Poison ivy

[WildGoth]

anyone got any home remdies to prevent poison ivy oak and sumac

[Rick]

Yes. And it works very well. Stay away from it. I'm not being a jerk. That's the only preventative that really works.

[nell67]

Dont go where it grows

[crashdive123]

Wildgoth - they speak the truth. When I was very young we were in the woods playing Tarzan (it was either that or Army....played Army the day before) Anyway.......swinging from a big vine.....yup.....poison ivy. Eyes swelled shut for about 10 days. Bandages on hands for 3 weeks to keep me from scratching....dark glasses for 2 months due to light sensitivity. Stay away from it!!!!!

[nell67]

I have heard coating uncovered skin with mud creates a barrier to it,never tried it,and don't want to be the one to try it,another thing is to shower with Dawn dish washing soap,it cuts the oils from the poison ivy,I do this when I go out,but I am not sure how well it works,since I am way more conscious of avoiding it than I was ,I haven't broken out in 15 years.

avoiding it is the best way to not break out.

[klkak]

My Grandfather was the type of man that you said "Yes Sir" to. One day while cutting wood I got a face full of flying chips of poison oak. My face swelled up really bad. When I was pretty much over it he asked me if I'd like to know how to make myself immune to it. Of course I said yes. We walked out to the edge of the yard and he picked a cluster of leaves from the poison oak plant and handed it to me an told me to eat it. I guess I must have looked at him like he was crazy or something cause he raised his other hand as if to slap me and said "Eat it"! I said "Yes Sir" and ate it. I have never reacted to it since then. I don't recommend that you try it.

[grundle]

I used to get it like clockwork every summer. Generally it would get so bad I would have to get a shot of cortizone, but that was only when it got infected with staff (which happened more than once). I can remember several times having my face swollen shut, or scratching myself raw.

The best remedies are for relief. Either take a boiling hot bath, or run ice up and down it. The extreme temperatures simulate scratching without you having to open up a wound. Those stinky creams that supposedly stop itching do nothing so don't even bother.

I have found that the best way to defeat it once you have contracted it is to take a "cycle" of prednizone (which is a steroid). You need a prescription for that particular drug, so a doctor visit is in order.

The last couple of years I haven't had a hyper-allergic reaction to it which may mean I have either grown out of it, or I just need to go roll around in it again. I have built up quite a stock of the prednizone so I hate for it to go unused <end-sarcasm :P>

[Ole WV Coot]

Like the man said, take a little piece of poison ivy and swallow it. Next day take a little bit bigger piece and work your way up to a couple of leaves. You will build up an immunity to it. You can build up an immunity to almost anything and NO I'm not bothered by it nor were the kids I grew up with and we were exposed every day. Ole KY prevention. If you want something to relieve the itch if you know what jewelweed is rub your exposed body parts with it. I plan on making some salve with it thanks to Rick who told me what the name really was. In these parts it's called touch me nots because the seed pods kinda explode when touched. Now I wouldn't lie to you would I???
PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK

[Rick]

Just be careful because you can contract poison ivy on the inside as well as the outside. Ask anyone who has inhaled the smoke from a fire that contained poison ivy. When my kids were little a neighbor's boy helped his grandfather do just that. The kid spent several days in ICU on a vent because of the internal swelling.

[crashdive123]

Here's some more info on treatment and remedies. http://poisonivy.aesir.com/view/cures.html

[Ridge Wolf]

Wet suit.. for divers.. but then I will agree to always look where you're walking.. and know what the plants look like without a doubt. If you're walking into a patch of it.. turn around and walk out of it.

[WildGoth]

thanks for the info guys i had to take steriods for when i got mine infected it was horrid it is becoming more common due to an incease of poision ivy's effectiveness and being known as a survivalist at school lots of kids asked how to prevent it i have seen and heard what happens sometimes when you ingest or inhale posion ivy not pretty but the main reason i was looking for a prevention method is for my airsoft team we play in heavily wooded areas so we run a high risk

[crashdive123]

Be very careful with the steroid therapy. One day you're walking through the forest, minding your own business looking like this

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The next thing you know it, they put you on steroid therapy and you end up looking like this

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[wareagle69]

did you know that for every poisonous plant out there the remedy is usually within 3 feet of the plant try jewel weed look it up and learn

[Rick]

After the fact, yes. But his question was for a preventative. By the way, Hiya! Where you been?

[nell67]

I have heard this as well, WarEagle,I have never tried it,so I can't swear by it,not gonna go out and get poison ivey to try it,but I have noticed that when I do see poison ivy,I make a quick check around to see if the jewelweed is close by,seems it always is.

[Rick]

Jewelweed works on nettle stings as well. You can use Thistle on Poison Ivy. Make a strong tea and use as a wash. Steep one handful of leaves in 1 pint (.5 L) of water for 10 minutes to make the tea.

[Assassin Pilot]

I have never gotten infected, even though I go outside a lot. We just don't have a lot of it besides in those large vines. And I swing on those things practically every day (of the weekend) and never have any problems.

[nell67]

Just because you dont get it now,doesn't mean you will never get it,I was in the woods all the time as a kid,never broke out,but after I got older,I got it when my soon to be ex worked in a saw mill,in the middle of winter,I never touched the ivy itself,but I contacted the oil on of his clothes when I washed them,after that,when ever I went to the woods,I'd get a pretty good rash,until I learned to avoid the stuff.
The color of you skin,hair or eyes has no bearing as to whether you will be allergic to it either,my sons are both allergic,oldest like me,has dark hair and dark eyes,the youngest has blond hair and blue eyes.My daughter has blond hair and blue eyes,yet has never broken out with it.

[grundle]

I have it on my legs right now. I'll probably ignore it until it gets really bad, its just par for the course. It looks pretty dry this time around so no cause for concern.

Oh the things I do for you morels!!!