Poison Ivy

[ponytug]

Is this an urban myth? I heard about people burning poison ivy and somehow breathing it into their lungs. Requires days in the hospital?

Not an urban legend. Depending on how bad the exposure is you, a) turn a uniform red all over from a uniform coating of PI, have your eyes swell shut, b) have trouble breathing, c) have a terminal issue with breathing.

a) happened to a camper and counselor at a summer camp that I worked at after the kids piled poison ivy vines on the campfire and the two of them sat down wind. Oral steroids for a week cured it, though the camper was bouncing off the walls with steroids on top of teenage hormones.

Not fun. Also a major issue for western fire fighters and poison oak smoke. I was just about to sign the papers to join our local volunteer fire department when I read the disclaimer on poison oak exposure and realized it wasn't a job for me....

All the best,

Peter

 

[blee03]

I get poison ivy and poison sumac all too often, I try to be careful but my property is loaded with PI. The PS is a little easier to avoid since it almost looks like a small tree with red flowers.

This is what I use to dry it out.
Spray it on the infected area over and over all day, let it air dry completely and do not let clothes run against it. If it’s really bad I’ll put band aids over it and then put my shirt on to go to work or the store. Also no sweating, that makes it 100x worse for me.

Ive used this and seen my skin actually turn so dry it was white and cracking, which seemed to really help in getting rid of the rash.

 

[ruffdog]

Maybe I have this poison plant "immunity". I've always been able to cut wood in thick woods without a issue even when other's were warning about certain plants. Now, if I bale hay for a week, I will break out all over.

 

[TractorGuy]

I consider myself an expert at poison ivy, mainly because I’ve had it so many times, maybe as much as 30 times. I was cutting firewood and there was a vine on the tree, the kind about as big around as a finger and I knew this was poison ivy. So I worked on two trees like this at two different times. A friend was working with me that is immune to it, he took the vines off but I knew I was exposed to it. I washed afterwards with the Technu Ivy Extreme Wash. I got a very minor case, not bad at all. Then a couple of weeks later I split some of this wood and then it got me. This wood had sat outside for a couple of weeks bucked up and had been rained on 3 times.

So a couple of thought/questions. The bad case I got is on my back and side, one area about the size of your hand or bigger. How the heck did I get it there? The doctor was worried it might be shingles but there is no pain and I’m almost sure it’s poison ivy. Second question, anybody have a miracle cure? They don’t want to give me prednisone because of the side affects and I’ve used it several times over the years. I do have a prescription strength ointment that helps some. I have tried about everything. The hot shower helps but only for awhile.

I consider myself an idiot at poison ivy, mainly because I don't give it a thought until I have it all over me. Got into it last week and have my whole right arm infected. I got that damn ravine cleaned out though.

 

[tim711]

Retired firefighter of 30 years on the westcoast and always in the poison oak. Sometimes I would get sever reactions and other times not. Over the years I’ve used all the topical creams, home remedies to steroid injections from my doc. Then got to the point of control the itch and it would clear over the coarse of a couple weeks.
Recently I’ve been working to eradicate the stuff on my property through winter and broke out with a rash on my forearms. Through a friend I found Zanfel (best price on eBay) gave it a try and was amazed at how quick it starts to works, per the directions it’s best to use ASAP but I used it about 4days later and had good results, it also has a long shelf life.
I haven’t been in the stuff and don’t plan to,lol, to see how well it works the second time around but it worked well for me and would say give it a go.
Good luck and stop scratching!!

 

[ning]

Is this an urban myth? I heard about people burning poison ivy and somehow breathing it into their lungs. Requires days in the hospital?

A little bit (like if you weighed it, maybe half a pound?) ended up in a burn pile back pre-tractor days when I had to toss crap on it by hand... I got a few lungfulls of smoke, had a cough for weeks; usually a bit of brush smoke doesn't faze me a bit.

I can imagine the part of my land that's covered with it (vines growing 15' up trees) burning and breathing that smoke could put you in the hospital.

 

[txndncowboy]

Retired firefighter of 30 years on the westcoast and always in the poison oak.

I used to volunteer firefighting and was always worried I might inhale poison oak smoke since that stuff seems to be everywhere in California. And all I have to do is be near the stuff and I seem to get a rash so getting it my lungs seemed likely death to me. Maybe the adrenaline from fighting the fires or sweating so much helped or I just got luck. Probably just got lucky. Now back in Texas I avoid poison ivy but sometimes I'm in it before I realize it. So I strip and jump in our pool if it's summer. In cooler temps I take a cool shower with Fels-Naptha. I've never heard of Zanfel but have a question about it. Fels-Naptha and Zanfels both have "fels" in the name. Is this accidental or a working ingredient? I've never looked at the ingredients in Fels-Naptha, this question is just an observation one.

 

[dodge man]

I ordered some Zanfel, it is kind of pricey, for the next time I get in it. Mine is starting to dry up and feel better.

 

[ultrarunner]

I ordered some Zanfel, it is kind of pricey, for the next time I get in it. Mine is starting to dry up and feel better.

Just a small dab to make a paste for scrubbing...

Suggested it to a friend and said worst ointment ever...

It's a scrub... not ointment... he didn't read!

 

[ultrarunner]

This time of year it is everywhere!