Posion Ivy Woes

I had a terrible case of poison ivy last summer and I found an odd remedy that worked wonders! I used an anti-fungal cream and the itching went away and the rash got smaller. It worked so well! I think it was a cream with an active ingredient of clotrimazole. It was great!
Good luck,
S.

I have it on my chin and neck. I use rhuali gel or band aid anti-itch gel. It is cold and refreshing. Take cold showers so your pores won't be open and you won't spread it. Oatmeal baths are supposed to be comforting but I haven't tried that. Try not to think about touching it. If it's really bad go to the doctors for a remedy. I happened to be going to the dermatologist in 2 days so I'll ask her advice. I'm having a hard time not touching my toddler especially kisses since it's on my chin & neck. The not so fun part of summer. At least it's not waking me up during the night. Hang in there.

Hi,

I am a nurse and I would suggest hydrocortisone topical cream. It helps dry it up quickly and helps with the itch. You can get it at any pharmacy.

HI, I am so sympathetic. I always was highly allergic, and my son has inherited the same problem. We have had excellent results with Domeboro, an old fashioned (World War II era, I think) astringent which draws the water out of the blisters, drying them up. You can buy Domeboro over the counter at any pharmacy - sometimes it is on the shelves with the other P.I. stuff, and sometimes it is behind the pharmacist's counter BUT you don't need a prescription. It is a powder that you mix in water - follow the directions on concentrations - and then you soak a rag or washcloth in it, and then gently lay the cloth on top of the blisters. Do not rub - you will increase the itch! That is why you can't use hydrocortisone creams or other similar remedies - the rubbing will drive you crazy. With Domeboro, as the cloth dries, just re-soak and re-apply. YOu can just sit and read a book, but if you have to move around, take some plastic wrap and secure the cloth to your arm, then do what you have to do.

There is a product you can use in the future if you think you will be exposed - there is something called Ivy Block that you put on beforehand like sunscreen, which keeps the PI oils from penetrating your skin. There is another product called Tecnu which you use as a cleanser after exposure- it washes the oils away.

Good luck!

What I didn't know is that one can get a rash from poison ivy and another one can be highly allergic. My son is allergic.
Swollen joints, eyes, the whole deal. So, we made a couple of ER trips when he was little where they gave us prednisone in a topical form and steroid pills.

One MD took me aside and told me the best thing is to have him eat bananas and lots of them. The potassium and other vitamins/minerals in them is the best for treating poison ivy or poison oak. THEN, take the peelings and rub them on you and if your eyes are swollen, then lay the peels on your eyes.

The results were amazing. So.......that is what we do now when anyone has the rash or allergy!!

Good Morning...sorry to hear of your poison ivy woes...awful!

Normally I would say that you should lather soap and let it dry on the areas, but considering its around your eyes I would not use this method in that area. I have a great homeopathic remedy that you take orally. It's made by Hyland's brand and is for Poison Ivy/Poison Oak Releif. It works great & I was able to take it while pregnant and breasfeeding, so obviuosly very safe.

Good luck and hope you get rid of it quickly!

Hi D.,
I had poison ivy 3 years ago and I'm still freaked out by the experience!! Don't try some silly home remedy. Call your doctor ASAP and get a prescription. It's a steroid and will help immediately. Since it's already on your face, a prescription will definitely be filled for you. Do it today!! Good luck.

Hey D.,
Usually if you have it on your face they prescribe predinsone espicially if it is near your eyes. I wouldn't foul around with it. good luck . mother of 4 and RN K.

The only thing you could try is if you have any aveeno packets put some in a cool dish of water and soak a paper towel in it and then put it on your neck. I had poison ivy about a month ago on the back of my neck and I tried everything but to no avail I ended up having to go to the doctor to get a strong cream with a steroid in it to help it get better. I feel your sympathy because I went through it. Take care.
D.

Hello D.,

I have heard that homeopathic remedies work the best. I would check out a natural store- like a whole foods, or a homeopathic dr.

There is also a remedy that you can take in the spring to avoid getting poison ivy all summer...

Best of luck!!

M.

Rhuli Spray. Best stuff I've found and highly recommended from aunt/pharmacist of 35 years (and mom to three boys prone to finding any and all poison ivy within a five mile radius of home). You'd have to ask your pharmacist for it - it's a behind the counter product and may have to be ordered - I'm never without a can!

My husband seems to get poison ivy just by looking at it, so we have a little experience! He swears by Tecnu, an over-the-counter wash that breaks up the oils and helps to heal you faster. It also gets rid of the itching. You can find it at any drugstore or walmart. Also, we use a lot of Sarna - a non-steroid lotion that cools and takes the itch out. The active ingredients are camphor and menthol, so it's safe for kids, too. As an added bonus, it smells like lilacs. :) Good luck!

Sounds crazy but dab a little bleach on a cotton ball and dab it straight on your skin. I had it for three weeks and nothing would help it heal until my elderly Irish aunt told me that's what they did in the old country. It worked like a charm!

Hi.... Baking soda, Aveno or corn starch baths help, but if you have it real badly, call your doctor for a steroidal cream like .2% hydrocortisone.... Be careful not to reinfect yourself with clothing,pets,outdoor yard furniture,etc.... Good-luck!

baking soda and water paste, helps with the itching, and drying of poison ivy....and if you live near salt water, the ocean is the best cure to dry poison ivy

Once it is near your eye i would call the doctor and they will most likely put you on meds which help a ton!

I have used a hair blower dryer and it worked! Supposedly this releases histamines, which cause the itching of the skin. They take about 6-8 hours to build back up thus giving you 6-8 hours of itch-free relief. Just hold the dryer over the blister as hot as and as long as you can stand. The blister gets intensely itchy as the histamines are released. Just be careful not to burn yourself.

D.,

This sounds like a good batch! Especially near your eye! WOW!

Fells Naptha Soap Bar can be found in the detergent aisle in most supermarkets. It's a lye soap and you can wash with it and wash you clothing you had on with it. I use it for black fly bites and mosquito bites, just wet it and rub it on them. Never agin to itch!

Good Luck and there are things you can use before you think you might be near poison ivy, I just don't know what they are as we don't seem to have a problem with it where I am.

A friend's son was just in the hospital for 10 days with poison ivy, they took him off the prednisone too soon and he had a second reaction. Hope yours doesn't cause this to happen to you.

RoseH

Homeopathic Rhus Tox works great. You can get it in a 30c potency at a health food store like Whole Foods. Take one pill a few times a day to help with itching. It is safe to take while pregnant and nursing.

A great product is melagel from a company called Melaleuca. It uses the purest form of tea tree oil as a natural healer. I'm sure that you would find tea tree oil to be a great help with your situation. My family has come to rely on this for so many situations like yours from bug bites, ticks, rashes, burns, & so much more. You can go to www.melaleuca.com for more info. or feel free to contact me directly. I'd be more than happy to help!

Hi D.

I already had it this year as well and I couldn't stand it. I just called the Dr. told them it was really close to my eye and they gave me meds.I'm a wimp but I didn't want to take any chances around my eye. And I didn't have to go in, they just called it in for me...

Good Luck
K.

I agree with what everyone has written-especially the steroids since it's near your eyes. Also, if you're near ocean water - the salty sea - quickly dries it up as well. Next time you come in contact with those shiny, three-leafed leaves, you can break the chemical compound within five minutes of contact with very cold water. Feel better soon.

Try useing bleach right from the bottle on a clean rag an but the rag on the areas that need it for about 5 minutes the bleach will dry it up do this a few times a day you will smell. Then use calamine cream

Tecnu is great! I managed to get poison ivy both times I was pregnant and was concerned about what I could use. I used it both times and was very happy with how it worked. You can get it at Walgreens or CVS in the area where they have poison ivy/skin rash products.

Hi D.,

I feel your pain! I am on my fourth week of a terrible case of poison ivy on my leg! I used a baking soda paste which helped curb the itch for several hours at a time. It will sting at first, but it's a welcome change from the itching. I also bought as many OTC remedies as I could find. Some of the sprays that are made for the "poisons" worked pretty well. I have also been told that cold compresses work and an oatmeal bath. Last week I finally broke down and went to the doctor. He prescribed me something stronger - fluocinonide .05% - which helped with the itching and sped up the healing process. My advice would be, don't wait to go to the doctor for something stronger! If it does not seem to be getting better within a few days, save yourself the torture and just go!!

Also, I found something called "Ivy Dry Defense" (I got it at Target) which is supposed to prevent you from getting poison ivy in the first place. I can't say for sure if it works, since I am going out of my way to avoid the stuff, but so far I have not gotten it again.

Good luck!!

witch hazle; several times a day, applied with a cotton ball...

Tecnu works well even after the rash has appeared. I'm not sure for its use on the face. I agree with others here. Consult a doctor. You don't want to be jeopardizing your sight.

The biggest thing with poison ivy is to break up the oil. My husband swears by Dawn dishwashing liquid and scrubbing with COLD water.

Often the cure is right next to the cause. Antidotes are jewelweed and sweetfern. Not that you have time to accomplish this, but tinctures of those 2 plants mixed with a clay base are awesome for taking away the itch and drawing the poison out of the body.

A quick recipe you can make is equal parts of colloidal oatmeal and epsom salts. Add some tea tree and lavender essential oils. Add a little water and make a paste for some cooling relief.

Good luck! I got poison ivy last week on my ankle. I should have taken my pants off BEFORE the socks!

I had gotten into some poison ivy once as a teenager while visiting my grandfather. He had me wash it right off with COLD water and safegaurd... I never broke out. warm water thins the oil down and helps it spread. cold water makes it congeal and keeps it in a smaller area and the soap dries it out. Learn what it looks like and where it is and avoid it if you can. If you are clraring the yard of it try the stuff that helps block it plus cover up as much as you can. I have heard swimming in a chorinated pool will help dry it right out. Goodluck