Ironically, I've never run into this stuff while working.?ÿ I did walk through a bunch of it while fishing over Labor Day weekend though.?ÿ First time dealing with this stuff and I can't believe what a disgusting mess it makes.
Anyway, I've been reading about it on the web and I've tried some of the remedies that are listed there.?ÿ I'm curious if anyone here knows maybe some lesser known but really effective ways to make it go away fast?
Abstinence.
I'm highly allergic.?ÿ The only thing I've found that "makes it go away fast" (relative term) is prednisone.
Next best thing to prednisone??
Marie??s Poison Oak/Ivy Soap?? you can get it on Amazon
?ÿ
Young lad first hand experience, yes, this stuff works really well when in the woods and you need to "clean up after you know" but (big BUTT) ONLY ONCE!
Soap. Lots of soap and warm (but not hot) water. It's an oil (urushiol) that gets on your skin and will irritate until it is either washed or worn off. It's as simple as that.
A really strong detergent like Dawn dish soap can help. I've also used Fels-Naptha laundry bar soap. These things are pretty caustic and may cause their own problems. So follow up with moisturizing lotion.?ÿ
Do all that and you should be able to tame it to the point where some hydrocortisone cream will allow you to get on with your life for the next couple of weeks.?ÿ?ÿ
I've lost faith in these specialty soaps.?ÿ But YMMV.?ÿ
Make sure you launder every piece of clothing that might have come into contact with the P.O. or any piece of clothing that did.?ÿ ?ÿ ?ÿ
And don't donate any of that oil to a dear member of your family.
I went to an urgent care clinic yesterday because I tried cortison cream first and it seemed to cause major swelling and other rashes to develop.?ÿ I was hoping they'd give me a shot of this prednisone because it sounds highly effective but they were like nah, go home and if it gets worse then come back and see us.
I think I might be allergic to this cortisone stuff also because I tried it first and while it stopped the itch it seemed to cause other undesirable things to happen.?ÿ Anyway, switched to calamine spray and it seems to be working.
I just wet the area where the rash is and sprinkle salt on it. Gently rub it in until it makes a thin layer of paste and let it dry. I have been doing that for years.
@bstrand You might want to put some antibiotic cream or topical spray on the oozing skin to prevent a secondary bacterial infection from getting started.
zanfel?ÿ -?ÿ ?ÿinstant relief?ÿ
Soap. Lots of soap and warm (but not hot) water. It's an oil (urushiol) that gets on your skin and will irritate until it is either washed or worn off. It's as simple as that.?ÿ ?ÿ
The sooner it is washed the better.?ÿ It binds chemically with the skin, so after a few hours it is stuck, and you are waiting for a layer to wear off.?ÿ
@norman-oklahoma And wipe off areas on your vehicle that you touched REAL well.?ÿ I used to get rash on the back of my legs and arms not knowing where I came into contact with it.?ÿ Until I discovered that it was rubbing off the back of my pants or resting my arm on the door or center console.?ÿ Then later when I was in shorts and short sleeves, bare skin would come into contact it.?ÿ Wipe it all down cleanly.
She comes on like a rose...
I'm susceptible and have had maybe a half dozen serious encounters in my life.?ÿ Here's what I've learned that may not be old wives' tales:
- Become an expert on identification (leaf configuration) and avoid contact if possible.?ÿ Realize that in spring & summer the risk is rather low if just touching the plant because big doses occur after injury to the plant because the sap leaks to the surface of the plant, so avoid brushing/clearing activities.?ÿ Late in the fall, the sap leaks to the surface of the plant, and bare branches will be dangerous, especially because there's no clue from leaf identification.?ÿ I've gotten a dose in the dead of winter from bare branches.
- In high risk terrain wear long sleeve & pants protective clothing, safety glasses and Ivy Block barrier cream on exposed flesh, hands, neck and face. Before getting back in your truck strip off your outer clothing and put on clean clothes, putting the contaminated clothing in a garbage bag which you leave in the garage or front porch so the wife knows she's gotta use rubber gloves when handling them.
- ASAP after a field day hot shower with plenty of soap.?ÿ Urushiol is an oil and just using water will not wash it off.?ÿ The sooner you get it off the less reaction will occur.?ÿ Realize that it can survive on surfaces for months to years so proper hygiene of your blade tools is required, etc.
- Once you've got a dose try to not scratch?ÿ which makes it much worse.?ÿ Best is to bandage it to absorb weepage and prevent you from scratching.?ÿ It'll take months before a big wound completely heals, such is life.?ÿ Cortisone/prednisone treatment seems like overkill to me, less itching but powerful drugs to be applied to what is essentially a skin irritation and they do have side effects.
- The?ÿvery best solution is?ÿ to find one of the 10% of the population which are completely immune to urushiol and make him your brush monkey.?ÿ?ÿ
I rank poison Ivy/Oak/Sumac pretty low on the scale of fieldwork dangers.?ÿ #1 is chiggers, then mosquitos, bees, biting flies and way down the list are snakes, bears and irate humans.
People tend to be immune until they aren't any more, often triggered by a large contact incident.
I never had a reaction and certainly had walked through it many times, until I got some sap from a broken tall plant on my shirt and then mopped my sweat with the shirt.?ÿ I had never seen poison ivy taller than me and mistook it for another common weed. My brother pointed out my mistake so I cleaned my hands and avoided it the rest of the time there, but I didn't realize it was on my shirt. Oops.
I rank poison Ivy/Oak/Sumac pretty low on the scale of fieldwork dangers.?ÿ #1 is chiggers, then mosquitos, bees, biting flies and way down the list are snakes, bears and irate humans.
I'd re-categorize that as two lists: Nasty irritants: chiggers (especially so because you don't see them), mosquitos, urushiol plants, biting flies, and bees (unless you are allergic).
Dangerous, but less frequently a problem: bees (if you are allergic), poisonous snakes, bears, irate humans.