question about poison ivy symptoms

18 years ago

How soon do symptoms of poison ivy show up?

I can't believe I did this. I'm usually very aware of potential poison ivy sites. Yet, today I'm clearing some brush, down on my hands and knees and realize that I'm kneeling in a patch of it. I used waterless cleaner on my hands and arms and washed up as soon as I got home. That was 3 hours ago and I'm not showing any signs yet. Am I out of the woods; so to speak?

Ron

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Comments (6)

OklaMoni
18 years ago
Hard to say Ron, sleep on it.

Sorry.

Best thing you could have done, wash with cold water, and soap. I hope, you did so, after taking your clothes off, and putting them in the washer?

Moni
gmom74
18 years ago
It takes several days for it to show up on me- it's on my arms and face now and I thought I was so careful last week when I was working outside. I scrub with plenty of soap- even Comet- to try to get all the stuff off. Obviously I didn't get to it in time.
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I recently got a bit of poison ivy on my right forearm from digging out a clogged mower vacuum which evidently had picked up some PI. I was putting the Caladryl lotion on it + a few drops of plantain tincture and then a friend of mine says she swears by Tea Tree Oil so I started putting some of that on as well and it seemed to dry things up pretty quickly. It is now almost completely gone. The main part of it was shaped almost like a question mark or ear outline - due to the mower no doubt - and now looks like a scar. I didn't know poison ivy could cause scarring -- I haven't really itched it that much -- do I need to find something else now to clear up the scarring? I am thankful tho' that even tho we have a lot of PI around our property I know what it looks like and avoid it and even when I have gotten a touch of it - it has been nothing like the terrible outbreak I had at age 17 after a visit to a forest preserve. It was all over both arms, legs and on my face. My arms and legs had huge welts and I wished I could just die - it was such agony. I've gotten a few minor spots on my right wrist [just below the garden glove line] here before [with this latest being the worst] still nothing like age 17 so I am thankful. Incidently - urishiol can remain active on surfaces for 5 years and still cause an outbreak. Last time I got a touch of it was in March pulling out briar roots and there happened to be some ivy roots in the area as well - no leaves just the root therefore it snuck up on me. Wash clothes etc that may have come in contact with PI or you can get it from that again.
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Realizing this is an old thread I will add... I also don't like to use weed killers. Manual removal of poison ivy works best but seldom gets it all and can take years. A good use for those plastic shopping bags... Placed them over your gloves hands (w/long sleeves, right?) so when you grab the ivy you can pull it into the bag and turn the bag inside out to contain the ivy for disposal. Does that make sense? As mentioned you prob won't get it all so you can leave a length of the vine and treat it with some Round-up using a quart plastic bottle (milk or juice bottle, etc). Mark the bottle "Weed Killer" so it is easily identified.. Insert a length of the vine into the bottle. Trim the opening if you need to make it large enuff to get any leaves inside the bottle. Use a piece of string or wire to tie the handle to the vine so the wind or children don't remove or play with it. Then pour in a bit of Roundup so that it touches all the leaves. Shake the bottle daily or as many times as you walk by it - so the Roundup wets the vine and leaves. This also works for other invasive weeds/vines such as bittersweet. Esp. effective when a vine has just sprouted up in the middle of your perennial bed (to kill just the vine).
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I think I got extremely lucky yesterday, at least nothing is happening so far. DH and I went to a self-storage unit that we rent to re-organize(we've been crammin' and jammin' for a few years). The storage building is on the edge of a field, with a few clusters of trees. We pulled out an empty trash can and there was a mouse and a nest in the bottom, so DH took the can and laid it down near the trees in the(mowed)grass/weeds. I went over and slid the nest out, I couldn't tell if there were babies, but the mouse ran into the nearby brush/trees, so I gently placed the nest in the same area under some plants with large leaves. As I stood up I looked at those leaves and thought "three leaves...three leaves...three leaves...oh carp!" Everywhere I looked there were three leaves. I back-stepped carefully until I was on gravel. Luckily, I was wearing gloves(the rubber dipped kind). Now, I have never in my life come across PI and always thought I would never recognize it, but I've read so many posts about it here at GW and checked out the photos, that I knew that's what it was. I showed DH where it was and very carefully peeled my gloves off(the way Idabean suggested)and tossed them into the brush. I still don't know if any oils got on my shoes...I sprayed and wiped them down with Windex as soon as we got home, before I took them off. I'm keeping my jeans and socks separate from the rest of the laundry until I can wash them alone. So far, I haven't had a bump or an itch, so maybe I dodged a bullet. Then again, I don't react to Sumac or Virginia Creeper, so maybe I'm one of the lucky few. We've never been to the storage unit this time of year, usually in the fall and spring. We'll be extra careful from now on.
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The oils can remain in all parts of the plant (roots too) and reactive, even the dead plant, for quite some time (as in years)... same goes for oils on your clothing and tools (tho not to the same degree on tools, it sticks to clothing better) can remain reactive until washed. If the top growth is dead, I would remove with appropiate protection like long shirt and gloves with a long cuff or gauntlet, etc. Cotton gloves or simple latex gloves just won't cut it, the oils can still soak in the cotton and those thin latex jobbies just tear to easy. I've even read that heavy leather gloves will eventually soak into the glove like if you are working a patch for some time or don't wash the gloves afterwards. I have a pair of heavy leather gloves I use for regluar gardening and yes, I've even pulled small PI plants while wearing them and another pair I use for Poision Ivy that's Neoprene and cuffs that come up almost to my elbows. Hot as all get out and not as flexable as my normal gloves, but well worth it in not having to worry about getting a rash. I got it pretty bad this summer and even have a scar now on my arm from the blisters that formed... perhaps the scar will fade with time, but at least I've never had to go to doctor for meds! Also, depending on what you used.. you very well may have to treat again in the spring if new growth appears. Ortho Brush B' Gone Poison Ivy Killer is the best from what I've read and what I use. Good luck!! Shannon
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grammahony
18 years ago
I get it so bad when I do get into it. I can't be around it, or even look at it (almost) without getting it. It takes a couple days before I start getting 'that itch'. It is one that just doesn't quit. I have to take a 'Dose Pack' of steroids to get rid of it. There's so much of it at the cabin this year, and I can't do anything about it. My sister will have to get rid of it for me. She puts a bread sack on her hand and arm, and pulls it and puts it in another garbage bag, and then into the trash.
I've read to wipe the area involved with alcohol, to cut the oil. Then soap and water. I did that a couple times this weekend, just in case I was to close to it.
Leslie
mcmann
18 years ago
Ron - depending on how allergic you are and how much ivy you found yourself in the reaction can occur within hours or up to a week. There are products on the market that you can wash with that will help remove the urushiol from your skin. Tecnu is one, but even rubbing alcohol makes a good solvent. Even washing with soap and water within 10 minutes of contact can be effective at preventing a reaction.

Unfortunately the urushiol oil can last a long time on your clothing and tools. I've been known to throw my sneakers and shoelaces into the washing machine with my clothes to get the oil off.

I hope you don't get it because it sure sounds like you found yourself 'up close and personal' with the nasty stuff.
donna37
18 years ago
I'm highly allergic to poison ivy and have gotten it several times and my face swells up, eyes swell shut and even my lips swelled up one time and nearly turned inside out and I couldn't even eat, just sip thru a straw. I was miserable and nothing helped, everyone told me to go to the Dr. but all they would do is give me a cortisone shot and I'm allergic to cortisone, did that in my teen age years and the rash got worse.

After researching online I found about Zanfel cream to wash with. It's pricey but cheaper than a Dr's visit. When I feel the itch coming on I wash, sparingly, with this and so far haven't had any of the bad episodes I've had previously.

There is so much of it on our property I spend lots of time with Roundup for poison ivy and brush and am making slight inroads on it.

My DD was helping her Dad at my shop clearing brush and got some on her, didn't know it at the time, started itching and washed with Zanfel and helped that area. Didn't realize she had it other areas, either from the seat in her van where she had sat going home or what, but it must have went systemic on her, she's just now getting over it, has went thru a couple tubes of Zanfel, bottle of Tecnu, calamine lotion, finally went to the Dr. as a last resort as she has no health insurance. She gave her prednisone and finally she is over it. Was going to give her cortisone shot but when told of my reaction decided against it.

My DH can play in it all day and has not one problem, luckily for some reason I haven't gotten any from his clothes.
glenda_al
18 years ago
Bless you! Had a bad bad case when cutting firewood, years ago.

question about poison ivy symptoms

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OklaMoni

gmom74

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