Poison Ivy (not the movie)

[Old Dog]

Anyone have a good folk remedy for Poison Oak and Poison Ivy?

 

[zj1002]

Don't scratch

 

[grodney]

Hot shower, as hot as you can stand, I mean really hot, seriously hot, but don't scald yourself. Doesn't get rid of the ivy any faster, but each hot treatment gets you several (sometimes 6-10) hours of no itching.

 

[KDFrosty]

Zanfel.
I've tried oatmeal baths, hot showers, and the Walgreens generic equivalent to Zanfel...nothing works as good. Stuff's expensive though.

 

[namar]

I've had decent luck with alcohol-based astringent face cleaners (Clean & Clear, etc.) Rubbing alcohol seems to work as well. If I get a little spot I'll wipe the area with cleaner/RA every hour or so. Seems to completely stop the spread and clears it up in a couple days.

 

[threevok]

Just recovering from a severe outbreak on both legs and arms. Almost every square inch on my legs was affected. Hot shower helped. Hydrocortisone helped. And, Olive/coconut oil helped. Calamine lotion seemed to make it worse.

PS - You don't spread it to others or to other parts of your body unless you haven't removed all the urushiol that causes the reaction.

 

[bradharris]

It's not a folk remedy, but I recently discovered that steroids (used as directed with a prescription) work wonders against poison ivy.

 

[Doofenshmirtz]

I've been severely allergic to poison ivy since I was a child. I remember going many times to get steroid injections. Once I was heavily questioned by the physician who though I had suffered burns to my hands. I'm not as allergic now that I'm getting close to AARP eligibility.

Aside from washing it off before is becomes non-removable from your skin (about 15 minutes or so) the following is the best remedy that I know for the itch: hot water. Put the affected area under a stream of warm water and slowly close the cold water valve. The object here is to reach a water temperature that is barely tolerable and leave it there for about a minute. Either the itch will become extremely intense or it will feel like the best scratch you ever had. Either way, the sensation will start waning and you can then remove the affected part from the hot water. You will not itch again on that spot for approximately 8 hours.

I've read that what this does is to cause the histamines that have built up in the tissues affected by the poision ivy (and that cause the itch) to all release at once. It will take them about 8 hours to build up again and start itching, at which time you will want to repeat the process. Start with warm water and make it hot gradually to keep from burning yourself. But, the really important part, is to let it get as hot as you can tolerate. Temperature wise, this will be somewhere above 120 degrees or so. Do not stop with a little warm water.

Heat is what does the trick and there are a lot of other ways to apply heat. Many of those ways are also good ways to burn yourself. Oh, and don't scratch. You could get an infection from the broken skin.

 

[Thumber]

It's not a folk remedy, but I recently discovered that steroids (used as directed with a prescription) work wonders against poison ivy.

This, plus prescription strength cortisone cream

Allergy Meds, like Reactine or Claratin also help caml the body's reaction down

 

[Lewis]

Zanfel.
I've tried oatmeal baths, hot showers, and the Walgreens generic equivalent to Zanfel...nothing works as good. Stuff's expensive though.

I'd like to suggest Zanfel as well. It will clear up the poison ivy rash even after the urishiol has bonded to your skin. Otherwise, you're left treating the itching symptom rather than the poison itself.

 

[kyledstauffer]

Bleach! Dilute it in water a bit and apply. It burns but it works! I'd rather have a burn than an itch any day. I've tried all kinds of expensive remedies and bleach works better than all of em

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Zanfel.
I've tried oatmeal baths, hot showers, and the Walgreens generic equivalent to Zanfel...nothing works as good. Stuff's expensive though.

2nd'd Once the rash appears, that's the best stuff I've found.
Technu works well to avoid a rash if you do it soon after exposure (which means you have to be able to ID the plant on the course), but doesn't seem to help me once the rash breaks out.

I've had decent luck with alcohol-based astringent face cleaners (Clean & Clear, etc.) Rubbing alcohol seems to work as well. If I get a little spot I'll wipe the area with cleaner/RA every hour or so. Seems to completely stop the spread and clears it up in a couple days.

I keep a box of wipes and a bottle of rubbing alcohol in my car - soak the wipe in alcohol and wipe down my legs immediately after a round. Had a bad case once - never wanna go through that again.

 

[Enzy]

I have poison ivy right now and wish I would have known about Zanfel but I have been using all the Walgreens stuff (doesn't work very well). What has helped the best was lounging around in a pool for a couple hours drinking beer and letting the chlorine do the work in drying it out

 

[Ted Bratton]

Zanfel works well, A shot from the doc works even better. I don't bother with either, I am just extremely careful to avoid all urishol and just as careful not to spread it especially if it's on my discs, bag, clothing, or hands. If I'm playing and think I have some on me I find some jewel weed and rub it very well on the area in hopes that it helps a little. I have avoided even minor break outs this year so far.

 

[grodney]

Steroids will make it go away faster, and perhaps lessen the severity -- but will not treat the itch anything at all like hot water.

 

[IHearChains]

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

http://youtu.be/4oyoDRHpQK0

This video is excellent, clearly demonstrates Tecnu is no better than dish soap.

Carry dish soap and a water jug in your car and wash your legs and arms as soon as you get back to the car. You'll never have the nasty blistering pus-weeping rashes anymore. Maybe a few manageable dots like mosquito bites once in awhile.

 

[IHearChains]

2nd'd Once the rash appears, that's the best stuff I've found.
Technu works well to avoid a rash if you do it soon after exposure (which means you have to be able to ID the plant on the course), but doesn't seem to help me once the rash breaks out.

I keep a box of wipes and a bottle of rubbing alcohol in my car - soak the wipe in alcohol and wipe down my legs immediately after a round. Had a bad case once - never wanna go through that again.

Dish soap is way cheaper than Technu, and works better. No need to ID the plant, just assume you got it. Wipes have surfactants like soap in them, and they also work well, especially if you rinse afterward.

 

[DyeingToPlay]

All of the above. Especially technu right away or zanfel after but the best thing I ever tried was jewel weed. Grab some tender young leaves and some of the orange flowers and grind into a paste. This stuff will clear up even your worst rashes and relieve itching within a day or two.

 

[ru4por]

Dish soap is way cheaper than Technu, and works better. No need to ID the plant, just assume you got it. Wipes have surfactants like soap in them, and they also work well, especially if you rinse afterward.

The culprit is the oil of the plant. Oils are best broken down by degergants, dish soap being a very good one of them. Please do research on legitimate medical websites and see your doctor. Lot's of misinformation here. :thmbdown:

 

[Tfire25]

I don't know if hot water makes the rash go away but it is the closest thing to heaven you can feel. My goodness it's ecstasy. Maybe the second greatest feeling on the planet.