What's your best remedy for poison ivy?

[First-light]

Yup-got it on the legs, arms and hands.

[Cabin Fever]

Best Remedy? Avoid it!!   

 

That stuff sucks! Just took my son to the doctor for it, had it all over his legs. Doctor gave him steroids and it cleared up in 2-3 days.

[wooly]

I hear jewelweed can be simmered and wipe down the affected area with the juice....but I haven't tried it.

Rumor has it forget-me-nots can also just be smashed to a pulp and wiped on to relieve pain and itchin' rather quickly.

Both these plants tend to grow in the same types of areas as poison ivy so get back in there and roll around in some of the good stuff for a while,lol

 

[Pygmy]

The best remedy for poison ivy is Virgin Oil....

 

The hard part is find a legal age virgin in New York that will allow you to squeeze out enough oil  to thoroughly marinate the affected body parts...

[Water Rat]

The best remedy is to stay out of the woods. Otherwise , I would suggest going to your doctor for a prescription.

Anything he prescribes ( probably a steroid cream ) will work better than anything over the counter or homemade remedies in my opinion.

[First-light]

Thanks all!

[ELMER J. FUDD]

Technu

[ants]

I got it bad about 5 years ago. IT SUCKS!!!! It was all over my forearms, the right side of my neck and my right hip. I used over the counter stuff at first. Some kind of scrub, followed by an ointment. It worked well, but only lasted about 30mins. I finally went to the Dr.'s office and got steroids. 2-3 days later the itching, burning suckiness ended. I wont mention what happened this past turkey season......Wow..

[noahmstone]

If you are effected by it avoid it if you can't avoid it prepare to be miserable. I know a guy that gets it really bad and has finally decided his best bet is to avoid it. Every time he gets it it is a trip to the doctors and high doses of antibiotics and steroids.<br />Me personally I can roll around in it and it doesn't effect me whatsoever.

[josephmrtn]

the only place i get it is on the back of my thigh (believe me i KNOW) anywhere else i could roll in it... 

[fasteddie]

I never had poison ivy until in my early 50's . I used to be able to rub the leaves ans not catch it until one hot , scorching day when I was putting up a pressure treated stand in 96 degree weather . Apparently I was hot enough where my pores opened up and I got it . Now I get it almost every year . Technu and Calagel seemed to help sooth the itch .

[Two Track]

Technu works well.

 

Witch hazel should help with removing the urisol oils and may provide some relief.

 

Jewelweed is the nature provided solution.  Sometimes found nearby or with the poision ivy.  Same family as impatients.  Water on their leaves can look like a jewel or that part of the leaf may appear silvery. The flowers are orange in color.  Split the stalk and rub its interior against the affected area.

 

When I go out in the woods, i wear long pants and change as soon as get home, to play it safe. When I hunt, I wear either shorts or other appropriate pants for the weather and then my hunting pants over, and a long sleeve shirt.  I remove the outer layers when get back vehicle. 

 

If I know that I have treked through poison ivy, I wash the outer layers of clothing in cold water and a little technu immediately and separate from the rest of the laundry to keep secondary exposure down.  This includes the gloves if they came in contact with the poion ivy (dropped mine in the poison ivy patch last turkey season).  Then I wash up from handling the affected clothes.

[wdswtr]

I get it all the time, even in the late winter when its on maple trees that I tap.  I have it on my ankles now.  The best thing I have found so far other than steroids from the doc is a soap called IVY REST.  Its good stuff and gives me all day relief when I use it in the morning and helps really well in speeding up the healing.  Its a small box of soap with like 4 bars in it.

[nyslowhand]

My property is literally infested with it! Have seen numerous 4-5" diameter vines going 30'+ up the trees. It has become a "fact of life" that I'm going to be in it every trip to my property. For mild cases, there are a lot of OTC aides that will help soothe the itching & promote healing. Everything from the $15/tube Technu to pink Calamine. For whatever reason the clear Calamine doesn't work as well the pink. If you get severe or numerous areas exposed, get a prescription for the Prednisone from your Doc. They might even call-in a prescription w/o an office visit.

 

Damned near impossible to never get exposed, but there is a definite thought process in minimizing 2nd hand exposure which is where most people come in contact with the oils. I get it most often on my wrist from putting on/taking off work gloves. The oil is invisible, so you have to think about what has been exposed or may have the oil on it. Simple things like taking clothing (pants), shoes or boots off may transfer the oils onto your hands. Equipment, like mower blades. chainsaw chains, rakes, axes, pruning shears,....on & on!! Everything you may have touched with work gloves that may have X'fered the oils onto it. Tractor, ATV, mower, chainsaw ...! Guy that sharpens my chainsaw chains now insists I wash them off with gas before giving them to him! Sorry dude!!

 

Believe you have a couple of hours before oils actually get into your pores that you can wash it off. I use Dawn with cold water. Warm water opens the pores and forces oil into your skin. Have washed with gas on a rag if I'm away from a water supply. Yeah, it stings & stinks, but it's only temporary, unlike the rash. Wash my clothing with a good quality (Tide, Era, etc) laundry detergent that will remove the oils. Typically do a double rinse cycle to get oils out of mashing machine. May even let them soak during the wash cycle. Dry on low. Never had a problem with getting re-exposed from washer, clothing, etc.

[First-light]

Seeing the Doc today.

[Water Rat]

Ask your doctor for Diprolene AF Cream 0.05%.....( potency expressed as betamethasone ). This stuff worked great for me , as I am highly allergic to poison ivy / oak / sumac. This one tube of ointment lasted me for years.

[Cabin Fever]

I use to be able to roll in the stuff and never get it until I turned ~40. Now I get it almost every year. I don't get it bad, just a couple small spots, but it still sucks!

[growalot]

If it's bad enough to seek a Dr. ...please ask him if you are one of those ppl that if burning poison ivy could ever effect your lungs...My mother in law is just that type of allergic...always was careful to avoid it but then a neighbor burnt a pile of weeds and brush...she ended up in the hospital emergency room...Ppl don't always think of those things....it never occurred to her until it happened...knock..knock..knock....I'm lucky it's all over our place and I never have a problem..Good Luck

[eagle rider]

Old school, which hazel helps a little but see a doc.

[2012_taco]

I used to get it every time I stepped into the woods, now I carry a bottle of Purel in my truck. Just was down after I return to the truck with the Purel, it contains 99% alcohol which neutralizes the oils form poison ivy. It really works I haven't had poison ivy in years and I am very allergic to it. Make sure you clean up good with it, everywhere you may have contacted the plants. Be especially careful to get under your fingernails as it spreads by contact and just scratching yourself will cause it to spread. Unfortunately once you realize you have poison ivy only the meds will help with the rashes and discomfort. But seriously use the Purel next time you go out in the woods.

[thphm]

tecnu , calamine lotion , if that does not work see the doctor.The worst is when you get it between your legs,OUCH.

[landtracdeerhunter]

One of the luckly ones. I get elected to remove it from stand site locations. On wet days, I'll take sections out of the vine base to set it back.

[Nomad]

I've had the Dr.Give me pills which worked ok, but the shot I got once cleared things up in a day, don't know what it was though.

What helped me a lot, is washing up after getting out of the woods.i carry soap ,water and a rag in my trunk, and often a rag and water bottle with me in the woods if I'm wearing shorts and t shirts.

[Five Seasons]

technu is the best stuff i've ever used.

[phade]

Not allergic to it...I can roll in it like a dog in a fire pit or dead animal and come out clean.

 

Annoys some of my hunting partners to say the least because I generally don't pay heed to stand locations with it growing.