Apparently I'm still immune to poison ivy...

[Flavor Bear]

Last three days spent clearing out weeds filled with ivy and I haven't broken out, so I'm gonna assume I'm still immune to it.
But for how long? I've always heard that one can lose their immunity to it at some point.
Anyone here ever immune to it at one point and then lose that immunity?

[nell67]

I was immune to it until I was 21,and pregnant with my daughter,her father worked at a sawmill and carried the oil back home and I broke out with it.
I ran in the woods all year long as a kid and never broke out with it until then.

[LostOutrider]

I've been immune all my life, but I hike with a guy who was immune until he turned 55. My dad is so bad allergic to it that his mucus membranes will rash out when he comes into contact with it - but he's been that way as long as I've known him.

I figure I'll lose my immunity one day, so I just try to leave it alone and hope that today isn't the day.

[dilligaf2u2]

I just don't want to find out!

Never had it and I know how to avoid it!

Don

[Rick]

Me, too. You know the old saying. "Leaves of three, let someone else get the ball." I think that's right.

[bulrush]

In my case "Leaves of three, don't use the weed whacker on it."

That was a bad 4 weeks. Very bad. On the other hand, that's when I positively knew what poison ivy looked like.

[RobertRogers]

from what I understand, about half of all people are "immune". I sure know I am not!

[trax]

I guess I must be immune because I've barely even thought about it unless someone I'm with points it out and gets all freaked. Just lucky I guess.

[Rick]

Ditto. I've never had it and weed whack the stuff all the time.

[crashdive123]

I found out how important it is to be able to recognize it when I was about 6 or 7. Swinging from a large vine in the woods, playing Tarzan.......next day - eyes swollen shut, blisters inside my nose, inside my mouth, covering a large portion of my torso, arms, legs. Spent the next 3 weeks bandaged up like the mummy. Couldn't go in the bright, direct sun for 2 - 3 months.

[Rick]

You know, of course, that explains a lot.

[Ameriborn]

I was always told as a boy that every 7 years you gain immunity to something and you lose it to something. Not sure that holds true, however my brother got poison Oak one day a few years ago, but not the Ivy, and a few weeks ago got the Ivy and not the oak... (Along a creek where they both are.)

Ever get poison Sumac? My brother did, and boy did he want to itch the crap out of that!

[crashdive123]

I was always told as a boy that every 7 years you gain immunity to something and you lose it to something.

Kind of like dog years.

[Rick]

Hence the term, "seven year itch".

Rick
Minister of Science

[crashdive123]

You know, of course, that explains a lot.

Hey --- I'm a sensative guy.