TOPIC: Posion Ivy

I am eat up with posion ivy!!!! I have already taken steroids and gotten rid of it once just to get it again. Any suggestions or home remedies..

Hey Dirty Nails,

I have some of that too.

I almost always get some of it on my right hand because I use it to rake all of the stuff out of the way before I dig - break out of the way bushes, weeds, etc and sometimes I end up grabbing a bit of poison oak/ivy when doing that.

Right now I have some on my ring finger on my right hand and on my wrist too.

What I have found that works for me is this.

1.. DO NOT SCRATCH IT (no matter how much you want to)
2.. Do Not get the affected areas hot - like under hot water in sink or shower - that makes it spread more.

If I don't do the two above I can simply take benadryl for a few days and it will eventually dry up and stop itching and go away.

I typically take two benadryl caps about 30 minutes before bed cause it makes me sleepy as heck. Sleep very good on those nights.

Another treatment that I have done many times in the past with no bad side effects ( I say that because it sounds bad, but does work well).

Take something like a butter knife and scratch the heck out of the raised blisters to break them and then put on some clorox bleach.

It burns like HECK - but it drys it right up and it goes away.

If you try that you should try it on a very small isolated spot and just see how it works for you.

Good Luck !

TNhunter

1) don't scratch it and break the skin! this is how you get secondary infections/scarring

2) Isopropyl rubbing alcohol, brother. it will dry it out, deal with the itch, and even give a nice cooling sensation


Just be happy that it isn't poison sumac (same molecule as poison ivy, yet the bush/tree produces it in much higher concentrations than poison ivy)


-SS

Hey Guys,

I looked around online - did a web search on \"poision oak and clorox\" and found several sites mentioning that solution I mentioned.

Below is a link to one similar to what I suggested. See the 3rd one down.

www.ehow.com/how_4447628_rid-poison-ivyoaksumac.html

You do have to scratch it up good and break the blisters and then put on clorox. I just use a q-tip and wipe it right onto the broken blisters and it burns a bit, but it drys up almost immediatly and stops itching too.

If you don't have the patience for other methods to work, or just can't stop scratching and spreading it, you might give that method a try.

I have used it many times in the past and never had any problems with infections or skin reactions or anything.

I expect the clorox probably acts somewhat like a anticeptic.

It does burn like heck for a little while, but then drys up and stops itching.

Good Luck with getting rid of that poison oak/ivy.

TNhunter

Different people have different reactions to poison ivy. I am what most people would consider highly allergic. I get very large patches of very large blisters that tend to seep for a few days even with the use of the steroids. I have tried the bleach thing and it doesn't really help me, but I know several peopl that do swear by it.

The Best advice I can give is not to get it to begin with. This is sometimes easier said than done, but one of the things that has really helped me is the use of rubbing alchohol. Either carry a bottle and some paper towels with you in the woods, or you can buy packaged alchohol wipes. Any time you think you may have come in contact with the poison just wipe off with the alchohol. It very effectively removes the urushoil (the oil in the poison ivy or oak plant that causes the allergic reaction) from the skin.

I keep a bottle of rubbing alchohol in my truck during sang season and always wipe down at the end of a hunt. I also take some of the packaged wipes in the woods with me. I still avoid it if at all possible and always take a warm shower immediately when returning home. I only got a few small blisters this year while senging which is remarkable for me!

I realize this isn't goin to help your current condition, but may be helpful in the future.

p.s. Jewelweed helps relieve the itch tremendously. Some people claim that it helps dry it up, but personally I haven't found this to be so. Not saying that it doesn't for some, just not me.

u touch me nots for an in-field treatment smear stems and leaves on contaminated area. works good for stinging nettles as well. grows in lower land areas. prefers wet soils. can be made into paste as a future carry along.


flowers are also yellow as well.

After all of the years that I have loved the mountians and the countless times I have been around it I have never once got/caught poison ivy I am blessed with that one it just does not bother me.

TECNU, I get poison ivy when I look at, get it ever summer, tecnu was created in the 70's as a skin cleanser for people exposed to radioactive waste. I always get steroids from the doctor, if it gets too bad but when using tecnu when I know I have been in the woods will stop it from even erupting. tecnu saved me many many of times; got poison ivy in my eye before am really allergic and it is only the that works. Research it if you want, it will help you out

Billy,

You are blessed again buddy - not to get that poison oak.

I never got any either until I worked in the log woods in my early 20's and the first bit I got showed up along a briar scratch on my arm. Ever since then I get it but not usually real bad and I have to touch it which I usually only do when breaking stuff out of the way before digging seng.

My wife is not bothered by skeeters, chiggars or even ticks.

They flock to me (and our kids) like we are sweet or something but they avoid her at all cost.

Her mother is the same way - we were picking some sweet corn this summer and I said I will probably get a few chiggars if I don't go take a shower right quick and she said I don't think I have ever got a chiggar and skeeters don't bother her either.

Some folks are just lucky I reckon.

It sure would be nice if skeeters, chiggars, ticks, and poison oak did not bother ME !

TNhunter

Got it once when I was little. never have had it since, heck I dont even think i know what it looks like. I sure do want to know what the heck keeps biting me and leaving these huge welps right above my gloves,If I catch one I'll get a picture and maybe somebody can tell me what they are.