Poison Ivy treatment

I was thinking (hoping) that I was immune to poison ivy, since I have walked through it many times and never experienced the rash. After 3+ score years, I have been proven wrong (that happens only once every 10 years or so).

My experiences and research are worth sharing:

• I was trimming some trees 2 weeks ago, on the warm spring like days.
  • At this time of the year there are no tell-tale leaves to warn you, but if you rip & touch the stems and vines, you can still get it. I also had to deal with some rose canes, so I got 'nicked' here and there.
  • The time from exposure to the first rash is officially 12-72 hours. I did not notice it till about 96 hours, and I developed additional rashes over the next several days.
• We are allergic to an oil in the plant (urushiol). This oil actually bonds to the skin, thus scratching spreads the oil and increases the affected area.
• Precautionary treatment:
  • In the greenhouse, when we know that we have been exposed, we wash the area with undiluted bleach, and then rinse with clean water. That has kept us in the clear in the past. This time around, I was unaware of the exposure.
• After the fact treatment:
  
  • When I showed the initial rash to a CVS phamacist, I was told to use hydrocortizone cream to treat the itching.
    • DO NOT DO THIS. Each time you apply the cream, it spreads the urushiol a little further, so the rash grows.
  • I happened to have a follow-up visit with my doctor, who diagnosed the poison ivy. She recommended dabbing with camomile. It soothes, but does not cure the rash.
  • Finally, through work Tabby learned of another treatment:
    • This is an over the counter product named ZANFEL: It is a slightly abrasive detergent, which is designed to wash the bonded rushiol off the skin. I used it 12 hours ago, and the itching is largely gone.
    • Milburn CVS has it, but it is not togeher with the other poison ivy treatments. It is expensive, but it is worth it vs 1-3 weeks of suffering.

tomcat said:

• Precautionary treatment:
  • In the greenhouse, when we know that we have been exposed, we wash the area with undiluted bleach, and then rinse with clean water. That has kept us in the clear in the past. This time around, I was unaware of the exposure.

Bleach on skin seems a bit extreme.

My spouse uses the Dawn foaming dish soap in a shower after every time he works in the yard. It seems to wash off every drop of oil (including your natural layer). He used to get PI every year, but hasn't had an issue since taking this all-over pre-emptive approach.

https://www.soap.com/p/dawn-ultra-platinum-diswashing-foam-fresh-rapids-10-15-oz-65904?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc_D&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=GooglePLA&sku=PG-2994

You should never use bleach (especially undiluted) on the skin. That's not what it was designed for and could cause skin irritation and even burns. Plus you could get in your eyes due to handling.

sprout said:

tomcat said:

• Precautionary treatment:
  • In the greenhouse, when we know that we have been exposed, we wash the area with undiluted bleach, and then rinse with clean water. That has kept us in the clear in the past. This time around, I was unaware of the exposure.

Bleach on skin seems a bit extreme.

My spouse uses the Dawn foaming dish soap in a shower after every time he works in the yard. It seems to wash off every drop of oil (including your natural layer). He used to get PI every year, but hasn't had an issue since taking this all-over pre-emptive approach.

https://www.soap.com/p/dawn-ultra-platinum-diswashing-foam-fresh-rapids-10-15-oz-65904?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc_D&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=GooglePLA&sku=PG-2994

sprout said:

tomcat said:

• Precautionary treatment:
  • In the greenhouse, when we know that we have been exposed, we wash the area with undiluted bleach, and then rinse with clean water. That has kept us in the clear in the past. This time around, I was unaware of the exposure.

Bleach on skin seems a bit extreme.

Back in the day, when I worked summers for my dad, a landscaper, we'd give our hands and forearms a few splashes from the gas can. When I was even younger, Mom would dab the rashes with Lysol after a bath with Fels-Naptha.

Thanks for the tips. What's left of my skin can relax now.

Hopefully the Ultra Dawn foaming is less toxic/burning/etc. It is used it to get oil spill goo off wildlife. But who knows what will be said about its ingredients in another couple of decades.

The choice of bleach in the greenhouse is probably a matter of availability (we use it to disinfect used clay pots). Yes, it does take off the outer layer of skin (which is the point), but as long as you rinse with clean water right away, it does not burn you.

Anyway, I included that only as the old country remedy. The key here is the ZANFEL, which neither the pharmacist nor my doctor were aware of.

It is possible to be immune to poison ivy, but lose the immunity. When I got it, I tired to tough it out, but ended up at urgent care with prescription cream (triamcinolone), prednisone (which I couldn't tolerate and had to stop after a few days, but even that helped), and an allergy med (I think claritan).

I think I remember reading it can take up to 2 weeks for the rash...the more often you get it, the sooner the rash shows up...I had a couple small spots maybe 5 days later...and a couple more days for a full rash.

I beleive i have heard to use alcohol to wash it off...carefully isolating the areas so it doesn't wash down your body

jmitw said:

I beleive i have heard to use alcohol to wash it off...carefully isolating the areas so it doesn't wash down your body

Alcohol doesn't work:

http://mythresults.com/episode50

I can't find the episode to view, but they rubbed poison oak on each person's wrists. One wrist got vodka poured over it, the other didn't. Poison Oak rash occurred on both wrists for the one allergic person in their group.

I hope the test subject, for agreeing to go through with this, was permitted to make other use of the treatment.

I've never reacted to poison ivy when I've had accidental contact, but I take precautions when I knowingly come in contact since I know that it is possible to develop a sensitivity. I wear gloves, and then wash any exposed skin with soap and water immediately after contact. If you wash within 30 minutes of contact then plain old soap and water will work (yes, even for people who do react). It is when you wait longer than 30 minutes that you run into issues.

And a word of caution, never EVER burn poison ivy. I always double bag it and then put it in the regular trash. When my grandmother moved into her house back in the 50's there was poison ivy all over the back yard. Her BIL, trying to be nice, pulled it all up for her. He then burned it, I'm guessing to make sure that any was left behind. She accidentally breathed in the smoke and ended up in the ER since she got the rash in her trachea.

Tecnu is a product available in Walgreens and other pharmacies intended for poison ivy. You can use it before or after after the rash forms. Recommended to me by folks who make their living in gardening. I own it in case but have not yet needed it.

I believe it's a myth that scratching spreads the rash unless you have urushiol on your hands. Once the rash develops you have presumably washed the oil off. People believe scratching spreads the rash as the rash develops slowly but according to initial exposure.

If you have PI sensitivity, you don't have to scratch for the rash to spread. For some people it has nothing to do with where you're exposed to urushiol.

On the plus side, it's nice to be discussing PI on a snow day!

If you get the oil on your clothing and don't wash it, you can spread it that way.

Shoes (and their shoe laces) rarely worn, but kept on the back porch for a quick jaunt into the backyard, were the suspected culprit of my spouse's case of winter poison ivy a few years ago.

I do this when I think I have come in contact with PI -

so far so good.

I second Tecnu. If I know or suspect I've come in contact with PI, I use tecnu outside..I rub it all up/down my arms, neck legs...wherever exposed....and wash off with hose. Then shower. make sure to wash your clothes and gloves on the hot cycle.

joy said:

I do this when I think I have come in contact with PI -

so far so good.

Good video (and interestingly, more axle grease came off with the Dawn (and that's not even the Foaming Ultra - which seems even stronger than the regular) than Tecnu. However, he doesn't show how much of the axle grease is on the washcloth at the end. You probably need to throw that puppy away...

Speaking of puppies... pets can also trek through PI, and the oil then transfers to you when you pet them.

sprout said:

However, he doesn't show how much of the axle grease is on the washcloth at the end. You probably need to throw that puppy away...

Hot water with regular detergent. Just like you would with any clothing that also got in contact with the poison ivy.

mdellavo said:

I believe it's a myth that scratching spreads the rash unless you have urushiol on your hands. Once the rash develops you have presumably washed the oil off. People believe scratching spreads the rash as the rash develops slowly but according to initial exposure.

Really? My PI rashes tend not to spread as much when I don't scratch, but that may be coincidence. But I can't claim that I never scratch. It's nearly impossible. What I do is rub with a paper towel and then throw it away to make sure it doesn't get on my hands or anywhere else.

I don't know where I get PI rashes, because I'm really careful not to touch poison ivy. I seem to be more sensitive than others. Then again, I think I'm allergic to more plants than just poison ivy, so maybe that's my answer. But I definitely am not taking any chances by touching the plant. If I see it again, I'll call for a local expert who removes it for his client. He's very knowledgeable.

joy said:

I do this when I think I have come in contact with PI -




so far so good.

Wow, amazing. This could be life changing for me, since I usually get several rashes per year. I work with dirty bikes as a hobby, so I do have practice getting the grimy grease off me. Green potscrubber pads work pretty well, so I might use one after I touch weeds, but the washcloth will probably work best.

Thank you!

Going back to the OP and the "slightly abrasive scrub"... We have had very good results with Ivy-Dry, which I think used to come in a 2-pack: scrub + anti-itch cream. It was recommended by a pharmacist, and while a good deal more expensive than the other OTC remedies, it wasn't that bad, maybe $10 - $15 - $20.

I'm not seeing the 2-part packaging online, but I'd guess that the "soap" is the old scrub formula. Really worked for us.