Poison Oak/Ivy Reaction

[DarcArchona]

Any natural ways to take care of this?

I picked it up the other week on my right leg, and it feels amazing let me tell you. I wouldn't wish this itchy sensation on anyone. I know neosporin helps out, as well as a chamomile lotion to an extent, but is there anything else by chance?

Thanks,

Brian

[DJ Droood]

Any natural ways to take care of this?

I picked it up the other week on my right leg, and it feels amazing let me tell you. I wouldn't wish this itchy sensation on anyone. I know neosporin helps out, as well as a chamomile lotion to an extent, but is there anything else by chance?

Thanks,

Brian

Tea Tree Oil

I have been dosed a few times...usually when mowing grass in shorts...the minced particles of poison ivy made mincemeat of my legs. Both my legs were oozing blisters from toe to knee for weeks. I went the pharma route at the time, which is steroid creams, but I've been told by a couple of people since then that Tea Tree oil is the ticket.

Trivia..."caught red handed" came from the practice of coating church valuables in poison ivy/oak, and a thief would get blistered hands. i can't document any of that.

[wolf560]

If you had just come in contact with Poison Ivy I would have recommended something else.
You have to act quick and use something to soak up the oil from off of your skin.

I have actually used handfuls of dust or even mud to cover the areas and to get the oils off of the skin. WebMD advises that the oil soaks in within the first 30 minutes, so you have to get the oil off. If you don't then you will likely have to simply suffer through the symptoms (possibly for several weeks). WebMD suggests water or rubbing alcohol in the first 30 minutes.

WebMD recommends the following for ongoing home treatment;
To relieve itching and help blisters dry out, apply wet compresses or soak the area in cool water. Antihistamine pills or calamine lotion may help relieve symptoms.

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/tc/poison-ivy-oak-or-sumac-topic-overview

[Art]

Growing up in the wilds of Louisiana exposure to poison ivy/oak/etc was a common occurance. If you can find it, Octagon Soap offers almost immediate relief. Wipe on the lather and let it dry. Good stuff...even if it is an old time remedy.

[DJ Droood]

You should get at it right away, and perhaps some of you woods folk know when you've had contact, but my experience was that it was a good 24 hours after contact before the blistering started...I didn't even know what was happening at first....

[Susanne]

When I was a kid my mom used to use a bar laundry soap called Fels Naptha on the exposed area right away. If it was too late for that & started to blister then it was calamine lotion. (That brings back memories of me & my friends being covered with that bright pink lotion. You could tell we were all playing in the woods together. )
If all else fails a soothing solution is a bath with an oatmeal product such as Aveeno bath powder. Just watch it because it makes the bathtub really slippery.
Thankfully poison ivy isn't hardy up where I live so we haven't had any trouble with it. My son just moved & is working as a landscaper in an area where it is common & just called to tell me his woes about getting into some poison ivy. Unfortunately it was while working with a chainsaw so he got it but good. A trip to the ER for steroids & antihistamines.
Ah well, hopefully a lesson learned.
Hope this helps & good luck with it!
Sue

[wolf560]

So how did it go?

Was there anything that helped more than something else?

[Jaguar]

The Remedy for Poison Ivy grows right beside it - Jewelweed. I find it works better than anything else unless you have it systemically.