I hate poison ivy!! Am so allergic to it sometimes I think I can get it from just looking at it. I mean I've gotten it in the winter, have no idea how! The oil from a poison ivy/oak plant I swear is evil, and also long lasting apparently. Why do I say that? Well because I have it right now on the palms of my hands!!!!!!!!! http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/ladyzekke/smiley7.gif How did I get it? Well, a few days ago I got bit by a mosquito, and later that night I could not sleep well because it kept itching all frikken night. So the next night, I decided to use this old bottle of this gel that works for poison ivy to try to relieve the itch so I could sleep OK. Have had this bottle of gel for 3 years, bought it originally cause I had PI. Well,, it worked, mosquito bite didn't itch at all, all night. But!, I woke up with this tight feeling in my hands the next morning, and shortly thereafter the itching started. So even though its been a good 3 years since I last had PI, I guess the PI oil was on the bottle from me touching it way back then when I had PI, and it did not dissipate or wear off at all, and I got it on my hands when I used that stuff for the mosquito bite. I mean it's the only explanation to how I got PI on my hands.

So, if you ever have PI, and use some sort of stuff for it, try not to get it on the bottle or tube, or whatever you use, cause it will stay on there and get you later!!!

Poison Ivy/Oak I swear is evil!! I've gotten it so many times in my life it is crazy. I remember once when I was 10 I got it all over my face. I saw this tree in our yard covered in ivy vines, and I thought they were just normal ivy, and I thought in my 10-year old brain that the ivy was strangling the tree, so I decided to rid the tree from the ivy. I was pulling and ripping and tearing, leaves were just flowing down all over the place, including my face LOL. [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img] Next morning my face felt tight and funny, and I went to look in the mirror and my eyes were so swollen I scared the crap out of myself LOL. Went to the doctors and he gave me some sort of treatment, can't remember what, but it worked and in a week or so I was fine. But I wouldn't look in the mirror for a month or so afterwards LOL.

Some say they are not allergic to poison ivy/oak, is that possible? I suppose it could be, I dunno. How often have yall gotten PI and what have you done to try to get rid of it? So far, for me, burning it with hot water, and bleach, seem to work the best, although the Aveeno Oatmeal powder also works well re drying out if you make it into a paste. Messy though.

I've had so much bad luck lately, this just really tops it. Vile Weed!!

thanks for the warning lazy Z [img]smile.gif[/img] Ill be sure to keep that one in mind.

Poison Ivy? Don't even know what it looks like. ;)

Edit- Maybe Canada's too cold for it? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[ 10-02-2004, 11:56 PM: Message edited by: Sir Goulum ]

<font color=cccccc>One would think.....So, if you have it on your hands, where does....</font>

Best of luck LadyZ [img]smile.gif[/img] Hope you get well soon... and blast those PIs to thy kingdom come [img]smile.gif[/img]

Poison ivy sucks so much. Hmm... I suggest getting a shot for it. Got rid of mine in a few days. You need to get rid of it as soon as possible, and it's even worse that it's on the palms of your hands. If you do get the shot and it clears up, use whatever lotion you can (except for the one that already had the P.I. on it) for a few days afterwards to make sure it doesn't come back. Worked for me.

I dont know how it looks like but sound pretty nasty any pic of it?

Yeah, what does a poison ivy look like? could be usefull so that one can know which plant to avoid next time.

There isn't much in New Zealand. [img]smile.gif[/img] I don't know what it looks like. Sounds nasty. But every country has to have its evil, posessed plants, so we have deadly night shade to take its place. It's a shame, because it actually looks quite nice.

Can you smoke it ? Sounds like one hell of a buzz. :D

Poison Ivy/Oak is pretty easy to identify - both have stems with 3 leaves; each which are particularly shiny and have jagged edges. AFAIK the Ivy variant (I don't think I've ever encountered it) grows more in civilized areas and in more abundance than Oak, which is usually sparce and in rural areas. I believe the effects caused by both are also nearly identical.

But yes, it does REALLY suck to get rashes from them. When I lived in the hills I got it a few times - I don't think I've ever encountered anything as annoying as constantly itching (though some lotions do help).

Very. I've known a few people who could literally wade through the stuff and have no negative reactions to it - it's supposedly due to the immune system (meaning it can be passed through genetics). I just wish I was that lucky [img]smile.gif[/img]

Quite a few times. However, one time is too many, especially considering a certain allergic reaction I had to Oak once. I had woken up once with almost my entire body covered in it (yes, even the ehm, "lower" parts :( ). I had a slight case of it beforehand, which I treated with a lotion with an active ingredient (benzoyl peroxide?). It's my hypothesis that it "carried" the Oak throughout my entire bloodstream - and I was literally fucked. One of the worst experiences in my life.

Assuming again that Ivy and Oak rashes are nearly the same, Benadryl has worked fine for me. As for the hot water treatment - are you certain that's a smart thing to do? I know with Poison Oak pouring hot water on the rash is a godblessing - however, I think hot water also opens the pours in your skin, which would let the oil seep in even deeper.

[ 10-03-2004, 05:48 AM: Message edited by: silencer ]

I know with Poison Oak this is very stupid - your entire lungs will be infected (which has happened a few times to people creating brushfires). You could quite possibly die.

I know with Poison Oak this is very stupid - your entire lungs will be infected (which has happened a few times to people creating brushfires). You could quite possibly die. </font>[/QUOTE]So its one hell of a Buzz!! :D

I had recognized the sarcasm ;) but the topic generally leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. I'd seriously consider suicide instead of going through my previous experiences with it. Nasty stuff.

Look here. Only about 50% of people are allergic to poison ivy/oak/sumac, but some can become allergic, as antryg correctly points out. Aveeno paste and Benadryl can help with the symptoms, but only corticosteroids will actually make it go away. I prescribe 2cc of Decadron + 1cc of Depo-Medrol intramuscularly, and it works within the hour. Less desirable but still ultimately curative is a Medrol Dosepak by mouth.

I know with Poison Oak this is very stupid - your entire lungs will be infected (which has happened a few times to people creating brushfires). You could quite possibly die. </font>[/QUOTE]So its one hell of a Buzz!! :D </font>[/QUOTE]You said it! soo jhonny, plan on trying it out?

I havent seen poison ivy in a long time.. but i know there is some in my area.

Tell me about it! The worst thing about PI is the constant itching. And of course the more you scratch it, the more it starts to itch even worse, to horrible proportions!, not to mention scratching also spreads it. Vile Weed I say! I don't even live in the country anymore, but I did 4 years ago, and again I guess that bottle of gel still has the oil on it from back then, unbelievable.



I would give anything to be one of those immune people LOL.



OMG. That is strange how it spread all over overnight. I wonder if it was that lotion you used? Or if rubbing the lotion on spread it? How much PI did you have on your body before using the lotion? Very odd. I'd never use it again either way, sheesh! I do know one thing, Calamine lotion does NOTHING, never get that crappa, is an old wives tale yet they still sell it in stores for PI. That must have been absolutely horrible Silencer, I feel for you! I hope you got to the doctor and got one of those shots that Attalus mentioned. I can't think of anything worse than your PI situation, except for those people you hear about burning it while burning twigs and brush, and they breath it in. Imagine the insides of your lungs itching! *shudder*



You are probably correct. But luckily I don't think I have PI that bad atm, just sucks with the placement LOL (palms). I don't think I got too much of the oil on me, probably some miniscule amount but I'm so damn allergic to it, didn't take much! I only use the hot water thing if it is on my hands, as there is really nowhere else on my body that could take the pain of the hot water. Plus I can angle my hands in a way where I won't spread it, like, down my arm or on my fingers or anything. It IS an oil, and water breaks up oil, and it is working, the itch has gone down completely and only pops up now and then today, thank goodness! If I had PI worse, and elsewhere on my body, I'd be using the Aveeno oatmeal stuff, make it into a paste. It does work drawing out and drying out, just sucks having it on your palms because it dusts off and I don't like Oatmeal keyboard and mouse LOL.

<font color=plum>Well, I'm one of the lucky ones that seems to be mostly resistant to poison ivy/oak/sumac. I've never had more than a mild reaction, and that was usually the result of direct contact - since I am also unable to identify the stuff on sight.

My dad, however, is very allergic. He breaks out into a rash if he just walks near the stuff - and the worst cases he had occurred when he was burning brush. He didn't breathe any of it in (thank goodness), but he did get spread over most of his body by the smoke. He uses pure bleach to dry it out. I can't imagine how bad that must sting and burn, but it usually dries it up within 48hrs.

However, the absolute worst I ever heard of happened to my maternal grandmother. When she was a teenager, she and her friends would use poison ivy to see if their boyfriends loved them or not (guess they never heard of using daises). They would take a small twig with the leaves on it and trace the name of their boyfriend on their back. If they developed a rash, it meant that their boyfriend truly loved them. My grandmother had a friend trace Grandpa's name (Virgil) on her back. The good news is that she discovered Gramps really loved her. The bad news is that she was bedridden for 10 days due to the depth and severity of the rash.

Of course, it could have been worse - Gramps could've been named "Bartholomew" [img]graemlins/stunned.gif[/img] :D </font>

I seem to recall that your average soap doesn't do much for poison ivy or its cousins... other than to help spread the oil all over your body, that is :( An old friend used to say that you had to go to a heavy-duty soap -- something like Fell's Naphtha -- in order to wash the oils out.

Oh, and there are more precautions as well. The clothes that you were wearing when you caught it... those need extra special washing as well, unless you *like* getting reinfected...

Next time I get nailed with it, I'm going to find a doctor like Attalus... :D

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.