Poison Oak/ivy

[clayton86]

Ok let's hear everyone's remedy for it because I'm about to cut my d**n arm off.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Stay the hell away from it. I have to as I get severe reactions to the oil.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Calamine and another one, I forget the name. It's clear, has a green label.

[aceman387]

Turn on the hot side of the kitchen faucet and wait till the water is hot and then stick the itchy part under the faucet. It only takes a second or two and at first you will get an intense itch while its under the hot running water but as soon as you pull away it should stop the itching for hours.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Turn on the hot side of the kitchen faucet and wait till the water is hot and then stick the itchy part under the faucet. It only takes a second or two and at first you will get an intense itch while its under the hot running water but as soon as you pull away it should stop the itching for hours.

 

Speaking from experience, this causes inflamation and doesn't allow it to heal as quickly. While it may feel good (it truly does), you are doing more harm than good.

 

Also, if it is recent and there is still oil present somewhere on his skin, this will cause pores to open up and allow the oil to spread the reaction.

 

If you see blisters, let them alone. Popping them will not cause the reaction to spread (contrary to popular belief) but it will possibly allow for infection.

[aavery2]

Go to your Dr. and get a steroid shot, gone in two to three days.

[buzzed bait]

Speaking from experience, this causes inflamation and doesn't allow it to heal as quickly. While it may feel good (it truly does), you are doing more harm than good.

 

Also, if it is recent and there is still oil present somewhere on his skin, this will cause pores to open up and allow the oil to spread the reaction.

 

If you see blisters, let them alone. Popping them will not cause the reaction to spread (contrary to popular belief) but it will possibly allow for infection.

 

dude you sound like you've got more experience with poison leaves than i care to even imagine!!  not sure if it is effective at all, but as a kid I know people swore up and down that an oatmeal bath was good for soothing the symptoms, but i don't think it does anything to actually combat the poison.

i know i can say from experience than poison oak and ivy are rough, but they are literally nothing compared to shingles.....  god knows i would not wish shingles on my most mortal enemy!!  just remember, somebody always has it worse!

good luck

[00 mod]

Steroid shot and lye soap.  Also once used paint thinner.  Hurt like hell, but dried it right up

 

Jeff

[Catch and Grease]

Just go through with cutting your arm off...

I hope it goes away quick for ya, I got in some last year and it is horrible!

[Siebert Outdoors]

lye soap works good and Walmart has some spray in a bottle called Ivy gone or something like that.  Its expensive and burns but it works really good.

[.ghoti.]

Go to your Dr. and get a steroid shot, gone in two to three days.

 

This is the only correct action. Steroid pills for a four or five day course may be prescribed as well, or in place of the shot.

[B-Dozer]

^{cut your arm off. just make sure it's the right one....or is it the left one?}

[SPEEDBEAD.]

dude you sound like you've got more experience with poison leaves than i care to even imagine!! 

 

I used to be one of those guys that "never got it".....UNTIL I GOT IT. Now I can't even be around the stuff without it showing up somewhere on me. Truly sucks more than many can ever imagine.

 

The worst I ever had it, I was cutting wood with a chainsaw and burning underbrush. It was raining and everything was dead (brown), or so I thought. Apparently from the combination of ivy oil and water seeping through my clothing, the fire smoke containing contaminants I was breathing in and the number of times I stopped working to pee (yup, you guessed it), I ended up with poison ivy and oak together on a majority of my body.

 

I had a shot and went through 2 10 day treatments of prednisone before it actually cleared up. All told, I had a severe rash for a little over a month and noticeable marks for at least 2 months.

 

My second worst time, the reaction was centered solely on my hands. I shot two rabbits that had apparently bathed in poison ivy oil. While skinning them, I of course got the oil on my without my knowledge. A few days later, my hands had tripled in size and you could not see any daylight between my fingers due to the amount  of fluid present in them. Luckily, no peeing that time.

 

In short, avoid it. It sucks.

[buzzed bait]

I used to be one of those guys that "never got it".....UNTIL I GOT IT. Now I can't even be around the stuff without it showing up somewhere on me. Truly sucks more than many can ever imagine.

 

The worst I ever had it, I was cutting wood with a chainsaw and burning underbrush. It was raining and everything was dead (brown), or so I thought. Apparently from the combination of ivy oil and water seeping through my clothing, the fire smoke containing contaminants I was breathing in and the number of times I stopped working to pee (yup, you guessed it), I ended up with poison ivy and oak together on a majority of my body.

 

I had a shot and went through 2 10 day treatments of prednisone before it actually cleared up. All told, I had a severe rash for a little over a month and noticeable marks for at least 2 months.

 

My second worst time, the reaction was centered solely on my hands. I shot two rabbits that had apparently bathed in poison ivy oil. While skinning them, I of course got the oil on my without my knowledge. A few days later, my hands had tripled in size and you could not see any daylight between my fingers due to the amount  of fluid present in them. Luckily, no peeing that time.

 

In short, avoid it. It sucks.

 

i am laughing out loud, but almost crying in pain at the same time....

odd how some people react to things in a totally different manner than others.....

[clayton86]

Yeah I was the "oh I never get it" guy as a group of us looked at a tree crawling with it needing some limbs trimmed to make a shooting lane for a new tree stand. So I shimmied my way up the tree with saw in hand. It's not that bad couple quartet sized spots on my left arm probably from hugging the tree while triming the branches. I've been washing it with acetone to dry it out while I'm at work seems to be working for now it's not itchy.

[Fishes in trees]

Try to pay attention and avoid the stuff.   If you make an error and get exposed, get clean asap.  Keep a full bottle of Technu or Ivarest next to the shower and use most if not all of it.  I keep a couple of bottles in my travel gear as well, because I got it once changing a tire on a fishing trip.  Benadryl gel works ok at stopping the itch, other products do too.

 

Be proactive and have all that stuff around, and replace it after you've used it so that you always have plenty.  If you have to go buy some after you are exposed it is probably too late.  I've never had to go to the doctor about that, but I have had friends and relatives that had to.

 

Another little tip, if you are burning brush that has poison ivy in it, be mindful to stand upwind.  Just saying . . .

[VolFan]

Don't burn brush with poison ivy in it. You can literally get it in your lungs, which can cause pneumonia and infection. And also all over your body from the smoke, which is just plain uncomfortable. Get a goat; they like to eat it.

[Fishing Rhino]

Two words:

 

tecnu extreme.

 

The stuff works.  It is expensive, but worth every cent.

 

My wife gets poison ivy from looking at it.  Before tecnu, it would take a couple of weeks for the rash to clear up.  I had a mild case last year and tried it.  It was amazing.  Cleared up in a couple of days.  The discoloration lasted longer, but there was no oozing or itching.  You thoroughly rub the rash area for about fifteen seconds then rinse with cool water.

 

I've got some stuff that works great.  It's aerosil or cabosil, a thickening agent for making fiberglass paste, fairing compound.  It is a powdered form of fused silica.  Fused silica is a dessicant which absorbs moisture.  Those little packets of crystals you find in electronics packaging are fused silica.

 

Just rubbing a small bit of it between the thumb and forefinger makes you feel dehydrated.

 

I put the powder over the affected area, and put a bandage on to keep the powder in place.  An hour or so later, I remove the powder, and wash the affected area thoroughly.  It does a great job of absorbing the urushiol oil.  It is chemically inert, though it is an irritant when inhaled.

 

You must have some of that in the fiberglass shop.

[clayton86]

Two words:

tecnu extreme.

The stuff works. It is expensive, but worth every cent.

My wife gets poison ivy from looking at it. Before tecnu, it would take a couple of weeks for the rash to clear up. I had a mild case last year and tried it. It was amazing. Cleared up in a couple of days. The discoloration lasted longer, but there was no oozing or itching. You thoroughly rub the rash area for about fifteen seconds then rinse with cool water.

I've got some stuff that works great. It's aerosil or cabosil, a thickening agent for making fiberglass paste, fairing compound. It is a powdered form of fused silica. Fused silica is a dessicant which absorbs moisture. Those little packets of crystals you find in electronics packaging are fused silica.

Just rubbing a small bit of it between the thumb and forefinger makes you feel dehydrated.

I put the powder over the affected area, and put a bandage on to keep the powder in place. An hour or so later, I remove the powder, and wash the affected area thoroughly. It does a great job of absorbing the urushiol oil. It is chemically inert, though it is an irritant when inhaled.

You must have some of that in the fiberglass shop.

By the 50# bag tons of it we mix it with gelcoat or resin to make aerosol(bondo) mix it with acetone as well to make a acetone paste for removing glue and such.

I had the stuff all over me today actually I was making up some aerosol. I'll have to try your trick because I now have the rash on my left fore arm in two spots, my right hand across the knuckles, my right tricep and on my back.

[slonezp]

If it wasn't for bad luck you'd have no luck at all.

 

I don't have any advice, I'll just keep praying your luck turns around.

[Scott F]

How to never get poison ivy rash.

 

[deaknh03]

I was a land surveyor and got it constantly. I would take a coarse boars hair brush and scrub til it bled..not the smartest thing but it felt good. Got it on my sack, between my fingers and every other area but the worst was my eyes..swelled shut, steroids needed.

[FishTank]

How to never get poison ivy rash.

 

 

 

Very cool and great advice.  I have battled it for years.  One year I got it so bad I had to change my clothes several times through out the day because of all the urushiol coming out my skin.  I took an oatmeal bath twice a day and used a doctors rx skin ointment (useless by the way).  There was nothing I could do but wait it out. 

[Oregon Native]

We have used Braggs apple cider viniger and has worked well for the wife.

Good Luck

[fishinfiend]

wire bristle brush and battery acid