Horrible Case of Poison Oak

My mother is horribly allergic to poison oak. She uses Fels-Naptha (it's a laundry bar) to wash the oil from the plants off her skin and then soaks in an oatmeal bath to help sooth her skin. Then she uses a combination of topical and oral Benedryl to reduce the itching. I hope this helps and I hope you little one feels better soon.

AHHH stop the hot water and blow dryer! I used to break out with severe poison oak at least twice a year, every year as I grew up! The heat will just open the bumps and help spread the rash. Instead try cold compresses or even ice packs. The cold will help with the swelling as well. Benedryl will work to help dry it up and helps releave some of the itching. Try to stick with cool baths, and cool sheets to make her as comfortable as possible. The more she scratches the more it spreads so as bad as it itches have her try not to scratch. Poor thing, I can totally relate to that miserable feeling, hope she gets better soon!
G. :)

Kari,
With a case that severe, I would go to an urgent care clinic immediately. There is a shot that can bring that swelling down. Not sure what kind of doctor you have consulted, but they are not handling the situation properly. Here is an excerpt from a website discussing this "poison ivy/oak information center":

"About 15 percent of the 120 million Americans who are allergic to poison oak, poison ivy, and poison sumac are so highly sensitive that they break out in a rash and begin to swell in 4 to 12 hours instead of the normal 24 to 48. Their eyes may swell shut and blisters may erupt on their skin. This is one of the few true emergencies in dermatolgy says William L. Epstein, MD. Get to a hosipital as soon as possible. A shot of corticosteroids will bring the swelling down."

Homeopathic remedies and benedryl are not adequate for this. Please see a physician as soon as possible. The reason for this is it sounds like she is having an extreme allergic reaction - this can be life-threatening.

Prayers for a quick recovery.

Warmly,

M.

Your pediatrician is off base. Her symptoms are severe. Hot water is a HUGE no no, it makes it worse. If her eyes are involved, it is serious. She needs an injection of something like Kenalog, in the steroid family. Call the doctor back! I had multiple bouts with severe poison oak as a child, and am still allergic. Children can have steroids in some form, and it will work. It is a horrible miserable thing to go through for the child. A dark room helps the eye irritation, and cool baths, not hot! I am a nurse, and a grandmother and many experiences with poison oak. Hers is past the topical cream stage. Call back!

Hi Kari,
I feel for your daughter. I am highly allergic to poison oak and my first exposure was the same as your daughters. I actually have to get a cortisone shot to help the healing and itching every time I get it now. Oatmeal baths also help dry it out.

Dear Kari,
I feel so bad for you daughter! I was the poison oak queen of all time when I was a child and I suffered so much.
I was so allergic I had to take pills every summer because I would break out without even going near the stuff. Tecnu soap and things like that never worked for me.
Poison oak on or near the eyes is very serious!
Get your daughter to the emergency room.

NEVER put her in a hot shower. She needs a cool bath with oatmeal and/or baking soda. My mom used to strip me naked and put a baking soda paste all over me and wrap me in a cool towel. That helps on the body and perhaps on the cheeks, but you don't want any baking soda getting into the eye.

The doctor can give her a shot and I also had to take steroids which is not as scary as it sounds. It's less dangerous than just leaving it alone or running hot water on her. Your daughter needs immediate medical attention.

The good news is, I haven't had even a tiny patch of poison oak in over 10 years and no longer need the pills. I can go hiking and berry picking with my son and be 3 feet from poison oak without getting it.

For now, you've got to get her out of misery and get her eye checked. You also want to avoid the possibility of scarring.

My heart really goes out to her. Let us know what the doctor says.
Best wishes!

My mom had us use a baking soda/ water paste to relieve itching on our chicken pox.
the baking soda may help dry out the sores as well.

I normally am against oral steroids, but my daughter had a similarly awful bout with poison oak and the only thing that really made a big difference relatively quickly was oral steroids and / or prescription hydrocortisone cream.

The other thing that helps with the itching is colloidal oatmeal baths once it is clear there is no more oil on the skin that could spread. Since it is on her face, maybe do a colloidal oatmeal facial. And of course, make sure to wash EVERYTHING that may have some poison oak oils on it to prevent further spreading. Items you can't wash, wipe down with Technu.

It is also a good time to plan and talk to her about future prevention. Make sure to have Technu on hand and / or Burts Bees Poison Ivy soap. Technu works great as long as it's used right away. My daughter says the Burt's Bees soap helps it feel better even once she realizes she has it as well as it prevents further spreading. And of course, make sure to wash EVERYTHING that may have some poison oak oils on it to prevent further spreading. Items you can't wash, wipe down with Technu.

Kari,
I don't know if you are willing, but we have had to go so far as to get a cortisone shot from the doctor. I have had poison oak that bad and so had my nephew. For prevention in the future there is a poison oak wash called tecnu that you can wash with that gets the oils off the skin. It's available at wal mart.
W. M.

When I was 7 months pregnant, I got a case of poison oak that looked like I had 2nd and 3rd degree burns on nearly half my body -- just from one contact point on my wrist! I suffered through it for about two weeks with the "help" of natural remedies (they don't help!!!) until even my very understanding, wonderful, and non-interventionist midwife told me that I should take a short course of prednizone. (I had a drug-free pregnancy and delivery and did NOT want meds of any kind during any of it, but I was desperate -- poison oak is my own personal version of HELL!) With the prednizone, the agony stopped within hours! Just get your daughter on prednizone for a five day course. Believe me, it's the best way to go!
Poor little darling -- I feel itchy just thinking about her!

Good luck.
K. in EC

My husband gets poison oak a lot, and it gets worse every time he gets it. It usually takes about 3 weeks to go away, and he can't sleep and is in pain the whole time he has it.

When he got it a couple of months ago, he went to the doctor and they put him on Prednisone. That began clearing it up almost immediately, and it went away within a week. They may not want to put a kid on Prednisone, though. Other than that, it's just been calamine lotion and benadryl and misery.

I use "Quick Itch Relief," which is available from Rite Aid. It's the generic version of a medicine I can't remember the name of - I think it's Zanfel? Anyway, you apply it to wet skin, leave for two minutes and rinse. It really does seem to take the oils off the skin, which is what causes the persistent condition. It's made for poison oak. I don't think you can get it anywhere but Rite Aid. I don't know why every emergency room isn't stocked with it! Must be something about money, as usual lol!

Take her to a dermatologist or even the ememgency room since this is Sunday;. There are many things they can give your child for some releif.

I'm not so sure the hot showers are the best, they just relieve the itching while your in the shower and also can keep the poison oak from drying up as fast.

I had a very, very bad case, and the doctor gave us something like an oatmeal compress that helped alot. He also gave some shots and cream.

It's not fun, about a three week process....Blessings

Kari,
Hi, I don't know how many answers you recieved however go to any drug store & ask the pharamacist. Usually in the aisle with posion oak treatments. It's called a skin cleanser......
You put it on skin, then rinse off with lukewarm water, NEVER HOT (it makes the itch spread)....but it takes the posion off the skin & eventually removes it all together. It may take a couple of treatments but that & calamine lotion was the only thing that helped.
Also NEVER take a bath, it will also cause it to spread to other area's on the body....
Hope this helped......??

I've been able to buy Tecnu at Walgreens (don't need to go to REI!). It's what the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts recommend. . .

There is a product called Tecnu that removes the oils. You can get it at REI. It's most useful immediately after exposure, but it might help.

I've also heard that hot showers spread the oils, so showers should be cool.

I hope she feels better soon! Poor thing!

prednazone for extreme reaction

I had the same thing when I was little and was given a steroid (pill and cream), which cleared it up almost immediately. They may not give steroids to children anymore (I was given it in the 70's) and I know steroid cream isn't recommended for the face, but maybe a low dose pill? Good luck. I hope it clears soon.

Do not give her a hot shower. That will aggravate the allergic reaction to the poison oak. She needs tepic showers and maybe some kind of perscription cortisone cream since she is a child. I had poison oak so bad once that I had to go on a course of steroids. If there is a problem with it being in her eyes, she needs to be closely monitered by aan MD.

There is a soap you can get at like Longs, CVS, Walgreens that is for poison oak. Its in the first aid section, if you cant find it as the pharmacy where it is. You can also get a prescription to help with it, my dad gets it bad and his Dr. gives him some kind of pill that help him. have you tried the calamine (sp?)lotion? Oh goodness!! Your poor little one! Good luck to both of you and I hope she gets better soon!!!

Hi there
I can def sympathize, when I was a teenager, I got poison sooooooooooo badly EVERYWHERE that I too was miserable. In my case because I was older and it was so severe, I had to take meds. In her case, not sure where you read that HOT showers help.. YIKES.. oh at first, they seemingly do, but heat is heat... and I think it aggravates. try PURE aloe vera gel (chill it in your fridge) apply it generously, I do believe this help the healing process (esp any oozing wounds from scratching) I have used it for everything from burns to hives and I def think it helps. Benadryl is ok, but makes you sleepy... so would only give that at night..
and yes, it pretty much has to run it's course, but you can at least relieve the itching naturally with that aloe gel (remember to chill it, it makes it feel so much better )although you can use it without chilling..
I also use aloe vera as a facial toner... it has many uses.. if you can get the ACTUAL aloe plant leaf, even better. it grows in abundance around the bayarea, but you gotta know someone with it.. or many baya rea nurseries carry it..
best of luck :) if anything.. get the PURE gel at the whole foods or rainbow mkt.. make sure it's the pure kind and it's usually in a brown glass bottle (the good stuff that is)

First of course have her checked out by an Dr. The sores can become infected or the poison oak can get into the blood stream. Also with the rash being around the eyes you need to be very careful about applying anything on it so as not to further damage the eyes.
For the rest of the body (NOT around the eyes) make a concentrated solution of Epsom salts by placing the salts in hot water until they will not dissolve any more. Dab this on to the poison oak and it will re leave the itching and dry it up all at the same time.

I empathize with your daughter. I had poison oak so bad when I was 9 years old, my eyes were swollen for a week! My parents used old fashioned calamine lotion, and it helped with the itching. Baking soda also has helped my husband with poison oak. You moisten the baking soda and make a paste. Keep both of these away from the eyes.If you have mint leaves, you can also soak them in water and apply directly to your daughter's face. MInt is very cooling. I am also a certified homeopath, and in my experience with poison oak cases, they sometimes need more than one remedy to put the client on the way to recovery. Also I have noticed that some case require a higher potency than a 30C. Go back to your doctor, and tell him that the remedy isn't working and you may need another remedy, or an increased potency.