Feel free to laugh..poison ivy first time ever. Help!

[ultrarunner]

You should notice improvement within 24 hours of starting the prednisone... most likely comes in a blister pack with a high initial dose tapering down over 10 to 14 days...

Kaiser gives them out at the office... cost very little.

A very hot compress will provide some temporary relief...

See a lot of people with it where I work... the hills are just full of it here and I can walk down city sidewalks and see it hanging over fences... nasty stuff.

Every time I get it... I retaliate with my backpack sprayer and 4 gallons of mix and go hunting.

Privates and Eyes are the worst...

Just remember... this will pass.

The Antibiotic is also very powerful... be sure to follow dosing instructions...

 

[k0ua]

Good luck with it, I cannot guarantee how long it will last with you, but for me it seems to be about 3 to 4 weeks. I am just getting over a patch on the arm. at the elbow. I was pulling trees, and saw when I picked up the chain and hooked it to the next tree, I got into some on my arms. I delayed washing, (mistake). Usually if you will slather on the alcohol and then wash right away, you can dilute the oil to the point you will be either un affected or just get a light case. The longer you wait and the more you scratch, well as you already know... If you can use the Ivy-Block, BEFORE you go into the poisen ivy area, it works quite well to prevent the problem. I think with your level of trouble, the Dr. is/was good advice. Poison Ivy is bad, but Poison Oak, can be deadly, I have had it once, and it was a major problem. Good Luck

James K0UA

 

[Tnbilly]

Look for a product called Oral Ivy. Most pharmacy's carry it, as well a lot of places online. It'll handle any future bouts if you take it right away per directions. The wife is super sensitive and does a lot of weeding of flower beds 'round here. She takes a reduced amount as a preventative and now rarely has any breakouts at all. Before it was nothing less than ongoing **** for her.

 

[YesDeere]

Man i feel for you. I've gone as far as using bleach on the worst spots. That can actually burn you. I didn't care. The itching stopped! Good luck man. I'm scratching for no reason now

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

I get poison ivy bad. One time when in my early teens I must have gotten into some and not knowing shaved my legs. OH MY GOD! Back then we didn't go to the doc for stuff like that, I thought I would die. We were on a trip and staying at a ladies house. She made sure I had clean white sheets and everything but my legs were like masses of raw meat, I don't know how I recovered from it honestly.

I kept getting it after we got married and would have to go to the doc. We finally figured out I was getting it off my husbands work clothes. I guess he was running dozers through it and would get down in it.

I'm surprised your doc didn't give you a script for a salve also. Between the pills and salve it stops the itching quick. Mine gives me pills, salve, and a shot, sorry they didn't do that for you.

 

[NorTracNY]

Zanfel is the best. Technu is cheaper but you have to use it fairly soon after being exposed. Zanfel can work days after, but the skin is often so damaged that the Zanfel has trouble getting in the pors and the damaged skin will itch just from the damage and not necessarily because of the reaction. My advice is to avoid the doctor. Those steroids have some nasty side affects. I've checked with several doctors and they don't even know of Zanfel or Technu!

Also if you know you're going to be working around PI, buy some Ivy block. It's cheap and goes on like sunscreen. Also wash those clothes several times since the are likely loaded with the oil.

 

[Car Doc]

No laughing man I feel for ya its misery Baileys has some stuff for post contact that helps the itch and I have seen it at walgreens too cant think of the name sorry but its too late for that now anyway, its a lot cheaper than zanfel btw.

A script of steroids is what I usually end up getting prednisone and it works but hey its pure misery no way around it and it will go away in a few weeks.

The oil will be there in the trees and dirt for years even when the vines and visible green stuff is long gone and dont inhale it if you burn it either.

I get it almost every winter when I am out cutting firewood if I am not watching what I do with my gloves when I am in suspicious areas where PI like to grow.

 

[moeh1]

I was told years ago to wash skin with Fels Naptha soap after a day working in the woods, and that has worked well for me. Not gonna help you this time....but maybe next time.

 

[ultrarunner]

When I work in the woods I cover-up... this means I wear my gauntlet welding type gloves and long pants and shirt... also a hat and will put on Ivy Block on my face...

The number one thing I learned to NEVER touch any part of your body... ever... while out working in my woods

I don't do any ground engaging activities if the ground is dry and dusty.... a couple days after a rain is the right time for me...

I have a designated hazardous waste disposal site on my property... it is a narrow and deep wash loaded with Poison Oak where I drag all the long vines for disposal with my loppers...

Heading out now... wish me luck.

 

[Western]

I've had the stuff more times than I can count. Best stuff I've used is Zanfel. It's about $30 for a small tube at walmart but well worth it. Ivy Dry has helped some but nothing like Zanfel. Good luck, it sucks.

XS's 2 or 3 on the Zanfel. I have had that stuff from head to toe and in the lungs. I have even got relief believe it or not with Go-JO with pumice, the Orange kind. Quite by accident while at work, I used the stuff to wash my arms and hands to remove grease, about an hour I noticed my arms and hands quit itching. One of the older co-workers told me it was the Pumic aggregate that removed the oils. Don't know, but it helped.