Poison Ivy

[tb-av]

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.

[Blaster]

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]

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!!

[tb-av]

"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]

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.

[tgace]

I had it so bad I was put on steroids. They cleared it up really fast.

[Avenger29]

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.

[Tortuga]

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]

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.

[tgace]

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.