POISON IVY Any miracle cures out there?

[thefed]

So far, I've tried a lot...

showering with dishawshing detergent, cleaning with GOJO, rubbing alcohol, peroxide, diluted bleach, calmine, tecnu brand cleanser,and most recently ZANFEL (1 hour ago...i'll give it some time)

i have soemthing called ORAL IVY on the way

Ive also eaten some benadryl to help witht he itch...and it only knocks me out


any experiences you'd liek to share?

 

[haha]

Be careful with some of that weird stuff. When you have poison ivy the skin barrier is compromised and that stuff you are applying can wind up in your bloodstream. I'd hate to think what GoJo might do to one's liver or kidneys.

Best to see a doctor.

Ha

 

[Hillbilly]

Here's an old one handed down:

Mix 1/2 cup vinegar in a 1-pint container, then add enough water to fill. Chill container. When cool, dampen a cloth or gauze with solution, and apply to rash.

Hope this helps.

 

[Brat]

Fells Napha(s) soap does a good job of cutting the oil if it is still on your skin or clothes.

 

[Donzo]

Zanfel - GREAT stuff - you rub it on and it breaks down the poison ivy chemical. I had really bad poison oak - rubed it on and was clear in less than 2 days

Behind the pharmacy counter...and not cheap - worth it tho

 

[F-One]

Cortisone cream (10%).

I agree with HaHa, best to see a dermatologist. Regular doctors may not be aggressive enough.

 

[Ibid]

More than you ever wanted to know about the stuff:
http://www.pesgce.com/toxicodendrondermatitis/toxderm.pdf
Basically, the author reviewed 69 papers and reports and gave a summary.
Start with page 21 if you don't want to slog through the whole thing.

I've had trouble with poison ivy since I got a monster rash with huge blisters as a little girl. Naturally it grows like crazy here. The birds eat the seeds and then hang around my trees and shrubs. It's a never ending battle to eradicate it while still a small seedling.

If you don't wash the urushiol off quickly enough, there's no way to get rid of the resulting rash/blisters or shorten the process. Hang tough, in all my life I've never had it last longer than 2 weeks.

The best way I've found to get relief from the itching is to use cold or heat. Ice the rash until the skin is numb. Or either run hot water over it or hold a hair dryer close to the rash long enough to sting (but not long enough to burn.)

That and extra strength anti-itch cream with 2% diphenhydramine HCI works, especially in the mornings. The generic version works just as well as the expensive stuff. Cortisone has never worked for me but maybe it works for milder cases, don't know.

As the paper states, antihistamines don't do anything for the itching, but they were the only thing that made it possible for me to sleep during the worst of it.

 

[JohnEyles]

I've had success with a paste made of goldenseal (an herb extract) and
Vitamin E oil (bust some capsules open). Clean skin thoroughly with
alcohol etc first.

 

[crazy connie]

I am from the tepid oatmeal bath and paste of baking soda committee. Parents had river front recreation home in Northern Michigan when I was a child and the name was Poison Ivy Ranch! They sold when I was 12 and bought a cabin on the lakes in Hell, MI. I loved both places.

Of course very liberal internal doses of Jack Daniels might help too!

 

[thefed]

I am from the tepid oatmeal bath and paste of baking soda committee. Parents had river front recreation home in Northern Michigan when I was a child and the name was Poison Ivy Ranch! They sold when I was 12 and bought a cabin on the lakes in Hell, MI. I loved both places.

Of course very liberal internal doses of Jack Daniels might help too!

i think bacardi does the trick.... lol

 

[simple girl]

I had it so bad when I was little that they put me on an oral prednisone pack. That did the trick for me! So, if you are just miserable, you may want to check with your doc to see if this is indicated.