Could this be thorns and poison ivy?

[Danno77]

I've said on this site before that I'm not allergic to poison ivy. I've even knowingly handled it without any I'll effects.

About ten days ago I was in the timber and wading in thick underbrush that contained a lot of thorns. About three or four days ago I started developing a couple of spots of what looks like psoriasis. About three inches wide and five long on one shin, and about a two by three spot on the other shin. It has been fairly itchy, not blistery and not oozy or anything. Looks a lot like this picture off of the net of psoriasis:

All over my legs I also have dots which were thorn pricks that I thought healed nicely, maybe itches mildly as they healed, but then started itching more in the past few days as well.

Could all of this be explained by thorns that penetrated the poison ivy from my disturbing them, and subsequently scratched and poked me, and the rash is also just poison ivy, likely direct contact, but the mild and delayed reaction is just because I'm not as sensitive as some, but still sensitve to a small degree?

Anybody else suddenly become sensitive to poison ivy, that previously was not?

 

[smokinj]

Thorns if they break the skin it would not really matter your going to get it.....

 

[jimbom]

Over here on our side of the big muddy we have stinging nettle. Don't know about Ill.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinging_nettle

It does a number on me.

 

[lukem]

Over here on our side of the big muddy we have stinging nettle. Don't know about Ill.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinging_nettle

It does a number on me.

We've got it too, but it hurts/itches immeadiatley.

 

[kingston73]

Pretty much anybody and everybody can get poison ivy, it doesn't always affect a person which is why some people think they are immune. You mainly get it from breaking the leaves or stems, so if you just brush against it and you aren't sensitive to it you might think you are immune. It could be that, or something similar.

 

[sunglider]

Yes I think you can become sensitive when you weren't before. Happened to me with mangos. Turns out that the skin of a mango has the same oil as is found in poison ivy. I used to be able to eat mangos with no problem but can't even touch them anymore.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Looks like poison ivy but it is strange that it was a week before it showed up. I've never known poison ivy to take that long. Poison oak could also be a suspect.

You could try benedryl for the itching but I'd suggest going to a dermatologist for sure just because it has been so long.

 

[Ncountry]

The local paper just had a story about the spread of wild parsnip and its affects. May be a possibility. Article said the reaction can be dormant until activated by sunlight.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I doubt it's photophytodermatitis from wild parsnip, or the new hot plant-wild hogweed.

Pic warning: not something you should see if you're a wuss about such things:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi



Matt

 

[midwestcoast]

Not a doctor, just seen plenty of poison ivy. You can be "immune" to poison ivy your whole life and then just have a full-on reaction to the next exposure.
I also would be surprised that it took a week to show up. Never heard of it taking that long, but certainly can't rule it out.
You could also have had a small exposure (like from handling the clothes) later on while your body was still tryin to process the last exposure...
An Ivy rash is usually either a bunch of small bumps or a mass of inflamed red, puffy, oozing skin, sometimes with bumps around the edges. Just because it looks different than most doesnt meant it is something different.
I'd see a dermatologist if it isn't clearing up quickly.

 

[Danno77]

It's healing very quickly. Each day seems to be a hint lighter and a tad less itchy, but like said, it never was all that bad to begin with. Definitely noticeable, but didn't keep me awake at night or make me uncomfortable during the day.

Because I have never reacted to Poison Ivy or Oak before I just stopped paying attention to what I wade through at the timber. Next time I'm out there I'm gonna see of there is anything in that particular spot that looks out of the ordinary, or if there's PI or PO there. I know there's plenty of PI out there, because I was showing Ethan what it looked like last year, just not sure about this particular spot.

I'm not some older guy who has been doing this for 60 years or anything, but I've been going out into this timber for over 25 years and have only had to worry about ticks! Never had any rashes before...

 

[onion]

My dad has always been the designated poison ivy puller, never had a rash in his life (63 years) until I asked him to pull some from my flower beds earlier this year. He got a little on his hands and up his arms but not like that.

If I touch it I get a rash and it usually takes at least two days to show up. When I moved out here I went to CVS and got some Ivy Block and Tecnu. That stuff works pretty well if you use the block beforehand and wash up with the Tecnu within 15-20 minutes.