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help poison ivy

15 years ago

I got this D*** PI more than two weeks ago pulling weeds on the hill. Thank goodness I don't have any near the roses. It itches more every day. Since I had no idea I had touched it, I couldn't use any of those OTC washes or medications. Does anything work besides prednisone?

Thanks,

Carla

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Comments (9)

anntn6b
15 years ago
Carla,
I keep Tecnu at every sink in the house. Even if I miss washing it off earliest, Tecnu applied just as soon as the itch starts really shortens the problem by removing a lot of the PI oils left on the skin.
If you've had 14 days of itching, I think it's time to see an allergy or skin specialist. They do have medicines that will suppress your body responses. I all but begged a Dr. for the pills because of allergy problems I had in NOLA; the Dr. was adament that they were for limited use, but I think you may be due. As I understand it, the itch should be gone in ten days or so.
carla17
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks Ann. I have had PI before but I had an immune system then and it wasn't even a problem. I just took part of a Benadryl. I am going to call doc again tomorrow.
I need to keep that wash on hand because daughter is extremely allergic to PI.

Carla
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Those are all poison ivy. And big healthy established vines by the look of those blooms! What a job! If it were me, i'd don heavy duty protective gear in 2-3 layers(preferably an outer layer you can toss afterwards), and start cutting away as much as i could while it's dormant and fairly easy to work around. That won't kill it- but when it reprouts at the ground where you cut it off you can hit that with roundup and not damage other stuff. If someone in your family is more resistant to the oils, let them tackle the job. When you're cutting big vines especially, do it slowly so it doesn't splash/squirt sap around. Probably a good idea to wipe down your pruners as they get wet, too. Not sure how 'juicy' it'll be this time of year- i know at other times, the big vines are pretty sappy. It's going to be awfully hard to spray it thoroughly and not get anything else if you don't trim some of it down. You're taking some of the plant's system and weakening it some by trimming. Plus, it takes more spray if you leave it as it is than if you trim. Best of luck! As others have said- be very careful, and wash with technu really well afterwards. If you do end up with a rash, zanafel works pretty well at reducing the time you have it (it's expensive, though). There are a couple of prescription creams that will help tremendously in drying it up as well, and they aren't commonly known. The steroids and shots do work, but i don't like dealing with either one. The dormant vines can still give you a whopper of a rash, and the sap is the worst. If it were me, and this rental had it before you moved in, i'd ask the landlord if they'd knock off a little rent or pay for the weed killers for you. It's a nasty job, and you should get some compensation.
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Would the roots eventually die if the plant above ground level is killed via chemicals (starve them)? I assume the roots also harbor the oils? If not, kill the plant with chemicals and then dig up the roots. If you properly suit up (including you face because the stuff can and will squirt and spray when yanked) you should be able to work on it yourself. If you are severely allergic or just too apprehensive about the idea, do you know anyone who is not allergic and willing to help you for the day? You can always call in a profe$$ional. A landscaper should be able to tackle this for you. It sounds to me like you may have a bigger issue than the Poison Ivy...your neighbor. Hopefully, if he has half a brain, he'll provide access to his yard for complete removal because it'll benefit him. Whatever you do DO NOT BURN POISON IVY. The smoke is just as bad as the oil and you can inhale it which will make it worse.
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budge1, The doctor may have warned me about HC creams ... don't recall. At the time I was mostly listening for what was best to use and that's it. However, I have since been wondering what too much use of the cream can do which is why when I posted I indicated a bit of concern that I'd waded my way through three tubes! of the stuff. I do have awful red scarring now but went through a burn stage too although I must say I attributed it to the poison ivy itself. It does seem to have ameliorated now - no blisters and barely any itching! What a tremendous concept not to be burning from the inside out! :-) blsdgal, yes my "freckle" was a melanoma. I didn't suspect it at all, but my doctor happened to catch sight of it at my annual physical last year and told me to see a dermatologist for it asap. I thought she was just being an alarmist and put off going to one until this July. Well, surprise! Also, while I'd heard the general alarms about melanoma, I never really did dig deep enough or pay close enough attention to understand that this is a cancer - and the dangerous skin cancer to boot. As a doctor who I had to see while my doc was out and who has enviable bedside manners put it to me none too delicately: "what is there to say to you? It is the most dangerous form of [skin] cancer there is. Make an appointment to do the full excision asap.". Gee, thanks for the details, doc. Must say that although I took decent precautions in the sense that I use sunscreen on my face and neck, I figured I only really needed to worry about the more delicate parts of the body. I'm an active person and as its hard to go hiking or to do 30-40 mile bike rides after sunset, I was routinely outside during the day. I'm going to have to have a think about how to indulge my passions while protecting myself. Maybe get up at 4:00am to go on those bike rides in what is left of the summer? Well, after I can stand to put some weight on my foot again. This is the one thing about this cancer stuff: even the final excision which biopsied all clean, no residual cancer cells, is extremely painful. I've never gone through anything where even 13 days after the surgery, the wound is still painful and delicate. (So poison ivy on top of all that was so unfunny, you have no idea). Although, I will say that I think mine may be more uncomfortable and debilitating because it is right at a joint - think of the ankle joint right at the base of the shin bone - and therefore can't bear to take any weight OR to stand any deflections. And, being at an extremity, much slower to heal than otherwise. So three times the fun. Anyhow, that was all a very long winded way of saying that you should get your daughter in to see a doctor. It will all likely be precautionary, but better to get into the habit than have to deal with it for real!
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I have only ever had a couple of minor spots of poison ivy rash, but I think that is more because I have sharp eyes and a keen awareness of what it looks like and what I am doing when it is nearby, rather than my being less allergic to it. I have heard several people say "all I have to do is look at poison ivy and I get it" but they cannot recognize the plant to avoid it. A couple of members of my wife's family were helping out in the yard at our new house and one of them said he got poison ivy quite badly, and merely glancing at the lilac bush he was pruning I can see small healthy vines all around the base. My brother once got it very badly after his young son unknowingly walked through a large patch and later sat on my brother lap playing video games swinging his legs and rubbing the oil from his shoes all over my brother's legs.
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len511
15 years ago
preparation H??
Terry Crawford
15 years ago
Carla, go to Walgreens or CVS and get some Ivy-Dri in the spray bottle. I get PI continuously because Tabby drags it in from the woods on her fur and then jumps on my lap, so I'm constantly breaking out. The Ivy-Dri stops the itching instantly and dries it up fast. It works great; prednisone keeps me up at night and takes too long to start working.
-terry
catsrose
15 years ago
Cold volka--topical, but a little on the inside helps, too.
prairielaura
15 years ago
Here is a tip which is "mechanical" rather than medical. If you submerge the rash area in the hottest water you can possibly bear, or blow a hot hairdryer on it, you will subdue the histamines for several hours. It will itch like fire for a few minutes from the heat, and then it won't itch for an afternoon or a morning. I don't know why that works, but it does, and I am poison ivy's very favorite victim.
carla17
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you all for your suggestions. I'm sure the cold vodka could work. I just don't understand when it's drying up a little it still itches so madly. There are some unconventional remedies here but I have an open mind.

Carla
iowa_jade
15 years ago
I hate poison ivy. I second the bit about Tecnu. I got this E-Mail on home remedies, but I didn't see anything about poison ivy. Sorry, here it is anyways:

THESE REALLY WORK!!

AMAZING SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES

1. AVOID CUTTING YOURSELF WHEN SLICING VEGETABLES BY GETTING SOMEONE ELSE TO
HOLD THE VEGETABLES WHILE YOU CHOP.

2. AVOID ARGUMENTS WITH THE FEMALES ABOUT LIFTING THE TOILET SEAT BY USING
THE SINK.

3. FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SUFFERERS ~ SIMPLY CUT YOURSELF AND BLEED FOR A
FEW MINUTES, THUS REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON YOUR VEINS.
REMEMBER TO USE A TIMER.

4. A MOUSE TRAP PLACED ON TOP OF YOUR ALARM CLOCK WILL PREVENT YOU FROM
ROLLING OVER AND GOING BACK TO SLEEP AFTER YOU HIT THE SNOOZE
BUTTON.

5. IF YOU HAVE A BAD COUGH, TAKE A LARGE DOSE OF LAXATIVES. THEN YOU'LL BE
AFRAID TO COUGH.

6. YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T
MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.
1. IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
carla17
Original Author
15 years ago
I got these too Doug. LMBO again.
#7 is definitely for men.

Carla

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