I was working on a deck last week, and got the worst case of poison ivy I’ve ever had. I noticed a couple of blisters Friday night, and by Sunday had scabs and cracking.
I haven’t had a single case of it in over 20 years, so maybe Murphy’s just getting even.
But for a few days, it itched so much, even with the meds, I felt like chewing my leg off.
Its getting better- here’s 2 pics on how my leg looks today.
Sorry about the size for the dial-uppers- I left ’em a little big to show the detail.
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Replies
Somebody might open 'em but not me thanks.
I hope you heal up quick. No picnic I hear.
I've been lucky both in not being too "alergic" to it and having lived rural and in the woods alot of my life, know it/avoid it. Nothing to find me pulling it out of the garden area with only a plastic shopping bag on my hand. On some of the old trees down on the floodplain there's some OOOOOOOld vines.
again, good luck.
A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Ah, come on.
They're not as bad as those spider bite pics.
Yes you are lucky because most people are allergic. In fact, since it's an allergy, the greater the exposure, the greater the reaction. Continue to avoid it as much as possible. I know someone who never used to react to it, but developed an allergy over time.
-Don
i feel your pain man i put up a wheel chair ramp between some hedges and the side of a building, it was a hot day and i was working in shorts not realizing that i had poison ivy under foot i was covered on my arms ,legs., stomach, i finally went to the doctor and she gave me these little dark green pills i believe and had to take a certain number of them each day and let me tell those pills flushed that poison ivy right out of me within 3 days and man was i glad
It started on my right calf, but then I was kneeling down, and it spread to the back of my thigh.
And then it spread to my left calf.
Fortunately, the other 2 areas weren't nearly as bad.
Thankfully you are not Scottish.....imagine what would have happened w/ a kilt.
I am not alergic to poison ivy, " poison sumak", or "poison oak". Don't know why, just dumb luck I guess.
I habitually rip it all out bare handed, but have to wash up outside since it affects my wife. She had a bad case in the worst place as a kid (going #1 in the woods).
I feel for ya Shep but better you then me!
Man I have a terrible reaction to that shid and I've been lucky for going on 5 years now!
Keep the guns out of the house until it goes away! I know what you mean about chewing your foot off!
Doug
I have dial up but even if I was on DSL, I aint about to download a picture of your friggen legs. Sorry, that's just me.
Shep - Head over to REI and pick up a bottle of TecNu http://www.teclabsinc.com/products.cfm?id=1F5604C8-9D05-4675-56129F6D83DF2417. the stuff is amazing. I keep a small bottle in the glove compartment just in case.
Parkinson's Law: 'Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.'
It showed some kind of error when I tried your link, so I couldn't see it.
What does the stuff do?
Remember when Roy Underhill carved his "Mother-In Law" spoon out of a huge poison ivy vine?
Yikes!!
Unfortunatelty,no.
We haven't been able to get Roy on our public TV for years. Not snooty enough, I guess.
And I like my MIL
go to the Doctor and ask for Desoximetasone 0.25% cm ( taro) , a day and a half the itching stops, three days your on the way to drying it all up. trust me on this... .." As the spirit wanes, the form appears."
Edited 6/8/2006 7:28 pm ET by alias
Thanks.
I got some cream from the doc, and it's helping.
What didn't help was waiting 3 days to see the doc.
TGNY has it right. My wife reacts terribly to poison oak (Shep's images look mild in comparison to her oozing sores, which were just from getting a little urushiol off the cats fur), so I have done a fair amount of investigation into the subject, and Zanfel seems the best way to go; they advertise that it makes the itch go away in 30 seconds; I would guess that it takes more like a couple of minutes, but that is still pretty good. The redness still takes several days to disappear. It works by binding to the urushiol and preventing the immune system recognition. It was hard to find; I went to their web site http://www.zanfel.com/ to find a store.
I got poison ivy a couple of years ago for the first time in my life. I did a ton of research on the web and ordered the Zanfel on Friday night for a Sat. delivery. After having had succes I ordered 3 more tubes just in case. This snake oil really does work.Also I think Mojo's response has benefits too. I read about that and tried it too. Not sure if my arm was burning so much that I couldn't feel the itching anymore:-)
From the manufacturer:
"Take control of the outdoor itch that plagues you. Use Tecnu¯ Outdoor Skin Cleanser after you have been outdoors to remove the rash causing oil, urushiol (oo-roo-she-all). Simply apply Tecnu to dry skin for two minutes and rinse with cool water or wipe off with a cloth. When used within 2-8 hours after exposure to the plants, Tecnu can remove urushiol oil before the rash begins. Once the rash has started, washing with Tecnu helps remove any free oil on skin allowing the natural healing process to begin without possible recontamination.Urushiol oil can also spread from contaminated clothing, shoes, gloves, tools and pets. Since the oil does not evaporate, it can remain on these items for months or even years at a time. Use Tecnu to remove the oil and avoid a rash from secondary contact."
Has worked for me. Parkinson's Law: 'Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.'
Thanks- I'll look into it.
I'm afraid this is fiction mixed with fact from the manufacturer:
"Simply apply Tecnu to dry skin for two minutes and rinse with cool water or wipe off with a cloth. When used within 2-8 hours after exposure to the plants, Tecnu can remove urushiol oil before the rash begins. Once the rash has started, washing with Tecnu helps remove any free oil on skin allowing the natural healing process to begin without possible recontamination."
When urushiol gets on human skin, it penetrates the top layer of skin cells and binds to cells deep in the epidermis within about 30 minutes. After this, the urushiol is almost impossible to wash off. Urushiol itself is harmless, but now the trouble begins as a cell-mediated immune response is mounted against all cells that have urushiol on their membranes. This causes tissue destruction and blistering.
If you want to avoid the reaction from urusiol exposure (which you are only exposed to if the leaves/stems/roots of the plant are damaged) you need to remove the oil within about 20 minutes of contact. The above product may work, but more readily accessible to most people is rubbing alcohol. Clean the area well with rubbing alcohol and rinse the area afterward.
Often found in areas where poison ivy grows is a fleshy plant with golden yellow flowers called jewel weed. Pull up a plant, crush the stem and cover the affected area with the jewel weed sap. It is a very effective neutralizer of poison ivy, and works to either prevent the rash or to relieve the symptoms if you're unlucky enough to get it.
My dad who was a country doc taught me about this 35 years ago. Here is a picture of jewel weed: http://www.hbci.com/~wenonah/hydro/jewelwed.htm
This is an age old argument and he search for a cure is a summertime equivalent to the Holy Grail. I can say that this stuff worked for me. Personally I haven't waited 8 hours to test the lable but I find that washing up with this stuff at the end the day is helpful. I was first introduced to this stuff by an arborist who bought it by the gallon. He claimed that you could grab a vine full on, pull it down with two hands, wash up with this stuff and have no reaction.
All that said, the best remedy is prevention. Know what the plant looks like. Google it. Just remember, leaves of three let it be regardless of the color of the leaves. Parkinson's Law: 'Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.'
I asume you don't eat raspberries. They are also 3 leaved.
And spiny too!Parkinson's Law: 'Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.'
The spines are how you can tell it isn't poison ivy
Here's some legs you can stand to look at,Lee
Try Zanfel. Works like a charm. Last time I bought it you could only get it online. I spent $30 extra just to get next day delivery, but it was worth it.
Leaves three?.......... Let it be.
Dammit, just the picture is makin me itch.
man i hate that stuff.. Just so you know wash and rewash whatever you were wearing... wipe down whatever you sat on... durring WWII the army tried to raise & make poison ivy bombs... read where it'd only take an amount that would cover the head of a pin of the poison in poison Ivy to infect 100,000
I've found if i know i got near it or in it, if i wash really good within 20 min or so i'm fine...
I had to use a bobcat & chain to pull & clear a 3 story brick wall of a building that was vacant for 20 years... had 3" vines... it had never affected me before... the next day i was in daytona for the july race... i hit every all nite drug store beg'n for anything... that stuff still hurts even after you get drunk
p
that stuff still hurts even after you get drunk
Wait - weren't you just saying in another thread that you liked pain (or something lke that)?
Forrest - keeping you on your toes
Shep,
Not on my dialup.
One time (way back) my uncle wanted some padding for his tractor seat so he put some leaves in a gunny sack. You know the rest.
Fz
The worst case I've ever heard of was a cousin of my mom's, when she was a teen.
They were burning poison ivy vines, and she breathed in a fair amount of smoke.
She ended up with the rash in her mouth and down her throat; from what I know, it almost killed her.
I've heard the smoke of poison ivy is the worst and as you said can be fatal.
This gives me a chance to retell my story about my ex brother in law who was 'never bothered by poisen ivy' - til he pulled out a bunch with his bare hands......... then he had to pee.........
What was worse was where he passed it on to my sister.
Paul
Yikes!That gives new meaning to STD.
This is going to sound crazy but I tell you it works and only someone with a poison ivy rash can understand what I'm talking about...
The next time you are in the shower, turn the water up very very hot. So hot that you can barely stand it but obviously do not scald yourself. Now put the affected areas in the hot water stream. You'll feel a funky sensation and then the itch will be gone for about 3-4 hours. There is a ton of info on the web about this. I discovered it accidentally. As I understand it, the hot water causes histimines to come to the surface relieving the itch. I don't know if that's what it is but boy does it make a difference. The only bad side-effect I could see is that all that hot water leaves the skin dry.
If you try it, let me know how it feels.
You have my sympathies.
Good news, before next time and the bad news:
Good news is OTC oral Bendril helps. As does jewelweed. Any of the better anti-itch, anesthesthetic lotions help. One I'm familiar is Rhuligel. It works but needs to be reapplied fairly often. Oatmeal or other dips and baths help if it is a large are affected. One friend swears by a bottle of Old Granddad.
Docs can prescribe a heavy duty version of calamine lotion and, in extreme cases, a corticosteroid. One friend with a particularly bad case got a shot and pills of what she said was prednisone. Said it was a life saver.
If there is any chance you will be working around poison ivy in a situation where you have exposure consider investing in some IvyBlock:
http://www.ivyblock.com/ivyblock.php
The stuff works. I work around a bunch of linemen who are constantly around poison ivy and for some this stuff is what keeps them from having to change jobs. The local POCO stocks it on their line trucks. Trick is to apply it Before you get hip deep in the ivy.
The Ivy Block company also makes related products that help a lot. Stuff to remove the oil from skin clothes and equipment, the oil can remain active on surfaces for years, and good stuff to treat the rash.
http://www.ivyblock.com/
The really bad news is that as CO2 increases in the atmosphere poison ivy grows faster and the sap more potent in causing rashes. A lot of plants will grow faster but poison ivy is particularly good at it taking advantage of the increase in CO2.
Hey, they've been looking for you in the tavern.
Yep, global warming ( I know it only affects liberals) is pizzen ivey's friend. I don't get it. When I was a kid, I did. A wicked stepmother had me do a lot of weeding, pizzed me off, so I figured okay, I'll get the worst case of pizzen ivey ever, and rubbed it on myself, very clever...I didn't get it then, and I've never gotten it since, 50+ years. Did I show her, or what?Mrs. 'Snort just has to hear it's in the neighborhood and she's got it...and the smoke from burning it is the worst...even gets in her eyes.I don't know about all the cure alls, but a little Brush-B-Gone (thanks cal) goes a long way.Plus, I've heard drinking water that flows through a poison ivy bed makes you immune<G> I need a dump truck, baby, to unload my head
Thanks for the reply.
Someone just today told me about the " new, improved " poison ivy, thanks to global warming and increasing CO2.
Maybe that's what I was exposed to; I don't know.
I'm just glad the itch has pretty much disappeared. I can live with the scabbing ( at least for a while)
had a guy tell me that if you rubbed the inside slimy bannana peel on it and let it dry to the point that it looks brown scabs it would help with posion ivy.
A trick to help with the scabs is to slather them heavily and repeatedly with hand cream. I have had good luck with Palmer's Cocoa butter formula. Seems to help keep the scabs soft enough that they don't crack, possibly getting infected, but also keeps them from getting too soft and breaking up when you wash. Keeping them intact and where they will do you some good means they do their job faster and then fall off when done. Soft and flexible scabs also, IMHO, seem to itch less.Same principle works with burns, road rash and other wide but shallow injury.
I'm still using the poison ivy cream on the scabs ( I'm not lettin' it have a chance to come back) , but I'll try the lotion if I need to.
My DGF and I are polar poison ivy oposites. I spent half a day pulling it out bare handed and she got a rash from watching me (|:>)
First wash the areas with a good oil/grease cutter. We use Dawn dish soap, the best I've found.
Then, rinse with brown vinegar and let air dry.
For clothing, presoak in a Dawn, vinegar, and water tub. Healthy squirt of Dawn, cup of vinegar, to a gallon of hot water. About an hour soak.SamT
That sucks Shep.
I've had tons of Poison Ivy, and my brother even more. Picture what you have, completely covering both of your legs. My brother had that for two summers straight, mowing lawns in high school.
He found Green Soap Tincture http://www.westburyonline.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=27127. I don't know how it works, but it works. You can have a rash for three days, wash with the tincture once or twice, and the rash will start to dry up. If the urisinol or whatever it is gets on your clothes, throw some tincture in with your laundry. Keep washing with the tincture and it will take care of any secondary attacks. It's amazing stuff, and works really quickly.
I have sensitive skin, I get rashes from cedar, mahogany, and concrete; poison ivy does a number on me, but this stuff treats me great.
The hot water trick also works, as does pressing really hard on the rash. Must be the histamines.
Good luck--
Mike Maines
Lot of it going around recently. All I can say is to be careful about watching if it is getting worse. One of my best guys got it on his eye, took some benadryl one day, thought it was getting better, then next day couldn't even open his eye. Few days of prescription steroids adn a few weeks of itching and he is almost better.
Hope this helps. Rich.
It's much better, thanks.
I have the steroids, and the prescription cream.
But the scabs still look kinda nasty. Everyone thinks I scratched it open.
But I really was a good boy and left it alnoe.
Heh, I'm living in fear for now - I couldn't wait for a porta-pottie on my bike ride today, charged into the woods for a tinkle. My legs are all itchy and bumpy now. And they're getting stubbly and I need to shave the big V-Twin.
The mosquitos buzzing around Mr. Happy while I was whizzin' were a little disoncerting, too...
did
I'm not sure I need to know about shaving the big V-Twin.<G>
But if you think you have any chance of having contacted poison ivy, get the soap that cuts the ivy oil, and thoroughly wash any affected areas.
Of course, by the time you may read this, its probably too late.
Poison Ivy this year is the worst I've ever seen===I had a case so bad I went to the doctor for a shot. The ONLY slightly pleasurable aspect is when you finally given in and give it a good stratch===it's almost orgasmic!
Poison ivy may be the sexual deviation of the 21st century. People getting naked and rolling round in the stuff because it feels so good when you do scratch. LOL.Sort of like the old joke about the guy hitting himself over the head with a ball-peen hammer. People ask him if it hurts - Sure it hurts like hell. Then why do you do it? Because it feels so good when I stop. About like a lot of jobs I have been on. Never ever get between the gate and the outgoing traffic come quiting time. Those boys will brake for neither man nor beast.
If I even think PI I shower in good old Felsnapa Soap.
Use a paste of on the bumps.
Nasty stuffPI,PO,PS.