Poison Ivy! any home remedies to get rid of poison ivy? I need help

[arza1 0]

ERRRRRRRG! i have poison ivy. i have never had it before in my life and i don't like it. and i have had it for a while. i have been using this domeboro stuff on it and so itch lotion. sorry for the excessive usage of the word 'have'they say when you sweat that the poison ivy will spread. it is 95degrees/F where i live all day. i can't stop sweating. so i think that is why i still have it.does anyone have any ideas on how to get rid of this crap. quickly. because i am tired of having it. if some one has already posted a topic about this i am sorry. i just need a quick answer.

Edited August 8, 2007 by arza1 (see edit history)

[TikiPrincess 0]

I think that calomine lotion is supposed to help. Of course, you'll end up a lovely shade of pink after applying it, but it's supposed to soothe the itch. If you can, try to escape the heat as much as possible. Go to the movies or the mall around noonish when it gets really hot. That way you don't have to pay for air conditioning. It should cool down enough after 5 or 6ish. My house doesn't have air-conditioning either, and I'm in California. It usually climbs above 90 and sometimes over 100 sometimes. But we don't have the humidity that you guys get in Indiana, so sweat usually dries off pretty quickly. Other than that, I think you might just have to wait it out for the rash to heal.

[arza1 0]

see that is what i have been hearing. you know to sty cool and dry. but i want to know if there is anything i can put on it to dry it out. i tried alcohol. i tried itch cream. some domeboro stuff that smells like viniger. they say oatmeal works but i have yet to try it.

[shadowx 0]

If you want to dry the skin then toothpaste works ive heard. they say it dries up acne but i dunno about large areas of skin. We dont have poison Ivy in the uk i dont think, a tleast ive never seen it. But i would suggest washing with soap and water as it cleans and soap also dries the skin a little, you can always use talc powder.

As for treatments i mentioned antihistamines in the shoutbox and ive found this website http://www3.nicholaspiramal.com/ it lists a few antihistamines i dont know if theyre brand names available where you are but the pharmacist can advise very well usually.

I just read on the net that ice packs can help as they numb the area and such so give that a bash, and try oatmeal baths too, they help for chickenpox which is also really itchy.

[arza1 0]

wow thanks you are really helpful. i am going to try that ice pack thing.

[jlhaslip 4]

Calamine Lotion works the best to reduce the Itching, and keep it covered to avoid scratching or irritating the blisters. If it doesn't start getting better, I recommend you consult a Health Professional.

[arza1 0]

covering it up is acually the worste thing you could do besides scratching it. it makes the poison ivy spread. at least this is what i hear.but my friends swears up and down that poison ivy doesn't spread and that you can't get it from someone.but obviously he has never had it.

[sheepdog 10]

Calamine lotion is your best bet. If you can find any plain old lye soap, wash with itfirst, and you can soak in a bathtub of bleach water too. A friend of mine is always trying those old time things, soap making, wine, weaving, candles, etc. He gave me a whole box ful of lye soap, it works really well for any "itches" that you get on your skin. I'm always walking through tall weeds, or getting bug bites, and it really helps.

[arza1 0]

i recently discovered that poison ivy doesn't spread it is actually just the infections showing up in other places after contact due to the certain resistances in different areas of the skin.so if it itches you can scratch. and it won't spread. and it actually makes it feel a lot better. be careful though if you sratch too much you can scar. for me my problem is solve. the itchiness is at a low and it looks to be going away. trust me no mater what they say and no matter what you have seen poison ivy doesn't spread. even if you pop it and the oils from it get n other spots of the skin. i actually haven't scratched the poison ivy itch much at all to day. because i pretty much just went to town last night at it.

Edited August 11, 2007 by arza1 (see edit history)

[Archangel_Baw 0]

LAVENDER REMEDY FOR POISON IVY

A mixture of Peppermint Oil and Lavender Oil work wonders on contact dermatitis from such things as Poison Oak, Poison Ivy or Sumac Mix 12-24 drops of Peppermint essential oil in one ounce of cider vinegar or witch hazel to help with burning and itching. Add ten drops of Lavender to protect against infection. -Author Unknown

 

HIVES

If you've ever had hives you know how itchy they can be. A simple remedy: Place 2 drops of German Chamomile into 1/4 cup baking soda and add to a bath. -Author Unknown

 

Jewelweed Salve

-For: Poison Ivy/Oak, Bug Bites Stinging Nettle Etc

First make an infused oil using the Jewelweed.

2 ounces of dried herb or

4 ounces fresh herb and

2 cups of any vegetable oil- (you can use olive oil, almond oil, sesame oil, soy oil).

Combine ingredients in a double-boiler on low heat and let the herb "cook" for 1 to 2 hours.

Strain into a sterilized jar. (If your not going to use the oil right away to make salve, then add:

1/4 tsp. Vitamin E oil or Tincture of Benzoin for preservative).

To make the salve:

Gently heat 4 ounces of the infused oil in the top of a double-broiler type pan.

Add approximately 1 Tbsp of beeswax or paraffin.

Let melt. Add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Vitamin E oil or Tincture of Benzoin to act as a preservative.

Mix well. Pour or spoon into a jar. Let cool and cap.

This is great stuff! You can purchase dried Jewelweed Herb from a Health-Food Store or by mail-order.

-Author Unknown

 

How Jewelweed Works:

Jewelweed is a great poison ivy cure as well as a natural plant remedy for poison oak, stinging nettle, acne, hives, insect bites and most skin irritations. Instantly goes to work to cure poison ivy rash by counteracting the effects of urushiol. 1. Calms the itch immediately-This soothing salve goes to work instantly to calm itching from poison ivy, oak and many other causes. You will feel better the first time you use it. 2. Anti-inflammatory-Reduces inflammation of blisters and hives and speeds healing. Please use on a small area at first, and wait an hour or so to make sure you are not allergic to the product. About 1 in 200 people have a mild allergic reaction to Jewelweed and see an increase in redness. If this happens, discontinue use and remove with your regular mild soap.

Hope This helps :XD:

[arza1 0]

wow, never heard that before. bu6t that is exactly what i was looking for. some home remedy. the next time i get poison ivy i am definitly going to try this.

[iGuest 3]

does oatmeal really help poison oak?

Poison Ivy!

 

Ok, I got scratched by a big poison oak branch, so I have a scratch with poison oak on it, I've been on like 50 different websites and on all of them it says that if you use oatmeal or, manzinita leaf tips it says that that works but I haven't tried it does it work

 

-reply by rubyroo210

[CrashCore 0]

A doctor once recommended to try mixing Dawn dishsoap with rubbing alcohol to clean it quickly, and then using Calamine lotion to stop the spread and weeping. I tried it, and my case being far gone already (I get poision ivy very badly every summer), it did not really improve the situation any more than simply using Calamine lotion. However, it is another suggestion that may work for some people.

[iGuest 3]

How to get rid of poison oak

Poison Ivy!

 

Replying to arza1 My son looks like something out of Shaun of the Death when he gets this stuff. It lasts on him as long as a month!

 

Cortisone shot. That's the ticket. Period. By the time you buy all the oatmeal and stuff a good cortisone shot will wipe it out.

 

-reply by Mary

[Moogler 0]

Poison Ivy, first and foremost, isn't contagious. People seem to believe it is. It isn't. The only time that it is, is if multiple people touched the same plant, or touched an object which doesn't absorb oil, but touched the plant (ex: some shoes).If you know you've been in contact with poison ivy, it's advised for you to cleanse the exposed areas with rubbing alcohol within 10-15 minutes. Then wash yourself with JUST water. Soap will cause the oil to spread further across your skin, and actually make it worse.After that, you can THEN wash yourself with soap and warm water. After doing that, it's advised that you put some gloves on, and wash anything else that might have been exposed to the oil of the plant.---------------------------------------------------If you can't make it back in time to wash, or you just didn't even notice you had been exposed (like I did, when I was shooting a short film for school, and I laid bareback, in shorts, in a huge patch of poison oak), grab some calamine lotion from your drugstore. Go home, take a warm shower, and give yourself a good scrubbing with soap. Remember, it's okay to do this now, as the oil has already been absorbed into your skin and can't spread. Afterwards, apply the calamine lotion to help cool the exposed areas, and reduce itching. It's also a good idea to thoroughly rinse the item you watched yourself with, just in case some trace amounts of oil got on it, but this generally won't happen.The idea of a cold compress will also help, as the cooling action reduces the itchy feeling. There are also some over-the-counter lotions that have hydrocortisones in them, which will help reverse the poison ivy. This can be used for small rashes.If the rash is large, or is on the face, genitals, covers more than 30% of the body, or persists after 1-2 weeks of home-based treatment (using lotions, etc) go see a physician. They will almost always give you a prescription for oral cortisones, or sometimes an injection if the case is truly severe, which will eliminate the poison ivy anywhere within a 1-3 week period.

Edited March 26, 2008 by Moogler (see edit history)