Okay, I have a mild tolerance for poison ivy -- meaning sometimes it bothers me, and sometimes it doesn't.
On my farm I often have to mow an area that has quite a bit of poison ivy along the edges. Usually I wear jeans and boots, etc and it doesn't affect me much. I also take a Benadryl before I mow to inhibit my histamine reaction.
However, a couple weeks ago I was stupid and went over to the area with the riding mower while wearing shorts, and having not taking Benadryl, so I began to have the normal poison ivy reaction the next day -- mostly bothering my legs.
My question -- someone said yesterday there is a new shot or medication available that will clear it up quickly??? I've had this on my legs for nearly two weeks now, and it doesn't seem to be clearing up as fast as previous times. Each night, when it is really bugging me, I put on Calydrl Clear, and take a Benadryl before going to sleep (also a great sleep aid, that is!), which makes it bearable -- but I can't get it to go totally away.
And I really need to go out and mow that area again, but am reluctant to do so until this clears up.
posted
Farmgirl, I know about nothing new that would help with this. (So sorry! Sounds icky.)
Good thorough washing with soap (make sure you wash clothes, tools and shoes, too, as they carry the oils & can re-expose you!), antihistamine, ice cubes to temporarily sooth itch/burn (only for a few minutes at a time). Benedryl makes a creme, too, that wouldn't make you sleepy. Other than oatmeal baths, calamine, etc (the sort of stuff you are already doing), the only thing I can think of is prednisone through your physician.
A corticosteroid can calm down the body's allergic reaction, and it can be given in shot form (though no need to in a case like this, as far as I can see), but it does need to be physician-supervised. There are mild over-the-counter steroid creams you could try, too, but the kinds you can get without a prescription are usually too mild to really help.
[You could also have a bacterial superinfection -- have you tried Neosporin or another antibiotic ointment? If there is honey-colored crusting, that would be my next bet. (Impetigo) ]
Any other ideas? I'd love to learn about the new md. Speed, Alucard?
Well, I get this every year, so it isn't a huge deal, and I thought I knew every trick in the book, but this year it is just more stubborn. Maybe with all the rain we've had the ivy is more potent this year.
(We all always wish there was a fast miracle cure for everything, don't we?)
posted
Oh, good grief, hang around for the pharmacists. there is a lot I'm out of the loop on. Maybe change the title to attract them? (like butterflies to nectar ... )
Note: I also added impetigo to the list of things above for consideration. (see last post) I can find a link for you if you want more info on that, but having raised 3 kids, you might be quite familiar with it.
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quote: The rash and itching usually go away in 2-3 weeks. Treatment should be continued at least this long because the rash can come back if medicines are stopped too soon.
Well, this was on the link you gave me. Perhaps I just being too impatient!?? But I really need to mow again!
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If it isn't getting any better, I'd think about whether it is more than just poison ivy. If it is getting better, I'd try to hold on and maximize comfort measures. I would expect it to at least show some signs of improvement by now.
No chills, fevers, anything systemic, right? Just (just ) the itchy rash?
Poison ivy sucks.
[ September 23, 2004, 12:41 PM: Message edited by: Sara Sasse ]
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posted
Any chance one of your kids would take over mowing duties until you're recovered? You have my sympathy, by the way--poison ivy isn't much fun from what I've seen. Luckily, I seem to be immune to it (although I still try to avoid it as much as possible. I've read that repeated exposure increases a person's sensitivity to it).
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quote: I've read that repeated exposure increases a person's sensitivity to it
I keep hoping just the opposite, Noemon. I keep thinking that if I have to do this summer after summer for long enough -- eventually my hisatime system will say "that old stuff again? Oh that's nothing -- I'm not going to react."
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Well, the allergic reaction is your body's immune system going crazy. Since each time it gets better at fighting it, it seems repeated exposure would make it worse.
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Since you were running around in shorts when the rash first came up, are you still doing so? Cuz Benedryl/diphenhydramine and other drugs used for treating poison ivy can increase the skin's sensitivity to the sun, especially if applied topically as a creme/etc. So you may be suffering new rashes/blistering from the double whammy of the sun hitting the benedryl/etc-sensitized area previously affected/sensitized by only the poison ivy.
If benedryl/etc is being used -- especially topically -- start wearing long loose-fitting pants and/or applying a non-waterproof sunscreen*. Loose-fitting and/or non-waterproof cuz it is recommended that one should not cover a benedryl-treated area with bandages or cosmetics. My assumption being that if the effect of bandages or cosmetics is negative, tight clothing which clings to the skin or waterproof sunscreen would be equally negative.
* Always check about whether it is okay to use sunscreen along with the drug/salve/creme/etc.
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Dagonee and Bookwyrm are right: reaction to poison ivy tends to get worse upon each new exposure. So you are gonna hafta be a lot more careful the next time you knock down the poison ivy. You don't even wanna sensitize yourself to the point where you go into anaphylactic shock.
If you've gotta cut the stuff again: Apply IvyBlock to your skin before starting. Wear gloves, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt. Wear a good tight-sealing dust mask. Have someone watch you from upwind, just in case. Have an EpiPen (ephinephrine injector) handy, and make sure your watcher knows how to use it. The last thing ya wanna do is to find out that you can't breathe, and there ain't no quick emergency treatment available.
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Gotta wait for spring cuz by the time autumn colors show up, its to late to do safely&effectively, but... ...maybe it's time to kill off the poison ivy with a herbicide on the area you keep mown, and have someone else handle, remove, and haul it away. Even after the ivy is dead, the urushiol that produces the allergic reaction is still there. Don't let it dry out too much before getting it hauled away. Dry poison ivy and poison ivy dust is as nasty as the live plant; and you don't want to inhale even small amounts of it. DO NOT BURN POISON IVY/oak/sumac. The urushiol mixes with the smoke, and can shut down your ability to breathe. Blisters/rash on skin is nasty, but it ain't nothin' compared to blistered eyes, throat, and lungs.
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I thought this thread was going to be about your daughter being bratty. Might make a good new sn for her.
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Sounds icky.)![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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) the itchy rash?![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
FG
