poison ivy treatment

[The Grebe]

This is really weird....I have a few other posts on this topic, but here's an update.

I've had Poison Ivy 3 times in my life. The 2nd time I got it on the front of my ankle and it never went away.

For whatever reason, I developed a chronic itch in the line where the blisters were and it lasted 20 years!

I seen dermatologists, doctors, tried rubs, had a doctor put liquid nitrogen on it trying to burn it out, nothing worked and at times, I would scratch it until it bled!

From the years of scratching and scarring from the nitrogen, I developed a callouse about the size of 2 fifty cent pieces. Long ago, I figured that it was there for the remainder of my life, but you never get used to the severe itch.

A month ago, I got a spot of Poison Ivy on my other ankle...treated it with cortisone cream and antihistimines, did'nt scratch it when it itched and after about 2 weeks, it went away...here's the kicker, for whatever reason the chronic itch stopped and it has'nt itched once since I got the fresh case? After 20 years, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it does'nt reemerge, I've did my time!

[Ice9]

Poison ivy is an autoimmune reaction; it's not the oils, it's your body's reaction to it. Makes the old one going away seem more likely. Don't question it. Also, you've had pi more times than you know--the first time doesn't count. You get the oil on your skin and your body deals with it. The second time it overreacts and that's when you get a reaction.

ice

[The Grebe]

Ice9..."Okay!" Not being any kind of scientist, your explaination is as good as any and I'll run with it!

Truthfully speaking, I don't care about the mechanics, it's something I hope to never duplicate, I'm just really, really glad it is gone!

One would think that the dermatologists and doctors would know about what you stated in your post? If they don't, they **** sure should, it would have saved me 20 years of scratching!

One question...If we have had it more then we know, (I'am a very active outdoorsmen) I must have had it without knowing it, during those 20 years, why did'nt it nullify the big itch then?

[Piker]

1. Wash with Dial
2. Soak with Alcohol
3. Apply Baking Soda/Water paste
4. Clean blisters with peroxide
5. All the while I take Benadryl (Makes you drowsy though), and anti-inflamatory like Advil or Tylenol.

The Dial is realy just to dissolve the oil on your skin. The baking soda really dries, the blisters. Just like how it is the best cure for a bee sting.

[The Grebe]

I went to have the quarterly taxes done tonight and my accountant and friend Dennis Nelson, were BSing and we got on the subject of poison ivy and he told me of a remedy that I have'nt heard anyone mention? He said he thinks he read about it in a Mn. Volunteer booklet.

Jewelweed! Otherwise known as "Touch Me Nots, or Impatients". You either crush them up in your hands and rub them on the Poison Ivy, Oak, or whatever, or boil the juice out of them and rub that on the affected area.

Supposed to work as good, or better then the cortisone stuff? It would be my luck to rub that concoction on me and wake up in the morning looking like a toad!

[Bobb-o]

I have heard of using spotted touch me nots to treat it but only immediately after contact with the PI plant.

[Dragonsm]

Sounds like we have a support group for PI. I to am allergic to PI. From the "research" I have done myself on it, it's your body's own "reaction" to the oils...and each time you get it, your reaction tends to be more extreme. I am to the point now if I even think about that stuff...I end up breaking out.

Something that I have used in the past when I got it was something called Domboro. You can purchase it at most major super stores in the pharmacy area. Spendy, but I have had repeated great results with it. Really dries out the PI and gets the body back to the healing stage. Calamine works well to. One other thing I tend to do when I get it is to try and run around my place and keep it exposed to air as much as possible to help dry it out. Anything to dry it out!

Good luck! (One nice thing about getting it all the time....the itch doesn't really bother me much anymore as it has become a mind over matter thing)

[This message has been edited by Dragonsm (edited 10-12-2004).]

[Deputy Grizz]

I don't know about how it works for poison ivy, but the jewell weed you mention works wonderful for stinging nettles, and even grows in the same places nettles grow-usually damp, moist soil.You just crush it with your fingers and rub it where the stinging nettles are in you.
I really can't recommend using it for poison ivy as I think it will spread the plants oils around and make it worse.

[larryz]

My neighbor gets poison ivy often. He swears that he always lets his dog lick the affected area. He says that it then dries up and goes away. Anyone else ever hear anything like this?

[Ice9]

I guided two-three times a week all summer for ten years, getting in and out of a raft and walking the riverbanks where there was a lot of pi. I had only a few minor eruptions even after I had several terrible infections as a kid (and hospitalized once). I just started to wash my bare skin--legs and hands--with river water and sand. Though I also had young ladies in bikinis lick my leg...thoguh maybe that was just in my imagination. Anyway, you can wash it off if you think of it. You can buy products to take it off but I think lava soap or sand and water works just as well.

ice

[The Grebe]

I'm not 100% on this, but it seemed to me like it would work and I tried it....may have even been what kept the PI from spreading.

When filling my old Coleman lantern with White gas, many years ago, I noticed that if you get some on your hands, it will leech the oils out of your skin so thoroughly, that it looks like you dusted them with flour and they will be drier then the proverbial popcorn fart!

I have used it over the years in a number of situations and it evaporates real quick.

Oil is oil and I figured that if applied to the PI, it would also leech those oils out,
maybe it did, maybe it did'nt, but it was contained to the size of a quarter?