Poison Ivy?

try washing affected area with joy liquid detergent - worked for members of my family. Hope it works for you.

Grapefruit seed extract. You can buy it at most health food stores. Just dilute in a spray bottle. We use a 32oz. bottle and put about 95 drops in. So adjust for size of bottle. It soothes the itching and pulls out the harmful oils from the skin. The spray is also useful for washing produce and meats, counter tops disinfectant...etc. Wonderfful stuff.

My son & I appear to be very prone to it. I didn't think there was any in my flower bed a couple summers ago & wound up with a good case of it & my son always seems to get it after attending Boy Scout camp (I'm a grandma raising my 10 yr old grandson - going through life the second time around). Anyway, the doctor gave us a cream called Elcon, it's a prescription & it seemed to help a lot. Neither one of us ever had the shot.

I just got over a nasty case of poison ivy last week. I didn't want to take the shot because I'm still nursing and my husband is allergic to Bendaryl, so I was nervous that our daughter would be too. Anyway, I used Zantec, which is pretty expensive ($30 per ounce) but really amazing. It bonds with the urisol in poison ivy and pulls it out of your skin. If you are someone who is very allergic to poison ivy, I would definitely recommend this stuff. And, even thought it's expensive, it should last for quite a while. Good luck!

There are a number of over the counter creams and ointments that will dry out and stop the itch of poison ivy. It will still take a week or two for the rash to completely go away though.

Usually with the shot, you will see results of it clearing up in just a few hours hours and the itching gone as well. But since you don't want the shot, which I hate also, I always request a prescription for prednisone from the doctor and use it along with Benadryl and sometimes hydrocortisone cream. If you have a really bad case of it, you may want to ask the doctor for prescription strength hydrocortisone cream also. It should clear it up in about 3 days. The itching should stop within 6 hours, a few give or take. At least this always works for me and my family. The prednisone pills (which is the same as the steroid shot) is just as effective, it just takes a tad bit longer for the steroid to get into your blood stream, but it is still quite fast, and definitely works faster than using over the counter stuff. Hope this helps.

You can get rhus tox at a health food store. It's a homeopathic treatment for poison ivy that is, get this, POISON IVY! I know it sounds weird, but it really does work. I used it when I was pg with my son and couldn't really take anything else (my midwife was the first person to mention it to me).

In addition, bonus! it helps create a bit of immunity when used over time that can help you keep from getting poison ivy again.

Good luck! Poison ivy is MISERABLE!!!!

C.

Got the same problem. Been in the yard everyday. There are other irritants you could come across besides poison ivy. Poison oak is one, and other plants can cause a reaction.

Many medicines have antihistamine which can make you sleepy. I used an over the counter medicine by Swan. It is an anti-itch and it dries up the irritation. It does not contain antihistamine. Purchased it at Wal-Mart pharmacy. It is in a white bottle near Caladryl, Benadryl and Calamine lotion. It is great stuff. I use it every summer for insect bites and it calm the itch. It is also called a skin protectant. Not sure what that means, but I think I can put it on before going into the garden and perhaps it will prevent?

You have got to let me know about the resale store and how it is going. I live in Montgomery, Alabama. Where do you live. Let me know how it is going. We can exchange e-mail. Best of luck.

Hi Brandi. You don't have to be in direct contact with poison ivy to get the rash. With the wind blowing like it has been, and farmers burning pastures, you can get it in the air. Try taking Benadryl for the itching and use Calamine Lotion to help sooth and dry up the rash.

There is a wash known as Zamfel that is sold at most Wal-Mart stores. It's excellent. However, it costs like $35.00, so that may be a bit steep, but when you're itching like crazy, it doesn't seem like too much to pay! (At least not for me!)

Also, the doctor can prescribe a cream called Lydex...it works in like one day...Amazing stuff.

Hope this helps!

When my daughter was in 7th grade her science class walked to the park just bordering the school grounds...there was poison ivy on afew trees (which was the reason for the trip...to identify trees) so everyone came back w/poison ivy...even the teacher who said she didn't know what it was! My daughter ended up on medication and I got a pamphlet from the doctor which said the oil of the plant can last 7 yrs after being taken out and if it's burned the smoke has been known to spread it to some sensitive people....! You can get the oil on your clothes or brush up against someone who had contact w/it ....the dermatologist gave a "Z pack" & it cleared it right up.....good luck!

hello

My cousin gets it sometimes and she always used oatmeal. She would cook it and thenput it on there. She said it helped alot so you might want to try that instead of a shot. I know people that get the aevon oatmeal bath and soak in it also.

B. cleanse the area with full strength bleach, apply withcotton ball, let dry, rinse after 10 minutes.

Everyone has given great advice!! All methods that work. I can look at a picture of poision ivy and catch it I swear, lol - so I have tried everything. One thing that I always take with me when going on camping trips or fishing, etc is "Ivarest". It is an over the counter cream/lotion. It works really well, is not too messy and is affordable. It takes a few days to rid the rash - but it does stop the itching and keeps from spreading. Good luck!!!

My husband owns a timber business and he is in the woods all of the time, and therefore gets poison ivy a lot. He uses a cream/soap called Zanfel. It is rather pricey (around $35 for a small tube at Walmart), but it works, and one tube lasts for more than one outbreak. Just follow the directions inside the package. Hope this helps!

You can catch poison ivy if the wind it blowing really bad, it will make the pollen off the poison ivy float in the air. And that is all it takes

Go get some Benadryl (sp) Gel---It is a liquid that you put on it and it will dry leaving a coat over it that is great. it will make the itch go away and dry it up. you also need to take some Benadryl (sp) until the poison ivy is all gone, just one of these a day.

Well I have been battling poison ivy for almost 2 weeks now I received a severe allergic reaction and it got into my blood stream. I have tried alot of stuff the best is zanfel for after you have been exposed, this does not work so well on severe reactions. Also tecnu is good to have around the house if you are allergic so if you get into it or think you have you wash with it within 30 minutes and you will not break out. Zanfel is very expensive but it does the job. Good luck and hope you will not have to have steroid IV or a shot like I did.

Salt water wors goos but it stings whenit is applied

This is hilarious because I woke up this am with the same problem!

Last time I got it, I had to go to the dr because it took so long. They gave me Fexafenodine? (an allergy med) and a steroid pack to fight it off. To relieve the itch I got some ivyrest from WalMart. Works great, but comes off on your clothes some.

Good luck!

************* I just read someone suggested bleach. According to a friend, this does work, but it leaves scarring!

Make a paste with oatmeal (doesn't matter if it's instant or old-fashioned - just make sure it has no added ingredients like sugars or flavorings) and water and apply it to the rash. If you have a blender, use it to grind the oatmeal to a powder first. You can also bathe with oatmeal. I don't know what it is, but there is something in oatmeal that stops itching. Be warned, though, it will make your tub VERY slippery.

I have found that just pure aloe vera works wonders on any kind of skin rash.

Hi B.!
You don't necessarly have to have the plant in your flower beds, this stuff can spread in the AIR! If some one was simply mowing their yard it can drift over to your side and BANG you have it too! Your lucky you didn't inhale it that would require a shot, in the mean time take a benadrile & cut off the foot of an old panty hose, fill it w/ plain oatmeal and soak in a luke warm bath, AIR DRY! If you use a towel you run the risk of spreading it then use an anti-itch that is alchol based to dry it up (I'm a mother of one and the oldest of 7 sib's who are mostly BOY'S and we didn't see a single year that they didn't have it so bad)

The best cure I've ever used is very simple. Put water as hot as you can stand it on a wash cloth and hold it on the rash. The itch will intinsify greatly for a moment then stop itching. This also helps dry it out and speed the healing. My dad told me about this and I finally tried it after a week or so of the pink lotions and potions -- the hot water worked better than anything else. Good luck!

The lovely thing about poison ivy or poison oak is that it can be carried on the wind (per my mom's physician). Try soaking in an epsom salt bath for a while once or twice a day for the next couple of days and treating the itch with either Caladryl or Benadryl cream until it dries up. Good luck!

B.,

It really depends on how severe of a case you have it...if it is not head to toe, then you can take benedryl to control the itch. DO NOT take hot showers/baths and do not get too hot. You need to keep your body as cool as possible. Heat makes it itch more and then you would break out more. I have used Calamine Lotion, Benedryl Cream, just about anything over the counter that is for Posion Ivy or Posion Oak. If you have a severe case, then you would really need a steroid pack from a Doctor or a steroid shot. I hope it gets better soon!!!

L.

All Stop works great, and fast! http://www.dermatechrx.com/poisonivy/
I live out in the country so I keep some in my medicine cabinet. If your dogs rub in poison ivy, then you pet them you can get it that way too. Hope you feel better. ;-)

well.. you are in luck.. poison ivy is not contagious nor is it able to spread. only the areas that touched the plant will become irritated. and it is the oil in your body that reponds to the irritation that keeps it going.. so it's best to dry it out.... we always wipe ourselves with rubbing alcohol... it burns, but it drys it out... i think vinegar may work too. If this was on a child i would ask the doctor for prescription meds... but if it's adults dry the rubbing alcohol... best of luck. -mb

Calamine lotion..n benadryl..
Good Luck..

Hello B.,
There is a pill you can buy at GNC or other nutritional stores that works very well. I have a son that gets poison ivy every year and after some expencive trips to the doctor we found these. They come in a small white bottle with a redish colored label that says poison ivy in blue letters on the front of it. They are very small like a sacrine tablet but very powerful.
Hope you feel better,
M.

Burt's Bees makes a poison ivy soap. I bought some a few years ago because my son kept getting it. Of course, he hasn't gotten it since I bought the soap, so I haven't tried it. But if you're looking for a natural approach, it's worth a try. Good Luck!
D.

BENADRYL!!!!!!

It is an allegic reaction, and you need an antihistamine. Take the pill, it works better than the cream.

If it really is poison ivy, there is an over the counter cream/wash called Zanfel. It's quite expensive but well worth it if you get poison ivy often. One tube will last awhile. You only use a dime size amount. The sooner you use it the better, but it will dry it out quickly. I would check at Walgreen's or Wal-Mart. We always keep a supply on hand because our 11 year old son is so allergic to poison ivy. This stuff clears it up, sometimes in one day, if we catch it early enough. It will also keep it from spreading. Try it, you'll love it! One more thing you might want to keep in mind is that most Pharmacists are trained to recognize skin rashes. If you go to a smaller Pharmacy or even Walgreen's, (I wouldn't suggest Wal-Mart simply b/c of the high volume they deal with) the Pharmacist will take time to look at your rash and tell you whether or not they think it's poison ivy. If it's not, they could probably give you advice on clearing it up. Good Luck (wife of a Pharmacist talking here!)

When my husband gets into poison ivy he has had to get the shot. However we found that if he uses Lye soap it works great to keep the Doctors and shot away. Lye soap can be found just not real easy.
Good luck.

It may not be poisin ivy. My fingers kept breakin out in itchy bumps turn out to be stress related dr gave me some steriod cream. I soon leard that monastat or the generic cream works great. Its sounds crazy but it is a fungus.If it iches like mine did it is worth trying .Good luck!!

If it's poison ivy it takes up to 3 day's to show on your skin(from contact),poison oak or sumack will show within 24hrs. Either way what works for me best is takin' a bath in a mix of oatmeal(whole oats)and corn starch. It sooths and dries up the seepin'. As last resort I continuiousley use cotton balls with oldfasion callamine lotion. If it's oak or sumack they take longer to get rid of,the itchin' might stop,but the red rash hold's for a while longer. The over the counter products never work for me.

Hi B.,

We've all been there. It lasts anywhere from a week to 3 weeks, depending on how bad it is. Prescription remedies make it go away much faster. What's wrong with a shot? A little pinstick in worth it. You are lucky if that's all you need.

You may not see it in your flower beds, but if you have it on you, it's around somewhere. More importantly, if you have outdoor pets, WATCH OUT!!! If it's on them, and it will be, you will share in it. So don't hug them as I have, and look out for cats rubbing against your legs. If you touch each other, wash your arms and legs. That goes for any indirect contact; even on garden tools and equipment.

I personally have never found long term relief with anything over the counter, nor do they speed up the process, as they are not strong enough to effect the rashes. The sad and helpless truth is that you are stuck with it until it decides to pack up it's water blisters and go. Never has anything so overstayed its unwelcomed visit.

However, putting something on is a mental comfort if nothing else, so basics like Burow's solution, Calamine lotion, Tecnu and hydrocortisone creams are temporary fixes. Prescription cortisone and other meds can halt the reaction.

By no means ever use bleach and alcohol. Using it on your skin or pet does not remove the oil, it will only cause irritation and burn the affected area. Use only the appropriate methods for drying.

Here is a page-long list of helpful treatment/remedies from the PI Center you may want to pursue. There could be
a 'miracle' formula in there. If so, let us know !!!! http://poisonivy.aesir.com/view/cures.html

Good luck and hope it doesn't turn into the mother of all skin rashes. Think cortisone and steroids and have a happy, scratch free day.

Sincerely ______

You have a couple of options - Take over-the counter Benadryl at the dose of 25 to 50 mg every 6 hours but be ready to be sedated as it will do that. Or, you could go to your doc an get a Medrol Dose-Pak of oral steroids that lasts for 5 days.
If it is not interfering with your life and you do not have horrible lesions, take the Benadryl, use Calamine lotion, wash everything that you were wearing when you got it in hot water to get rid of the plant oil, and it will eventually go away.