Dangerous plants
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Random 8
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Unfortunately, that one WILL put me in the hospital, possibly the morgue. It gives me pulmonary edema. Almost killed me the first time I went to an MD with poison ivy. Had to remind the NP in South Carolina to check her known medication reactions sheet I filled out after she prescribed it. I did get some prescriptions, a topical cortizone based cream and an oral anti-allergen/anti anaphalaxis that were marginally effective.
The best OTC home remedies I have found, which were more effective than the prescription stuff I got this time, are Tecnu poison ivy scrub, a slurry of powdered meat tenderizer (said to break down the urishol), and powdered bentonite clay to drain and dry the rash. This time I gave prescriptions a chance, and will be going back to Benadryl and home remedies next time.
I go with Grandma that Fels Naptha is an effective agent for removing the urishol from skin and clothing, but agree it probably has no effect once a reaction is developed.
rdnktrkr
Member
I've used Appalachian Secrets before with good results also Ivy dry and tec- nu. I somehow get it yearly, some years worse than others, I have a vine now in the back yard about 3/4in that I cut this winter to see what happens, I've found a poison oak/ivy killer that if you add dish soap to it works somewhat.
Ive gotten chiggers in those areas before. Was fun standing infront of a mirror putting chigger rid in those places.
Haven't had ivy or sumac ever. So I get to be the ine who bush hogs "those areas". Thought about starting a side business pulling that stuff up by the root and spraying the area. Be my luck I would be sued to the poor house first job.
DukeConnor
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I have it around my property.
long sleeves and rinse off often seems to keep it to a minimum
long sleeves and rinse off often seems to keep it to a minimum
All i ever encountered as a youngun was burn weed growing up. Would stand 10 feet tall, thick as flys on honey and seemed to protect my beloved crick. Would only welt up for a few hours but boy did it sting. Had poison ivy but that was tied to trees usually so easier to avoid.
alsaqr
Member
i'm not seriously affected by poison ivy and poison oak but always wear gloves and long sleeve shirts while around the stuff.
Many years ago i was an instructor at EOD school in southern Maryland. Nearly all the trees had poison oak vines. One winter a couple instructors and several students came down with serious poisoning from burning firewood with poison oak vines in the burn barrels. Some were in bad shape from breathing the fumes from burning poison oak. An instructor nearly died.
IMO: Western poison oak is more serious. Encountered western poison oak while working at Fort Ord in 1994. For the first couple months an Army doctor took care of our poison oak casualties. After the doctor left folks with serious poison oak went to a civilian a doctor. That doctor treated folks with huge doses of prednisone: Some friends had serious side effects from the prednisone, including seizures. .
Our boss treated his clothes with Scotch Guard and i copied. Wore a Scotch Guard treated pair of coveralls over pants and shirt. Coveralls were washed and re-treated on the weekend. Couple times i got some rash on my wrists, nothing serious.
Many years ago i was an instructor at EOD school in southern Maryland. Nearly all the trees had poison oak vines. One winter a couple instructors and several students came down with serious poisoning from burning firewood with poison oak vines in the burn barrels. Some were in bad shape from breathing the fumes from burning poison oak. An instructor nearly died.
IMO: Western poison oak is more serious. Encountered western poison oak while working at Fort Ord in 1994. For the first couple months an Army doctor took care of our poison oak casualties. After the doctor left folks with serious poison oak went to a civilian a doctor. That doctor treated folks with huge doses of prednisone: Some friends had serious side effects from the prednisone, including seizures. .
Our boss treated his clothes with Scotch Guard and i copied. Wore a Scotch Guard treated pair of coveralls over pants and shirt. Coveralls were washed and re-treated on the weekend. Couple times i got some rash on my wrists, nothing serious.
Another vote for Tecnu products. I try to keep a bottle of the tecnu extreme scrub around and take a shower with it ASAP if I think I've been around poison ivy. They have another product that is more like lotion and I have taken it to work with me to use on hands/arms until I can get somewhere to use the scrub if I am clearing brush or working where I think I've gotten into poison ivy. I don't get the worst reactions to it but it generally takes a long time for it to go away and occasionally requires a round of steroids.
JustSomeGuy264
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I got a bad case of poison ivy last spring, first time in my life. Nothing I tried would help till a friend gave me a home remedy of jewell weed and olive oil mixture. Cleared it up in a couple days. Got another case several months later and used the jewell weed mixture with the same results. It dried my skin up for a few days but it cleared up the poison ivy.
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Forgot about the Jewelweed. We call it "Indian aloe" up here. Useful for soothing all sorts of burns, cuts, scrapes, bug bites. Instant relief from beestings and mosquito bite itch. Just mash the stalks and rub it on like you would an aloe leaf. Haven't tried it on poison ivy, may have to give it a whirl next summer and look into making a salve for long term storage. It works well on wild parsnip burn that my wife gets also. Fortunately I don't react to that one, it's nasty!
Loyalist Dave
Member
Urushiol as mentioned is a chemical that causes the skin reaction. Once bonded with skin cells it really doesn't come off.
So one of the first things to do is to try and reduce the contact with the skin. This may be one of the reasons Native Americans in the Eastern part of what became the United States would apply "bear grease" to the skin every day. It forms a barrier against the chemical.
So for some folks, in addition to long sleeves, etc, is to apply Vaseline to arms and legs, beneath the clothing, and head, neck, and face. This would prevent or reduce the direct skin contact.
After being in the woods a complete head to toe decon is needed with a soap that will cut the urushiol which is an oil on the plant. This is to remove residual urushiol which may have gotten on your skin when you disrobed, or which may be on the skin but not at that time in direct contact with the skin because of the Vaseline layer which you previously applied.
The other thing to do, short of having medical intervention, is to take some cetirizine (Zyrtec) once a day for two or three days before you go into the woods, and on the day you go into the woods. This reduces the reaction that folks get in a lot of cases.
LD
So one of the first things to do is to try and reduce the contact with the skin. This may be one of the reasons Native Americans in the Eastern part of what became the United States would apply "bear grease" to the skin every day. It forms a barrier against the chemical.
So for some folks, in addition to long sleeves, etc, is to apply Vaseline to arms and legs, beneath the clothing, and head, neck, and face. This would prevent or reduce the direct skin contact.
After being in the woods a complete head to toe decon is needed with a soap that will cut the urushiol which is an oil on the plant. This is to remove residual urushiol which may have gotten on your skin when you disrobed, or which may be on the skin but not at that time in direct contact with the skin because of the Vaseline layer which you previously applied.
The other thing to do, short of having medical intervention, is to take some cetirizine (Zyrtec) once a day for two or three days before you go into the woods, and on the day you go into the woods. This reduces the reaction that folks get in a lot of cases.
LD
whughett
Member
We’re me I’d just move to the city!
and stay out of places with green plants.
Patocazador
Member
I caught poison ivy several times from petting my dog after she went through the woods. The oil stays on their hair and was transmitted by my coming in contact with it.
tightgroup tiger
Member
I apparently don't have allergic reactions to it, I have string trimmed it with shorts on by accident and have pull it out of the ground with my bare hands. I've never had a reaction Maybe I've just been lucky.
i think you re talking about nettles
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I developed a strong reaction to it in adulthood. I'm extremely paranoid about it now. I still have scars from getting into it 10yrs ago. I found that Benedryl gel works great on the rash.
Claus
Member
A few things I’ve learned over the years -
- The best and only itch relief I’ve ever encountered is hot water. The itch is from histamine “trickling” out of your skin cells. If you run hot water, as hot as you can safely stand, over the rash you’ll get an intense spasm as the histamine is flushed out. This lasts for a few seconds but will stop itching for hours. I’ve had major reactions that I treated with twice a day hot showers.
- Some people say they’re not allergic. Body chemistry changes so you will have a reaction at some point even though you never did before.
- By the time you see the skin reaction the original exposure is likely gone from your skin. Many of these nasty (bleach, turpentine etc) remedies won’t help, it’s too late to remove the urushiol. For me it takes 24 hours after exposure to see a rash, I can usually recall exactly where I was exposed by remembering where I was the day before.
- Without medical intervention the rash last about 2 weeks. Just start counting the days.
- Bonus trivia: poison ivy etc is closely related to mango plants. If you have bad poison ivy reactions you might want to avoid eating mangoes.
- The best and only itch relief I’ve ever encountered is hot water. The itch is from histamine “trickling” out of your skin cells. If you run hot water, as hot as you can safely stand, over the rash you’ll get an intense spasm as the histamine is flushed out. This lasts for a few seconds but will stop itching for hours. I’ve had major reactions that I treated with twice a day hot showers.
- Some people say they’re not allergic. Body chemistry changes so you will have a reaction at some point even though you never did before.
- By the time you see the skin reaction the original exposure is likely gone from your skin. Many of these nasty (bleach, turpentine etc) remedies won’t help, it’s too late to remove the urushiol. For me it takes 24 hours after exposure to see a rash, I can usually recall exactly where I was exposed by remembering where I was the day before.
- Without medical intervention the rash last about 2 weeks. Just start counting the days.
- Bonus trivia: poison ivy etc is closely related to mango plants. If you have bad poison ivy reactions you might want to avoid eating mangoes.
BigBlue 94
Member
If I even look at a poison ivy plant the wrong way i can get it. Summer, winter, doesn't matter. I remember 1"+ diameter vines slithering up the trees.
Hot shower with technu scrub will help the rash. Blot dry and apply calamine lotion. Acetone works too...I even use the technu as a full body wash after a suspected exposure.
Not all sumac is poisonous. Natives used to make a 'pink lemonade' from the berrys of some sumac. Some trees, such as the Osage Orange have a latex based poison directly under the green bark; in addition to thorns. Black locust has some straight out of Hades thorn clusters, but are easy to avoid. A machete works well on them. Usually they just give me flat tires.
The popular Morel Mushroom has a look-a-like that is highly poisonous. If it has tinges of red, or a solid body, leave it alone!
Hot shower with technu scrub will help the rash. Blot dry and apply calamine lotion. Acetone works too...I even use the technu as a full body wash after a suspected exposure.
Not all sumac is poisonous. Natives used to make a 'pink lemonade' from the berrys of some sumac. Some trees, such as the Osage Orange have a latex based poison directly under the green bark; in addition to thorns. Black locust has some straight out of Hades thorn clusters, but are easy to avoid. A machete works well on them. Usually they just give me flat tires.
The popular Morel Mushroom has a look-a-like that is highly poisonous. If it has tinges of red, or a solid body, leave it alone!
danez71
Member
Growing up, my family....
Fels Naptha soap and pink calamine lotion. If we were lucky, maybe a pill like benedryll.
I think other ointments probably work as well or possibly better than calamine (have never done any type of comparison
I believe drying it out is key to keep it from growing via your natural body oil/moisture and spreading from contact of cloths and hands.
Typically we'd hot shower with the Fels Naptha bar soap (don't know why but we'd get the one in the more tan colored package). Then spot apply the calamine and try to leave uncovered and untouched.
Generally, repeating as needed to keep it dry /dried out looking. But since you can't really see the spot well when it's coated in pink calamine, rubbing alcohol is involved to clean, dry, & be able to look at the progress.
Looking at all the replies, it seems there's a bit of variety as to what works best for the individual.
Fels Naptha soap and pink calamine lotion. If we were lucky, maybe a pill like benedryll.
I think other ointments probably work as well or possibly better than calamine (have never done any type of comparison
I believe drying it out is key to keep it from growing via your natural body oil/moisture and spreading from contact of cloths and hands.
Typically we'd hot shower with the Fels Naptha bar soap (don't know why but we'd get the one in the more tan colored package). Then spot apply the calamine and try to leave uncovered and untouched.
Generally, repeating as needed to keep it dry /dried out looking. But since you can't really see the spot well when it's coated in pink calamine, rubbing alcohol is involved to clean, dry, & be able to look at the progress.
Looking at all the replies, it seems there's a bit of variety as to what works best for the individual.
Nature Boy
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I used to be affected by poison ivy badly as a kid and young adult but have completely lost my sensitivity over the years.
Armorer 101
Member
Here in NW FL we have the nasty three, Ivy, Oak and the real beauty Sumac. Had to take my wife to get shots, steriod wraps and, and..... still left permanent scars. Sumac vine looks like wisteria, raps around a tree like a large rope, leaves impressions, but is not wisteria. I cut it with anvil ratchet loppers then spray the stump part with Crossbow. Neither she or I are allergic to poison ivy or oak
Got to be careful when burning the mess, if you get down wind, especially. Gives a whole different meaning to getting smoked.
Got to be careful when burning the mess, if you get down wind, especially. Gives a whole different meaning to getting smoked.
daniel craig
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Get you some TecNu. I can send you some of you can’t get it. It’s been a real life saver for me. It’s basically my body wash all summer long.
You can also wash your clothes with it.
Always wear long pants, long sleeves and gloves don’t take it off till the end of the day.
Wash EVERYTHING you came into contact with, with tecnu. That includes door handles, tools, your phone, steering wheel, boots EVERYTHING.
It sounds drastic but this stuff has literally saved my life.
also learn what poison ivy looks like and avoid it as much as you can. When it comes to taking off your clothes at the end of the day try not to touch them as much as possible.
Shower and cool not hot water.
It’s a myth that you can get poison ivy from another person who’s broken out but you absolutely can get poison ivy from a hard surface that they touched with the oils on their hands.
https://www.teclabsinc.com/products/poison-oak-ivy
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