Poison Ivy/Oak

[Don87]

A friend of mine has a vacation home near me that I have been taking care of for quite a few years now.

A couple weeks ago, his brother decided he was going to tackle clearing some of the bank back with a weedeater. I went down to mow the yard yesterday, and wasn't prepared for what I found.
Poison Ivy and poison Oak growing, in the yard, up to 20 feet away from the bank. With the wind blowing the way it was, I ended up with a little bit of a rash on my face and neck.

About 20 years ago I was weedeating, without safety glasses, and ended up inadvertantly cutting poison ivy and getting it into my eyes. I wore eye patches, and use a cane to feel my way around for 2 weeks over that incident.


Lot's of safety concerns to be aware of here.........be careful out there.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

I can't help you with your eyes, but if you get it on your skin, make and apply a past out of Tide or some other enzyme laundry detergent. Wash it off and your chances of getting a reaction go way down.

 

[Bird]

inadvertantly cutting poison ivy and getting it into my eyes. I wore eye patches,

I sure understand that, Don. When I was a kid, I figured I was immune, climbed trees with it, walked through it, etc. But I'll never forget helping Dad string a barbed wire fence along the creek when I was about 11 years old, stapling the wire to trees. And I pulled some poison ivy off a tree to get it out of the way. That might have been alright, if I hadn't then got a tiny piece of bark in my eye, so I rubbed it out with my fingers. A day or two later, I went to the doctor on my bicycle and danged near couldn't see enough to ride that bike home. And I was no longer immune; could get it just by getting too close to it.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

make and apply a past out of Tide or some other enzyme laundry detergent. Wash it off and your chances of getting a reaction go way down.

Or use something like this:

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Labs-Tecnu-Outdoor-Cleanser-12-Ounce/dp/B000A7S3WK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338772870&sr=8-1[/ame]

 

[TRR]

That "Tecnu" stuff is also available at walmart. (And it actually reduces the severity of the reaction.)

 

[milkman636]

Tecnu works well if you follow the directions. The same company makes a product called Calagel that cools and soothes the itch.

Round Up's "Tough Brush Killer" kills the stuff in about a week after spraying.

 

[CurlyDave]

That "Tecnu" stuff is also available at walmart. (And it actually reduces the severity of the reaction.)

I have found from experience that Go-Jo, or any mechanics hand cleaner works very well after exposure to Poison Oak/Ivy. Get the gritty kind (with pumice), not the slimy kind and your results will be as good or better than Technu.

Think about it--the rash producing component is an oil, and mechanic's hand cleaner is designed to remove oil and grease. I use it everywhere, not just on my hands.

 

[rswyan]

I use it everywhere, not just on my hands.

Dave,

I seriously hope you aren't going to expound on this any further ....

 

[Yooperman]

I have always been allergic to Poison Ivy. About 5 years ago I got a really bad case of what my allergist and I thought was poison ivy on my legs and arms and figured I accidentally hit some while weed whacking that week. I can spot Poison Ivy at 10 feet and I was much more careful next whacking time. But, this did not stop the need for another trip to the allergist from a bad reaction. This happened numerous more times until I was positive I was not whacking any Poison Ivy and my allergist was positive I didn't know what Poison Ivy look like! :laughing:

Long story short... maybe 15 years ago I planted English Ivy all around the place as ground cover. About 5 years ago I started a couple of new prescription meds. Apparently one of my meds increased my sensitivity and I am now also allergic to English Ivy. :confused2: I finally discovered this when I wasn't whacking but pulling some English Ivy out with my hands. According to my allergist, I am one of the lucky extremely small number of such individuals. I stopped whacking around the English Ivy and got no more allergic reactions. I have just about all my English Ivy eliminated, now. Too bad, I really liked it.

It's a dangerous world out there. I guess Poison Ivy and English Ivy really are related! Who knew??? :laughing:

 

[NorTracNY]

I own acres of PI. I've found Zanfel works better than Technu if you don't wash it off within the first few hours. But Zanfel is fairly expensive. ~$30/ounce with does about 20 limbs (arms/legs). The also make ivy blocks which you put on like sunscreen when you know you're going to be working with the stuff. That is cheap and works great.

 

[kco]

I sure understand that, Don. When I was a kid, I figured I was immune, climbed trees with it, walked through it, etc. But I'll never forget helping Dad string a barbed wire fence along the creek when I was about 11 years old, stapling the wire to trees. And I pulled some poison ivy off a tree to get it out of the way. That might have been alright, if I hadn't then got a tiny piece of bark in my eye, so I rubbed it out with my fingers. A day or two later, I went to the doctor on my bicycle and danged near couldn't see enough to ride that bike home. And I was no longer immune; could get it just by getting too close to it.

I had about the same thing happen to me, Bird. Never a problem until around 14 years old and then got a tremendous reaction. My face swelled up like a balloon and I was covered with blisters. My face was so swollen that my eyes were just slits and I could hardly see. It was one of the only times I missed school, and I missed an entire week. I recall getting a not as bad reaction the next year.

But the year after that the doctor tried a new serum injected into my arm. My arm swelled and itched like crazy for a few days but it seemed to work. I think I got those injections each spring from about 1958 to 1966 (when I moved to a different province). I never had a problem with poison ivy since the first injection on. I'm not sure it it was the injection or if I just grew out of the reaction to poison ivy.

 

[JamesHW]

Not very susceptable myself, but my wife is. Even secondary contact results in terrible blisters for her. The Technu stuff appears to work well, but we have had luck using Fels Naptha soap which is available at the grocery store. We keep a few bars near sinks in the house and the standing order is to wash all exposed skin after any weeding or yard work. It seems to wash the urushiol right off and can be used to remove the residual urushiol off clothing which can be a problem for some time after exposure.

Note that the link states that it can be an irritant to some folks.

 

[RoMad]

I have never been very allergic to poison ivy. One time many years ago I was cleaning out an old shed and it had poison ivy vines growing through holes in the wall to the inside. I pulled them out and put them on my fire. I had been working shirtless and that evening I noticed a few small red places on my chest but really didn't pay much attention. Later that night my wife and I went to bed and one thing led to another and well you know....
Well the next morning her stomach and chest was so broken out she had to go to the Dr. to get it taken care of. I put 2 and 2 together and figured out where she got it. The bad part was, she figured it out too:laughing:

 

[NorTracNY]

I have never been very allergic to poison ivy. One time many years ago I was cleaning out an old shed and it had poison ivy vines growing through holes in the wall to the inside. I pulled them out and put them on my fire. I had been working shirtless and that evening I noticed a few small red places on my chest but really didn't pay much attention. Later that night my wife and I went to bed and one thing led to another and well you know....
Well the next morning her stomach and chest was so broken out she had to go to the Dr. to get it taken care of. I put 2 and 2 together and figured out where she got it. The bad part was, she figured it out too:laughing:

This is the safety forum so let me be clear...

NEVER BURN POISON IVY!!!!!
The oil will be in the smoke and can get in the lungs and actually kill people.

 

[jonyyuma]

This is the safety forum so let me be clear...

NEVER BURN POISON IVY!!!!!
The oil will be in the smoke and can get in the lungs and actually kill people.

This happened to us 20 years ago, while clearing brush and cutting wood..Someone else threw the Ivy into the fire, with a brush blower...We never touched any of it, but it covered all of us for a spell..we never cut wood near another brush site..

 

[RobertN]

We have Technu at all of the fire stations in our district. Wildland firefighting, you're gonna get it either in the field, or while washing hose that was drug through it.

I my 48 years getting Poison Oak, I have found my Grandmothers old fashiioned lard/lye soap works best, Technu second.

For relief, short of shots, fresh Aloe is best; we have ome growing on the patio... Break off a small piece, and rub it on the affected area.

Remember, the oil lasts a long time. I have got it off the tractor weeks after I was out mowin where there was poison oak.

Best way to get around it? Move above 3500'. At least for poison oak, it ranges from sea level to ~3500' elevation.

 

[Don87]

This is the safety forum so let me be clear...

NEVER BURN POISON IVY!!!!![/SIZE]
The oil will be in the smoke and can get in the lungs and actually kill people.

This point can't be stressed enough. Most people aren't aware of the dangers of burning poison Ivy/Oak/Sumac.

I'm a truck driver, and I frequently must drive through areas that are on fire. I do my best to hold my breath while driving through smoke filled areas. Keep in mind, that you have no idea what was in that house/barn/field that is burning and you are breathing.

 

[Don87]

I had about the same thing happen to me, Bird. Never a problem until around 14 years old and then got a tremendous reaction. My face swelled up like a balloon and I was covered with blisters. My face was so swollen that my eyes were just slits and I could hardly see. It was one of the only times I missed school, and I missed an entire week. I recall getting a not as bad reaction the next year.

But the year after that the doctor tried a new serum injected into my arm. My arm swelled and itched like crazy for a few days but it seemed to work. I think I got those injections each spring from about 1958 to 1966 (when I moved to a different province). I never had a problem with poison ivy since the first injection on. I'm not sure it it was the injection or if I just grew out of the reaction to poison ivy.

I wish I would have had slits to see through. I awoke at about 2am, in extreme pain, and my eyes were swollen completely shut, to the point that I couldn't even pry them open.

 

[Halftrack]

I and poison ivy have fought for many a year now with me always regretting the battle. Another method I found to do battle is to have the dog along out in the woods, carry the oil on her feet back to the truck seat and me wondering why I have poison ivy after wearing shorts in the truck. The moral of the story is to keep a blanket, towel or rug for the dog to sit on and wash it often this time of year and to wash her feet back at the house. I have it on my right forearm now. Console armrest?

 

[JoelD]

I am allergic, was not allergic until I hit 40, now very allergic. The only relief I've found from the itch is hot water. Applying supper hot water to the itchy area burns off the histamines (what makes you itchy). Let me tell you, for a minute or two, it is the most intense itchy sensation you'll ever feel, I actually can't stop moving it is so intense. But, once done, you won't itch again for hours until the histamines build up again.

It is the only way I've been able to fall asleep.

Amazing how strong a reaction can be to a plant.

Joel