Poison Ivy - Help

[JeepMonkey]

I think I have gotten into some poison ivy, and I have never had it before.  It has been about two weeks.  Instead of getting better, it has gotten worse, and still spreading.

Any suggestions?  Does the shot from the doctor help stop it or just take the itch away?

[SirPeale]

This will sound odd, but here's a way to combat the itching.

Get hot water - as hot as you can possibly stand - and soak the affected area.

Your itching *should* subside dramatically.

Sadly, there is no way to 'cure' poison ivy.  Your skin pretty much has to shed itself to get rid of it.

And it's not spreading, believe it or not (if it is actually poison ivy).  It's degrees of contact with the oil from the plant.  The heavier areas get it worst and earliest, and the least covered the last.

The shot from the doc you're referring to is likely some variety of antihistamine.  If you don't like needles, Benadryl may help.

Advice from Peale - who has never, EVER had poison ivy before.   

[mr.Curmudgeon]

I'm an expert on the ivy. I got it so bad I almost went crazy. Seriously, 5 days with NO SLEEP. Anyhow.

If you've got it really bad, you'll need to go to the doctor and get a oral corticosteroid prescription (pill). I've heard of the shot as well, but my doctor hadn't, so he didn't give it to me. Note: If they don't give you the correct dosage (ie: too smal), the ivy reaction will seem to go away, only to rebound more severely within a week or two. So make sure they take it seriously.

As for the spreading, you may have just gotten it ALL over you initially, but the derma (skin) is thicker in certain areas and it takes longer for those areas to react, so the "infection" seems to spread. The urshiol (the active oil ingredient in the Ivy) bonds to the skin within 2-3 mins. But if you had it all over your body, and then you took a warm shower within that time frame....it most likely spread around even further.

Another thing to be aware of is the oil from the ivy remains on ANYTHING you touched after you first came in from the outdoors. If you pet your animals, it could be on their fur (animals don't react, but the oil stays potent for as long as it's there) This could be another source of continued reaction.

You'll need to wash anything you make have touched after coming into contact with the ivy. That means door handles, etc.

mrC

[USSEnterprise]

I would think that a good shot of cortizone or some other steriod would be enough. Worked for me last year. I guess, different people, different reactions.

[Jabba]

whew! you're lucky mr. C didn't post his poison ivy pic. 

[Dustin Mustangs]

Last summer I got a pretty bad spot of it on my arm and found some stuff at Meijer (My local large chain supermarket) that not only made it go away faster but also stoped the oozzing of... well... whatever that stuff is that comes out.  

I can't remember the name of it, but it was the only foaming liquid in an aresol can that they had that was meant specifically for poison ivy.  Highly recomended if you don't go see a doc.

[Ed_McCarron]

The 'shot' is most likely hydrocortisone, another steroid.  Its an anti-inflammatory, which helps combat the itching.

The hot water - probably not something a Dr would recommend.  The itching is a reaction to the oils from the plant - basically a local inflammation - and heat tends to irritate inflammation.  If it feels like it itches less, it may be because the nerve endings are too busy sending the hot-hot-hot message to deal with the itch message.  At least, thats what my dermatologist said when I told him hot showers helped stop the itch.

A lot of docs will start with the shot, and follow up with a slowly tapering dosage of prednisone (oral) for the following week.  You don't want to stop taking corticosteroids suddenly - your body stops producing them when you take them externally, and you can get royally screwed when all of a sudden the supply is gone.

[Stingray]

I spent several hours last weekend pulling poison ivy up by the roots. I'm one of the lucky daisys who don't really get it, or at least not terribly bad. Sometimes I get a couple tiny spots on my hands, but I've had mosquito bites that itch worse.

-S

[DrewKaree]

I spent several hours last weekend pulling poison ivy up by the roots. I'm one of the lucky daisys who don't really get it, or at least not terribly bad. Sometimes I get a couple tiny spots on my hands, but I've had mosquito bites that itch worse.

-S

So jock itch is more your cup of tea?

[SirPeale]

If it feels like it itches less, it may be because the nerve endings are too busy sending the hot-hot-hot message to deal with the itch message.  At least, thats what my dermatologist said when I told him hot showers helped stop the itch.

Well, yeah, of course that's what's happening.  It works, and it's drug-free.  Works for quite a while, too.

In addition, the relief is nearly immediate, though for about five seconds you'll want to remove that part of your body from itself, but then that goes away altogether.