Best remedy for poison ivy!

[First-light]

Did a favor for a friend and cleaned out some beds in his yard. Din't see the shit and Im extremely allergic to it. Yup its on my forearms and face. Have one spot on my leg I was wearing pants don't know how that happened. Could go to doctor but just want to hear from you guys. Thanks FL

[helmut in the bush]

Drink as much water as you possibly can, it helps flush it out of your system.

[turkeyfeathers]

Benadryl and calamine ( or calamari as my phone wanted to say ) lotion. But dr may prescribe a mild steroid I believe too if really bad. Downside to that is tough to sleep 

[UpStateRedNeck]

12 minutes ago, First-light said:

Did a favor for a friend and cleaned out some beds in his yard. Din't see the shit and Im extremely allergic to it. Yup its on my forearms and face. Have one spot on my leg I was wearing pants don't know how that happened. Could go to doctor but just want to hear from you guys. Thanks FL

FL, I'm like you, extremely allergic to it.  Nothing ever stopped it from spreading, not even steroids, UNTIL!!!!!!! *drumroll*

https://www.zanfel.com/

This stuff WORKS man.  I keep at least a tube in my medicine cabinet at all times.  It ain't cheap, but they sell it at CVS.  IIRC it's about 40$ a tube.

Follow the directions, put about a 3 inch line of it on your hands, rub it together to active it, then :

Use it to scratch sh!t out of your poison ivy, preferably in the shower.  Really work it into the rash.  It neutralizes the chemical thats causing the rash, and keeps it from spreading. 

After round 1, if it's still itching, rinse and repeat.  Face is tricky, not sure how pretty you are but it tends to bleed a bit if you really dig into it.

I just used some about 2 days on a little bit I had on my elbow, stopped it cold.

Edit: I know it's pricey, but don't be stingy with it.  Do a 3 inch line for each major spot, let it sit in for about 3 minutes, then wash it off.  After an hour if it's still itching in any spot, hit it again the same way.

Edited July 19, 2019 by UpStateRedNeck

[virgil]

First Light, you live on Long Island, right?  Go to the beach- salt water is great for poison ivy.  Or, find a swimming pool- chlorinated water is great also.  Gonna be brutally hot this weekend- good weekend for swimming anyway.

[NFA-ADK]

I do battle with it every year.  First if you are really bad see a doctor!  

Have to keep your skin dry.  Taking any medication that does this helps like sudafed or Mucinex.  2nd salt water or chlorine help dry it out if you have access to a pool or salt water or a bath in epson salt helps.  2 stay dry!  If you sweat you can spread it very easily.  Gasoline is a last resort but it does remove it quickly, just not very good for you in the long run, I would stay away from this fix. 

Tecnu is good for cleaning and removal,  I recommend getting some type of spray and buy more than one type of brand.  Sometimes switching brands help dry it out faster and spray is much better than rubbing anything on that will cause it to spread.  

Good luck, my yard looks like a jungle because I am so tired of getting this crap!   Now I pay someone else to remove and trim the yard, if he ever gets to it!   

PS:  Cold water will lessen the itching. 

Edited July 19, 2019 by NFA-ADK

[Bionic]

Bleach bath FTW

[Buckstopshere]

When I get a rash, I immediately wash the red spot  with soap and water, like 100 times rub the crap out of it. Rinse and do it again. You have to get the oil from the plant off your skin. Then I go to the Tecnu treatment. Then I cover the spots with bandaids and change often, like twice daily. What I do now is wear a long sleeve shirt and pants, gloves when I'm working in the woods...like this morning, cutting with a chainsaw and putting up a new ladder stand. I was wet with sweat...who cares? beats getting poison ivy.

Edited July 19, 2019 by Buckstopshere

[Robhuntandfish]

I get it every damn year.  Used to not be allergic.  But this is great.  Doc gives me a script and a refill and I keep it to use as needed.  Stops it from spreading and also wash with poison ivy scrub.  

[G-Man]

Purell to clean up and remove.oil.from it and then benadryl or another anti histamine...

[2012_taco]

5 minutes ago, G-Man said:

Purell to clean up and remove.oil.from it and then benadryl or another anti histamine...

Purell works to get the oils off your skin before it can develop into the rash. I always keep a bottle in my truck and wash up after a trip to the woods especially when setting up stands and clearing brush. The alcohol in it gets the oils off you and that is what causes the rash. Once you have the rash the only thing you can do is treat the rash. Poison Ivy doesn't spread from the rash, it spreads from having the oils under your finger nails and contact with clothes etc. that have the oil on them. You can actually handle something that has the oil on it up to a year later and get a rash from the oil.  I've actually done this! poison ivy must have contacted my boots and the next time I wore them i got the rash! 

[NFA-ADK]

Don't forget to wash your bed sheets and any clothes worn during the activity!  I do the sheets at least once a week when this happens and try to keep my infected areas covered to prevent spreading especially when sleeping. 

Best thing to remove it naturally is salt water just don't take a shower after, the salt dries it up.  Rubbing alcohol helps remove the oil, I use a spray bottle the first 3-4 days before applying treatment usually after a shower or scrubbing. 

Edited July 19, 2019 by NFA-ADK

[grampy]

When I was 6 or 7 years old I got it over 80% of my body, really bad. Even spent a few days in the hospital as it was even in my throat. Since then, I could lay down in the stuff naked, and not get it.(how's that for a mental picture....lol) So now my hunting partner leaves all the ground blind building, and stand trimming to me!! I can even weed whack the stuff in shorts and nothing!

IDK?.......Maybe my body built up a resistance to it, after being overwhelmed at an early age??

Lucky I guess? Now if I could just hit the PowerBall!!!!............

[Steuben Jerry]

20 minutes ago, grampy said:

When I was 6 or 7 years old I got it over 80% of my body, really bad. Even spent a few days in the hospital as it was even in my throat. Since then, I could lay down in the stuff naked, and not get it.(how's that for a mental picture....lol) So now my hunting partner leaves all the ground blind building, and stand trimming to me!! I can even weed whack the stuff in shorts and nothing!

IDK?.......Maybe my body built up a resistance to it, after being overwhelmed at an early age??

Lucky I guess? Now if I could just hit the PowerBall!!!!............

That sounds horrible, especially as a 6 year old kid - yikes!

I have never had poison ivy in my life and am outdoors a lot. Even horse playing around with friends as a kid, they'd get it and I wouldn't. I assumed I'm immune to it, but never wanted to test that by rubbing some on me.

[Pygmy]

Same with me, Jerry

Quote

...Been around it hundreds of time and it never affected me..

 

[Cabin Fever]

2 hours ago, UpStateRedNeck said:

FL, I'm like you, extremely allergic to it.  Nothing ever stopped it from spreading, not even steroids, UNTIL!!!!!!! *drumroll*

https://www.zanfel.com/

This stuff WORKS man.  I keep at least a tube in my medicine cabinet at all times.  It ain't cheap, but they sell it at CVS.  IIRC it's about 40$ a tube.

Follow the directions, put about a 3 inch line of it on your hands, rub it together to active it, then :

Use it to scratch sh!t out of your poison ivy, preferably in the shower.  Really work it into the rash.  It neutralizes the chemical thats causing the rash, and keeps it from spreading. 

After round 1, if it's still itching, rinse and repeat.  Face is tricky, not sure how pretty you are but it tends to bleed a bit if you really dig into it.

I just used some about 2 days on a little bit I had on my elbow, stopped it cold.

Edit: I know it's pricey, but don't be stingy with it.  Do a 3 inch line for each major spot, let it sit in for about 3 minutes, then wash it off.  After an hour if it's still itching in any spot, hit it again the same way.

Another vote for Zanfel! My wife had poison ivy pretty bad last summer. The doctor told her to get Zanfel and use as directed (~$36 at Walmart, over the counter). It worked great and it cleared up quickly! 

First-Light, if you lived closer I would give you a tube of Zanfel. I was at Safety Expo last summer and spoke to a Zanfel rep and gave her my card. They've randomly sent me ~8 tubes of it since then! I keep giving it away, because I don't get poison ivy myself. Ironically, I just received another tube of it this morning! LOL

[Al Bundy]

Tecnu!  Works wonders at least for poison oak. I kept that handy when mushroom picking on the West Coast. Sadly one day I felt the call of nature during a foray and answered the call. Wish I would not have....Yes poison oak on my Johnson. Tecnu took care of it but I put on an over abundance and ended up burning some skin off. Not fun...

[First-light]

3 hours ago, virgil said:

First Light, you live on Long Island, right?  Go to the beach- salt water is great for poison ivy.  Or, find a swimming pool- chlorinated water is great also.  Gonna be brutally hot this weekend- good weekend for swimming anyway.

Sailing tonight so ill jump in/right hitting the pool! thanks

[First-light]

3 hours ago, NFA-ADK said:

I do battle with it every year.  First if you are really bad see a doctor!  

Have to keep your skin dry.  Taking any medication that does this helps like sudafed or Mucinex.  2nd salt water or chlorine help dry it out if you have access to a pool or salt water or a bath in epson salt helps.  2 stay dry!  If you sweat you can spread it very easily.  Gasoline is a last resort but it does remove it quickly, just not very good for you in the long run, I would stay away from this fix. 

Tecnu is good for cleaning and removal,  I recommend getting some type of spray and buy more than one type of brand.  Sometimes switching brands help dry it out faster and spray is much better than rubbing anything on that will cause it to spread.  

Good luck, my yard looks like a jungle because I am so tired of getting this crap!   Now I pay someone else to remove and trim the yard, if he ever gets to it!   

PS:  Cold water will lessen the itching. 

Just bought this!

[cbyzerman]

3 hours ago, Bionic said:

Bleach bath FTW

People have actually died doing that but boy does it work..............   Shot at dr and it stops itching by end of day and is gone in a few............

 

 

 

[ApexerER]

Ok, you will think I am crazy....Scratch the crap out of it. Until it bleeds......Then spray it with brake cleaner. If you ever got brake clean on your hands you know it dries them right out. Well it does the same with the poison ivy. Gets rid of the oil and it starts healing immediately. Although I have never gotten it on my face, it works awesome on the legs....

[NFA-ADK]

45 minutes ago, ApexerER said:

Ok, you will think I am crazy....Scratch the crap out of it. Until it bleeds......Then spray it with brake cleaner. If you ever got brake clean on your hands you know it dries them right out. Well it does the same with the poison ivy. Gets rid of the oil and it starts healing immediately. Although I have never gotten it on my face, it works awesome on the legs....

Brake cleaner, gas, bleach all remove the oil well but are not very good for your blood to take in and it will!  It does work good but is it worth it?  I did gas one time and it did help but I still had to treat it for a few days.  Some remedies are good in the short term and bad for your health in the long term.  Be careful! 

[Hunter007]

If you don't want to see a doctor to ask , Go into any cvs and talk to the pharmacist they will know  . 

 

[First-light]

Ok used the tecnu shit. Showered then got into the pool for 1.5 hrs. Seems like the blisters are starting to ooze a bit. Will do tecnu again then off to the salt water. With this heat Im just staying n the pool tomorrow! 

[Bionic]

4 hours ago, cbyzerman said:

People have actually died doing that but boy does it work..............   Shot at dr and it stops itching by end of day and is gone in a few............

 

 

 

I was not aware of that, otherwise I would not have joked like that.  I know you’re not giving me a hard time, just saying, but yes it does work, lol.