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reno
Jun 24, 2007, 4:48 PM
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crazy_fingers84 wrote: Is there really a difference between Poison Ivy and Poison Oak, or is just different names for the same plant?
Yes, they're different plants.
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silentwarior125
Jun 25, 2007, 12:11 AM
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I got into some the about a week ago and its almost gone. I used cotton balls and rubbing alcohol ,as others have stated, and it works great.
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rl23455
Jul 10, 2007, 5:29 AM
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I use Homeopathy. Rhus Tox 200c, it is over the counter medicine, but you have to buy it through the mail.
You can buy 30c at the local natural foods store, but I don't know if it works/is strong enough.
Take it or leave it.
The guy in Portland, if you still have poison oak, pm me, I have a supply.
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drfelatio
Jul 10, 2007, 6:22 AM
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I've used the hair dryer trick and it does relieve the itch temporarily. A hot, hot shower will too. Seems like the heat is the common denominator here. I'll try baking soda and Zanfel next time. Thanks guys!
Really though, someone needs to invent a medication that you can put on BEFORE exposure so you don't get it in the first place. That would be fantastic!
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medicus
Jul 10, 2007, 6:57 AM
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drfelatio wrote: Really though, someone needs to invent a medication that you can put on BEFORE exposure so you don't get it in the first place. That would be fantastic!
http://www.amazon.com/...k-4-oz/dp/B0000Y3C9M
I don't know about this product at all. I've never used it. But I think I recently overheard something about a new poison ivy block being released that was supposed to do what the above product claims to do. I'm not sure about it though.
Just found their webpage too.
http://www.ivyblock.com/ivyblock.php
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drfelatio
Jul 10, 2007, 12:48 PM
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Thanks! I might have to get some of that and try it out! Well, I mean, I'm not gonna jump in a patch of poison ivy just to test the stuff, but you know what I mean!
(This post was edited by drfelatio on Jul 10, 2007, 12:49 PM)
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crunchycon
Jul 10, 2007, 1:29 PM
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billcoe_ wrote: Do any of you have any "cures" or helpful ideas to share?
Acetone, Turpentine, Isopropanol, or any other solvent immediately and repeatedly rubbed on the affected area will dissolve the oil (Urushiol) responsible for the allergic reaction. It isn't soluble in water. Just get some rags, soak them, and rub vigorously. Toss the rag after a couple of passes and grab a new one, so you don't spread the oil. Wear disposable gloves. Repeat. And stay away from open flames when you're doing this.
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blakegt
Jul 10, 2007, 1:48 PM
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carabiner96 wrote: I was under the impression from my professors that poisons like ivy and oak work on a bell curve, with your reactions getting worse with the more exposures you have, eventually getting more mild once you've gotten over the hump. The real difference is that everyones bells are shaped differently; some are so shallow and long that even with repeated exposures it would take an entire lifetime to get a severe reaction; others, like me, have a quick one, where I was wicked allergic as a kid but could now make soap out of it and be fine (kidding...) Same with bee stings, etc...
This makes sense from my experience. I'm not allergic to poison ivy and never had been. When I was a kid a used to pull it up with my bare hands and throw it away so my friends didn't have to get it in it. However, I did get really bad bee stings. First they where getting worse as I got older, then they started getting better. Now I'm fine, I even got stung on the tongue not to long ago and it barely swelled. It that would have happened when I was ten my tongue would've been the size of a tennis ball.
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summerprophet
Jul 10, 2007, 2:31 PM
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medicus wrote: http://www.amazon.com/...k-4-oz/dp/B0000Y3C9M I don't know about this product at all. I've never used it. But I think I recently overheard something about a new poison ivy block being released that was supposed to do what the above product claims to do. I'm not sure about it though.
I have used it. Works about as well as technu. (which isn't very well).
<Edit: Just came across this.
"Scientists have developed a vaccine that can be injected or swallowed. But this is effective only if taken before exposure.">
(This post was edited by summerprophet on Jul 10, 2007, 2:40 PM)
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summerprophet
Jul 10, 2007, 2:37 PM
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crazy_fingers84 wrote: Is there really a difference between Poison Ivy and Poison Oak, or is just different names for the same plant?
As for as exposure, Poison Ivy is the mildest with Poison Sumac being the worst.
(This post was edited by summerprophet on Jul 10, 2007, 2:38 PM)
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ocary
Jul 10, 2007, 3:59 PM
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Ivy Block. I have used it and it worked. Me and PI don't mix well, and I have been known to be miserable for a while each summer except the past couple years being miserable in a cubicle.
I used Ivy Block during a number of adventure races. The only PI I ever got was on my feet. I put Ivy Block on my legs down to the level of my socks, but was lazy and did not take of my shoes/socks. Yup, my legs were clear of PI a few days later, but I got PI blisters on my feet. I treated everything I had on as hazmat after the race so I am confident it was not spread from hands or other gear. Yes, I got PI through my shoes and socks. No PI on my legs or arms.
Therefore, I am a big believer. Rubbing alcohol is good for cleanup after immediate exposure as it breaks down the oil.
N.
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ckirkwood9
Jul 10, 2007, 4:20 PM
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do people really pour household bleach on their skin?
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shockabuku
Jul 10, 2007, 5:07 PM
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Well, I don't know about "people," but I have. Must be something I learned in Pennsylvania.
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medicus
Jul 10, 2007, 5:46 PM
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summerprophet wrote: medicus wrote: http://www.amazon.com/...k-4-oz/dp/B0000Y3C9M I don't know about this product at all. I've never used it. But I think I recently overheard something about a new poison ivy block being released that was supposed to do what the above product claims to do. I'm not sure about it though. I have used it. Works about as well as technu. (which isn't very well). <Edit: Just came across this. "Scientists have developed a vaccine that can be injected or swallowed. But this is effective only if taken before exposure.">
Sweet... I'm assuming there was no more information on that. That is probably referencing what I had heard the other day... I don't know if it were still in the testing stages or if it is going to be released soon. I just heard a similar small mention of it.
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OutrdJunkie
Jul 10, 2007, 6:10 PM
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Oddly enough in Pennsylvania(and I'm sure other states as well) our local drug store(not a chain pharmacy place) has what is called Poison Ivy Pills. They look like little balls of sugar and they taste like it too. I usually take about 3 little tablets a day all through the summer, practically roll in PI during hiking and other activities and I never get it. My whole family uses it and it works like a dream. My Uncle is a Game Warden(please dont hate me) and he is always in PI and he never gets it because he takes the pills. Great stuff.
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billcoe_
Jul 10, 2007, 7:57 PM
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Thank you all for the advice. I went to the local pharmacy and bought everything they had. I have a shopping bag arsenal now ! Jim is heading out tonight to finish pulling oak and shoveling dirt at that top out. (bad day for shoveling, I like to do it in the rain so no one is around).
Earlier, as the itching was almost under control, and I had popped a contact allergy relief pill and the Zanfel was soooo damn expensive, I didn't try the Zanfel this time, saving it for the next emergency!
(yeahhh!)
But, my original note that I tried Technu was incorrect, the product I was thnking of was NOT Technu but was a product called Ivy Stat. A 2 part system with a pre-trip block and a soap for after. I didn't find that stuff effective.
However, I did buy the "Technu Extreme" this itme and applied it after the next ivy exposure @ 30-45 min afterwards and it worked. Be aware that according to the directions on the back you cannot leave the tube laying around in hot weather, so don't leave it in your car on a hot day. I can't even leave it in my bathroom as it gets over 90 degrees all summer cause we don't have AC, so it stays in the basement. The "Extreme" stuff cost me almost $16.00, and I want it to work next time too.
I might try the alcohol/cotton ball thing next time as well.
Crunchyone - I would highly recommend NOT putting acetone on your skin under any circumstances. It's chemical makeup is such that it goes right into your system and can cause cancer. NOT A JOKE. Maybe you can get away with it a few times, but I worked as a painter as a pup, and saw many cases of early cancer in older people who like to clean up with acetone as it worked so well to get oil based paint off of you. It's not worth it.
Hemp22, ho dude! It was a new route at Ozone which topped out. Notice none of the other routes there top out but end at bolted stances:-) ? The top of that area is thick with it, and I'm not done out there yet either. BTW, it was only about @ a year or 2 ago that the last of the Poison Oak at the base got cleared up. It was @ 30-40 feet high and 20" across monster in the middle of the wall. A single stem vine....They pulled it down with a rake on rap and cut off the wrist sized stem with a saw, the remnants were kicked down the hill.
I will say, that this time, the poison didn't seem to stay on top of my skin, but almost seemed to get inside of me to the point where I was feeling bad inside...if that makes sense. I get it all the time, and have for years, but this was different. It didn't seem to me to be just sub-cutaneous, but systemic.
Thanks again to all:
Bill
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cracklover
Jul 10, 2007, 8:56 PM
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Three interesting facts about PI/Oak:
1 - The oil that causes the rash - urushiol, has no effect on most animals. In fact, poison ivy is a favorite food of deer!
Even in humans, the effect is not due to the oil itself. The blisters you get are not caused directly by the oil, but by your immune system, which attacks and kills cells that it thinks have been "infected" by the oil. So what you're actually seeing is dead pussy skin cells. Nice, huh!? The oil in and of itself actually does no harm at all.
Scratching the blisters and then touching other parts of your body does not cause it to spread. Rather, the reason it appears to spread over time is due to a combination of 1 - How much you have on different areas of skin - for example, a larger dose will cause a quicker reaction; and 2 - How thick your skin is in different areas - for example, thin skin between your fingers means it gets down to live skin quickly, while thick skin on your back means it takes a long time.
GO
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jcrew
Jul 10, 2007, 9:27 PM
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you need to get your blood to an alkaline ph. do this by eating and driking green veggie juice. as a long time sufferer, i swear by this.
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riptile
Jul 10, 2007, 10:10 PM
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Don't forget if you bring your dog out the the crag, he/she is susceptible to poison ivy, oak or even sumac. The dog will run or walk off of the trail all through any of it if you're not careful. Keeping it on a leash does help some b/c you know where the animal has been. Be very careful! The oils from the leaves will be on the coat of the dog and touching any vines without leaves is just as dangerous. A friend of mine went climbing outside last week to our local area, which btw is infested with the three types of poison, she took her dog w/ her. Next day, she had hives on her neck.
Zanfel works, but is costly. However, it's much cheaper than a visit to the hospital. Taking a hot shower will only open the pores on your skin causing oils to spread. Cold showers keep your pores from opening. I had it for a month last year and I tried everything. Change/wash your bed stuff and clothes too regularly after you're exposed to it. Look for pictures in books or the internet and recognize the schtuff.
these links might help:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_ivy
http://poisonivy.aesir.com/view/welcome.html
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crunchycon
Jul 10, 2007, 11:44 PM
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jcrew wrote: you need to get your blood to an alkaline ph. do this by eating and driking green veggie juice. as a long time sufferer, i swear by this.
Unless you're severely acidotic, your blood pH is around 7.4, which is already alkaline. Even if you're severely acidotic, it doesn't get below 7, which is neutral.
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crunchycon
Jul 10, 2007, 11:52 PM
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billcoe_ wrote: I would highly recommend NOT putting acetone on your skin under any circumstances. It's chemical makeup is such that it goes right into your system and can cause cancer. NOT A JOKE. Maybe you can get away with it a few times, but I worked as a painter as a pup, and saw many cases of early cancer in older people who like to clean up with acetone as it worked so well to get oil based paint off of you. It's not worth it.
http://www.epa.gov/IRIS/subst/0128.htm
"To date there are no epidemiological studies demonstrating an association between exposure to acetone and increased risk of cancer."
Wet acetone is sold in drugstores as nail-polish remover with no warnings beyond the simple: "ya better not drink this."
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shimanilami
Jul 11, 2007, 12:06 AM
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carabiner96 wrote: The real difference is that everyones bells are shaped differently; some are so shallow and long that even with repeated exposures it woudl take an entire lifetime to get a severe reaction ...
There you go again, talking about your bell curves without providing any pictures. C'mon, Mo, show us your tits ... even if they are shallow and long. I promise that my reaction will not take a lifetime. As for severity? Well, that will depend on the pics.
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yekcir
Jul 11, 2007, 12:12 AM
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For what it's worth, I worked on developing a bouldering area a while back that was covered in poison ivy. After every treck out there, I'd come home and pour corn whiskey over my legs, arms, etc... and never got more than a minor itch. I figure it probably neutralized the oil or something. Rubbing alcohol may have the same effect and is uber cheap.
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jt512
Jul 11, 2007, 1:00 AM
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Wow, this thread is even lamer than the typical training thread.
Jay
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reno
Jul 11, 2007, 1:15 AM
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crunchycon wrote: jcrew wrote: you need to get your blood to an alkaline ph. do this by eating and driking green veggie juice. as a long time sufferer, i swear by this. Unless you're severely acidotic, your blood pH is around 7.4, which is already alkaline. Even if you're severely acidotic, it doesn't get below 7, which is neutral.
There's that, and the fact that an overly alkaline blood state will kick your kidneys around a bit, make them cry for mommy.
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