Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire any poison ivy remedies?

I have a patch of it on my foot. I never used to get it, but came down with a terrible case of it a few years ago, and seem to get it every year now. I'm just doing the over the counter stuff now (tecnu?). But i would hate to have this spread. I mentioned it to my boss, and his advice was, "wirebrush the heck out of it, and then put gasoline on it." .... note to self- never get in a fight with your boss!

Wipe everything down really well with rubbing alcohol. Oil from the plant is what causes the skin to react. You need to make sure you get all the oil from the infected area. Alcohol will cut it and remove it...

Once you get all the oil gone, go the clinic and get a prescription for some high-potency hydrocortisone.

I'm extremely allergic to it, and have never found any over-the-counter remedies to be effective for my cases. Even the prescription topical steroidal creams don't seem to work.
If I get it and it spreads, I unfortunately have to use prednisone to knock it out.
There are two OTC's that have been effective for my wife that you could try if they are still available- one is Ivy Dry (or Super Ivy Dry), the other AnIvy. Cortaid works for some folks too.

Already doing the rubbing alcohol thing. I'll look into the hydrocortisone. The case of it I had a couple of years ago required steroids, don't want to go down that route again.

Your boss sounds like a good guy. I was going to say dump gas on the foot and light--------best of luck. Go to a Doc, best way.

Better get it knocked out ASAP. I think once you have a reaction to it, your body becomes less and less able to fight it.

My dad gets itching if he drives by it in a car..

When I was a kid it didn't bother me. Now I get it pretty easy and it's getting harder and harder to knock out...

Good luck....

If it is going to spread it is too late to stop right now. All you can do is alleviate the symptoms (e.g., steroids) and wait it out now.

Witch Hazel/Aloe Vera gel and Tea Tree oil works for some.

Jayco

Urushiol is the oily substance in poison ivy. It is present in stems and leaves. When you have been outside and think you might have been exposed, take a shower and make a paste out of your clothes washing powder (Tide). Add enough water to make a paste and wash with it especially hands, under fingernails, arms, and legs. This breaks down the oil and you will have a lighter case if you have any blisters at all. The liquid in the blisters, contrary to popular belief, does not spread the stuff.

If you are clearing property and are burning poison ivy or oak, don't get in the smoke of the fire.

For severe cases you will need a medrol dosepak from your doctor and some hydrocortisone cream as mentioned by deerwhacker.

As previously mentioned, getting the oil off with alcohol or other solvent is the first step. Only the initial skin exposure to the oil will cause the rash. Once the oil is gone, no amount of scratching, abusing, etc. will cause further spread.

One reason the rash appears to spread on some folks is that they got varying amounts of the oil on the skin to begin with, with the greatest oil concentrations causing the rash to appear at those areas first and appear next at areas of less concentration. OR, they didn't wash the oil off well to begin with and scratching, rubbing, etc. spread the oil to other parts of the body.

if i get into poison ivy, it's bad. i'm real allergic to it. usually every year, i have to get a shot when i contact it.
the pill pacs tear up my stomach so i usually just tell them to give me the needle.
the alchohol rub does work. worst i ever had it was clearing some brush and burning stuff that had it in it. had it in my lungs, eyes about swelled shut. it was awful.

A shot of cortisone or a steroid dosepak.

DF

I found washing with Dawn or any good dishsoap that breaks down oils, followed by alcohol, then, once dry, coated with calamine lotion does a decent job. Also, used a hair dryer on it to kill the itching.

when you get done outside and think you were exposed to PI then wash your body down with Dawn dishwashing soap. it will remove the oils then and there. however if you have touched anything, other clothes, gloves, furniture, BED, anything, and you left oil on it and come back later it will infect any area that comes into contact. oh and by all means if your dog was with you at the time, wash the mutt right away! do not let that pooch jump into bed with you that night before washing and contaminate the sheets or whatever else will be touching your person.

This is going to sound crazy, but lye soap works better than anything I have ever seen. You moisten the bar, rub it on the rash and let it dry.......it stops the itching and dries the rash.

My wife makes lye soap, so it's not a problem for me to get it.......wish I could tell you where to get some.......short of that, you might try it with the nastiest, strongest bar soap you can find......give it a try, what have you got to lose??

Here's what I found on the Mayo Clinc website under Lifestyle and home remedies.

• Over-the-counter low-potency corticosteroid creams, such as hydrocortisone, applied two to four times a day
• Calamine lotion
• Oral antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl, others), which may also help you sleep better
• Cool-water tub soaks with over-the-counter colloidal oatmeal (Aveeno) or baking soda
• Cool, wet compresses for 15 to 30 minutes several times a day

I'm blaming it on the mutt. He kept looking at me with these sad, questioning eyes while I was washing him down. " what did I do to deserve this?" I could almost hear him say

+1

That's typical of poison ivy. You can wallow in it for years without a reaction, then one day it will grab you. You'll be susceptible from now on. It's an allergic reaction that builds up in the body. Some get it real fast, others can go for years before it nails them.

I've gotten in a few times in my life, three times really bad. Benadryl along with the standard over the counter crap has worked well enough.