Hmm, I don't think I even considered if taking a shower was the cause of my problem - if the stuff got on your hands it would be very feasible.

LOL. Right when I thought I've seen some of the dumbest things possible [img]smile.gif[/img]

Nope. A person at my hospital said the effects of a shot are only very temporary (like 1/4 of a day). I didn't feel like even getting out of bed, let alone going to the doctor for something that wouldn't last very long. The bad news is it lasted almost a week. I'd take a bullet in the chest (as long as it didn't leave permanent damage/kill me) without hesitation rather than going through the episode again.

That does suck actually. I think getting getting the stuff on most people's palms is next to impossible since the skin is thicker there than in most places. Maybe you should use your hands more? (ohh, pun ;) )

Do you actually have to mix the oatmeal? I could imagine taking a bath with the stuff if it spread over a large area, heh heh. A picture of that would be quite interesting [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 10-04-2004, 01:26 AM: Message edited by: silencer ]

Does it look anything like marijuana?

I dont think we have tha one here not like any plant i have seen here and good is that and yeah Johnny ask LZ to send you some maybe you can smoke it LOL

Eagle Eye - no, it doesn't look like MJ. [img]tongue.gif[/img] ;)

Wendy, dear...I hate hearing you have been in discomfort. May I offer up what my mother does when she gets a breakout? (She gets it nearly every year, but I...SO FAR...seem immune to it.)

My mom will use Listerine and, though she *will* use Calamine, she much prefers a topical Benadryl cream. But you wash your hands AND the closed tube after you apply it to the affected area. However, in your case you can't wash your hands afterwards, but perhaps you can handle the tube of cream with a paper towel and then throw the paper towel away? [img]smile.gif[/img]

Here'a a link to some poison ivy info and hopefully it will dispel some of the "myths" about poison ivy, too (such as "scratching the blisters will make it spread" - it doesn't, but it *could* cause infection such as a Staph infection which is similar (with blisters) and burns and itches as well ;) ).

http://quickcare.org/skin/poison.html

http://www.klkntv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1228769

http://www.healthsquare.com/mc/fgmc1404.htm

http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/condi...poison_ivy.htm

Hope this helps you (and others here who are allergic to it). [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 10-04-2004, 07:54 AM: Message edited by: Lady Sedai ]

Definitely take some benadryl at night if the itching keeps up and use the Aveeno oatmeal stuff in a paste. And wash that bottle/tube of medicine off before you touch it again! LOL

Silencer, the Aveeno stuff you are supposed to put in bath, but luckily I haven't had PI to where I need to bathe in the stuff, so I just take the powder and put it in a cup, add water until it is a paste, and slap it on the areas that are infected.

Yeah the palms of my hands are not like "man hands" [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img] no rough skin or anything, so I guess I may be more vulnerable to getting it there than others. What do you recommend, hard labor in a field working the soil with my hands LOL? [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img] My hands are so tough you can burn those babies with hot coals and I won't even feel it! Oh man saying that reminds me of this documentary I watched on A&E a year ago, about these circus people, and this one guy that had lobster hands, he abused his family, including his kids, for years and years, and finally somebody killed him before he killed his wife or son, with those strong ass lobster blob hands. *shudder*

Yes I have strange connections to things in my mind.

Oh and Lady Sedai, thanks for the links! I think it's mostly gone now, but will keep some of those links if I ever encounter it again!

Cerek - I have never, EVER, heard of that PI "does he love me" thing! Oh sheesh, I can see why they went to daisy petals later on LOL! Thanks for the story though, was interesting to know that was a fad way back when for some people. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 10-04-2004, 08:42 PM: Message edited by: ladyzekke ]

Hmm, that really sucks, LZ. At least it's almost gone, though! I remember going to a summer camp a long time ago, and our counselors told us that, technically, everyone is allergic to poison ivy/oak. One could touch it one day, and nothing happens, but touch it the next, and get the rash. I think that has something to do with the repeated exposure, like mentioned in one of Lady Sedai's links. [img]smile.gif[/img]

You sure do type a lot for someone with itchy palms, LZ. Maybe the ivy's making you all shook up like my man Elvis. [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

I can't really say anything that hasn't already been posed, but I hope it all clears up and that you feel better soon. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Chlorine bleach is a very reactive chemical that destroys almost any liquid toxin. It's used in various forms by the military as a chemical warfare decontaminant. Infected clothing and items can be cleaned with a strong bleach solution, although clothing may be ruined if it's not white. I've heard of people cleaning their skin with bleach also, but I wouldn't recommend it. Chlorine bleach itself is fairly toxic and irritating. Unfortunately, poison ivy oils bond with certain proteins in the skin making it nearly impossible to remove the toxin without also removing the skin.