threevok
Double Eagle Member
Do any of these tips work for herpes?
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Poison Oak "Remover"
- Thread starter JonCatch
- Start date
Tecnu works well to get the oils off before an outbreak, but I've had just as much success using a big bottle of hand sanitizer and a clean towel. Pump out a bunch and rub it all over the areas I think were exposed, then wipe good with the towel. Follow that up with a cold water rinse and another clean towel and that's prevented outbreaks almost completely for me. Zanfel is the answer if you already have a rash, I've never used anything else that's close to as effective at drying out the rash and getting rid of the itching and pus.
plastic addict
Par Member
I don't expect anyone to believe me unless they have tried it first hand. My right arm was swollen twice its normal size with a horrible outbreak. My arm was oozing all over the place. My pores were already open! Nothing worked to relieve the suffering. Then someone suggested a nice hot stream of water on the infected area. 6+ hours of no itching... then repeat.
Flame on.
opcorn:
Um...
Double Eagle Member
I don't think that anyone is looking to flame you or doubt your claim, but it's certainly not the best idea.Flame on.
When you rash up from urushiol contact, your body is trying to push the allergens from your body, which are contained in the blisters and fluid. High heat does increase the size of the pores in your skin and increases blood flow, which will encourage re-absorption of the allergen. In some cases the allergen can work itself into the blood stream and manifest itself in future allergic conditions or other, smaller outbreaks on places on the body where contact with the urushiol oil was never made.
While high heat definitely decreases the itching sensation, its a temporary relief and can actually cause more issue than it's solving. Cold to lukewarm water is the best when dealing with a bout of poison oak, from contraction up until the point that the blisters start to scab over.
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*edit*
just saw his ^^^ post. yeah, what he said.
well, that's cool that it worked for you. i have tried it first hand and it didn't work for me. everybody's bodies are different. i just don't know that i would go around recommending it.
swelling twice the normal size means that you need a corticosteroid shot.
just saw his ^^^ post. yeah, what he said.
I don't expect anyone to believe me unless they have tried it first hand. My right arm was swollen twice its normal size with a horrible outbreak. My arm was oozing all over the place. My pores were already open! Nothing worked to relieve the suffering. Then someone suggested a nice hot stream of water on the infected area. 6+ hours of no itching... then repeat.
Flame on.
well, that's cool that it worked for you. i have tried it first hand and it didn't work for me. everybody's bodies are different. i just don't know that i would go around recommending it.
swelling twice the normal size means that you need a corticosteroid shot.
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plastic addict
Par Member
I took steroids and it made my blood sugar go crazy high (I'm type 1 diabetic).
The best offense is a good defense. Whenever I am around the stuff I make sure to not touch things and wash with tecnu once I get home. I haven't had an outbreak in a couple years and I'm in and around it all the time (including my discs).
Hampstead
* Ace Member *
Proper plant ID is your best bet. It's amazing how many people I've played with who blindly wander into a patch of poison ivy with no clue of what they are doing.
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2009
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There's a topical preventive called IvyBlock. Perhaps this is what you heard of.
I can crush poison ivy/oak in my hands and roll it up. Nothing.
But on my 20-man fire crews, if we were in the woods for 2 weeks, at least 3 of the firefighters would go to the hospital for steroid shots for poison oak outbreaks. They had to take showers twice a day and wash their clothes every day with Tecnu[if laundry was available, by hand if not], and go out dressed with everything covered but their faces.
There's also lots of odd treatments---bleach or chamomille tea in bathwater, watermelon rind, liquid dish soap, gas as a last resort.
I can crush poison ivy/oak in my hands and roll it up. Nothing.
But on my 20-man fire crews, if we were in the woods for 2 weeks, at least 3 of the firefighters would go to the hospital for steroid shots for poison oak outbreaks. They had to take showers twice a day and wash their clothes every day with Tecnu[if laundry was available, by hand if not], and go out dressed with everything covered but their faces.
There's also lots of odd treatments---bleach or chamomille tea in bathwater, watermelon rind, liquid dish soap, gas as a last resort.
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KDFrosty
Eagle Member
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- Jul 27, 2012
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- 529
Add Aveeno oatmeal bath to weird treatments. Thick baths are weird.
EL-KABONG
* Ace Member *
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This is a seriously bad plan. We had a driller on a remote job tell us that he was immune. He proceeded to do exactly what you described with some particularly juicy/oily branches of poison oak. Hands, arms, shirt, neck, cheeks. He did a really thorough job.
He ended up in the hospital getting epinephrine and assorted 'roids.
He had done it repeatedly for years to "show off" his allergen crushing super powers, and finally became allergic.
As far as preventives and remedies: most are expensive, and none are as good as just using your head.
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^I agree with this... whole heartedly.
As far as Tecnu goes, there's the skin cleanser (in a bottle): works well if you need to clean the oils off freshly exposed skin or other stuff . And there's a scrub (tube), which is better than the cleanser for the rash because it has exfolients to help it get into the skin. They also make towelettes you can keep in your bag
But if the rash has already developed, and you're in misery: get Zanfel... 3-4 times the price, but completely worth it, and I'm a self admitted cheap bastard. Zanfel works better and faster, and that's all there is to it.
I had a majorly bad rash. I saw Tecnu scrub for abou $10, and the Zanfel for about $40, and figured, it can't be 4 times better. I used the Tecnu for several days and was still miserable and itchy. I dropped the $ for the Zanfel, and it gave me reasonable relief immediately, complete relief in a less than a week. Quite simply, it wasn't worth saving $30 to suffer those extra days, and I was miserable.
Whatever you do, get the oils off your skin before you get into your bedding (or char upholstery for that matter). The oil binds to skin, and showereing won't get it off. If you get it in your bedding then clean your skin afterwards, you'll recontaminate your skin when you climb back into the contaminated bedding.
Also, the oils affect some people more adversly than others, so if some people seem to hate it more than you, they may have damn good reasons for it.
Check out this site for other alternatives.
QFT:
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whentherainscome
* Ace Member *
Yep. Then you realize it's everydamnwhere.
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The oils have a hard time binding to the thicker skin on the palms of your hand and soles of the feet, but bind to thinner skin much better, and then become much harder to remove, hence the exfolients in Zanfel and Technu scrub, which work to abraid the skin to expose the oils so they can be removed. The oils don't just sit on top like vegetable oil. They bind to thinner skin.
Being a professional landscaper and someone who is constantly outside I get poison ivy at least 3-5 times a summer. As others have said if you get it enough you will learn what it looks like. I can just about spot it driving down the road.
Both zanifel and technu work. I've used both and for me technu has the edge. Seems to clean the oils off better. After sweating and being covered in dirt/ mulch all day it really doesn't spread.
I also use a topical called caladryl clear. Works great for miner outbreaks and soothes the burning/ itch of larger rashes. Also helps dry things out. If it's real bad I bring in benadryl too.
Both zanifel and technu work. I've used both and for me technu has the edge. Seems to clean the oils off better. After sweating and being covered in dirt/ mulch all day it really doesn't spread.
I also use a topical called caladryl clear. Works great for miner outbreaks and soothes the burning/ itch of larger rashes. Also helps dry things out. If it's real bad I bring in benadryl too.
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I was in the outdoors my whole life and I didn't start getting poison oak until I started playing DG. I got it about 3 times in two years and it was miserable every time. I've carried Tecnu ever since and haven't had it.
zenbot<-----gets P.O. tomorrow for angering the Urushiol Gods
zenbot<-----gets P.O. tomorrow for angering the Urushiol Gods
