poison ivy / alergy in general

[roxynoodle]

Zyrtec does not work for me, Allegra works better. I have not noticed any side affects.

I don't think PI needs to be crushed to get you. The minor reaction I had last summer came while I was siding my house. From the top of the ladder I dropped my tin snips and they landed (of course) in a small patch of it and bounced off. I thought oh ok, they bounced back out, not like I have to reach in to get them. Well the next day I had the blisters where the handles of the snips touched my hand while I was cutting.

My understanding is that for some reason PS is becoming extinct. Maybe it is still alive and thriving down south though. Not in Ohio anymore.

 

[Soundguy]

Soundguy, how does the Zyrtec work for you? I have been given a prescription of it for sinus congestion that I have had for years etc but haven't tried it yet.Can you tell me if it works for you and any side effects. Thanks, Soundguy, I won't take prescriptions until the last option.

The zyrtec works fine for 'outside' alergy type stuff for me.. and if you have congestion.. I'll bet they gave you zyrtec-d.

I sometimes take alegra fro 'indoor' alergy stuff. It works good for indoor.. but not as good for outdoor stuff... same with zyrtec.. seems to be better for outdoor on me.

Zyrtec gives me no side effects or sleeping issues. Alegra.. 95% no side effects.. except that I can't take it right at bed.. got to wait 30 mins or so.. to go to bed after taking it.

For the few alergy items that fall between these two.. I have a nasonex inhailer. I don't like to use it as it is a steroid.. but sometimes I do..

Soundguy

 

[bones1]

Thanks Soundguy.It's not the D version but maybe i'll try it as long as it doesn't hype me up like a buzz saw.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

It's my understanding that alergies can develop over time. For the most part, the more exposure, the more likely you are to become alergic.

Bee stings work this way. You never know when a bee sting will bring anaphylactic shock. Even if you've never had any reaction at all in the past.

Poison Ivy works the same way. You can go for years pulling it up bare handed, then suddenly end up in the hospital after pulling a bunch and be alergic thereafter.

So far, I've been immune, having pulled it by accident with bare hands and not reacting to it, but I'd never do it on purpose. That's tempting fate, and who can trust a dame like that.

Cliff

 

[Soundguy]

I agree. I count myself lucky. i know i have had incedental exposure to PI int he past and just made sure I cleaned good and did preventative creames and meds.. and as others said.. had little to no reaction. And no reaction from PO or PS.

When i was a kid.. ant bites would nearly paralize me.. now.. nada... just a burn at the bite site for a few minutes. then nothing else. except for a red mark for a day or two.

Same with wasps... except wasps don't even leave amark.. after 5 minutes.. can't even tell I was stung... ( and I'm glad too.. there are plenty of ants and wasps in florida!! )

Soundguy

 

[VT_Hokie]

It's my understanding that alergies can develop over time. For the most part, the more exposure, the more likely you are to become alergic.
Cliff

Yep, that is the dogma. I never had a problem with it until I was fixing a downspout for a elderly friend. I was holding on to the corner porch column that had a creeping vine wraped around it, did not even think of identifying it as I just thought it was a planted vine. Two days later with a terrible rash I went back and realized I was climbing around in the biggest poison ivy bush I had every seen.

I did a little research that may answer some questions...

Urushiol is the irritant and for simplicity it is described as an oil.

Yes there are different types and when you get exposed it is a mixture of these different types. I would postulate that the ratio is based on the genetic make up of a given plant plus also the time of year/ grow phase of the plant.

Urushiol has a high boiling point and is stable, which means that it can persist on equipment and clothing for at least a year. This means that even if the plant is dead you still can come in contact with the oil (the oil is in the whole plant, roots and all). The last time I had PI was a few weeks ago and I think came from working on the brushhog that was used last in early spring.

It appears that Urushiol will start binding to you skin cells within 15min of exposure. Once it binds it does not migrate to other parts. So when you get a rash and it looks like it is spreading, it really is just other parts that were exposed but to a lesser degree and it has taken longer for you to develop a rash in these areas.

What to do if exposed? Some say soap and water and some say not. The thing to keep in mind is that you do not want to irritate the exposed area. So a hard scrubbing should be advoided. A follow up with Tencnu or Zanfel immediately would be prudent. On the chemical side, Zanfel is suppose to be a better product but I have never used it. How about bleach? I guess something is better than nothing but by using it you are peeling off your outer most skin which can lead to irritation of the area.

Since it takes a while to develop the rash, advoid a one dose of regiment of antihistimines. Once you start taking them stay with them.

Hope this helps...

 

[shepherd]

so far i have never had a reaction and i layed down in the stuff to hide lol so who knows

 

[NewToy]

I get it bad, always have. When I have to expose myself to that stuff I dress accordingly. While weedeating a hillside that had a prolific crop of the "evil weed" it's long pants, long sleeves, long socks, gloves, hat and safety glasses. I also stop every four hours or so and take an extended shower slathering the "Tecnu" in the event the PI oil has permeated any of my protective clothing. It's not always possible to avoid the stuff but I can limit my exposure. Cutting trees is another chore that really can have you in the thick of it. I follow the same drill as when weedeating. My wife used to be immune to it and just in the last few years has been contracting it with increasing frequency. She used to snatch it out by the roots and roll it in but those days are gone. Her father and one of her brothers are still immune but her other brother is hypersensitive like myself.
john

 

[Soundguy]

Makes you wonder what is going on in our immune system that our alergies come and go year to year..

Soundguy

 

[oliver28472]

A European Hornet landed on my thumb the other day. We have always thought they were Japanese Hornets but for some reason, I did a google search on Japanese Hornets and came up with a National Geographic video. (I highly recommend) Other hits on google indicate there are actually no Japanese Hornets in the US. Anyway, after being scared by this video, one of these Euro-hornets landed on my thumb while I was painting the bottom edge of my garage door. I jumped back, flopped my left hand all around, took my cap off and swatted at the hornet. He flew out away, turned around and looked at me a second or two then left. He was slightly over an inch long. The research told me they are not normally agressive towards humans and are the only true hornet in the US.