What works for Poison IVY rash?

[paintballmagnet]

Been using Cortisone, Benadryl cream, Ivy Dry, nothing seem to be doing much good. After a full week of this, I'm about ready to do something drastic! Guess I need to see a Doctor, but it will be next Wednesday before I can get in! Thats four more days of Hell!

[Reb]

There's a few remedies for it. One is dust the area down with cornstarch or make a cornstarch paste by adding some water to it.

Best I've found was what my Cherokee grandfather used on us:
Crack a couple of dozen acorns, white oak acorns are good because they're big. Put them in a pot with about 1 gallon of water and boil'em down to half that amount, uncovered, boil them for several hours. Then strain the water off and cool it and rub it onto the affected area. The tannic acid in the water is what works, it'll stop the itch and dry up the blisters.

[dunkel]

Calamine?

[paintballmagnet]

REB, thanks for the tip. You bet I'm gonna try it. Today. Did find a Dr. this morning, he wrote me a script for some cortisteroid. Calls for six today, five tomorrow, then four, so on and so forth. As for acorns, I can get a five gallon bucket full in my back yard real easy, the trees are loaded. Hey, I once had a dog that loved acorns! Wonder he didn't poison himself he ate so many!

[Black Pete]

Re: What works for Poison IVY rash?

You may also want to try Tea as it has tannic acid also.
By the way nothing is gonna work quick for you, the steriods may get rid of the itch quicker though.
Man I do feel for ya.......good luck

[LEE7.62]

Re: What works for Poison IVY rash?

bleach (full strength on a cotton ball) will dry out the rash. Just dab it on the blisters and the surrounding tissue a few times a day. It isn't pleasant to smell and it will burn like mad if you get it into the broken blisters but it does dry it up in 2-3 days.

[Vulcan]

Re: What works for Poison IVY rash?

Lye soap and Jack Daniels.

Wash the area good in Lye Soap. Dry the area then sit back and drink the Jack Daniels. Repeat until the itch is gone.

[Babyeagle40]

Re: What works for Poison IVY rash?

I have never had a reaction from ivy, oak or summac but the wife breaks out like crazy. She use Avon extra strength anti-persperent(sp) roll on. Can't say it will work for you but its dries her blisters right up.

[ironjaw83]

Re: What works for Poison IVY rash?

the resin itself is not "poisonous". it is designed so that it is highly irritant to the oils in the skin. i heard a doctor say that even if you do touch poison ivy, you can wash the resin off within about ten minutes of contact. obviously, its a little late for that, pbm. it is likely that you are over your case of poison ivy though. an arborist once said that the resin is only active for 24 hrs after it leaves the plant so if it gets on your clothes it can still give you problems up to 24 hrs after contact (personally, you would be better off waiting this 24 hrs before you wash the clothes so you dont risk contaminating other clothes in you washing machine).

[paintballmagnet]

Re: What works for Poison IVY rash?

I've got all these remedies filed for future use. I ended up going to a DR. a total of three times, took all the steroid pills, then the other two trips, had some sort of injections. This was one of the worst three weeks in my life, compounded by the location of the rash! Lets just say that when nature calls while out and about, one needs to really check out the foilage before dropping their britches! I must have used at least a dozen tubes of dyphendrine and cortisone and three or four bottles of Ivy dry and calamine. Once the rash spreads enough to get really bad, nothing and I mean NOTHING works too well!

[TExrat]

Re: What works for Poison IVY rash?

my daughter recently tried garlic, take a couple fresh bulbs and mash them up, put the juice on the affected area, it has worked real good for her

[BISHOP]

Re: What works for Poison IVY rash?

Seriously, I use acetone.
I look at it like an oil that gets under the skin. So I remove the oil....

BISHOP

[bulletcatchR]

Re: What works for Poison IVY rash?

'Ivy Block Lotion' from EnviroDerm before risk of exposure, 'Tecnu' Outdoor Skin Cleanser afterword. I will use Homeopathic poison ivy remedy with good results.

c361

Stan

[Tanklet]

Re: What works for Poison IVY rash?

A. Since it is an oil, try bathing with plain .'Dawn'; you get at the dollar-type stores, near the liquid soap. .'Dawn'. is used to treat animals caught in oil slicks, too.

B. Dab hydrogen peroxide with a cotton ball on the irritated area afterwards, it will reduce the itch and help prevent infection; too.

C. Take benadryl , as needed.

D. Wash affected clothing with .'Dawn'. instead of regular wash powders.

If after ten days, the above treatments have not cured you; you need to go to a doctor.

[Lasergunner]

Re: What works for Poison IVY rash?

Wash the affected area with strong vinegar. Any vinegar should work. 3 or 4 days of repated vinegar washing should do it. Vinegar seems to help draw the poison out in addition to getting rid of the surface oil.

For immediate relief apply a bannana skin to the affected area. Bannanas contain lots of Potassium. It helps to sooth and heal the skin.