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morningglorygal

poison ivy!!!!

Morningglorygal
21 years ago

Hi everyone, I helped my sister (who doesn't enjoy gardening) finally clean up her over grown jungle, I mean backyard. Needless to say, I now have poison ivy for the first time in my life, and I am itching. I've tried calamine lotion, and benedryl and nothing. Any suggestion to help ease the itch. Thanks

Comments (77)

  • gardengardengardenga
    19 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Goats are safe to eat it. It does not bother them for some reason?!

    Impatiens that have been previously mention, can be picked and thrown throught the blender and frozen on ice cube trays to keep year round when the plant is not available.
    (just remember is it is for external use!):)

    Cheers GGGG

  • fairy_toadmother
    19 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    it may be called poison ivy, but what is this about drawing out the poison. i understand the chemical, urushiol, in the plant BONDS with the proteins in your skin. then, the reaction occurs. then, the oils of the plant get washed away, but the reaction has already begun, like a cancer if i may say so myself.

  • habitat_gardener
    19 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wiping skin *gently* with an alcohol-drenched cloth at the end of a work day is the best way to avoid a poison oak (or poison ivy) reaction. Standard rubbing alcohol -- the 70 percent stuff that's about 50 cents a bottle.

    I got a mild case of poison oak in early June on my upper arm while wearing a long-sleeved shirt. (Apparently, long sleeves don't help much in the summer because urushiol, the allergenic oil, can wick through sweaty clothing.) I didn't get any poison oak on my wrists, which were exposed between gloves and sleeve, because I swabbed them with alcohol after I finished working. And when I got home I took a shower and washed my clothes. When the rash appeared, I found that ice stopped the itching for hours. I wrapped an ice cube in a paper towel and held it against the rash for 10 or 20 seconds or so at a time, then away for a few minutes, etc., until the ice melted.

    That's my experience. Here's what the experts say:

    I have a wonderful little book, _Nature's Revenge: The secrets of poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, and their remedies_, by Susan Carol Hauser (NY: Lyons & Bedford, 1996, 111 p.), vetted by a dermatology professor and expert on poison oak/ivy in the foreword (Wm. Epstein, MD).

    According to the book, urushiol begins to bond with the skin within 5 to 10 minutes after contact, but gently wiping the skin with a cloth drenched in rubbing alcohol can leach the urushiol out of the skin for up to 4 to 6 hours after contact. Copious amounts of water are also recommended, to dilute the oil; but normal amounts of water, packaged alcohol wipes, or soap (if used without lots of water) can spread the oil. Hot water can remove more oil than cold water, but is not recommended because it opens the pores more, making the skin more vulnerable to urushiol.

    Once a rash appears, the urushiol is gone. It has been chemically changed and therefore cannot be removed (or spread). The rash is your immune system's reaction. If the rash covers large areas of skin, or is on the face or genitals, or causes unbearable itching, medical treatment with corticosteroids interrupts the allergic process. In milder cases, gentle home remedies for itching include calamine lotion (not caladryl), colloidal oatmeal, cool or tepid compresses of plain water or Burow's solution. Hot water releases histamines and relieves itching, but is harder on the skin. Scratching the rash can cause an "after-dermatitis itch" that can last for weeks or months.

    My cousin on the east coast has used epsom salts to relieve the itching of poison ivy for hours. (The paste is 1 tsp of water to 3 tsp of epsom salts--baking soda and oatmeal also work.) She has also used the homeopathic remedy Rhus tox.

  • davepi
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    How to remove Poison Ivy from your skin!
    The irritant in poison ivy is urushoil. It is a sticky oil.
    If you come into contact with it, it will cause problems until it is removed from your skin and anything that comes in contact with your skin. There are several products sold just for this.

    I'm very allergic to urushoil and have tried many. The best and most readily available is the same soap that your mechanic uses to remove motor oil from their hands.
    Because urushoil is a sticky oil it does require a little more scrubbing but it works 100%.

    Directions for removal:

    1.Apply the [mechanics] soap dry (DO NOT ADD WATER) to the affected area.

    2. Scrub for 2 minutes.

    3. Wash off completely with COLD water. If you use hot water, then you may be in for an unpleasant surprise!

    Note: The residue soap will now contain the urushoil, and when the residue drys it may become sticky oil again.

    4. All itchiness should be gone. If not repeat the process.


    I like Lava and JoJo brands the best. The grittier the better.

    Walmart, KMart, Your local auto parts store will all carry this soap. I usually buy the 16 oz squeeze bottles for around ~$2.

    This soap also gets the urushiol and many stains out of clothes. Just be sure to hose the residue off the clothes before adding them to your laundry.

  • new_home_owner_2007
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I recently cleared all the weeds in my back yard and ofcourse some of it was poison ivy. now i'm afraid of going back there after all the itching that I had. Can any one tell me the difference between poison ivy and english ivy? can poison ivy climb a tree 15 or 20ft in heigh? yes I heard about the three leaves and this one has it, so is it poison ivy?

  • lilikoi
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Plantain!!!!!
    I don't get poison ivy but I sure do get bit by everything under the sun whenever I step out by back door. I live in the tropics so we have BIG bugs.

    I just tear off a leaf from my plantain and mush it up and apply to the bite. It works instantly to relieve the itching but sorry to say it doesn't draw out the poison. The lump will still be there just won't bother you as much.

    Hope this helps.

    J

  • treehuggerista
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lye soap; Tecnu; homeopathic pills for Poison Ivy all work for me.

  • kaliaman
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    dry it up! to stop itching. the salt water remedy mentioned at the top of this thread is lovely....inexpensive, low tech and it works!

    if you know you are sensitive, wear gardening gloves next time. (i know, i hate gardening gloves too but they are protective. luckily i don't get poison ivy rash even when i touch it so can garden gloveless with impunity! : )

  • OldDutch (Zone 4 MN)
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Be sure to wash any exposed clothing very carefully, too.

  • dgc1
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Take one part ammonia, ten parts water. As soon as you can take a cloth wet with the mixture an soak the infected area, an let air dry. Do this before you do anything else. This should be done be for you break out. The ammonia breaks down the acid in the poison ivy. This works

  • fusion_power
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    A mixture of hydrocortisone cream, benzocaine cream, aloe vera lotion, and neomycin antibiotic gel works wonders on poison ivy. Wash thoroughly with soap and cool water, then mix the above together and apply generously to the poison ivy blisters. The ratio I use is 1/3 aloe lotion and equal parts of the other three. This mix is also the most effective sunburn cream you will ever find. For sunburn, I make it with a bit more benzocaine cream to increase the pain relief. These items are available at most pharmacies for less than $20. After mixing, store in the refrigerator for up to a week. It degrades rapidly in storage so don't mix up too much at a time.

  • katkin_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    when the itch is unbearable rub with ice. It is short term, but relieves it almost instantly.

  • agrocoders
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here's my remedy.

    1) Ooops, that was poison (ivy or oak or sumac)!

    a) Avoid touching others or rubbing as possible!

    2) Drive to Wal*Mart or K-Mart or similar

    3) Buy 10 wash clothes

    4) Buy 5 - 10 quarts of 90% (or 70%) isopropyl alcohol

    5) Buy one cartoon of Benedryl Allergy Capsules

    6) 1 quart of PineSol

    7) 1 box of Borax

    8) Pay for all the above

    9) Take the Benedryl Capsule as directed for my age for allergies. Not more or not less.

    10) Take off all clothing and put in the washer on hot and use 16 oz of PineSol and a cup of Borax to wash clothing

    11) Go to bath room with wash clothes and alcohol and get in tub and give myself a wash cloth soaked in alcohol bath similar to how hospital patients are give sponge baths. I have 10 wash clothes so that's a wash cloth for:

    a) Right Hand
    b) Left Hand
    c) Right Arm
    d) Left Arm
    e) Right Leg
    f) Left Leg
    g) Right Foot
    h) Left Foot
    I) Waist, Hips, Groin, and Buttocks
    j) Chest and Back
    k) Neck, Face, and Head with an 11th wash cloth.

    I start with the areas that I know have poison ivy oil on them and I soak the rag in alcohol, wash the area thoroughly and repeat. Then I use another rag and do another area of the body, working from the areas most likely have poison ivy oil to the least likely to have poison ivy. I use an 11th wash cloth already in the house to be very careful I don't get poison ivy on my neck, face, or head.

    I then take a normal shower and wash thoroughly.

    I then dress and put the clothes in the dryer.

    The jewelweed and things that soothe poison ivy aren't as effective as what I outlined above. Sorry.

    If you have itchy blisters and need to soothe poison ivy then the cheapest way is to keep a lot of isopropyl alcohol nearby, soak a rag in it, and wash the itchy area. The alcohol evaporates quickly and 'cools and relieves' the itchy area without making a mess everywhere and ruining clothing, bedding, and furniture.

    Jewelweed, Calamine, Aloe Vera also 'soothe' but not as much as the alcohol and they also make a mess. The alcohol also help to dry the blisters.

    The best thing against the itching though is to take Benadryl Allergy Capsules as directed for allergies. They'll take 4 - 24 hours to get working but they work. Benedryl Crème isn't of much more use the Calamine or Aloe Vera.

    This is from someone with sensitive skin that has used the Benadryl Capsules and Alcohol Wash Cloth Baths before and they work. They just don't slightly soothe: they eliminate the itching and stop the spread of the poison ivy oil (the alcohol wash cloth bath).

    Benedryl Capsules is also good against the irritation of insect bites. Of course the best is to avoid getting bitten or oil on you.

  • CEFreeman
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This is a lot of hoo-ha over nothing -- but a miserable experience. This from a person who gets PI from photographs.

    PI is oil. No more, no less. Urshoil in fact. Plants have this like humans have blood. If you itch, you still have the oil on you. It makes a chemical burn on your skin.

    How do you remove oil? With a degreasing soap, just like doing dishes. Not club soda, not alcohol (altho it feels good), not Ivory. A degreaser. Either industrial (Lava or Lever 2000) or residential (Dawn dishwashing liquid, for example).

    My own preventative measures are easy and inexpensive. Technu was a joke for me. I do this:
    Before I mow the lawn or garden, I rub Dawn dishwashing liquid on me like suntan lotion. It's gross, but it dries.
    I do my garden thing.
    I come in and rub more Dawn on me and wait a few minutes.
    Then, in HOT water, I take a shower. Love that hot water and it helps remove OIL.
    Easy peasy.

    I can tell you that I do not get PI if I follow this routine. If I do not, you know it's summer when Christine has PI on her butt. Weeping, raw, 3rd degree burn wounds.

    Keeping in mind that the bubbles' liquid on your skin will not spread PI. PI is not parasitic. It's the remaining oil on you or your skin that will spread it. If you're not thorough, you might not have washed it off completely and it might take a little time for it to burn you. Me? Within minutes. Some, like my sisters? A day or so. It's not that it's spreading, but that it's still there.

    A thimble full of PI oil will infect NYC.

    If you get it on your stomach or the inside of your forearms, your body is more likely to respond to the chemical burn (Urshoil) as an allergen and respond systemically. Benedryl or another strong, non-decongestant antihistamine is your best bet.

    I'm so sorry people go through this. All the crazy home remedies like bleach, kerosene, and caladryl lotion are so ineffective and a waste of time in the face of actual relief.

    Get the oil off yourself fast. Or, prevent it from attaching to your skin: Degreaser.

    Did you know that the "Vapors" of the 1800s were actually poison ivy? The leaves and berries are so pretty they were used to make beautiful arrangements. Talk about discounting women's illnesses....

    Anyway, good luck.

  • Kathy19464
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Vermont Country Store has a fantastic poison ivy pill remedy. It does contain a small amount of the plant. it begins working very quickly, in fact , in my experience the poison is gone within a few days.
    Also, an older man I knew told me when he and his brother were kids his mother had them eat a small leaf of the plant when they got it and it worked so well he continued doing that into his sr. years. I've never tried it, but I have heard the same from other people.

  • rusty_blackhaw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Eating poison ivy leaves will not produce immunity, but it can cause serious problems.

    "The old folk tale about eating poison ivy leaves to make yourself immune is just that -- a myth. Never eat the leaves or berries of poison ivy or other wild plants, many of which can cause very dangerous reactions."

    Here is a link that might be useful: Preventing and treating poison ivy rash

  • CEFreeman
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    OMG.
    That's insane really not a good idea.

    But in El Salvador they gave my DH small pills for his intestinal issues. Broken open, they contained mercury.
    And we wonder about insanity....

  • arkansas girl
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm so allergic, I'm sure that if my mother had made me eat a leaf when I was a child, I would not be here today because I would have DIED! UGH!

  • HBT1
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have a severe allergy to poison ivy, much worse than most people. It gets swollen and flaming red, gives me a fever and makes me very ill. Nothing but steroids works for me. When I developed sores from it when pregnant, I couldn't take steroids. So my dermatologist suggested an old remedy: COLD TEA compresses. Just plain strong black tea, poured onto a cloth. Amazingly, it worked! The burning and itching stopped, the swelling faded, the redness and fever went away. Amazing. Try it.

  • kaliaman
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    tea is astringent which dries the poison ivy rash out. anything that dries it out works. tea bags, calamine, salt water, acorn water, etc.

  • MongoCT
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If I get a rash, I take care of it in the shower. Note that this is not right after getting into contact with poison ivy. This is days after when the urushiol is gone and all you have left is an itchy rash.

    I'll shower, then at the end I'll turn up the temp of the water and spray the area with the rash. Maybe 30-60 seconds. The hot water on the rash feels ridiculously wonderful.

    After that, there's no itch for about 8-12 hours.

    I probably won't relate things correctly, but it was explained to me that the hot water releases the histamines that your body produces. Those histamines are what causes the pleasurable "just scratched" sensation.

    With the histamines depleted by the hot water, there is no itchiness at the rash for the remainder of the day.

  • sharpstick
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    To get rid of it: I've had good luck with Ortho Max mixed into a spray bottle or pump sprayer. Spray the plants repeatedly every few days. The plant turns yellow and dies in a month or so. It doesn't seem to affect any other plants.
    Be careful if you have dogs or cats that run loose. My mom had to go the the ER after petting a dog!
    Yes. PI does climb trees.
    For identification, look up pics on the web. It's pretty distinctive once you know it. It does resemble Virginia Creeper, but "NEVER has more than three leaves.

  • CEFreeman
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    sharpstick, you're wasting time and money. Pick yourself up some Round-up. Mix according to the directions -- no need to add more than advised. Spray once and it will die. Usually, within hours.

    OrthoMax is a nonselective herbicide, just as Round-up is, which means it kills via foliage. It should be killing everything you get it on. Perhaps you're not mixing it correctly, if 1) you have to apply it more than once, or 2) it's not killing anything around the PI?

    Keep an eye out for anything new coming up from the rooted vine, though, down the line further. I found Round-up will kill about 10' in either direction. Once it's dead, I don a space suit of bread bags and pull the vine out of the ground. Where it breaks, I keep an eye out for any sprouts. Everywhere it puts down a root, it'll put out leaves.

    When I moved into my home here in the country, my fence line had these beautiful, weeping trees every 8' or so. Just beautiful. Later I learned they were fence posts with poison ivy wrapped around them so tightly the ivy had built up to about 10' of a trunk, at which point the ends drooped down. Imagine a tree in a horror movie that could start moving like snakes. That's all I could think of once I knew what it was. I am convinced it reaches out to me.

  • kittkatt521
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Do not break the blisters they contain the oil from the nettles on the Poison Ivy leaves and tend to spread the rash use...FELS NAPTHA! Nothing better...unless you are alergic to naptha! Wash the area with the soap making sure any broken blisters are completely scrubbed. This also helps the itching and the spread of the poison ivy, poison oak and dermatitis! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fels-Naptha

    Here is a link that might be useful: Wikipedia

    This post was edited by kittkatt521 on Tue, Jun 17, 14 at 16:45

  • Jacques-farms
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I disagree with those that asked about building an immunity by eating small amounts of the ivy, Here why. When I was a kid, and I am 55 now I was very allergic to poison ivy, and I was given poison ivy extract. I drank one tiny bottle each day for 3 days and then once a month for I think 3 months. I have not had a problem with it ever since. I even rubbed some on my arm last summer and had a bump or 2 but no itching. You can't get that extract any more but I do think what you wanted to do would work fine if you could get it in you without touching your mouth or throat, maybe in some white bread or something. I do remember getting a pretty good reaction those first 3 days. I also remember going to the doctor in an emergency situation because I had it so bad my throat was swelling up (thats when the doctor prescribed the ivy extract for me). Let me know if you try this,,, would like to do this with my grandkids, Jacques

  • rusty_blackhaw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here's a website that dispels some poison ivy myths, including the following:

    Myth 2. If you eat poison ivy, you'll be protected from it in the future.

    False. It's difficult to imagine how such a dangerous myth became so widespread. Eating poison ivy can result in a serious reaction and can even be fatal. Still, every year, students repeat this myth beginning, "My uncle says..." or "My Papaw says..."

    Myth 3. Fluid from blisters can spread the rash to other body areas.

    False. This is a tough myth to dispel because scratching the red area appears to spread the rash to other areas. Actually, the reaction develops over a period of time - usually taking hours or days to occur. The occurrence of a new rash, say further up the arm, doesn't mean the rash was spread but that that area was slower to respond to the poisonous oil.

    This post was edited by eric_oh on Thu, Jun 19, 14 at 10:34

  • CEFreeman
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow! Since "that poster" refers to me, I repeat my success with the Dawn.
    Since I learned about this with the Exxon Valdez situation, I've done this with incredible success. Since I don't experience "slippery tools" nor do I slip and fall, given the fact that 1) wear socks and shoes, and 2) I believe I stated I let it dry before I go out, (I believe I stated it feels gross.) nor do I seal up my pores and essentially implode, I think this is hysteria.

    BTW, I stated up front that Dawn prevents the PI oils from "latching" only my skin and so far, in 10 years, I've not proved myself wrong

    Are you one who insists upon a glass of hot water in which to soak your silverware when in a restaurant? Sounds like it.

    Hysteria. Unnecessary.

  • emma
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I had poison oak and it blistered so I went to the doctor and he prescribed a few pills to be taken one the first day, two the next, and so forth until used up. Worked like a charm.

    I was walking in the woods when I got it and I knew not to touch vines even though they had not leafed out yet. As I as walking I broke off a stick and broke it into little pieces. After I broke out I Google ivy and oak and it does the same thing to you, but ivy is a vine and oak is a shrub.

    By the way the stuff can kill you. I know someone very allergic to it and his dad took him hunting and when they lit the campfire there must have been poison ivy on the wood. By the time his dad realize what was going on and he rushed him to the nearest hospital. The doctor said "are you trying to kill your son, this boy cannot go into the woods and you got him here just in time, his air passages were almost closed.

  • rusty_blackhaw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What Emma's described her doc prescribing is undoubtedly a short course of oral steroids - effective in bad outbreaks, but prevention is better.

    I went out yesterday evening (perfect weather, warm and still) and hit all the poison ivy that's taken over the perimeter of the property at the fence line with brush killer.* The speed with which poison ivy spreads is beyond belief. Now I have to go out and hit the plant which sneakily has grown 25 feet up the side of the house, threatening an upstairs bedroom window.

    *sorry, vinegar isn't going to cut it as an herbicide on this stuff.

  • sawilliams
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm highly allergic to PI and have spent many summers in various stages of misery. I own a home in a heavily wooded property and PI is just about everywhere. I'm not in favor of herbicides so my removal weapon of choice is boiling water. It might seem like a long process but I am judicious about what parts of my property to treat and I know the PI will die (and I hope suffer a bit) but the surrounding vegetation will not be affected by any residue of something like Roundup.

    To prevent PI, I use Oral Ivy, which is a homeopathic version of the dreaded U-oil that causes the itching. It's a slightly bitter liquid but a few drops in my last swig of morning coffee is all it takes. Yes, you do ingest it. Understand, it does not totally prevent PI but if you are exposed it prevents the rash and itching from becoming unmanageable. One bottle lasts me a couple years and it was pretty cheap the last time I ordered it online, maybe Amazon. I start taking it in the Spring and continue as long as the woods are green. I have not had any serious PI rash in the 10 years I've taken Oral Ivy. (And I don't work for the company that makes it -- I'm just a cheerful consumer!)

    I refuse to let PI beat me. And I know as a sufferer for over 50 years, that the Oral Ivy is the best weapon in my arsenal.

  • Brian_Knight
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nothing works better than Technu, available OTC at most pharmacies.

  • devolet
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lookup Jewelweed soap on the internet. There are a number of natural soap makers who make it for poison ivy and rashes. And Rhus Tox as mentioned in an earlier post is good too. Something for the interior, something for the exterior. Don't eat the soap...

  • CEFreeman
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Brian, if Technu worked for me, I wouldn't be using Dawn (degreaser) dishwashing liquid. Both are discussed in this very thread.

    Again, elysianfields, Jewelweed is discussed here. And I'm sorry to report for me it was just a nicely scented soap. Totally ineffective against any PI I've had. Didn't think to ingest it... LOL

    I'm beginning to believe different things work very effectively for different people's PI. I know a degreaser prevents PI for me. Some swear by Technu, bleach, tinctures, etc.

    The one thing I think we all agree upon is that it's as long as a 2-week nightmare.

  • rusty_blackhaw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    " I'm not in favor of herbicides so my removal weapon of choice is boiling water. It might seem like a long process but I am judicious about what parts of my property to treat and I know the PI will die (and I hope suffer a bit) but the surrounding vegetation will not be affected by any residue of something like Roundup. "

    Boiling water is a non-specific killer that also sterilizes soil, eliminating beneficial micro-organisms and insects.
    By contrast, the brush/poison ivy killer trichlopyr has significant effects only on broad-leafed plants and is relatively non-toxic to animals and birds when used properly.

    I don't employ herbicides on the lawn or in the garden, but for this one use (eliminating poison ivy and avoiding a horrendous skin outbreak) it is tolerable. If there was a safe and effective "natural" remedy, I'd use it - but none exists.

  • a2gemini
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I am very allergic to PI and my city yard was covered with it. So far, I have managed not to get any despite being out in the garden.

    When I was younger, I remember taking the little PI vials - not sure they did anything for me but I am still alive.

    My brother contracted airborne PI at BS camp and had to be rushed to the hospital. I cringe every time I go by a pile of burning leaves in the fall.

    I love to Mountain bike but a bit too risky for me unless I cover completely. The last time I broke out in giant blisters as I didn't see the hanging vine.

    My mom used to put us in a clorox bath to help dry out the PI and decrease the itch (mild solution - don't know that it helped)

    As Eric stated - once the blisters have formed - you don't spread it from the goo inside - I used to coach swimming before everyone was concerned about body substance precautions. Sometimes a kid would have PI and say they can't swim cause others will "catch" it from the blisters. I would make a bet - have them rub the goo on me (remember, highly allergic), and have them swim. I never broke out from the goo. LOL in these days.

    I have read the best way to get rid of it is to make sure the area is very wet, cover completely, and slowly pull it out. They recommend using plastic bags on your hands so not likely to touch your face.

    Fortunately, I found someone who can help pull out the PI and down to a few clumps until the birds deposit more seeds.

    I will have to try the Dawn trick - but my understanding is luke or cool water is better than hot water as your pores stay closed. I also double wash clothes that have touched the oils. You can pick up PI from an unwashed blanket or towel or pet...

    Thanks for the tips.

    PS - I do have my emergency roids but I discovered there are things that can itch worse than PI!

  • woodsidetrader
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jewelweed is my answer for poison ivy, bug bites and stings. There is a way to have it ready for any emergency. When the plant is flowering cut it down, flowers, stems, leaves and all and simmer to make a tea. When it is cool, strain it and freeze in an ice cube tray. Store the cubes in the freezer until you need them. The cold also helps. The important thing is to treat as soon as you can.

  • lisamk
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Whatever you do, do NOT listen to the person who suggested you put hot water on it. I just saw an interview on the news with a doctor, and he said hot water will open your pores and the poison ivy will spread. Just put alcohol on it constantly, to draw out the poison and dry it out. I get it all the time.

  • CEFreeman
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Please. Think.
    If you have the oil off of you, which I do with my greatly feared Dawn Dishwashing liquid, there's no danger of the oil being worked into open pores.

    Did the doctor mention getting the oil off as being important? Or did the Dr (like on Dr. Oz' show) simply hawk anti-itch medicines without removing the source of the bubbles, weeping sores, itching, and general misery?

    I know I'm not alone that after all is said and done, nothing feels better than the most hot shower water your body can tolerate. Just think and get the stuff off of you. First.

  • rusty_blackhaw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Washing with warm or hot water will not "open your pores" and cause poison ivy to spread.

    "Myth #9: Our pores open and close - When peering in the mirror you may notice lots of black pores, specifically on the tip of your nose. Scores of make-up products and home remedies have been developed to shrink the look of these tiny holes, many professing they close the pores. Others assert that steam or hot water opens the pores. The pores are consistently open, which is required to allow us to sweat. The skin oil, or sebum, also is released from the pores. The pores appear closed or full whenever the oils get backed up, clogging the opening. Hot water or steam helps soften these oils, organizing the pores. The pores, unfortunately, have no muscles and do not open or close."

  • StateofWhere
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have the evil invader inter-woven among the English Ivy that everyone here in Georgia uses for ground cover. BUT I am hard headed and will do what I can around the PI. Before I start the yard work, I rub Dawn dish detergent all over my exposed skin, feet, arms, legs, whatever. I figure since it is oily sap that is the enemy that the Dawn will break it down. Then when I am finished with the yard work, I hose down, since I am dirty already. The suds helps to clean my sandals. Then I go inside and use Dawn again in the shower with a specific nylon scrubber. Only straight Dawn - no scrubber- on my face. I usually wash at least once more with milder soaps. I figure it is better to add cream to my hide afterwards than have the ugly PI rash. Also, I saw a post that I thought of as comical. Someone thought that using bleach to kill PI was more toxic than Roundup, LOL. You can use a little bleach to purify drinking water, but I certainly would not use Roundup as a water purifier. Read up on its lasting properties.

  • rusty_blackhaw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    " I saw a post that I thought of as comical. Someone thought that using bleach to kill PI was more toxic than Roundup, LOL.

    Bleach (in a form concentrated enough to have an effect on poison ivy) is certainly more toxic than Roundup. Bleach is a nonspecific agent that will take out many forms of soil life, similar to boiling water.
    It would also be considerably more unpleasant to accidentally splash bleach on yourself or your clothes, compared to Roundup.

    Using bleach in the yard to kill weeds is about as environmentally responsible as using mothballs to repel critters - not a good idea.

  • Runner123
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    But is there a way to keep it from growing in the first place??? How do I kill it? When I have even picked up the dead stuff I get it all over. My husband can pull it and...nothing! But, if I clean up the mess....off to the Dr. I'm so paranoid I clean the door knobs etc. and make him take his clothes off inside-out. You know, you get it fromt he oil of the plant, so it's on his clothing. People think that it "spreads" but it is really a latent outbreak from the oil being on clothing or anything else touched. I hate the stuff and I think I live in the Poison Ivy Capital of the World with all of our trees in the country. Thanks everyone. Is there an actual use for this stuff? Where is it on the food chain?

  • gina2008
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    CE FREEMAN's original post makes the most sense!!!! It's pure genius! I am HIGHLY allergic to PI... I've tried everything mentioned by others ( and MORE!) over the years... I'm almost 60... I def am going to try the Dawn approach BEFORE going out to eradicate the PI... Which is an ongoing process as I have woods that abut my property that have plenty of PI growing of which I have no control over.

  • Simaril
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I worked as a tree climber for a tree service, and was on jobs where we were literally removing poison ivy all day, and chipping it which made the dust go everywhere (8 years ago). Since then, everytime I'm anywhere near poison ivy I get it, terribly, and it doesn't go away for weeks (systemic).

    I haven't always been this way, and several home remedies have worked for me at times, but either my exposure changed me, or my physiology has changed :( After serious exposures it's a trip to the ER now. Fortunately I got a desk job.

    Birds and other animals eat poison ivy seeds, and spread them (either uneaten or undigested). Seeds will continue to germinate even if you kill the plant, unless you use a pre-emergence herbicide (I'm not a big fan of that option).

  • jmiller43064
    8 years ago

    Hey all, I got poison ivy so bad in 3rd grade one more missed day, and I would have failed 3rd grade. I still get it today pretty easily. A good website about poison ivy and curing it fast is www.poisonivycare.com. Guys, you have to check out this ebook on there. If you want to know how to heal fast from poison ivy it's great. I've tried all brands, Tecnu was pretty good. The home cure in this book is even better though it may sound simple. Just sayin, and I don't like seeing others suffer.

  • Steve Best
    7 years ago

    Hi everybody concerned about poison ivy. I got poison ivy since 25 years and I still get it today pretty easily. Here is a good website about poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac and curing it fast: www.poison-ivy-oak-sumac.com/. You can learn how to cure a poison ivy rash, what herbicide (Roundup, salt…) to use to destroy poison ivy plants and how to recognize these plan


    ts. A must to read.

  • Runner123
    7 years ago

    Two things, there is a product called Ivy armor at any drugstore, that you can apply to your skin it's whenever you were going to be rethink you're going to be around poison ivy. The telephone lines when they came to our house and had to get through some to get to the phone linesman told me about the product. I will get poison ivy bad enough to need a steroid shots and I swell up like a character in Farside cartoons. One thing I need to note everyone thinks poison ivy spread and no it is not. What happens is that upon doing the laundry you can expose yourself to the oil to have gotten on your clothes or perhaps you set on something and transfer the oil from your clothing to the object you sat up on or you may have transfer the oil up toward your face and long arms etc. taking your shirt off things of that nature. I always have my family their clothing inside out so that when I put it in the laundry I did not get the poison ivy oil from their clothing. The fact is that what you have when you think the poison ivy has spread is in fact a latent outbreak from having come in contact with the oil sometime after your initial contact. Also, it cannot be spread from one person to another from the liquid in any of the blisters. Old Wives Tales!

  • Diane Wilson
    7 years ago

    I would suggest getting some olive oil on and leaving it for a while. It should soothe the irritation.

  • myrrhtle
    7 years ago

    Plantain poultices are also said to help.

  • kaliaman
    7 years ago

    you want to dry the rash out, rinsing with vinegar water several times a day accomplishes this. follow with calamine lotion which is also drying.

    DO NOT PUT OIL ON THE RASH. THE POISON IVY IRRITANT IS OIL BASED, PUTTING OIL ON THE RASH WILL PREVENT IT DRYING OUT AND CAUSE IT TO SPREAD. PLEASE DON'T PUT OIL ON POISON IVY!

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