Poison Ivy
 

Man I HATE this stuff. Does this evil plant only grow in the Northeast US? Do you guys have it in Canada? Australia? Anywhere else?

When I was a kid, I took for granted that children the world over had to learn to contend with this, then I moved to Korea and had people look at me like I was crazy when I told them about this plant with its funky oily three leaves.

I think I laid my bike down in some, and the oil got on the handles and then on me. I didn't even touch any plants last time I was out. Grrrrr.

It doesn't grow in California. Instead, we have Poison Oak which has the same type of poison and gives the same type of rash. I hate it too. One of the few species I'd be happy to see go extinct.

I seriously haven't touched poison ivy, but yes, in more rural areas here, it's alive alrite. It's alive.

For what it's worth, as long as you wash off the afflected area within 1 hour, you won't incurr an outbreak.... If you are infected with the "poison sap" then take a Benedrill or equivalent to eliminate itching, and also Calimine Lotion to stop the spreading.... Been there, done that.... Unfortunately.

Remember:
Poison Oak = 5 leaves
Poison Ivy = 3 leaves

Yeah I just got a little bit on my one hand and my arm. It's funny 'cause this is my first summer back here in 9 years and I had kind of forgotten about this stuff.

The worst was once when I was a teenager I got it, well, you know, down there. Oooh, not fun.

The only way to get relief is hot (as hot as you can stand) water. Run it over the rash.
The heat brings out the histamines and makes it itch like crazy. Hang in there, and keep increasing the temperature of the water. After a while, your supply of histamines will be depleted, and the itching will stop until your body produces enough to make it start itching again (usually 4-6 hours). This will not, I repeat NOT make the rash spread.

Calamine doesn't work.

I am a land surveyor, and see frequent exposure. I used a homeopathic remedy called Oral-Ivy for a couple years...it's actually poison ivy/oak oil extract (urishiol) that you take orally and build up your tolerance. After a couple summers on that stuff, I didn't have to take any more. I'm immune (or close to it - I don't tempt fate) now.

Diggy18, central PA sure has its fair share of ivy, (that's actually where that Oral-Ivy stuff was produced), but the Piedmont of NC is at least five times worse, based upon my unscientific observations. I feel for you.

It's not native to Australia, but it was introduced for some unknown reason! I've personally not come into contact with it or know anyone who has... After a quick Google search it sure sounds nasty!

Yeah, I havent seen it in South Australia (the State) but when I was in NSW I touched it when I was young, never did it again.

Contray to gasman's post, Calimine Lotion DOES work, and its cheap. The absolute BEST remedy is to blot Chlorox bleach on the rash. It does burn somewhat at 1st, but then never again. Now tell me that Chlorox won't work, Einstein... Been there, done that.

IMO, the absolute worst thing to do would be adding HOT water. Anyone with 1/2 a brain would know better than to add heat to a rash..... Duh.

You didn't by any chance drink some of that Clorox while you were at it, did you? Pour gas on the rash and light it...that will make it stop itching, too.



Well, anyone with a full brain might research the chemical reactions involved with urishiol exposure and act accordingly rather than dousing their body with household cleaners.



Yep.

hot water is the best treatment to relieve itching. i got exposed to poison oak a few months ago and it was killing me, i work in the operating room so i'm scrubbed in surgery for up to 5 hours straight. i was miserable, an ER doctor i know took me into the exam room and proceeded to run my leg under very hot water and told me that it would relieve itching for several hours so that i could go back to work. needless to say it was great the itching was gone for a couple hours and then back to the sink

Luckily i havent come across any in queensland the worst plant i have come across would be stinging nettles. Similar sort of plant, touch it and you will be in pain : )

Btw is there lantana in the US?

We've got tons of poison ivy here. Stinging nettles don't even compare. The stinging nettle pain is instant but goes away very quickly. Poison Ivy, on the other hand, you usually don't even know you've been in contact with it untill a rash has broken out (because if you know you've come in contact with poison ivy, you make damn sure you wash it off). And poison ivy can last up to a week, much worse than stinging nettles.

I've found that Calimine Lotion works pretty well for poison ivy.

Has anybody ever gotten the swimmer's itch? You get it after swimming in certain lakes or rivers if you don't dry your self off immediately after swimming. You can't just lie in the sun and slowly dry off. I used to get that all the time as a kid. Near my cottage, it was so bad that the local pharmacy actually developed it's own lotion to fight it.

What causes the swimmer's itch? Here on the Jersey shore I used to get some stinging from itsy-bitsy jelly fish that you couln't see with your naked eye.

Well you could just be like me and not get poinson ivy. It's great not getting it. I've actually tried to get it once on the legs, ripped up some leaves and rubbed um on my legs. Absolutly nothing happened.

I'm jealous of you FoX, but be careful. From www.poisonivy.us:

"Upwards of 90% of people are allergic to urushiol oil, it's a matter of time and exposure. The more times you are exposed to urushiol, the more likely it is that you will break out with an allergic rash. For the first time sufferer, it generally takes longer for the rash to show up - generally in 7 to 10 days."

Yeah, i still try to avoid the stuff. I was just curious with I was a youngin' :) I'm very happy I don't get it right now.

yea, I got a terrible rash on my knee at the beginning of the summer. it itched so bad, and ended up all over me. I was tracing the contact, it was on my running shoes and their laces, and so I got it on my fingers every time I laced up my shoes. I had litte splotches on my back, hip, shin.

The rash on my knee got infected, and I was perscribed steriod cream that cleared it up really fast. It was healed in a little over a week after I got the cream. I forget the name of the cream though. benadryl sorta works.

Ever get jock itch?....oh wait, forget it!!!

I'm actually one of the lucky few that are immune to poison ivy and poison oak. However, it's been awhile since my last contact and I don't take chances and try to avoid the stuff as much as possible.

L8R