Poison Ivy

[Ty_B]

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]

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.

[bp7178]

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...

[R.P.]

Like someone else posted scalding hot showers on the affected area seem to help the most with the itching.

[jmp45]

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.

[duradster]

I have never had it but had a friend that swore by exposing the affected area to direct sunlight.

[Ironworker46]

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.

[g-rap]

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.

[bp7178]

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.

[g-rap]

If traveling to an area with high risk of PI, taking an antihistamine definitely wouldn't hurt. Should reduce some symptoms depending on severity.