Poison Ivy Remidy

[h2oboss]

Hey guys, after reading the post about PI I figured I'd share my home cooking fixes. First off this is only good if you have it in a area that is not sensitive (ie..NO face, ****** ect)

Using a rag, plastic butter knife or whatever rub/scratch open the blisters.

Make a paste out of Clorox, Baking Soda and Salt. Make the mixture thick, not runny....(ie too much clorox) otherwise you can give yourself a nasty skin burn. My brother had a burn on his shoulder for almost 2 years b/c he mixed it too thin. Also depedning on were it is located a wrap or bandage over the area helps to keep from itching and helps keep the paste from flaking off. When I've gotten it BAD on my arms a pair of tube socks with fingers cut out works great.

After blotting off the ooze, liberally apply the paste on the affected area. I'm no doctor (OBVIOUSSLY[wink] ) but I think the clorox kills it and the baking soda/salt helps to dry it out. 2 or three days and it's gone.

[done workin]

I have found that, if you can before the outbreaks of the rash/blisters, if you wash the area ASAP, then you can substantially limit the outbreak. Even a wet piece of that extra toilet paper or napkin soaked in water will help if you know you touched it. Just remember to fold it over and don't smear it all over your body. Also be careful of the clothing that you are wearing at the time.

Poison is not spread by scratching, only by the initial contact with the oils of the plant. If you walk through a patch of it, you can still get it from touching your clothing, for those who wear their hunting clothing to and from the field, be careful of going home and hugging your kids and your wife.

[h2oboss]

Very true, talked to a doctor who said studies had show that the oils can remain potent for up to 3 months. Soap/water works great if you know you've come into contact.

Also, and this is very usefull info for those who don't know, don't pet your dog if he's been in contact w/ it. One of the worst cases of PI I ever got was from playing with my dog as a kid. The oils are easily transfered from their coats to your skin.

[little bubba]

Best solution I've found is to know what it looks like and stay away. I myself get the stuff really bad. Cannot take the shots because its makes it worst. One of the worst cases I had came from skinning a deer. Apparantly the deer had laid in the poison ivy. Like someone said earlier. If you think you have come in contact with the stuff wash with soap and water. If you screwed up and got it Cortizone-10 creme helps to stop the itching and helps in the drying up. Another good way to get it is standing in smoke from a fire that is burning poison ivy. Look around and be smart. To me "There isn't a deer alive that is worth getting a case of poison ivy".
Bubba[angel][angel][angel]

[done workin]

little bubba good point about the burning, had a friend many years ago who got it that way and was hospitalized with it.

Not real nice.

Hydrocortizone 10 is what the prescription strength stuff used to be 15 or so years ago, works real well.

[Bay Bob]

Keep a bottle of rubbing alcohol, tightly closed, and a sprayer in your hunting vehicle. If there is the slightest chance you were exposed spray the affected parts with alcohol until it runs off the area. Blot (dont rub) the area and repeat.

The alcohol dissolves the oil and washes it away if you get to it quickly enough.

Once you get it, there is a product called Avino bath which is actually very finely ground oatmeal. Make a thick paste, apply, let it dry, peel it off and repeat. this helps to draw the oil and the fluid from the blisters.

When all else fails see the Doctor for steroid pills - -- knocks it right out !

BW
BB

[GAW]

I'm fortunate that it doesn't affect me, but my son can look at the stuff and break out. Anyway as said above, a Doctor told us (confirmed with other research) that soap will not disovle the PI oil and that Alcohol is the best to use before a breakout occurs. A quick wipe down of arms and legs asap has reduced my son's PI problems considerably.

[nalley1952]

I use the clorox remedy works everytime!

[little bubba]

BB,
When I was a kid 40 years ago I was told about the alcohol thing. We found a tree with wild grapes. Climbed the tree and had a feast. Went home and completely washed from head to toe with rubbing alcohol. Worst case of poison ivy I ever had. Thought I was going to die. There were times I wished I would die. Of coarse I'm sure I didn't flush my body to wash away all the oils. Soap and water is the best thing I've found other than don't get near it.
Bubba[angel][angel][angel]

[willtill]

I don't believe that alcohol works well with the urishoil sap from the poison Ivy plant. I used it and all it did was dry my skin out, enabling the urisoil to enter the cells more easily.

There is advice out on Internet sites attesting to the fact that alcohol worsens the infection. My left side of my face is peeling away with dry, dead skin from repeat exposure to the alcohol, while the infection had set in.

I believe that alcohol is the stuff to use to wipe down equipment that may have been contaminated with the sap, and soap and water for all porous materials (like clothes and skin). Dishwashing detergent is recommended more than bar soap initially, since it has a better ability to break the oils up and disperse them away from the skin with a flush of water.

Zanfel saved my arse after the infection kicked into high gear, and the Medro packets are turning the tide with this terrible infection.

Kindest Regards,

-Will in Maryland

[Bay Bob]

will,

The alcohol works as a cleaner, but you have to do it right. It is not a treatment once you have developed a case of any of the "ivies".

The trick is to use the alcohol as a flush to rinse off you hands and gear. You should not rub it in like you would a soap. If you suspect that you have come in contact with any of the "ivies" you have to be really careful about taking off your boots or clothes, or touching any of your gear. I keep latex gloves handy for just such occasions.

And once you get home a good cleaning with any good grease cutting detergent is good insurance. The alcohol is just easier to use in the field, as a first prevention.

It does not do any good to clean your hands with alcohol and then take off your boots bare handed, in fact you probably are correct that it opens your pores making you more suceptable.

I once got poison oak on my hands, and two weeks later got reinfected by the steering wheel where I had driven home and parked weeks earlier. You have to clean everything you may have touched.

There is a product on the market called Tecnu that works pretty good too. I believe it is a mixture of alcohol and glycerine.

Once you get a bad flare up the only real good cure prednisone.

I once got a case so bad on my forearm that the entire underside was one huge swollen mass. It dripped so bad that I had to carry a towel to the Doctors to catch the drips. Got it from my buddies retriever when he walked under my fore arm.

The Doctor gave me a big IV of an injectable prednisone type drug, and the dripping stopped within an hour. It still took a while to heal, but the drugs are wonderful.

Be careful with the prednisone though and follow instructions, you must taper off of it, or it will screw you up - - - big time !

BW
BB

[RANGER690]

That is a heck of a recipie!

Dayton

[ROD BENDER]

I used to paint in a body shop and whenever I had PI I would scratch it until it was open and then take a rag with lacquer thinner and wipe over the PI (burns like hell but tolerable). By the end of the day or the next the poison was gone. That semes to work the best for me. I've tried all the other stuff and all works well but just not fast enough. Dont apply to your D@#K Ranger! Laughing!

[willtill]

You guys are going to get cancer one day from lathering yourselves with carcinigins......

Kindest Regards,

-Will in Maryland