DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Poison Ivy

Hey all, just a venting post. I was cleaning my yard last Tuesday (75 degrees - gorgeous, now it's 34 and crappy). I don't have woods and was ripping vines out of the yard by a fence between myself and my neighbor. Turns out I was playing in poison ivy. I'm highly allergic. I went to the doctor on Thursday and I'm on prednazone - the medicine sucks. It's a steroid that makes me angry, insomnia ridden, cold, nauseous and have a headache. On top of that, it spread like wildfire from my left inside fore-arm to my forearm, all the way up the inside of my left bicep to my stomach, both legs and right arm. I haven't scratched once. I've actually learned to live with the itching (it's not easy - it sucks - I can't wait until that feeling is gone). Showering is torture - the water intensifies everything and I litterally growl when cleaning the areas. All in all, life is pretty sucky right now. Sorry, I just needed to vent. Thanks.

That stinks man. Just in case it's been awhile and people are unsure...3 leafs - bad!

Yeah, I've heard that sucks.

Working in landscaping for awhile one of my supervisers knew of a soap that would wash the poison ivy oil off your skin when you came into contact with it----so it would stop it from causing any irritation. You would just wash up with the soap after you got home from work.

I never had to use the stuff, seeing as how I'm not allergic to poison ivy. But my boss swore by it. Not sure what its called, but I'm sure if you asked you local pharmacist he could point you in the right direction.

I know this doesn't help now---but maybe something to look into in the future.

Thanks, I appreciate that. The problem though, I'm so allergic that as soon as it hits my skin - it's instant rash. Most people it takes 12-24 hours. One thing I keep telling myself, "At least it's the only thing I'm really allergic to."

I've never knowingly come in contact with poison ivy, but my sister is very allergic to it. She swears by oatmeal baths and calamine lotion to help with the itching.

It's called tec-nu, not real sure of the spelling. It only works immediately after contact though.

Just be glad for one thing Soup, you didn't burn it. My step father almost died from burning a big ol pile of it. I guess it got in his lungs and eyes etc.

Also, have you ever tried the topical steroids, or is the area too large? They work great.

I feel for you. I hope it passes soon!

That sucks, man... hope you feel better soon.

That stuff grows like crazy around my yard....my back is all woods.

If you know you get int it....shower inside of 20 minutes and you can usually get it off before you have a problem.

Over the counter antihistamines do a fair job of drying it up.....otherwise...it is your route with the shots to clear it up.

Sorry to hear about that. I haven't had it in a long time, but I do remember bouts as a kid that royally sucked, and had a minor bout of poison sumac about 3 years ago that wasn't very fun.

The prednazone will help for sure. Calamine helps the itch, and a few too many beers always helps too.

I can totally sympathize with you, Soup.

When I was in high school, I ran on the cross-country team. One of the courses must have gone through poison ivy, but I didn't know it.

I woke up one morning and was COVERED in poison ivy, and I mean completely covered from head to toe. One of my eyes was completely swollen shut and I just had it everywhere. In fact, one of my eyelids is still a little bigger than the other one because of how swollen it was. I still have no idea how I got it.

I still have some scars on my shins from where it itched so bad I couldn't stand it and scratched until I bled. It was truly horrible.

I ended up getting some prescription meds and that helped. I also used this soap called Fels Naptha. It was pretty coarse, but it worked pretty good.

So, I can definitely sympathize with you!

A funny related note....I had a friend in High School that went camping with some chicks. And he and one of the girls snuck off into the forest for a little "alone time" and both he and the chick ended up with some serious poison ivy in some very uh..interesting places.


Both he and this chick have been ripped on mercilessly for this.

lol! I really wish that's how I got mine! No, I had to get mine running through it in cross-country. It actually got my immune system so shot that I got mono a week later and had to miss a ton of school. Come to think of it, it wasn't that bad!

Sorry to hear that Soup. If it's any help i'm able to pic it roll in it, get it all over and i still don't get it. Just lucky i guess. Oh ya poison oak... I don't get it either..

nordawg

Don't be too sure of that, nordawg.....I never had it either until 5 years ago and I know I had been in contact with it.

Hmm.. This is making me think.. it's a shame we can't crop dust Pittsburp with urushiol (the stuff in PI that makes you itch)

I have the same problem, but not now. Prednizone is the bomb. It will be gone when the pills are gone, unfortunately they have to be decreased by one each day. Good Luck, my ex-girlfriend loved cuddling and she caught some from me and we were both on Prednizone.

Good Luck!

I feel for you Soup. I break out if I stand down wind from the stuff Just be happy you didn't get it on your ummmm "twigs & berries" trust me, thats no fun at all fun

Leavers of three let it be.....mom's old saying,

I use to get it bad, in 10th grade had it on 99% of my body, in my mouth, ears, everywhere...and I mean everywhere, hurt to go to bathroom, had to take baths in a backing soda mixutre, got so bad I took baths in oatmeal, which actually I think helped dry it up. I once got Poison sumac from sleeping in a tent and the sumac was atleast 100 yards away, I spent the next day at a Indians double header with posion sumac all over my face and body, but wasnt gonna misss the game....

With me being outdoors fishing and hunting, I started going and getting Shots in early spring, and after about 5-6 years of these shots, havent gotten it since, yes i'm smarter and stay away from it more, but I do think those shot built up my immune system to it.

Had a bad time with it several years ago. Swollen eyes, rash everywhere, is was miserable. Had never had a reaction to it in my life and hope I never do again. Just horrible.

My father and his buddy when they were young heard if you ate it you wouldnt get it!.....Well they both ended up in the hospital , imagine that! But you know what? He has never cought it again!

My college roomate once said he had poision ivy on his face. A week later we found Valtrex in his room Sorry, this reminded me of him

Prednisone sucks ass man. I am on it sometimes when my back flares up real bad. If you got the medrol dosepack it takes around 48 hours after the last dose for the side-effects to wear off I hate that stuff so much the last time I had a bad spasm and got it I never got it filled. It makes me sick, cold sweats, hot flashes, it's terrible. It does work though.

My uncle did the same thing when he was 15 or so, My mom said he was in the hospital for two weeks and my grandpa wouldnt visit him, because he was stupied for doing it in the first place. but my uncle never had it again too.

My brother inlaw and I went fishing once and he had to ....Well number two The dummby wiped with poison ivy Needless to say...He was in a bad pain for a few days!

Lesson learned....always carry some TP in your tackle bag.

I'll never forget, I took a good friend rock climbing. We were on some pretty scrubby rock near New Hope PA. We were in the middle of a two stage climb and as he came up to the belay, I told him watch where he sits, there's poison ivy. His reply.........


"that's not poison ivy, I know, I was a boy scout".


No, he's never lived that down.

I love New Hope!!

LOL! its funny how one person's pain is another person's laughter

Wow, didn't think any one would know it. Have you been to Zadar's? Very interesting place. My wife and I used to ride our bikes there from New Brunswick on the Del-Raritan canal. We'd spend the night there, then trek home.

Not sure about Zadar's....I was only in New Hope five or six times while I lived in Philly. Is that a restaurant on the canal?

It's a very unique nigh club with a very unique clientelle. Every one from wiccans to bikers, and the only place I have seen multiple lamboughinis in the parking lot.

Sorry to say I believe I missed that one!

It's the first place I ever had goldschlagger. That's about all I can say