Poison Ivy on me... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Johnhef · #1 06-07-2008, 07:38 PM

Day 7 now since I had contact with poison ivy, or at least since I had contact with my dog who must have snouted around in some poison ivy. It's all down my left forearm, behind left armpit, left side of my neck, left upper chest and big spots on both sides of my stomach.

First few days were spent using calamine lotion which appears to have done nothing. Now have a product called Ivy-Dry which makes the redness go away but the little blisters still seem to be popping up in the affected areas. Also have been taking benadryl since last night.

Anyone have an effective remedy that will make this crap go away??
I will probably be stopping by to see my doctor on monday as well.

Palangi · #2 06-07-2008, 07:48 PM

Gold Bond Cream will work overnight, but, It will burn like hell going on.

djugurba · #3 06-07-2008, 08:35 PM

People have varying degrees of sensitivity. If it's been that long, I'd see your doctor asap. I used to be immune but then got a mega-dose while taking a group of kids on a camping trip. Little chumps picked thick mature ivy vines and chopped it up and tossed it on the fire I'd built at the campground. It was hot, so I had my shirt off. I ended up coated with poison ivy everywhere that wasn't covered with my shorts. Took two rounds of prednisone to get rid of it.

http://www.rei.com/brand/Tecnu

Tecnu works for me for lesser cases.

LUVMBDiesels · #4 06-07-2008, 09:02 PM

Try baking soda... I chemist told me that Poison Ivy is an acid and you can counteract it with a base. I had a horrible case a few years ago and made a paste of baking soda. It took care of the PI in three days. I applied it whenever I was REALLY itchy

TMAllison · #5 06-07-2008, 10:16 PM

Like Poison Oak; prednisone can shorten the time and reduce itching and swelling, simply requires time for it to go away. Been a long time since I had Ivy but seems like it was 2 weeks for it to disappear. Oak I've gotten every few years. Takes it 2 weeks to go too and seems as if it always is contracted just before a 100f heat wave hits too. No fun.

powerpig · #6 06-07-2008, 10:32 PM

Don't scratch your nads. You don't want it spreading any further!

Mistress · #7 06-08-2008, 05:40 AM

Calamin Lotion, take a baking soda bath and try not to scratch it. Sorry this has happened.

jeffoc · #8 06-08-2008, 10:17 AM

At my house in IL, way out in the country, I was clearing the fence line and got into a bunch of it without knowing. I've lived in cities all my life.
One of the old farmers told me to rub it with a rag soaked in gasoline, after a day or two of incredible itching I did it and it worked.
The red welts went away in a day or two.

SwampYankee · #9 06-09-2008, 08:23 AM

It's too late for you at this point, but I've had good luck with Oak-N-Ivy Tecnu cleanser and their CalaGel anti-itch stuff.

Just to make you feel a little better about your situation, about 15 years ago I was on a 3-day floatboat fishing (read drinking) trip down the Rogue River in Oregon. All of the "fishing" lead to a lot of pee stops along the way. On one of these pee stops I managed to get my hands on some poison oak, which I had never seen and didn't know what to look for. Needless to say the twig and berries were in a less-than-pleasant way. The Mrs. and I were still dating at that point and lets just say there was some 'splaining to do.

POS · #10 06-09-2008, 08:31 AM

My wife has a strong reaction to poison ivy; when she gets it she ends up at the doctors and gets some kind of prescription that makes it go away. If you're on Day 7, I'd suggest you do the same.

Poison ivy has no affect on me at all - so now I do the "yanking of the vines" myself.

WVOtoGO · #11 06-09-2008, 08:57 AM

I use my grandmas’ old remedy. Stand over the tub with an old rag and a bottle of Clorox. Wipe it on thick. Let it dry. Repeat twice a day. It’s gone by the end of day two.

Will make your arm and/or leg hairs blond though.

Big deal. Beats the itch.

Yes, it burns a bit. But worth it, for me.

Zeus · #12 06-09-2008, 10:49 AM

Corticosteroids and antihistamines are probably your best bet. The blisters, itchiness, etc. are all allergic, histamine-based immune responses to an oil in the poison ivy. That oil (forget the name) bonds to your skin once you touch it. You can't spread it by scratching. The reason it 'appears' to spread is that poison ivy takes time to show symptoms, like 48-72 hours or so. In that initial time, you can spread the oil from when you first touched it/contacted it, if the source is still contaminated. If it is on clothes/pet, you can end up contacting it several times over a day. You scratch your face, touch your arm, etc. Then the patches appear at different times based on when you contacted it - also depends on how much oil was contacted. Higher concentrations may show symptoms earlier. Once the rash is there, you can't spread it from touching the rash.

Not much else to do but wait it out. I think people's responses to it vary - some get over it quickly, others less so.

John Doe · #13 06-09-2008, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeus

Corticosteroids

Prednisone as previously mentioned. Midrol 5 day dose pack. You will feel it working after you take the first dose.

Dee8go · #14 06-09-2008, 10:58 AM

I never heard the thing about using Clorox. That reminds me of the Greek father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. He sprayed Windex on everything to cure it.

SwampYankee · #15 06-09-2008, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeus

That oil (forget the name) bonds to your skin once you touch it.

Urushiol?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dee8go

I never heard the thing about using Clorox. That reminds me of the Greek father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. He sprayed Windex on everything to cure it.

It probably breaks down the oil.