Poison Ivy/Poison Oak

[creature]

I'll point to the wiki, here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urushiol

some pretty fascinating stuff..
what *really* hit me, though, is that fucking *mangoes* are part of the same family (which kind of makes sense, once the connection is stated), and *cashews*..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anacardiaceae

wikipedia also gives a reference to a pretty good tutorial, here:
https://www.cattail.nu/ivy/ivy_index.html

 

[BusGypsy]

I've found calamine lotion to be helpful.

 

[peacefulmonokai]

Had it multiple times. Usually picked it up near small streams, or rivers.

If it gets too bad, on crotch/eyes, head to clinic for a steroid shot.

Should be gone in 3 days with steroid shot. If you have a mild case, try some oats and water to dry out.

And if access to shower, alternate between hot and cold to release anti-histamine. Then let dry out.

In SF, you might take the N Judah to the beach, sit in the water, and scrub your body with wet sand. Let the ocean minerals work their magic. Worked for me.

 

[Jimmy Beans]

I've had that shit for over a month. First it was my entire torso, then it was my forearm, now it's on my leg. My dog must be running through it & getting it on my blankets or some shit. I've decided that once this patch on my leg goes away if I get it again she's sleeping on the floor from now on. She usually just sleeps at the foot of the bed out of the way but I think when I'm not paying attention she'll jump up there near the pillows and whatnot.

The best relief I've found is using Tecnu when I first notice I've got it. That shit gets all the oils out real well. I use paper towels and really get that shit all dried up well then hit it again with the tecnu, dry it and apply calamine lotion. I've tried all types of topical products like benadryl gel and calamine sprays but the basic ass calamine lotion seems to keep it the driest.

I take a few showers a day, as many as I can stand to take. I run the hottest water I can stand, it feels like it's burning my skin I have the hot water heater set so high. Then just run that hot stream of water directly on the location of the poison oak. It feels better than any orgasm I've ever had. If it didn't itch so bad I'd roll around in the shit just to have that sensation over my entire body.

The extreme hot water seems to make it bubble up and blister but that seems to just advance it to the next stage where those blisters break and all the fluids are purged. I've read about those blisters and the fluid and has no poison oak oil in it at all so it's not a risk of spreading it further. Scalding hot water is where it's at. I've also heard a hair dryer can be your friend.

 

[tchavers]

Another thing to note is alcohol works before you get the rash too. I keep some with me in a small glasses cleaner spray bottle. If I think I went through some ivy, build a fire at night, etc. I spray the area asap and since I started doing that haven't had it in years. It takes 20 minutes for it to bond to your skin, so time can be crucial. Hand sanitizer works too, but in my eyes the spray it more versatile.

 

[Older Than Dirt]

The OP mentions that some folks are immune. Either the poison ivy in Missouri/Arkansas is different than poison ivy in Connecticut, or i lost my immunity from 9 to 10, but when my family moved east when i was 10, and i demonstrated my immunity to poison ivy by rolling in it, my, how the other kids at camp laughed! Turns out i wasn't immune to east coast poison ivy.

The modern stuff like Tecnu that Engineer J Lupo mentions, and other similar brands you can find in most drug stores, works way better WHEN YOU ARE FIRST EXPOSED than the old school shit like calamine lotion and Fels-Naptha. After it works its way into your skin, strictly those two things.

In the Boy Scouts, they taught us

Leaves in threes,
Leave it be

To cheer yourself up, google the R & B classic "Poison Ivy" by the Coasters:

It's gonna take an ocean
Of calamine lotion

Oh fine, i did it for you: