Makes sense. I have always been told that as long as you was it off quickly you won't get a rash, but I never thought of it as being that difficult to wash off. I haven't had more than a few small spots in several years.
I will get it sometimes within a couple hours of exposure, and sometimes days later. But as the man said, if you know that you were exposed to it, and can wash it off, you will lessen your chances of getting a bad rash. Worst times are in the late fall to early spring, when there aren't any leaves, and you don't know that you've been handling the vines all day.
Strawberry plants have three leaves too - so learning to identify PI takes a little more than just counting.
I've found that those little antiseptic towelettes you find in every first aid kit are very effective at getting the urushiol off.
If I look at the stuff wrong I break out in my crotch, behind my knees, on the insides of my forearms, and on my chest. If I actually touch it, it's even worse.
I'm so sensitive to poison oak that I think I'm breaking out on a rash reading this thread!
Someday I assume I'll learn what it is like. So far, no problemo. I have waded through it like it wasn't there time and time again. Drive reference nails into corner posts covered in it and then tape to the nail. Shove it out of the way to get a clear shot. I don't understand why it works this way for me, but that's how it is.
I grew up not knowing it even grew around our area. I saw pictures in the books but didn't relate them to anything I walked through. As an adult I learned to recognize the knee-high form of it, but walked through knee-high stuff without a worry.
Then I was out in some 5 or 6 ft tall weeds and broke one off to get it out of the way. My brother then pointed it out as PI. I guess I got the sap on my shirt, and forgetting about it later I mopped the sweat off with the shirt when I changed shirts. I had a significant rash around my middle and back.
Now I'm afraid to be as casual with it as I used to be. I've heard that exceeding your tolerance with a big exposure can increase your sensitivity.
Jim Frame, post: 328096, member: 10 wrote: If I look at the stuff wrong I break out in my crotch, behind my knees, on the insides of my forearms, and on my chest. If I actually touch it, it's even worse.
I would get it on the inside of my forearms and I was always aware of being around it. I finally figured out that my inside forearms were making contact when I tied laces or changed foot gear.
My arms would brush my pants that were carrying the oil. When it is hot and humid here, it doesn't take long for the rash to develop. Never developed a serious case like I have unfortunately seen others get.
I had it as a kid a lot and there was an old wives tale about developing immunity after 7 years or something like that
I have a friend who is immune. He demonstrated to me that he could handle it with no problems.
I also heard that Native Americans are immune but that maybe a folk tale too.
(See disclaimer below)
I've only gotten poison Ivy once in my 35 years of surveying.
Robert Hill, post: 328126, member: 378 wrote: I have a friend who is immune. He demonstrated to me that he could handle it with no problems.
I've worked with a number of guys who made that claim and backed it up by regularly wading through it, chainsawing through it, and hacking through it with a machete. But to a man, once they got cut with a cut stub, they got a significant rash in the area of the cut. And one of them, who used to belittle his employees who were sensitive to the stuff, abruptly lost his immunity one day. No one ever figured out why, but he walked through some that day and showed up at work the next day with a nice, itchy rash from head to toe.
I myself have never had it. Once we hacked our way through a mess of it and I was the only one that wasn't affected. I do not flaunt my immunity however, and still cut a wide berth around it. I have known several surveyors that also enjoyed an immunity, only to suddenly succumb to a nasty case of it...and then remain sensitive to it after that.
I also worked with an engineer that reportedly had been hospitalized in his early years due to exposure to poison ivy. When we returned the office of an afternoon with stories of poison ivy, he immediately left the room. He was truly afraid of the stuff.
Being the practical joker I came upon a box elder tree one day. For those unfamiliar with the box elder leaves here is a pic:
And...here is a pic of the REAL poison ivy:
Knowing he would be going through my notes I pressed an array of box elder leaves in the field book I left on his desk. The next day we were gone to the field before he came to work. Around 9 AM I got an urgent message on our two-way radio to return to the office immediately.
This guy had found the leaves and immediately broke out all over his face and hands. He suffered a panic attack and appeared to be approaching anaphylactic shock. He was rushed to the ER. All the bosses were ready to fire me on the spot. I was asked to explain why I had put poison ivy in a field book. I had to admit to them I really hadn't expected such dire consequences, but the leaves were harmless box elder tree leaves ! The boss had to refer to a reference book to verify my claims.
When this guy came back to work the next day, he wouldn't talk to me. Even though it was psychosomatic, he still had a rash on his cheeks and arms. I was strongly urged by the boss to tone down my practical joking...
I used to get it when I was a kid but grew out of my allergy. I can roll around in it naked and get nothing now.
I have several guys working for me that are allergic so we supply them with a product called IvyX. They make a precontact solution that you apply before getting in poison ivy and a wash to use later. It's cut down the severity of the rashes. There's also a product called Zanfel that you can buy in any drug store that gets rid of the rash in a day or so, depending on how much you've scratched and created scabs. Zanfel is about $25 for a small tube but worth it.
Had an aunt that ended up in the hospital for week after inhaling the smoke from PI while burning brush. Supposedly there is a law on the books that burning it is illegal
Jim
I cut all of the Ivy out because the other surveyor in our office is VERY allergic to it. During the spring, when it's dusty, is the worst on him.
For whatever reason, me and my son have no issues with it in the woods. Since he's on the crew, he's the go-to when they see it.
My attorney's daughter nearly died as a teenager from inhaling such smoke. It was a family outing for fun that turned horribly serious after Dad added some wood to the open fire that had some poision ivy vines still clinging to the chunks he had cut up a few months earlier.
Robert Hill, post: 328126, member: 378 wrote: I would get it on the inside of my forearms and I was always aware of being around it. I finally figured out that my inside forearms were making contact when I tied laces or changed foot gear.
My arms would brush my pants that were carrying the oil. When it is hot and humid here, it doesn't take long for the rash to develop. Never developed a serious case like I have unfortunately seen others get.
I had it as a kid a lot and there was an old wives tale about developing immunity after 7 years or something like that
I have a friend who is immune. He demonstrated to me that he could handle it with no problems.
I also heard that Native Americans are immune but that maybe a folk tale too.
(See disclaimer below)
I got it very bad once on the inside of my right forearm, a square area that turned black and just wouldn't go away. I finally figured out that it was on the hammer handle I was using to put POL nails in for fence line staking. I would hold the hammer up the handle and the handle end would push into my forearm as I pounded the nails down. Took all my field gear to the car wash and got some of the resin soap and it cleaned up on my arm. I'm not sure how long the resin will stay active when its spread on some piece of gear, but it takes a while for it to leave.
I don't have too much trouble with Poison Oak. I get a minor rash occasionally. Sometimes I know I've been in it but don't get the rash. I think I get it when I cut the vines, not so much just touching the leaves.
Robert Hill, post: 328126, member: 378 wrote: I would get it on the inside of my forearms and I was always aware of being around it. I finally figured out that my inside forearms were making contact when I tied laces or changed foot gear....My arms would brush my pants that were carrying the oil. ...
Commonly a guys wife will get the rash after handling his laundry....Handle with care..
BTW, I've had the opportunity to be exposed to both Poison Oak and to Poison Ivy, and of the two I'd say the Oak is more potent.
I just got now am at the final stages of handling poison ivy. It was my first experience (in 60 years). Wow...that was terrible. My direct exposure was on my arms. I had no clue and it didn't even start to show up for several days. My arms eventually was covered with that rash and it continued to spread to one leg, my underarms, my feet and several places. It's been three weeks and now I have a little bit of rash still showing and not much itch at all. But crap, I'll be staying away from that as much as possible.
I didn't worry about washing it off, or making sure my clothes were immediately cleaned or anything because I had no clue. I think I got it from helping clean up some vines and ivy that was growing up a tree @ my mom's house in NC. I believe I was handling it directly and yanking it down from the tree and pulling it out of the ground. Funny, even though some areas of my body got it, it never go on the face of my hands. Maybe it has a hard time penetrating the thick skin on the palms of your hands. I don't know.
