OT: Poison Ivy Help Needed

[temery]

Cold water initially to clean away the poison ivy oils. Hot water opens the pores and helps spread the oils.

Once the oils have been washed off, hot water helps with the itching.

 

[ThetaZoo]

Did my hedges in short sleeves (yeah I know) testing out a new battery operating clippers I brought. Sure enough I brushed up against poison ivy along the bushes. I'm suffering, rash that itches like hell even my arm is swollen. Stuff is popping up on my stomach now. Its like mosquito bites on steroids.

I googled how to get rid of poison ivy (not the rash, the plant) a couple of years ago when I wanted to clear this nasty stuff from my yard. The solution I found was plastic bags over your hands and forearms to pull the plant including roots out. The bags that newspapers come in today are perfect for this. They are tubelike and extend to the elbow. I don't wear gloves under the bags because I get a better grip on the plant if my fingers are free. It's also best to wait until after a rain and the soil is moist so the roots don't break when pulling them. When you're done let the plastic bags slip off your hands and arms without touching them and dispose of them again without touching them directly.

And yes, I have a couple of blisters on one wrist right now. The bag must have slipped.

 

[Conndog]

Hot water, as hot as you can stand it, helps the itch, it also lets you know where the ivy is going to happen because even without the bumps yet, the skin with ivy feels different than the skin without the ivy juice.

My mother, when I was young and would get it bad, told us to try banana peels to stop the itching- the inner part of the peels that is moist. I did, can't remember if it worked, but it was interesting suggestion!

 

[mauconnfan]

I'm pretty sure urinating all over the area is a good cure too.

Supposedly it works for jellyfish stings so it must work for everything.

What's not good is when you sit in the ocean/salt water for your poison ivy and get stung by jelly fish especially ManO War

 

[mauconnfan]

Try Lava soap. Also, gasoline.

And light both of them. No worries about poison ivy anymore!

 

[Minicoop69]

And light both of them. No worries about poison ivy anymore!

used gasoline exclusively as a kid. worked every time. dried out the poison ivy fast. just don't put in on/in sweat . Burns real bad.

 

[Kitaman]

I used the ivy dry with calamine lotion (my father's suggestion-old school, he just had it). The hot shower seemed to make the ivy come alive, each drop was like an itch activator, had to wrap a hand towel around my arm, but it worked.

The swelling has gone down, the itch is slowly subsiding, but strangely there are spots on my stomach and legs.

I have much respect for this prominent Northeast plant. But who the hell needs water-boarding when this stuff exists. I won't lie I fantasized about amputation, I was that delirious with itch.

Hopefully by next week normalcy will return. Thanks guys and gals, you may not be doctors but you know what works for Yarders, and you all are a whole lot cheaper.

 

[8893]

I used the ivy dry with calamine lotion (my father's suggestion-old school, he just had it). The hot shower seemed to make the ivy come alive, each drop was like an itch activator, had to wrap a hand towel around my arm, but it worked.

The swelling has gone down, the itch is slowly subsiding, but strangely there are spots on my stomach and legs.

I have much respect for this prominent Northeast plant. But who the hell needs water-boarding when this stuff exists. I won't lie I fantasized about amputation, I was that delirious with itch.

Hopefully by next week normalcy will return. Thanks guys and gals, you may not be doctors but you know what works for Yarders, and you all are a whole lot cheaper.

Sounds like it may be in your system. This is why I think going straight to the doctor and getting steroids (either shot or pills) is the way to go once you know you have a serious case of it. If you had started the pills when you started this thread you'd be done with it by now. With the shot you'd be drying up the next day.

 

[buddy]

The shot and z pack are both steroids and makes the itching go away within 6-12 hours and it usually clears up about a day or two after that.

Zpack is not a steroid, but an antibiotic (azithromicin). It should only be taken if the area is infected due to scratching. It is best to apply Technu before you go out to do yard work. Oral medrol dose pack best if the PI is widespread. An enhanced steroid cream optimal for localized rash.

 

[Dove]

I must be lucky...my mother thinks about poison ivy and suddenly the Andes Mountians appear on her extremities. Pure nastiness.

Me...I get it and dab a little Calamine on and -poof- no more spreading.

 

[Huskygamble19]

"You are going to need a lotion, a Calamine lotion. Poison iv-y-y-y-y, poison iv-y-y-y-y / Late at night while you're sleepin' poison ivy comes / a'creepin' / Arou-ou-ou-ou-ou-ound." Coasters circa 1950's

Your going to need an ocean of calamine lotion. You'll be scratching like a hound, the minute you start to mess around. there fixed it for you.

 

[UC313]

My crazy Uncle Tony, or Ice-a-box if your Italian, always suggested bleach. All about drying them oils. It only burned for a little bit and worked better if the blisters had been opened up.