My 4 yr old dd has poison ivy - again!! - and is suffering. Every summer we go thru this. I swear she can look at it and she breaks out all over. It usually spreads all over her body; rarely just one spot. We do the Calamine (sp?) but what else can I do to help her from the itchiness? Dr.'s usually will not give her steroids until she has her rebound or secondary breakout (which usually happens every time as well).
Thanks!
I've heard a paste of baking soda and water helps, too. Maybe some benadryl at night?
Hope she feels better!
:)
Aveeno oatmeal bath soak will help for a short while, but the itch starts up again shortly after the bath finishes.
Google 'jewelweed salve'.
Here's one place you can get it from, but there are many others and you can shop around for the best deal on price/shipping:
http://www.altnature.com/order.htm
It's what people used to treat poison ivy/oak/sumac with before steroids were invented.
my sis/DH swears by Tecnu "extreme" medicated poison ivy scrub. Made by TEC LABS & is considered a homeopathic med.
According to the label, you mix it equally with water & apply as needed (or even head to toe!). It is for adults & children age 2/older.
& since my DH never follows instructions for anything, I have seen him just leave it on.
I always get a prescription cortisone cream from my Dr. It really helps!
My brother is very allergic to poison ivy. He told me there is poison ivy wash that you can buy. Go to the pharmacy section and ask someone at the pharmacy. Usually target or walmart sells it. Also make sure that she uses the wash the next time she comes in contact with it as soon as it happens. You also need to be aware of what poison ivy looks like. Do you have it growing in your backyard? Also look in natural soaps. I know there is one that is supposed to help get rid of the poision ivy serum that gets on the skin. It is called naptha or something of that nature. good luck
My husband is the same way, and is currently on the steroids for it. He does calamine and there is a cream named Avarest that has benadryl, calamine and cortisone cream in it. I would give her some benadryl or apply benadryl cream to the spots. The poison ivy wash is very expensive (like $37-38 at WalMart), though I would ask your pediatrician about using it first. Good Luck.
First thing to do is wash the oil of the plant(s) off - do this using Fels Napatha laundry soap (white, red, green paper wrapped bar soap in the laundry section - also found online). This will remove the oil from skin AND clothes (yep, wash both you and anything the oil could've come in contact with be it clothes, towels, etc). This will greatly hep cut down the reinfecting of one's self!
This is safe to use - I can't tell you how many times it was used on my kids (esp the one highly allergic) - bathe them and rinse and pop a bar in the wash (fish it out after a few minutes so water can rinse well). Gotta get rid of the oil on stuff or it will take you a lot longer to get rid of it all!
(this is from my old pedi - loved that doc!)
Oatmeal bath, hydrocortisone, my grandpa swore by witch hazel, I usually end up on steroids because my face swells, benedryl, regular calamine i never feel does anything when I have it I like the small tube put out by aveeno. They make things you can use prior to going outside to help prevent also when she comes inside she should use a poison ivy wash.
I'm a big fan of "home remedies" essentially because I think the pioneers and natives knew better medicines in nature...plus they're usually super cheap and work with little or no side effects.
I second the oatmeal bath and the baking soda and water paste. Both are natural and cant hurt and both have provided me with relief from itchiness in the past.
Good Luck and I hope your little one feels better soon
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POOR BABY!! I so know how she feels... I look at it and break out crazy like too! My doc gave me the shot last year when I had it in/around my eyes... NOT FUN
I use cold packs sometimes that helped with the itchies.
