quote:

Originally posted by 83v45magna:

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:
Steroid shot is the only thing that works for me.

I'm one a those. Except with me it was an oral Prednisone course both times. That steroid gave me insomnia from hell too.
There was a product, IvyBlock, that my dermatologist prescribed, that can mitigate the effects by applying it prior to contact. Like if you knew you were being affected whenever you were in a certain place, which is what happened to me two years in a row. Mine was coming from some other plant's oils (urushiol), not poison ivy, which I know how to identify. It was classed as contact dermatitis.
IvyBlock was taken off the market at some point and I forget why.

Yeah, the prednisone course gives me insomnia, the shot doesn’t.

Were you wearing your mask? It offers protection from poison ivy and all other viruses.

I got it at least a couple times a year growing up in MI, I would get a nasty rash like the OP every time.

That was child's play compared to my reaction from Poison Oak This was at Ft. Ord playing soldier in the woods

I would get yuuuge blisters and usually get it everywhere including the nether regions , not fun. It got to where I could spot poison oak from 1000 yards and avoid it at all costs, mostly

Wash your clothes also to remove any oil, otherwise you could start the rash all over again.

Leaves of three; leave them be.

Dude, I would man up and see the doc.

I recall my daddy once telling me, don't go to the dr unless you can impress him. I think that qualifies.

Sweet jesus. I don't think I've ever seen it that bad.

When I was a kid I was pretty much immune to it. I could basically roll in a patch of it and get nothing. No way I'd chance it now.

My primary care physician---who I've known for almost 20 years, is brilliant, and when she was doing her residency she was the CHIEF resident at Methodist Central in Dallas (the city's number two gun and knife club).

She took one look at the horrible-looking (like yours) poison ivy on my arms and prescribed silver sulfadiazine, which is a white topical cream that's primarily indicated for second- and third-degree burns.

In six days, it was almost completely gone.

Yeah, I’m guessing that was prescribed to keep it from getting infected. That’s the way the doc explained that stuff to me when I got my third degree burn. It’s lightly irradiated and between that and the silver, it inhibits microbial growth.

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p

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She took one look at the horrible-looking (like yours) poison ivy on my arms and prescribed silver sulfadiazine, which is a white topical cream that's primarily indicated for second- and third-degree burns

I get it the same way. Similar to a chemical burn. One time, at horse camp, someone burned it and I almost died. Esophagus started to close up. Here's a pic for your amusements.

I used to get that crap everytime I cut the grass when we lived in Indiana. I spent a lot of money trying to eradicate it from our yard with little success. Comet24 has some good advice for you. Jewelweed soap work wonders. I also watched the video posted in this thread several years ago. It will help, but the problem is, sometimes you won't know you have the oil on you, and sometimes you miss a spot when washing it off. I'm the type of person who gets poison ivy by looking at it. Jewelweed products are the only thing that worked well for me. Good luck!

Yep, that is one weed not to be F'd with. Last time I got hit with it, it looked like I put both my arms in a deep fryer. That is when I learned my lesson. Have put a wide berth between it and myself ever sense. Steroids as others have mentioned would be in order for that reaction.

Also don't let a dead vine fool you either. As long as the oil is present it can still do damage. Talking from experience on this one.

Good luck Ramius!

Poison Ivy is no joke! We have it's bigger badder brother - Poison Oak - out here on the west coast.

I get it on my eyes if I look at it.. JK, but I get it easily. Had it all over my body as a kid, no fun. Yes... everywhere.

I use Technu as a preventative and after exposure, it works. Try it. Available at Wallgreens, RiteAid, etc.

Back in the days when I was a kid, I used to get it badly, at one time the person in the brownstone next to ours burnt a line of bushes along the fence. I ended up in the hospital when my throat did all but close up completely.

This was so long ago, there were no steroids or anything but calamine.

My grandmother had a home type cure, Baking soda and vinegar mixed into the consistency of a poultice. Apply directly at bedtime, cover loosely and redo upon waking.

It dries up the oils, after a few days the improvement is noticeable.

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:
Steroid shot is the only thing that works for me.

Prednisone shot and a dose pack. Nuff said.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:

If I start to get the little bubblies now I immediately grab a rough wash cloth and straight bleach.

I use the bleach method also. I think it helps dry out the rash you get. When I worked around large swimming pools I would use chlorine from the 55-gallon vats.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:


Poison Ivy will stay with you...

EXCELLENT Band,



re the plant,


you gotz it bad, get to a doc and get the steroids,

and,

bleach,

yep, Clorox type,


strong solution in water (like fill a sink, add a cup or so, ) use a rag to wipe down the inflamed areas,

yes it will sting,

or a qtip or cotton ball, and dip in straight bleach and dab on the area,


yes, it stings,

stops the itch, and clears it up fast,


had a case once before we went to the beach, Sea water cleared it up for me as well,


as in go swimming in the ocean

I'm fortunate and have never gotten a poison ivy rash despite growing up in the Midwest and tramping through the woods all summer. One of my older relatives was so immune to it he really could smoke it in his pipe with no consequences. I'd rather just avoid it, just in case.

When you realize you got it in. Drive directly to a Walgreens kind of place and buy 2 things.

1st) Zanfel. (Walgreens makes a house equiv. that is still good)

2nd) Tecnu Extreme. - get the Extreme version, sure it costs more but worth it.



Wash good with cold water and the Tecnu Extreme right away, before there is itching. That usually does it. If it comes on anyway, follow the directions on the Zanfel and it will do the trick to stop the itch. I'm out in the woods a lot, have gotten it (bad at times) lots. I've tried everything, literally everything: that's what works best for me.

Ah Ramius, you have my deepest sympathy.

I too suffer from an acute allergy to the various poison plants. Didn't have an issue until my early teens, when I got caught in the burning ground cover trap as well.

Was hell when I was in the service. Nothing worse than humping a ruck with the rash across your lower back. Thankfully my medics were always ready with the cortisone shots.

These days its triple wash with Dawn and a washcloth, followed by a dilute bleach swab down at the first sign of an outbreak.

Hope you've seen the doc by now. Without intervention that kind of coverage will take forever to clear up on its own.