Just be aware that the hot water is only palative, and temporary, and this water is simply spreading the oil around from a more concentrated area to a larger, but less concentrated. So you could be in fact prolonging the process if all you do is hot water, you NEED to remove the oils. I'm kinda a super geek and did a bunch of ersearch on this and I have found that what is REALLY happening is this... Heat releases histamine, the substance in the cells of the skin which causes the intense itching. A hot shower or bath will cause intense itching as the histamine is released. Increasing the heat to the maximum tolerable and continued until the itching has subsided (usually while screaming and writhing in pain form the heat) This process will deplete the cells of histamine and you can obtain (up to) eight hours of relief from the itching, until the histamine is re-generated by your body. But again, if you can't break down or remove the oils themselves you are only prolonging the pain/itching. BTW, a histamine blocker such as Benadryl works too and is not as dangerous ;-)

Ohhh yes, I have to jump in here! (thanks Joe, for that yard waste bags thread LOL) SPANK that itch! LOL Okay, I'm laughing, but I'm serious. Being the tactile creature that I am, I used to have the nasty habit of scratching itches (poison oak or ivy rash, skeeter bites, wounds healed to that almost completely healed point but scab not quite ready to come off itch-at-the-edges stage, simple dry skin, whatever... you get the idea) to the point - without conscious awareness, particularly bad on auto-pilot in my sleep - of scratching things into a laceration. I had to re-train myself to spank/slap itchies or to use a cotton, well-textured cloth. I've tried all of the OTC and no small amount of Rx stuff for PI/PO... and by far, in order of what I tried OTC through the years and all effective for me, these have been the best: bleach water solution (1 part bleach, 9-10 parts H2O - same principle as what follows below) Rubbing Alcohol - used gleefully on a terrycloth washcloth that was otherwise clean/dry, rubbing it on - be sure to wash with an oil-"attacking" detergent such as Dawn with hot water and not re-use without washing. 7% Iodine Solution - Oh yes yes yes yes! Be careful though, you can usually get this some place that sells vet/livestock supplies like the co-op BUT, you will know the difference with this compared to OTC people-pharmacy iodine, you open the bottle and the fumes can make your eyes burn/water... stout/potent, but very effective. Ethyl Alcohol - oh yea baby... move over regular rubbing alcohol, this was so much better. Germ-X - and this one is more recent and sheer fluke. I canNOT stand how my hands feel when I have been in public anywhere, especially after touching things that who knows how many other people and things have come into contact with, my hands just feel NASTY - but keeping soap and water in my vehicle became a PITA because bottles got left not sealed/closed tightly, water leaked out, etc. so I tried this stuff and "fell in love" - main ingredient: ethyl alcohol, with a carrier, moisturizer, - and fragrance if you like. The primary factors with my preferred "products" are that they have some impact on drying the PI/PO oils along with one's own body oils and subsequently removing it from the area, and with "victimized"/irritated skin/tissue, these things "burn" and that sates the general urge to scratch. I've had PI/PO on my face and near my eyes before, the only one of those that I will NOT use on my face/near my eyes is the Iodine. My son that has become so sensitive, he has had really good results with a mixture of essential oils that "Grandma" mixed up for him because he keeps getting into the stuff (climbing trees, out in the woods, being a boy, ya know?) If anyone else is "into" essential oils for treatment, let me know and I'll send or post the exact EOs to mix/use and at what ratio and "dosage" (topical) Iva/y-rest, etc. have never been of any use/relief for me personally. I have also not had any noteworthy relief or countering from steroids, taken internally or applied topically. Cortisone creams help for bug bites for me but rarely PI/PO irritation. Aside from 1) attempting to avoid the stuff 2) secondary offense being washing with soap and water if there is/was a chance I was exposed [this usually happens too late for me for bad outbreaks because I'm out working, sweating, and sweat just passes the oils right along and unthought of and usually spread hours before I quit work for the day and get to the shower] and 3) the above list of OTC stuff when #1 and #2 have not prevented an "outbreak". The bleach water solution I *personally* mix stronger than that but that above is how the "recipe" was given to me. I have used straight bleach on the stuff before. But YMMV and everyone has different skin types and sensitivities. The bleach water solution, at the 1:9 and 1:10 ratio though is pretty effective for skeeter bites. All of you who are sensitive to PI/PO - you have my empathy!!!!

I'm on a low dose of Dexamethasone now: It "is a potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant drug, used to treat a number of inflammatory, allergic, rheumatic, endocrine, dermatologic, and autoimmune disorders." I only got the poison ivy on my forehead on Mother's Day. Working in DD2's yard. :-/ The second I touched my glove to my head I thought 'I bet you just gave yourself PI." I hadn't seen it, I know what it looks like. By Wednesday, I had just a few lines on my forehead at my hairline. Not bad, not really itchy. I went out of town for 5 days on Thursday. Got home Monday and went to the doctor on Tues or Wed when it started coming up on my arm - head was fine and has been fine. The VERY first time I got PI, it was VERY bad. I've always heard since then 1st case bad = bad allergy to if for life. I've had it so bad before (but not in the last 5 years since we moved!) that my legs would almost be covered in red, itching, oozing yuck! Since I had such a serious case the first time I contracted PI (playing kick the can with my cousins and must have laid down all in it to hide - I was probably 12yo) when I get it now, it gets systemic. So the doctor told me this time that it's not really PI that I am breaking out with. She compared it to hives, but it's not hives. TTYTT, I just wanted anything to get rid of it, because if you saw the "eye lid" thread, you would know I'm having my 50th Bday surgery next week and the nurse at my pre-op said if I came in the day of surgery with the rash on my arms they would NOT do surgery! Well, I've been thinking of doing this for years now and if I cannot have it on the 29th, I have to wait until fall. DD2 is probably getting married in September. It's now or I have to wait. :( The doctor said something about the Tagament for my stomach, but I don't really remember exactly what she said - I know, bad patient. But I trust her. Something about people asking "why are you giving me something for my stomach if I have hives or PI?" She explained, I just didn't absorb. Hard to listen sometimes when you're itching...and worried about surgery being postponed! lol Ok I need to go to bed. It's almost 1am. But I've gotten a lot done today! ;D Hope everyone w/PI or mango rash is feeling better today. I'll get DH to buy some bananas in the morning, when he goes to get me another watermelon.

It's all about the oil in the plant. We use dawn dishwashing liquid which is an excellent oil cutter. Wash with it as soon as you think you've been exposed. If we still get a rash...not blistered or open...but the beginning red stages, we wipe it off with gasoline on a rag and then wash the gasoline off. Gasoline is the best oil cutter. It's amazing to see how quickly the rash will go away once the oil is removed. Of course, I'd never use that on my face or other sensitive parts....and we do use unleaded! I remember my GF when we were kids made the mistake of putting a hot wash cloth on her poison ivy rash as a way to get the itching down. It only helped emulsify and spread the oil and she too got it around her eye which swelled like crazy. She was quite a mess. But I agree that if you are that allergic...get someone else to do the down and dirty. I have pulled poison ivy out with gardening gloves many times and have had no reaction, so there are many of us who are less sensitive who should be able to help.