Poison Oak

[mshihrer]

I was wondering, are some people immune to poison ivy and poison oak? I can't believe in my entire youth of plodding through all kinds of shrubbery an mini forrests in the Mohawk River Valley in Upstate NY, that I never came across this stuff. I know I've never been infected.

 

[kempco]

scratch it until it stops itching !!!

 

[Follow]

Benadryl and hydrocortisone cream. (Um, this is what a doc may say...)
Since it has been awhile this may not help, but for future reference for those who may come into contact with poison oak, ivy or sumac a good thing to do is wash your skin with DISHsoap this will remove the plants oil from your skin.
Doing so may prevent or reduce the rash. Be sure to wash everything including bike (if yours), clothes, hunting dog..
Apply cold, wet compresses to reduce itching. repeat freq. then leave rash exposed to the air.

 

[tomn916]

Calamine lotion does nothing. Don't bother.

Years ago I had a really bad case of poison Ivy that I brought to California from Alabama. I was miserable. One swim in the ocean took care of the whole problem. All of the affected areas dried up and went away over night. It may work for poison oak as well. It might be a bit chilly at this time of year, though.

 

[Soonerb40]

I used Zanfel scrub last year. It ain't cheap, but It works better than anything i've ever used.

 

[Papa]

I don't know about poison oak, but its probably the same as poison ivy as far as this goes. In order to get poison ivy you have to be allergic to the oil. Not everyone is, but it is a VERY common allergy. Additionally keep in mind that allergies change through out your life, what you weren't allergic to last year might get you this year.

My Grandma died at 100.5 years old with out ever getting poison ivy. My father gets it a few times a year. I believe I saw a blister the size of a marker dot of poison ivy on my self last year. I suspect that means the immunity Grandma gave me is fading. I am exposed to it almost daily with my work, but never had a problem. I do take all the standard precautions with each and every exposure. Just because I have never had it, doesn't mean I wan to go roll in the stuff.

Ditto Karen, the doc told me your not immune, some just don't react to it. After 54 years of wading in the stuff at times, I had my first reaction last week. It wasn't bad, just around the ankles, I was there for other reasons and just asked the doc about it. Many folks he says, are resistant to it only to become sensitive in later years.

 

[Two Brothers]

Remember you can get it even if there are no leaves on it. You can also contract it from burning it and inhaling the smoke. If I touch it I'll have small blisters come up leaves or no leaves.

 

[nybryan]

what i do for poison ivy infection in small amounts is completely not recommended or encouraged or should be done by anyone else. A little bleach will dry it right out. Could cause scaring <never has for me> and bleach i guess could be diluted. If it was infected from scratching i don't think i would do this. Bleach is my friend. Kills any foot fungus in a foot bath better then any prescription i have ever heard of. It will leave you skin a bit dry. Like i said i do not recommend anyone else do this I am not a doctor and doctor has yelled at me for doing this etc etc etc

 

[Two Brothers]

what i do for poison ivy infection in small amounts is completely not recommended or encouraged or should be done by anyone else. A little bleach will dry it right out. Could cause scaring <never has for me> and bleach i guess could be diluted. If it was infected from scratching i don't think i would do this. Bleach is my friend. Kills any foot fungus in a foot bath better then any prescription i have ever heard of. It will leave you skin a bit dry. Like i said i do not recommend anyone else do this I am not a doctor and doctor has yelled at me for doing this etc etc etc

Thats what I do. Have been doing for years. A little in a sink with water works for me.

 

[NorCalBusa]

Its pretty clear there are three stages to this thing; exposure (oil gets on you), quiet time (no reaction) an then the rash/skin reaction time. I can't help but think there would be different remedies for each phase.

1- Removes the oil from the surface (say- same day)
2- Draws the oil from the tissue (over the next day or two)
3- Calms/cures the reaction; both itching and red lesions

 

[tomn916]

I wish I were immune. I'd settle for slightly resistant. I'm so bad that the ornamental stuff gives me a rash.

 

[crkedtoe]

If it's really bad, go see your doctor. I once had a case of poison oak so bad that the doctor took photos of it to submit to some journal. He gave me a shot of penicillin. Be forewarned !

 

[EASt]

:bump

I've got a case of the Ivy bad. It's past the "wash it off" stage. I bought a bottle of Technu, but that only appears to work in the "wash it off" stage.

A scalding hot shower and washing with Dawn Anti-Bacterial soap has provided relief, but new stuff pops up every day. It just hit my face on day three.

Ivy is not contagious, but the oozing sores are too disgusting to take to work, so I'm couching it. Can't wear a helmet over my sores, so I'm stuck at home. Thank goodness for the XBox.

I'm dead scared of the bleach suggestion.

I think my remedy will be hot showers, Allegra, and successive shots of whiskey to help wait it out.

I've been scouring the internet for good resources and found this site. Good info, but it's too many things to try. I was not surprised that a search of ST-Owners would have advice on the topic too. I keep hoping that there's a quick cure, but I think it's one of those things that just needs to run its course.

Lastly, I think Poison Ivy is a highly relevant topic on ST-Owners since we've got such a large ride-to-camp membership. I guess any good info in this thread is helpful to us all.

 

[st1300r]

The quick cure is to get it off before it gets you.
COLD water and soap.

Gasoline or bleach in the beginning before it nails you to get the oil off. DAMHIK.

Domboror sp? was one when I was a kid. A lot of time in the tub pouring it over and over with cool water.

Hot water changed the itch to burn which was preferable.
NOT suggested.

I was one of those take a picture cases.

 

[bdalameda]

Calomine Lotion works good. When I was a kid my grandmother would take liquid bleach and dab it on to dry it out. Not sure how good that was for me, it burned like hell but did dry it up fast.

Dan

 

[Jerseyst]

walk through the woods and get a good dose of chiggers. They will eat the oil.

 

[Papa]

walk through the woods and get a good dose of chiggers. They will eat the oil.

Poison oak/ivy and chiggers at the same time? just shoot me

 

[STranger]

I am poison oak king!!!!!! I get the stuff by looking at it. Every year 9-10 times


2-8 hours technu works real good
24 hours dawn and technu shower with calamine or equiv
1-2 days scratch open the oak sores and pat it down(do not wipe) with a 10% bleach solution.

What ever you do keeep it dry!!!!!

As an added precaution make sure to wash your riding gear with dawn especially the boots. If you have shoe strings throw them away and get new ones!!!! You will keep infecting yourself from your clothing.....
Good luck

 

[t-bone]

Got a son that gets it really bad, go straight to the doc and get the prescribed steroid shot and within hours it will start to recede. by the next morning my son itches nomore and half of it is gone,

 

[S2000-Dave]

Oatmeal pack!