Getting poison ivy is really painfull !!!

[Stifko]

How long does this last. I was exposed on Sunday and have been miserable ever since. Lamacain doesn;t soothe it much and I want it to go away already. Does NE1 have any home remedies for a bad case of poison ivy, pls? I figured it would've cleared up by now, but not yet.

 

[McPhreak]

<< How long does this last. I was exposed on Sunday and have been miserable ever since. Lamacain doesn;t soothe it much and I want it to go away already. Does NE1 have any home remedies for a bad case of poison ivy, pls? I figured it would've cleared up by now, but not yet. >>



I used to get poison oak all the time when I was a kid. Usually it'll keep pussing for 2-3 weeks. Whatever you do don't pick at the wound! It'll leave a scar if you do (I actually have a couple). I've heard people say that putting cold oatmeal on it helps a little, but I've never tried it. Your physician should also have some creams which you can use. Other than that, you just gotta tough it out for a couple of weeks.

 

[Stifko]

Couple of weeks ?! Darn. this is driving me nuts. I woke up last night scratching like a dog. The puss is gross too, but I ain't picking the wounds. I start a new job next week !!! Thanks for the info.

 

[Stifko]

NE1 else got an idea? I went to the healthfood store for a homeopathic remedy, but they were sold out.

 

[pyonir]

sorry can't help. my sister-in-law gets poison ivy just from being within like 10 feet of it. highly allergic.

 

[Fausto]

Honestly, there's not much you can do about it. You can treat the symptoms, but the actual rash just has to run its course. The compound on the leaves that causes all the problems does do because it binds permanently to your skin in about 15 min, not because it is inherently an irritant. Thus they only way for your body to get rid of it is to have this area of inflammation where you were exposed and gradually slough off the skin. Hence all the nasty oozing and peeling skin.

Try some over the counter anti-inflammatory pills. May help a bit with itching and swelling. I had a case on my left arm a while back that got so bad I had to get a doc to script out some steriodal anti-inflammatory meds for me. not fun.

Fausto

 

[Stifko]

Thanks for the advice and help. I am taking a garlic supplement, maybe that will help. At night I take some ibuprofin pills, they help w/the swelling. It takes like 2 weeks for it to run its course?

pyonir, "alot" drives me nuts too, thought I was the only one.

 

[Fausto]

Yeah, about two weeks to run its course.

Fausto

 

[zimmie6576]

Here's something that works extremely well, if you can stand the pain. Personally, I would take a few second of pain over a couple weeks of itching. Simply take a lemon, cut it in half, and press it on the places you have poison ivy. I will hurt, but the itching should stop almost immediately, and the poison ivy will be gone in about a day.

As I said, this will hurt, so don't blame me if you try it and feel like the places you have the rash are on fire. This being said, it is the most effective treatment I've ever encountered.

 

[TopGun]

Don't scratch it, and try not to cover up the rash with clothing, it'll only spread it around worse. I think you can also try bathing in salt water...or was it baking soda? I don't remember, but it does help alot. I've had it quite a few times.

 

[Stifko]

THANKS, I am gonna try the lemon trick. My bathtub is too small for me. Gonna run out to the store now for some lemons !!! I'd rather take the pain up front now than drag it out another week. I knew someone would have a home remedy in here. thanks again, I will let you know how much it hurts and if it helps.

 

[Bleep]

You have a hard row to hoe. Go to a doctor. they have some stuff that will stop the itch and help heal it up.
When I was young my friends and I used to swim in a small lake and one of them had to deficate, he went over to the other side of the lake and done his thing and wiped himself with some leaves. Guess what kind? He was in the hospital for about a week, needless to say no solid foods.
Bleep

 

[rgwalt]

OK, I got poison ivy really bad one summer. I mean really bad... it was all over my body practically. My face was swollen along with my hands, arms, and legs. I oozed a lot. Great fun. Here is what I did... I went on prednizone (prescription steriod) and zyrtec. The drugs really whacked me out, but they helped speed up the healing process for my body and provided some relief. Also, get some plain Benedryl (over the counter, you can go generic) and take it before you go to bed every night. It will provide itch relief and help you sleep. For the first week, I would wake up in the night itching and would have to take another two pills. Also, be sure and wash your bedding every few days to get rid of the oozing and oils that will cause further irritation. Finally, for the really bad spots, you could try some maximum strength cortizone cream.

That all being said, I would also get some over the counter stuff called "Oak and Ivy" (maybe Oak n' Ivy). From what I understand, it works wonders.

Finally, I respect your desire to treat the poison ivy with natural remedies. I would have done the same thing, but the rash was all over the place. I could have easily itched my face during the night and spread the rash into my eyes. If the rash gets bad, don't mess around. Get to a doctor.

Ryan

 

[Maetryx]

One time my cousin used a leaf to wipe his butt out in the woods.... Poison Oak leaf . True story.

 

[Stifko]

The lemon didn't hurt. I was waiting for all this pain, and it never came. Maybe I am too far into it? I was exposed last Sunday. All the lemon juice is dryin on my arms now. I'd go to a doc, but I don't have medical benes. At least it ain't on my butthole.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I have always had good luck and never had poison ivy (even when I was hiking with friends, all of whom got it). Some people develop an escalating level of allergy, and become more and more sensitive to it - a good friend of mine got it on his legs, and it ended up spreading (apparently through his bloodstream) to other parts of his body, which broke out in ugly purple open sores that stayed for months. His doctor told him that another bad outbreak could conceivably be fatal. D'oh!