Poison Oak !!! Ahhhhhhhh ! :-O

[Fish Chris]

Geeez, all growing up I had friends who got covered with this garbage, and since I never did, playing in the same spots, I figured I was just immune to it.

Well, maybe resistant, but apparently not immune

What's strange is how long it took it to catch hold, and start spreading ?

10 days ago, on that awesome Smallie trip, I took my stretchy clips, and shoved my hand off into some bushes on the shoreline, for something to hold the boat still. As I did this, I thought, wow.... that looks like Oak leaves... but no tree ? And it scratched my wrist a little too. Later that day, that scratch, and one tiny puncture was red, and irritated.... but I was hot, sweaty, and covered with sun screen, so any scratch might feel irritated, right ?

Well, 5 days later, that scratch and puncture was not healing, and still irritated ? Not normal for me. So, I put some antibiotic ointment on it, and covered it with a band aid > MISTAKE ! By keeping it warm and covered, the next day, it was like blistered up and itchy as $%#& ! 2 days after that, I had about 8 more itchy, ugly blisters popping up on my hands and forearms ! Urgggggg !

I finally started treating my Poison oak with calamine clear, yesterday, so today, no more new spots, but I hear this garbage takes a week to clear up

Not sure what I will do 4 days from now, when I'm back out in the sun..... How do you spread sunscreen all over yourself, when you have Poison oak ?

Just a big PITA

Your experience with this stuff ?

Any suggestions ?

Peace,

Fish

[Sfritr]

I had a buddy growing up that couldn't even stand near it. Just the oil in the air would cause an outbreak. Crazy. If he would cut grass and go over it with the mower = DONE.

We worked that summer on a golf course and he looked like a pink polka dotted idiot most of the summer.

I have heard that tobacco leaves can cure it. Don't know if it works but I heard it somewhere.

It spreads from the oils so keeping it dry is key. Even sweating can cause the oil to run down your arm causing the spreading.

[Sfritr]

I have also heard of using Tea Tree Oil. (it can be found in your local drug store)

as well as

Rubarb

Rubarb it is found in your local gardens. just rub it on the poison ivy 2-3 times daily (it realy takes the itch away) in a couple of days it is gone. just break open the stem rub it on for instant releif ,and very safe

[00 mod]

Lye soap. Get some and bath in it for the next couple days. It is extremely drying, I will warn you. Now after you have bathed with it, take the bar and a little water and make a "paste" and rub that on any spots you have! Do not wash off, but rather let that paste dry and leave it be, until the next shower. Works great! Will aide the healing time greatly!

Jeff

[00 mod]

Lye soap. Get some and bath in it for the next couple days. It is extremely drying, I will warn you. Now after you have bathed with it, take the bar and a little water and make a "paste" and rub that on any spots you have! Do not wash off, but rather let that paste dry and leave it be, until the next shower. Works great! Will aide the healing time greatly!

Trust me, as an avid outdoorsman that is VERY allergic to this stuff! The last 2 times I have had it, sent me to the hospital! But this stuff truly works...its an old southern remedy!

Jeff

[SausageFingers]

I've gotten into that stuff before as well. Its absolutely miserable.

I use a product called Tecnu. It will do the trick.

[deaknh03]

Tea tree oil will work. It dries it out and is natural so you have no chemicals entering your body.

[Sam]

Chris, I hate when that happens.

So sorry as I know it is a disturbing experience.

I am very watchful when in my yard and the woods all around my house in addition to getting lures, etc. out of bushes and trees.

Hope you get it under control and are OK very soon.

[Fat-G]

I got it around my neck two summers ago. Literally looked like it was trying to strangle me.

Calamine BLOWS. My neck was cracking and I couldn't turn my head!

[Jaheff]

I never got the stuff as a kid, but about 5 years ago Mountain biking i fell right into a bush like poisin oak. My buddy came over and said," do you know what your layin in"? A few days later i had it all over and it gave me flew like symptoms.That poisin\infection got into my blood system and I had to go on antibiotics.Wasn't fun missing work over it.

[Senkoman12]

never had poison oak but poison ivy SUCKS. i got a little bit now on my ankle, not that bad but annoying. i use calagel. stuff works great

[bilgerat]

I used to get horrendous outbreaks while cleaning up around my property. Calamine is useless, you might as well spread pudding on the affected area. You need a cortisone shot from the doctor. You have to kill it from the inside.

The Technu lotion that was mentioned is the only over the counter stuff that even comes close to working. The trick is to use it as soon as possible after contact BEFORE you break out.

One last tip - don't burn poison oak or ivy. You don't want to know what happens when the smoke is inhaled.

[TimJ]

2 yrs ago I was carrying around some poison ivy bush (didnt know) under the stuff I cut as a favor...in a t-shirt and shorts. major case of ivy. skip a week and still spreading so I used a baby trick: had to wear socks on my hands to keep from scratching and spreading while sleeping. its summer and Im wearing long sleeve t-shirt and pjs, socks on my hands and feet with pjs tucked into socks. major pita! Im getting itchy thinking about it.

enough rambling...so I just wanted to mention the socks on hands. cut the spreading immediately.

back to our normally scheduled thread.

[Fish Chris]

Thank you guys. I was sure I wouldn't be the only one here who has gotten this garbage !

I went to see my Dr. a while ago. He gave me fluocinanide cream, prednisone tabs, and hydroxyzine tabs.

I found it interesting to learn that poison oak, ivy, or sumac, are not contagious from one person to another, and is not even spread from one part of the body to another by scratching.

Where this fallacy comes from, is that when a person first gets the poisoness oils on there skin (before it has ever started to cause any alergic reaction) they often spread it all over the place from normal rubbing or scratching, or from contaminated clothing or equipment. Then, the most sensitive areas start to break out first. Enevitably, when more spots start to flare up, people assume that they spead it freom the first spot, to the second spot. Not true. They spread it, wherever they spread it, in the first few hours.

Anyway, I know what poison oak looks like, but I just never worried about it very much, haven never been bitten by it. You bet that I will avoid it like the plague now though !!!!

Peace,

Fish

[BASS fisherman]

I like the tea tree oil myself.

It comes in many different forms such as lotions and soap. I like the soap for quick relief, however drying off has to be done carefully otherwise the itch comes right back.

Something no one has mentioned yet.....

When you touched the poison oil, you contaminated your hands. Anything and everything you touched after that now has poison oak oil contaminating it. So youd be wise to clean anything you touched with soap and hot water to remove the oil.

Fishing rod, vest, steering wheel, glasses, hat, etc............

Supposedly that oil can stay active on a surface for over a year. For instance say your walking through the woods and you walk through some ivy or oak and contaminate your pants. You go home and take off your pants tossing them in the corner of the laundry room. The next day you get poison oak but forget about the pants. 2 weeks later you go in and wash the pants re-contaminating yourself with the poison oak.

I used to get poison ivy all the time growing up.

If you are out in the woods and you get poison ivy'd, you can take the stalk of those water plants - the ones with yellow or orange flowers and the seed pods that explode when you touch them, and split open the stalk of the plant. Smear the plant slime onto where the ivy touched until you can get to a place to wash the oil off. This is a good remedy for if your hiking and going to be out awhile, or camping.

[Bluebasser86]

I've gone in reverse from what you have Fish Chris. I used to be able to get the stuff just standing close to it, now I walk through it all the time and rarely get it. I did get some last year helping my father-in-law clear some brush by his house but that was because I cut a poison ivy vine and got the oil on the underside of my forearm. I'd get the shot from your doctor, it clears it up so much faster than anything else for me.

[slonezp]

I've gotten into that stuff before as well. Its absolutely miserable.

I use a product called Tecnu. It will do the trick.

From their website

Poison Oak Treatment

There is no cure for the rash of poison oak once it begins, although there are many ways to relieve the symptoms. The removal of the poisonous plant oils from the skin via thorough washing and drying is the first and most important step of any treatment regimen. Mild symptoms of poison oak, including red bumps, blisters and itching, can be treated with over-the-counter anti-itch treatments that contain zinc acetate, zinc oxide, or hydrocortisone. There are also natural preparations that have been suggested over the years including pastes made from baking soda, aloe or the sap of the jewelweed plant. Consult a physician in the case of a severe poison oak rash, a reaction that lasts longer than 3 weeks, or if the dermatitis affects a particularly sensitive area (face or eyes).

A recurrent complication of a poison oak rash is infection. Swelling, pain and warmth around the affected area are all signs of infection. When this occurs, your health care professional will most likely prescribe a type of topical antibiotic cream if the infection is in a small area. Otherwise, systemic antibiotics administered by injection or prescription pills may be needed. To prevent infection, never intentionally break blisters, try not to scratch the rash, and cut fingernails short to minimize the possibility of opening the skin and spreading bacteria.

Treat Poison Oak with Tecnu Extreme

Tecnu Extreme is a medicated, one-step solution that works in 15 seconds to remove the oils left on the skin by contact with poison oak and relieves the itching upon application.

[Fish Chris]

Thanks again guys.

Hey Blue, yea, my stepfather had the same shot, and said it worked great ! But for whatever reason, my Dr. doesn't like to give shots ?

Hey Slone, yea', I've heard enough about the Technu, that I think I will have to piocke some up to keep it on hand.

One thing I have come to feel about poison oak (or ivy, or sumac) is that once you have started to have an allergic reaction, their really is no "cure"..... only treatments to help to minimize symptoms, and speed recovery. Pretty much like the common cold.

Peace,

Fish

[Dan:]

Wash with Dawn dish washing soap in the shower for at least the first three showers after possible exposure. If blistering or rash occurs, use THIS

[clayton86]

I used to be able to roll in the stuff when a kid poison oak ivy sumac none of it ever bothered me if I even look at it now I get it. One trick I learned while at basic in ft benning because the stuff is everywhere use baby wipes to was your arms where u came in contact with it or even the moist wipes from a mre. The bay wipes thing works good for me even after I have a outbreak. I would wipe the area befor racking out by morning it would be gone no lie and if not completly gone it would def be reduced and never itched and would be gone by the end of the day.

[.ghoti.]

Prednisone is the only thing that has ever worked for me. The over the counter remedies are useless. The old wive's remedies are useless.