Poison Ivy

I normally pretreat with technu, if I end up getting it my home remedy is jumping into the pool, the chlorine does a real good job of removing the oils at the rash site, it also aids with drying the area out reducing the itch factor, other remedies includes using a mild bleach solution soaked on a rag (does the same thing as chlorine), but u must leave the damp rag on your skin for a period of 10 min. Oatmeal never really helped me, topical ointments only ever gave me minor relief. Good luck

StihlKicking said:

I've got it does anyone have any good remedies to get rid of it. I would like to avoid steroids as they screw with my blood sugar too much. Thanks


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It is a immune system reaction to the oil of the plant- all you can do is to suppress your imune system- course that can lead to other problems- about 3 weeks is what it will last unless you recontaminate your self. Urushiol oil has a long shelf life not much breaks it down except UV light. what ever you do do not burn it or anything contaminated by it as the oil will not burn but vaporize and you do not want that in your lungs.

I get it pretty bad and have found that it takes my body about 6 weeks to run its course. Keep it dry with calamine lotion and if you have a pool I find that the chlorine from the pool helps dry it up also. I usually go the steroid route if I get it bad and that usually gets rid of it in 1 week. Good luck!!

If you're open to topical steroids, which don't have the same side effects as an oral steroid (eg. prednisone), I can have it gone in 36 hours. I've had some very bad cases, and this was the best treatment I could find, after months of visiting various specialists. Read up on systemic poison ivy, if you want to ruin your day.

Of course, no matter what the post-treatment, step 1 is always washing away the oils with Tecnu.

I wash with Sunlight detergent bar soap. Helps to dry out the skin. Still typically lasts 1-2 weeks for me.

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begreen said:

Watch the video. It takes more than just soap.

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I've used the advise of this video a couple times this year and it's worked. On 2 occasions, I had knowingly touched PI while cutting firewood and made sure to shower and scrub hard with a wash cloth within a couple hours of exposure. Never developed the rash.

There is a product called Zanphel that dries the rash out completely in 1-3 days. Can be found at Walmart, Walgreens

Fels Naptha bar soap.

It's used to wash cloths. If you have a lot of the toxins on your work cloths regular soaps don't always get them out and next time you put the cloths on you can get it all over again.

It also works on your skin if rubbed on the area that has the poison ivy. I don't think it was ever intended for that but it works and is well known for it as a remedy for poison ivy. It's old school soap dating back to the 1800s ( gotta love google) and I think the only reason people still buy it is to help with poison ivy. Not sure though. However I have purchased it for poison ivy.

Google it if your not familiar. You can buy it in the soap isle at the grocery store.

woodhog73 said:

Fels Naptha bar soap.

It's used to wash cloths. If you have a lot of the toxins on your work cloths regular soaps don't always get them out and next time you put the cloths on you can get it all over again.

It also works on your skin if rubbed on the area that has the poison ivy. I don't think it was ever intended for that but it works and is well known for it as a remedy for poison ivy. It's old school soap dating back to the 1800s ( gotta love google) and I think the only reason people still buy it is to help with poison ivy. Not sure though. However I have purchased it for poison ivy.

Google it if your not familiar. You can buy it in the soap isle at the grocery store.

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Fels Naptha is also pretty popular in homemade laundry detergent recipes.

Hot water helped to relieve the itch when I had PI. I've heard Grandpa's Pine Tar soap is supposed to help, fortunately havent had the opportunity to test that out but it certainly worked for a rash the wife had from an allergic reaction to bandage tape.

Fels Naptha was better than nothing, when it was the only thing available. There are better options, today.


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I am just now starting on the backside of some nasty poison I got at work on Tuesday. . . I tried to tough it out but ended up going to the Doctor to get prednisone on Friday. . . in addition to the prescription he also had me purchase some DOMEBORO. . . its a packet that you mix with cold water and them soak a cloth in it and wrap that on the rash to dry out the oozing and weeping. . . its not cheap but I would recommend that. . . I am in poison fairly regular with my job. . . and the fatal mistake I made on Tuesday night was NOT washing with tecnu. . . I almost always clean up with tecnu but for some reason I did not after work Tuesday. . . I still think I would have got poison but the tecnu would have been the difference between an annoying rash and 'hey I gotta go to the doctor. . NOW' one piece of advice; wash EVERYTHING you touched when you were in the poison woods! clothes, hat, BOOTS, cellphone wristwatch anything you can think of. . .

If end up with the rash (from not heeding be green's video) lavender essential oil takes the edge off of the urge to itch. As long as it doesn't irritate the snot out of me I can tolerate it while it clears up. If you have broken skin already dilute a drop of lavender in a teaspoon of veg oil. Olive or jojoba if you have it.

Ask your doc about 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide. Topical steroid cream, in a petroleum jelly base, extremely (and immediately) effective on poison ivy. I suspect this does not absorb into the bloodstream / would not affect blood sugars.

StihlKicking said:

Thanks for all the replies. When I was younger I would just take a steroid pack and knock it out. Having developed diabetes, steroids now reek havoc on my blood sugar. I've isolated the cause to a climbing rope I used in a elm tree with a poison ivy vine in it. I 86'd the rope. This time the poison ivy is weird it's only on the palms of my hands, I've never had it there before and instead of the normal burning and itching it's more of a swollen dull pain that makes it difficult to work with my hands. Oh well maybe it will pass in a week or so.


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Wow, that is an odd place to get a PI breakout. I've picked it up from my shoelaces before. PI rash on the hands & fingers is very annoying.

Get the oils completely off your skin. I would suggest using dish washing soap. It will cut through oils better than most other soaps and in general is gentle to the skin.

Oldman47 said:

Get the oils completely off your skin. I would suggest using dish washing soap. It will cut through oils better than most other soaps and in general is gentle to the skin.

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Exactly.

Immediately after exposure, wash thoroughly with cold water and regular old blue Dawn Dish Soap.

Best solution...don't get into it. Second best...wash right away like be green said...the soap does not tend to matter. Yellow Dial is also a good soap to use on the itch/rash...but only Yellow Dial. Something to do with the dye.

Speaking of poison ivy, any good remedies for killing it off (regular ivy also)? My wifey is allergic to both. Been slowly ripping out the English Ivy and stemming that growth, but walking around the property, we have quite the bumper crop of poison ivy growing. I think it may have to do with the weird weather.
Anyhoo...Got a bunch of disposable gloves and & am carefully ripping it out but his wondering if there is any way to kill and keep it from coming back. Thanks.