands) than the softer ones - got a case on the private parts while working in a sawmill and the logs were covered with it, took a leak and there you go.
Grayling14
05-17-11, 04:40
Once you get the rash you are pretty much SOL, you generally have to live with it until it subsides. TechNu works well to remove the oil before the rash appears, as long as the directions are followed and you cover all of the areas that were exposed. This is sometimes easier said than done since it is difficult to know where ALL of the oils may be. After the rash appears TechNu will help to dry it up, but it does not work miracles. Benadryl type lotions will help control the itching for a while, and may also help to dry out the rash somewhat. For rashes below the cranium, Oatmeal Bath treatments, (available at most drug stores and pharmacies), are helpful for controlling the itch and drying the oils, but again, work no miracles. As others have mentioned, cross contamination is a serious problem and care should be taken to cleanse all clothing and equipment. Above all, once the rash appears, and you know it is PI/PO, do NOT scratch! Scratching WILL absolutely spread the rash!
FeltaDorce
09-06-12, 17:19
Technu soap has been made for years. Originially designed to remove radioactive fallout (coldwar) and the designer's wife discovered its awesome poison oak/ivy removal properties years later. The designer just died a few years ago.
They now make a lotion as well, that acts much faster than the soap when used on skin. Both products are hands-down the best poison oak/ivy treatment on the market. This shit grows everywhere out here in the coast range, and it is a constant battle.
Does anybody break out with eczema on their hands after the PI heals?? I get it every time and is worse than the PI itself. The PI that I am just getting over was so bad that I had eczema on my hands and feet which is far from comfortable this time of year with the heat. Steroid creams work great for the ivy but not so for the eczema. The only thing that works for both is hot showers...long, hot showers...
Noodles McGee
09-07-12, 06:11
After exposure to any of the 3leafed bastards I smash some jewelweed up and rub it all over. Haven't had a serious rash in a long time
Also works on nettles bug bites and other itchys
Straight Shooter
09-07-12, 20:21
I got a personal story on how my granddaddy used to prevent poision ivy, chiggers, ticks and mosquito bites. Funny, but true.
We used to cut A LOT of firewood growing up. Hauled hay, cleared brush piles, just a lot of outdoor work back then.
Pappa would make us put on "coal oil"....kerosene..on our arms, legs, britches, ect. IT WORKED, PERIOD.
They old folks used coal oil for everything..minor cuts, scrapes, tick bites and the like. Also, mercurchrome{sp?} was heavily used. It was a red medicine that was hard to wash off, and it worked. Havent seen any in years now come to think of it.
chasetopher
09-07-12, 21:24
Don't have anything to offer for that hasn't been said once the swelling and puss occur, but as far as removing it from your skin if you happen to get into it and notice:
Bleach. Regular household bleach:diluted ~ 4 parts water / 1 part bleach(obviously I wouldn't go near your eyes). Works wonders beyond soap and water for preventing the rash so long as you get to the oil within a few hours. (Something to do with the actual nasty in the oil being acidic and bleach being basic)
I cannot claim to originate the idea but can vouch for the effectiveness. Spent a few years landscaping and there were days covered in the three leaf monster that this worked to prevent some serious discomfort.
As stated before it if you wait too long and it does have time to sink into your skin this wont help much at all...
To reiterate another post, do not burn it.
Best method of eradication: goats.
Some of this is repeated from my prior post in this thread...
You develop a reaction to posion ivy. It typically takes 5-7 exposures before you develop the reaction, ie rash. The rash is purely the result of you immune system over reacting to the oil of the plant.
Only rinse with warm water if you are going to be subject to continued exposure. Soap and other witches brew items will also strip away the natural oil in your skin, which offers a level of protection. If you strip away all of the natural oils in your skin, you will make it so the plant oil can soak in quicker.
You cannot spread the rash by scratching. By the time the rash shows up, the oil has soaked past the outer layer of your skin. The reason the rash shows up at different times is due to the different thickness of your outer layer of skin depending on where its at, and by cross contamination.
Your outer layer of skin is thickest on your palms and bottoms of your feet. You will be hardpressed to ever get it there. Thin on the underside of your forearms.
If you are exposed, or think you may have been, take your clothes off and treat them like you would if they had been exposed to a hazardous chemical. Place them all in a plastic bag, wash your hands and other exposed skin. Get dressed again. Also avoid guns & gear until they can be cleaned. Damp soapy sponge on the gun, most gear can just be hosed off. This includes boots and other footwear.
Don't handle the clothes in the bag. When its time to wash, hold bag over the washing machine and dump them in. Normal laundry cycles will remove all the oils. There is no need for bleach or the like.
When the rash shows up, remember what is at play here. This is no different than an allergic reaction to pollen or mold. The best things I have found are benedryl (spelling?) or other such oral anti-histamine products. Go to the doctor and get a cortisone shot if you're really ****ed up. Warm showers, as hot as you can stand it on the rash will provide an immediate releif. The problem with scratching is that you can open the rash and cause infection. There is a lot of crap under your finger nails.
I've had it bad a few times, so now I have a little routine that I use that works well for me. Due to PI on my property, I get it 2-3 times a year.
If I think/know I've exposed, I wash it off with soap and water. If I do that fast enough - about 30 minutes or less by experience - I'm gtg. If I get it, I use hydrocortizone cream and avoid scratching it or having anything rub against it at all costs. If it starts to spread, I go to the doctor and get steroids asap.
Whatever you do, if it starts to get out of control, get on Prednisone asap. If you get it bad enough, it can turn into a skin infection which is a serious PIA. Avoid that.
uncle money bags
09-08-12, 03:02
Call me silly but for really bad cases of poison ivy, I use a hair dryer.
Set the dryer on low and hold it a couple inches from your skin. Keep moving it back and forth until the heat is just about unbearable. Remove for a minute or so and do the whole thing over again. After about five minutes the itching goes away long enough to get a good night's sleep and the rash dries up about twice as fast as just using ointments. Just be careful that you don't burn yourself.
This works some for me, if its not on my face i will place the affected area under a stream of warm water and slowly raise the temp till i cant stand it. Then remove and blot it dry. I swear, if the rash is bad enough the feeling of that water when it gets hot is almost better than sex. Im not trying to be crude, and the itch stays away for hours.
Rash + heat = awesome.
There is something to localized heat at the itch relief. I had read it causes the reaction site to release histamine, but I never found any medical evidence backing that claim.
It does work though. When I had it bad enough, I would take a Benedryl and a really hot shower. The heat combined with the effects of the Benedryl, both it anti-histamine properties and that it makes you drowsy, would put me right out.
Using a hair dryer is intresting though...
Like someone else posted scalding hot showers on the affected area seem to help the most with the itching.
Haven't had a PI attack since the mid 70s.. We've been in the same house for about 30 years, no PI. Had a tree removed and the stump grinder apparently did some planting on that spot. I've pulled 3 leave weeds without any problems but this time it wasn't the same, oil came out of the stem all over left hand. I washed it off with the hose didn't think anything of it. Next day the rash started but was spread internally all over. It was in my blood. Suffered with it for about 6 weeks or so this summer. I patrol the yard now with round up extended weed killer. It seems to spread pretty quick.
Technu will work but you have apply within about 15 minutes after contact. Once the urushiol binds with the cells it's too late. I tried several remedies, nothing worked. Steroids are probably the best answer. You can become immune to PI and those that are immune can become sensitive to it, it can go either way through life.
A quick google search pulled this info.. I've seen similar on other sites.
http://poisonivy.aesir.com/view/fastfacts.html
Only 1 nanogram (billionth of a gram) needed to cause rash
Average is 100 nanograms for most people
1/4 ounce of urushiol is all that is needed to cause a rash in every person on earth
500 people could itch from the amount covering the head of a pin
Specimens of urushiol several centuries old have found to cause dermatitis in sensitive people.
1 to 5 years is normal for urushiol oil to stay active on any surface including dead plants
Derived from urushi, Japanese name for lacquer
Urushiol also exists in cashew nut shell oil.. Not safe to consume. I read a post that a company in PA uses the shells in manufacturing brake linings. Many of the guys on the floor would break out into rashes, some had to quit and some became immune. It's possible to become immune I picked up a bottle of those poison ivy pills which contain a very small dose of the urushiol. Read some reviews that it works when you take them early season a few times a day. Also got a first hand report from a gent that was allergic to PI, got it for years and used those pills years ago and no longer is effected. I'm planning on preempting with those next spring.
I have never had it but had a friend that swore by exposing the affected area to direct sunlight.
Ironworker46
09-09-12, 22:22
Washing with plain soap, like Ivory, and cold water works best. The cold water keeps your pores closed as you wash off. Anti-bacterial soaps don't pull the oil from your skin. After you've washed really well, one can start bleach therapy as I call it. Straight bleach on a cotton ball use b plenty the first time to make sure you get all areas. Most of the time if you get it early, and you haven't rubbed the skin or scratched, you'll be ok.
I got it in my blood several years ago from a nick with a chainsaw, that I had been cutting PI with. It took months to recover from that. It felt like my organs were burning and needed itched. The doctor tried everything, shots, pills, time. Finally I recovered. Now I stay the hell away from it. PI is worse than messing around with a nasty bar slut.
Technu, Ivy Dry, and other purposed oil removing products are hit and miss with most patients.
A steroid shot is probably ideal, oral steroids, and steroid creams/ointments also are acceptable treatment.
Antihistamines (Benadryl, Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtec) will all help with some symptoms.
Aveeno baths, Calamine, Caladryl all help "sooth" the irritation.
Prevention is important of course.
I thought about Claritin and the high(er) shelf anti-histime products before. I'm wondering if you took them prior to exposure, could you eliminate and symptoms before a rash develops. Obviously, washing off the plant oil before the medicine lost its effect would be paramount.
If traveling to an area with high risk of PI, taking an antihistamine definitely wouldn't hurt. Should reduce some symptoms depending on severity.
It's possible to become immune I picked up a bottle of those poison ivy pills which contain a very small dose of the urushiol. Read some reviews that it works when you take them early season a few times a day. Also got a first hand report from a gent that was allergic to PI, got it for years and used those pills years ago and no longer is effected. I'm planning on preempting with those next spring.
This is interesting news; do you have any links? I'd like to see more about these and maybe try them myself; I hate PI with a passion.
This is interesting news; do you have any links? I'd like to see more about these and maybe try them myself; I hate PI with a passion.
Picked up a bottle of this at the local drug store. Rhus Tox 4X. They are tiny pills. Dissolve 2 on the tongue every 2 hours for four doses, then every 3 or 4 hours. That's the directions for infection. it did not do anything for me after the fact. Testimony I heard directly it was used as a preventative. According to our pharmacist he said a lot of the locals start taking them early spring and they claim it works. I'll give it a try next season. PI really tears me up, I'm very sensitive to it.
http://www.homeopathyworks.com/product.php?xProd=251
From their product page...
Rhus tox. 4X is made from poison ivy leaves.Through a special FDA-regulated manufacturing process, the plant material is diluted many times in order to eliminate any negative effects. Only the immune- stimulating power of Rhus tox. is left intact. The body quickly recognizes the Rhus tox. and responds by ceasing the itching sensation and healing the rash within a few days. Due to the safety rendered by this manufacturing process, Rhus tox. 4X causes no side-effects or drug interactions.
Rhus tox. was introduced into medical practice in 1816 by German physician Dr. Samuel Hahnemann. It has been used since to effectively treat symptoms similar to Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac poisoning and has been found to be effective for about 85% of the population.
Currently, over 65 companies order the Poison Ivy Pills for their workers, and over 60,000 individuals purchase them each spring.
Funny true story. A friend, myself and my friends cousin were out in the woods one night partying back before I knew better. Drinking away, having a grand old time in the dark with music blasting from a boom box. (we had the lights from a car and a few flashlights). Well, the friends cousin decides to go off and take a crap in the bushes. What do you think he grabs to wipe with?? No, not grass. Nope, not TP either. Yep, good old PI leaves. His crotch, butt, inner thighs were covered (saturated) with oozing, itchy sores with in a day or two. He couldn't walk for 2 weeks. Not only that but No.1 and No. 2 were not very pleasant. Makes you think twice about getting smashed in the woods at night.
ArRazorback
09-11-12, 23:50
In the past year, I've gotten into it twice. As soon as I felt the it creeping up, I gave this soap http://poisonivysoap.com/index.html from the local hardware store a try.
Happy to say that it worked very well. I still had a very small area or two (more like bug bites) that were a bit annoying for a couple of days, but nothing like the painful rashes I've experienced in the past. Glad to see it's made in my home state, and that the company is veteran-owned. If you can find it nearby, give it a shot.
Take some fine grit sandpaper. Nothing too rough, you just want to burst the blisters/break the skin, not rake yourself bloody.
Rub the sandpaper on the area. This should actually feel like sweet relief. You finally get to scratch the shit out of that poison ivy. Rub until the blisters have popped. Don't go too nuts. The blisters should be open and probably oozing a little clear liquid. This is normal.
Apply the rubbing alcohol to a Q-Tip or to a clean gauze for a larger area. Apply alcohol liberally to the area. This stings a little, but not any more than alcohol or peroxide on any open wound.
The itching stops almost immediately. Within the next day or so, the poison ivy will start to dry out and heal.
In my youth and early adult hood, I had severe reactions. A childhood friend's grandma would make a solution by straining the liquid off boiled willow leaves. Applying the liquid to the rash would stop the itching. It smelled bad but worked. As an aside, my friend claimed his grandma was a witch, so your results may vary.
As a land surveyor, I encounter poison ivy/poison oak regularly. I have willed myself against it. I don't believe in it anymore, so I don't get it. The same thing works for chiggers. I can't see them, so they don't exist.
I've seen old timers chew a poison ivy leaf. Hair of the dog, so to speak. I've never tried it, but I know guys that swear by it.
DeltaSierra
09-13-12, 19:50
I've seen old timers chew a poison ivy leaf. Hair of the dog, so to speak. I've never tried it, but I know guys that swear by it.
That is an awesome way to get really sick, or die.
Seriously, if anyone is dumb enough to do that, they deserve whatever they get...
shootinsurveyor
09-13-12, 22:07
In my youth and early adult hood, I had severe reactions. A childhood friend's grandma would make a solution by straining the liquid off boiled willow leaves. Applying the liquid to the rash would stop the itching. It smelled bad but worked. As an aside, my friend claimed his grandma was a witch, so your results may vary.
As a land surveyor, I encounter poison ivy/poison oak regularly. I have willed myself against it. I don't believe in it anymore, so I don't get it. The same thing works for chiggers. I can't see them, so they don't exist.
I've seen old timers chew a poison ivy leaf. Hair of the dog, so to speak. I've never tried it, but I know guys that swear by it.
As a fellow surveyor, i have learned to "will" it away also. Couldnt avoid it so i just quit worrying about it and dont get it hardly at all. We dont clean off equipment or do any prevention. I will wear chaps on damp morning to keep my pant sfrom getting soaked. Wet pants and poison ivy will give you a case that will last 3 months. I used to clean equipment with clorox wipes and that worked really well. Knee high rubber boots that you can take of without touching make probably the most difference in my exposure to it. Once you have it, go to a pool, hottub, or ocean and it will dry that stuff out quicker than about anything. First time i had a older guy say he refused to get poison ivy, i thought it was crazy. Now i feel the same way. When i worried about it all the time and was cleaning and wiping and avoiding it, i got it 10 times more than i do now. Although in spots where it is 5 feet tall and grwing like a wheatfield, its not if you get it, its how bad.
I usually get a couple cases of it every year of varying levels of severity. So last year at a professional conference I got a free tube of Zanfel, and when I went to the store to see how much it would have cost I was shocked to see the price tag - ~$30. This year I tried it when I had a minor rash on my wrist, only to cause a much more severe reaction from irritating it through the application process. I would stay far away from this stuff, and you'll save money in the end.
All I can say is that PI sucks wonky b*lls. We had it around everywhere when I was a kid in Mass. I regularly got it. Doctor would give me topical steroids and I would use various lotions for itch relief. All around sucks. I got to be really good at spotting it (all the rock walls along the streets would be covered and it would be around our yard as well).
I am just glad that here in Utah I have never once seen any. Have not had a case in 30 years and will be keeping it that way.
Worst case was when, at a regional youth camp out, we decided to play capture the flag in the woods. Only later did we realize it was a PI nursery where we were playing.
Just don't touch yourself soon after exposure. Nothing worse than PI "down there."
Interesting about "becoming immune." I am basically immune to mosquitos (having been bit by 10^9 mosquitos in my life) but, despite repeated encounters with PI (many repeated), don't seem to have gotten any immunity.
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Yeah, weird about the immunity thing. I guess something like 15% of the population is naturally immune, I'm not one of them.
Growing up on the East Coast, then going to school in Minnesota and Colorado, some time in Texas, Georgia and South Carolina in the military--no problems. No PI, no ticks, no mosquitoes, no chiggers.
Moved to Kansas, now I have major problems with all of those. This place sucks the life out of me or something!
Yeah, weird about the immunity thing. I guess something like 15% of the population is naturally immune, I'm not one of them.
Growing up on the East Coast, then going to school in Minnesota and Colorado, some time in Texas, Georgia and South Carolina in the military--no problems. No PI, no ticks, no mosquitoes, no chiggers.
Moved to Kansas, now I have major problems with all of those. This place sucks the life out of me or something!
Some people are immune, and some either get greater sensitivity as they age, some less. I'm in the latter category, became much less sensitive to it as I aged.
One thing that does work, is this:
http://www.zanfel.com/help/
You can get it at CVS, and if used exactly as directed, really helps. It's not cheap, but 100% worth it, and I also found generics (sold as CVS own brand, etc) didn't work as well.
That is an awesome way to get really sick, or die.
Seriously, if anyone is dumb enough to do that, they deserve whatever they get...
Awww but I saw it on the internet:blink:
Seriously If I get exposed to it I use Tecnue or Palmolive dish soap right ASAP with cool water for the initial washing to remove the oils, dawn works good too and I am usually GTG. When I do get it, prescription topical steroid cream works best. The super hot shower thing is good for quick relief to fall a sleep, along with Calamine lotion to dry up the puss. My theory is that it over loads the nerve endings locally blocking the pain and itch.
I am the opposite of Will Brink, as a kid I could pick it up with no ill effects. As an adult I cut down some sumac vines and got a real bad reaction. I occasionally get some outbreaks from hunting ever since. I also think that from year to year or geographically PI can be more potent. I always seem to get it on the family farm in VA, but only every few years where i hunt in NJ, and there is a good amount that I have to walk through in NJ to get to my stand.
Dawn Ultra Concentrated Dish Soap.
I shower with this every time I come out of the woods, it's kept it off of me for almost a year. Mine shows up days after I've been exposed. I've currently got it, it showed up Sunday and I hadn't been in the woods since Tuesday. But it works better than anything else I've found as far as prevention goes. A doctor suggested an old technique of spraying yourself down in Armor All before going into the woods. Never tried it, I'll be damned if I'm gonna walk through the woods smelling like a dashboard............ but he swore it would work
Awww but I saw it on the internet:blink:
Seriously If I get exposed to it I use Tecnue or Palmolive dish soap right ASAP with cool water for the initial washing to remove the oils, dawn works good too and I am usually GTG. When I do get it, prescription topical steroid cream works best. The super hot shower thing is good for quick relief to fall a sleep, along with Calamine lotion to dry up the puss. My theory is that it over loads the nerve endings locally blocking the pain and itch.
I am the opposite of Will Brink, as a kid I could pick it up with no ill effects. As an adult I cut down some sumac vines and got a real bad reaction. I occasionally get some outbreaks from hunting ever since. I also think that from year to year or geographically PI can be more potent. I always seem to get it on the family farm in VA, but only every few years where i hunt in NJ, and there is a good amount that I have to walk through in NJ to get to my stand.
When I was a kid I could think about it and be covered. Ruined many a summer for me. I'm glad i grew out of that as i got older and it's rare now to even get a patch when working around it, and the Zanafil gets rid of it.
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