Need Help ASAP for Poison Oak

Has jewelweed leafed out yet? I am trying to find some because I am covered in poison oak and nothing is working to heal it.
Please help!
Thanks, Jocie.

Gosh, I hope you get some relief, Jocie. Have you tried the routine things - calamine, colloidal oatmeal, etc.? I read here that impatiens have the same properties, just not as strong. http://www.altnature.com/jewelweed.htm
Good luck,
Kathleen

Thanks Kathleen.
Im trying the oatmeal tonight, if it doesnt work Im calling the Dr. better safe than sorry, lol.

You better believe it! Too many bad infections popping up nowadays.

There was an article in one of my gardening magazines, and along with jewel weed they mention a couple species of Plantago that can work too, maybe you can find some of those around instead. Personally I'd probably call the doctor and get some prescription anti-itch stuff.

That's me - I'm a wimp!

Im using dermaplast and bactine sprays for the pain. That dermaplast is good stuff, I used it on my stitches after having the baby.
It's starting to clear up so im trying to avoid going to the dr, lol.
I think my Fibro makes illnesses/injuries take longer to heal.
Thanks guys!
Ill look up that plant ecrane.

Oh, heck, inflammatory diseases make everything worse! Been there, done that. Glad you found something that would help.

My SIL gave me zinc oxide he used on the horse's injury. It helped wiith the itch. I thought it worked better than the tube for people. I had poison ivy.

Diaper rash ointment has that in it. Im gonna try to add a bit to mine. It's still giving me heck.
Seriously thinking about the dr, LOL.
Ive got it other places but this IS a family forum. (LOL!)
Heres whats on my neck.

Edited to add OINTMENT, LOL!

This message was edited Apr 12, 2008 9:54 PM

I went through the same thing a few weeks ago. The pharmacist steered me to Hydrocortisone. It worked. Mine was on arms and stomach and didn't get on my neck.

Since your rash is so high on your neck, it is possible you may have also inhaled some of the poison. I don't mean to scare you, but if that happens, it can become a serious problem. I would seek medical help. You may need to go to the ER since it is the weekend. It may be the kind of thing that you should not wait until Monday to attend to.

I hope I am not scaring you, but I think early intervention is better in your case.

Good luck! Charlene

Oh man, I am trying every possible way to avoid a Dr visit, lol. I still owe the ER like $500.00 from my last accident. :-(
I don't think I inhaled any, I think I got it on my neck when I was sleeping and my hand/arm was under my chin.
If it gets even a lil bit worse I will go.
Thanks!
-Jocie.

You need to wash every item you touched when you had touched the poison ivy/oak.
Even wash your bedding, and especially clothing, towels, washcloths, etc. That stuff stays active on surfaces that it came into contact with and can be recontaminating you if you touch them.

It is like an invisible powder that just remains until washed away. I used the highest heat on my dryer to be sure to kill all of it.

Since you didn't inhale any of it, just watch out for any ooziness that may become inflamed possibly causing infection.

Unlike I had been told you can't get it on additional parts of your body by scratching and then touching another place. New places may show up, but it is just your system reacting at different times unless you are re-exposing yourself by touching something that was contaminated by the poison.

You can take benadryl at night to help you sleep without itching.

I am so sorry you are going through this. I know how you feel.


Best of luck,
Charlene

You should see a doctor. He'll put you on a Hydrocortisone regiment of pills and give you a cream that works better than the over-the-counter ones. It really helps to dry out your rash, relieve the itch, and shorten your recovery. Your rash could hang around for weeks and even leave scars. My daughter has scars from her bout with poison ivy. She didn't go to the doctor. Is there a clinic nearby, someplace other than the expensive ER visit? I feel for you. You must be sooooo uncomfortable.

One other thing that will give you some relief is to take a hot shower and get the water so hot you can barely stand it. Run the hot water on your affected places. It tends to give a lot of relief temporarily and may even speed the healing possibly.

When I had the stuff I took two or three hot showers a day because it was so comforting.

People who have never had the stuff have no idea how miserable it can be.
When I had it a few weeks ago, I had never had a problem with it before and therefore had no idea that I would be bothered with it.

I watch for it now like a hawk!

I think you can avoid the cost of a doctor as long as you don't let it get infected. The doctor could definetly make you more comfortable quickly if you can afford to go. I for one had no insurance and just the office visit is $65 and I know he would have added meds to that. If I had to do it over again, considering the costs and my outcome, I would tough it out. That's just me. I am a tight wad about medical costs as much as possible.

If I had insurance, believe me I would have gone to the doctor. So, using those guidelines make the decision that works best for you.

One warning though, it does take a couple weeks to cure it. A doctor can give you a steroid shot plus a hydrocortizone cream prescription and it will go away a lot faster.

Take heart either way this too shall pass!

Charlene

Thanks so much guys!
It was driving me mad last night I was nearly in tears because of the burning. Almost went to the ER.
Then I found some betadine and used it with some antibiotic cream.
I am happy to say either that or me begging god seems to have made it clear considerably!
It's all itchy from healing but thats okay, it's better than the acid burning sensation! LOL
Thanks so much ya'll!!
-Jocie.

Sounds a lot like my eyes when I got latex in them. Worst thing I have ever gone through and I can't warn people enough to be careful when dealing with plants that have the stuff - like euphorbias. I've read that even the fumes can cause burning and pain - and worse. The first thing the drs office asked when I called was if I had been handling plants - then they told me what to do - rinse, rinse, rinse all day. They told me to call back if that didn't help. The only time I had relief was when the drops were running into my eyes, then it would start again. That lasted for two or three days, then slowly it resolved.

http://www.theamateursdigest.com/epoisons.htm

Oh my!! crimsontsavo, I hope you are getting better by the minute.
kaperc, I moved an Euphorbia today and now you are making my eye twitch!! LOL, the power of suggestion!

Be careful, Angele, no kidding! All I did was plant a little cactus/succulent bowl that had the pencil plant in it - didn't cut anything or break the plant that I know of. But since I didn't even know what a Euphorbia was at the time, who knows? Scary stuff.

looks like it is in your blood stream and if so then like me, you will have to get a shot or take steroids for it that is the only way i could get rid of mine,i hope you get relief soon,i know what youre going through i can look at it and get it lol good luck and let us know if it goes away!!!!!!!!!

Yay! It is clearing up more everyday. Id say in a week Ill be nearly all better lol.
My neck is almost better too.
Im glad I didnt have to go to the Dr lol.
Thanks for your concern.
Jocie.

Glad to hear it!! Bet you will be glad when the whole experience including the itching fades into a distant memory.

I am really glad to here your doing better, I didn't know about Jewelweed before this thread... yesterday I put a note on my wife's desk.. (I am very forgettfull at times..) Orange Jewelweed.. Must Get!!! Thank you for opening my eyes to this wonderfull medical plant.

How terrible! I myself am doing battle with poison ivy. I have been working on our tree-line which is overrun with the stuff. I did most of the killing in the fall after the leaves fell, but the roots are alive and well and trying to send up new shoots, not to mention the dog digging through them after ground hogs!

I am super allergic and have gotten break outs from the dog and even just from the air in the spring. But I have found a system that works to get rid of the rash, and for me to relatively safely deal with the plants.

1. If I know that I am going to be working with it, or might have been exposed, I will wash with Tecnu, an over the counter wash, that helps remove the urushiol, evil oil, from the skin. The Tecnu is basically mineral spirits so you could probably use that too if you had it lying around and didn't mind putting it straight on your skin. I also dump all my clothes into the washer asap.

2. If I still get a rash, I go for Corticool hydrocortisone gel. It has menthol in it which makes it absorb better than the prescription creams IMO and experience. I wouldn't waste my time or money on any other cortisone cream even the prescription strength, and I buy it on the internet when I can't get it at a local store. The more often you use this the faster it will heal the rash. It does not do a darn thing for the itching though. Which brings me to...

3. For the itching I use a combo to Benadryl gel, and Ivy-dry. The old standbys calamine lotion, oatmeal baths, etc. don't do a darn thing for me. There is a new product, Zanfel too. I haven't tried it as it costs about $30 for a small bottle, but my mom swears by it now. It seems to me to do the same thing as the Tecnu, but just costs more. I guess it is still cheaper than a doctor visit, so do with that info what you will.

With diligent use of the Corticool I have gotten a softball size rash to go away in just two days, to do this I did use more than the recommended number of applications. Way more.

If this sounds regimented and specific, it is because I have had to do battle with poison ivy so much. I pretty much get it every spring as it so overwhelms the landscape here. I have also had some terrible experiences when my nursing toddlers have brought it places that should never see poison ivy, so I have gotten very practiced at making it go away fast.

Best of luck, and may the poison ivy plant perish from the earth, or at least from my part. ;)

HERE HERE! lol Go away bad plants!
I just read they are bigger and stronger than ever because of global warming. Such a nice thing, UGH!

I will look into everything you just posted for my next breakout lol.
Thank you SO much!

You know those lucky gardeners whom inherit the right gene are immune to poison oak/ivy, I've never had a reaction and I am a rough and tumble, running through the weeds at night kinda wild guy. One way that you can build a natural immunity to the Alkaloids present in such flora is to allow livestock, particularly goats, who don't mind eating it, and then consume the goat's milk. Similarly, consuming local honey will help any pollen based allergy. I feel for you girl, I would share my medicinal plants with you, but TN is a long way from OR. Still you seem like too nice a lady to deserve such suffering, I hope it gets better soon. Another tip, if you think you have handled it or come in contact, don't touch the affected area because you can spread it to more tender, less deserving areas. Hope you feel better soon. Hit me up for a trade and I'll hook you up. Slipperman

The chemicals in poison oak/ivy are a sensitizer, which means you can become allergic to it over time with repeated exposure even if you weren't allergic to it originally. So it sort of works the opposite of things that you can work up an immunity to, here if you expose yourself more often you're increasing the chances that you'll develop a sensitivity to it. Some people still may never develop an allergic reaction even after years of exposure, but many people will become sensitive to it so I'd always try to control exposure.

This can be true, however; when consuming raw goats milk, the alkaloids have been impacted in such a way that your immune system gets a jump on what works to break down the compounds. No matter how reactive one is to poison oak/ivy, one will not react to the partially intact compounds found in the milk. Thus one's immune system is a step ahead of the game. In the same breath you are very much correct and those with compromised immune systems are more vulnerable than healthy individuals. These become moot points; so few people even have access to quality raw milk. A healthy, naturally immunized raw milk drinking body will always have an edge. There's some very compelling research published about the benefits of that most natural source of milk. These are peer reviewed scientific papers, pretty cool stuff, check it out, there are resources to find fresh raw milk from farmers in your area. Here are the links: http://www.realmilk.com/abstractsmilk.html. Another great resource is found at www.westonaprice.org/children/rawmilk.html. Besides raw milk just tastes better. I will try to find some links about the power of local honey too. Everyone go try a nice glass of raw goat's milk, for you have not lived if you have never had the pleasure.

I'm allergic to milk, won't touch the stuff! :-)

I used to not be allergic....I would pull the stuff from the trees etc. with my bare hands....LOL.. until one day...... I tried everything and the only thing that helped was getting a shot.. I do have insurance.. Thank God! That was about 12 yrs. ago, and now I am more careful, and thankfully only get a little.. which I can handle. But when I was litterally covered in the acid burning mess... I would saturate cotton balls... even washclothes.. in vinegar.. and believe me I tried every over the counter thing that was out there. Vinegar was sooo cooling... I can still remember the instant relief.. it is that good! But it is temporary... and you have to keep reappling.. but who cares if it works?..lol aloe vera helped some too.. especially with the scarring..

I've heard jewelweed works really well. Sorry about the dairy allergy, my lady is a celiac, gluten intolerance, so I feel you. Best of luck ecrane3, may your garden flow over.

Might think I am crazy... I have always put chlorox on a paper towel or white wash rag and put it on!! Works miracles!!!
deb

Reading this thread a wee bit after the fact--BUT-- I swear by "technu" soap. A pharmacist recommeded this to DH many years ago. I live in the middle of the woods and am literally in poison ivy up to my knees daily. This soap will remove the oils up to 8 hrs after exposure. Before showering I lather up the affected parts--usually my legs & feet since I live in shorts & sandals--wait the 5 min and then shower. I have had 1 minor break out (an area about 1 1/2 inch long by 1/2 inch) this summer. This (I am sure) is because the soap is so effective I honestly thought I was immune and stopped using it. It also helps if you have already gotten the rash. In any event I got mine at "Freds" it was $10 for 12oz, a little goes a long way so this will last the rest of the summer.

Zanfil works too i have had poison ivy and really bad allergic to it and this stuff dries it up really good u use it in the shower though as it draws out the poisons and then you wash it off but expensive. little tub cost like 30 dollars at walmart. its over counter doc told me about it while taking predisone for my reaction. used it after without pred and worked then too.

http://www.zanfel.com/help/ just costs