My 5 children are all infected with poison ivy. We have tried calamine, caladryl, and other various medications, all to no avail, seemingly. Does anybody know of anything else that will help the poison ivy rash dry up and go away? We would prefer to stay away from the doctor and the steroid shots there. We are getting desparate! Thanks

-- Mark Smith (sevensmiths@netzero.net), August 18, 2000

Answers

With children you will have to be careful but I bathe in clorox and water. I think it is supposed to be a gallon to 40 gallon mix but I apply it straight to affected area. It burns so be extremely careful. Hope this helps.

-- Joel Rosen (Joel681@webtv.net), August 18, 2000.

Forgive the spelling but I've used felznapta soap and alcohol .The soap is brown in a rather plain rapper in the laundry aisl .If its to bad I would go to tthe DR .Also some benadryl for the itching.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), August 18, 2000.

You might try oatmeal baths and also putting baking soda in the bath water. A paste of baking soda and water applied to the rash may help dry it up too. I got a lot of good anti-itch suggestions in answer to my chigger itching question. Good luck! Mona

-- Mona (monalea@hotmail.com), August 18, 2000.

I've never had poison ivy, but hubby gets it really bad. He washes the affected area with lye soap, pats it dry, then puts Milk-of magnesia on it. He says it helps dry up the rash. I'd also give them some Benadryl elixer, I know how hard it is for kids not to scratch!

-- Mona (jascamp@ipa.net), August 18, 2000.

Oddly, someone just gave me this little snippet:

POISON - SUMMER ITCHING

A mixture of Peppermint Oil and Lavender Oil work wonders on contact dermatitis from such things as Poison Oak, Poison Ivy or Sumac. Mix 12-24 drops of Peppermint essential oil in one ounce of cider vinegar or witch hazel to help with burning and itching. Add ten drops of Lavender to protect against infection.

-- Joy Froelich (dragnfly@chorus.net), August 18, 2000.

Last time I had a bad poison ivy reaction was 20-years ago. A friend recommended a product called Neoxin, but spelling may not be exact. Some with a wooden tongue depresser you used to break open all eruptions, then applied it. Was an over-the-counter product. Worked very well.

Does anyone know if you develop an immunity to PI over your life. Until that last episode I would get it about once a summer, now don't at all, even though I am exposed to it on a fairly regular basis on the farm.

-- Ken S. in TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 18, 2000.

Look for "Tecnu", a product that decontaminates clothing, skin and tools. Available in the "family size" at your local drugstore. Excellent, consistent results, before and after a breakout.

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), August 18, 2000.

Mark, I have had poison ivy rashes every year of my life. I have tried everything on the market to alleviate the symptoms and speed the drying of blisters. Nothing works as well as my grandmother's home remedy first used on me about the age of six. It is simply vinegar and salt. I mix up a couple tablespoons of salt in a pint of vinegar. It mixes better if the vinegar is hot. Both ingredients have a drying effect, but they are not miracle cures. This stuff will have to run its course. Be forewarned that vinegar and salt is painful to broken blisters. You've heard about salt in the wound. Your first course of action with poison ivy should be avoidance. Spend some time educating your family about poison ivy. They should be able to recognize it a good distance. Make up games to play seeing who can recognize it first. Kids should be taught to recognize it simply by its distinct color. There are times when contact with the vine is unavoidable. I prove that every year. The important thing is to know that you have been infected. It will make a tremendous difference in the severity and duration of rashes and blisters if you will bathe and scrub affected areas thoroughly and immediately after contact. You don't need special poison ivy soaps, just wash thoroughly. Good luck with your fight against the vine.

Note to Ken: I believe there is evidence that we develop a tolerance to poison ivy. My episodes are much less severe than when I was younger. I'm sure part of this is due to avoidance, but I believe that I have developed a small immunity.

-- Jim (catchthesun@yahoo.com), August 18, 2000.

If you can get homeopathic remedies where you are, get Rhus Tox. It is a very common remedy. IT WILL WORK!

-- snoozy (allen@oz.net), August 20, 2000.

What helped me when I would get the rash is VERY hot water - as hot as I could stand it (without burning myself). I would run it over the infected area until it felt extremely itchy - almost til I couldn't stand it - then, remove your person from the water. Blot dry and within a few minutes the itching sensation would nearly disappear - for several hours. Really helped at night before bed. Again, the point is to overload the nerve endings, not end up with 1st and 2nd degree burns! So use hot water with CAUTION!!!

Judi in CT

-- Judi (ddecaro@snet.net), August 20, 2000.

I found out last year that swabbing the affected area EVERY time it itched with rubbing alcohol took care of it in about two days. I have had poison ivy so bad, that I was bedridden from it.This works really well and is very inexpensive. Good luck with it.

-- Doreen (liberty546@hotmail.com), August 20, 2000.

I had it 3 years ago on both arms real bad. Take a dry washcloth and wet a little bit with alcohol. Scrub the poisen ivy bump as hard as you can, and it knocks the little bump off. Every time it you see a new little bump, scrub it and it will go away. This really works. If you wait till it spreads, you still can do this. I had it so bad I couldn't stand it and my friend told me this. I scrubbed till the itching left completely. You end up with little scabs but they go away. It has to be a dry washcloth. This year I got a little on the top of my hands and fingers. Right away I scrubbed them with alcohol as hard as I could and they went away. And this does not make it spread, the alcohol kills it. Hope this helps, Cindy

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), August 21, 2000.

I have used Pinesol straight from the bottle on poison ivy. It does dry it up very quickly but it makes your skin feel kind of leathery for a couple of weeks but that eventually sloughs off and regular skin returns. I was happy with the Pinesol because it stopped the itching right away and cleared it up quickly instead of having to wait for it to run its course. Got this idea from this Forum last year.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), August 21, 2000.

I just posted a remedy for chiggers, it also works well for us for poison ivy and that is to take Benedryl (Or clone) orally and to use hydrocrtisone cream on the rash. (With poison ivy it dosn't seem to matter if its the gel or cream, but I think the gel sticks better. I have had some luck with the tecnu, but it seems to work best if you come in and wash with it right away. If you can get some lye soap, that dries up the blisters wonderfully-my Grandma allways used it . The baking soda, or oatmeal baths are soothing. I would hesitate to use bleach with small children. Make sure you wash the clothes in hot water-you can recontaminate yourself by putting on clothes-like shoes, or my problem was reusing work/gardening gloves without washing them. Just hot water will kill the stuff. I don't know if you build up a resistance or not-seems likely that you could. With me, a couple of bad cases made me be much more aware of it.

-- Kelly Saderholm (markelly@scrtc.com), August 21, 2000.

As a child, which was several years ago, I suffered from poison ivy terribly. I was susceptible to the "poison", an oil whose name I disrember, but I was in agony many times because I could not stay out of the woods and bushes (still can't!). Fels Naptha soap was a standby, but a great-uncle came up with the actual answer. I had tried gasoline (really!), alcohol, salt, and was considering black powder. I suppose this is homeopathic, but it worked for me. He said to find "silverleaf" a plant that grows along streams and in wet areas. The leaf looks "silver" if you hold it underwater. Years later, I found it is "jewelweed", a common weed in wet areas that has an attractive orange flower. You can identify it from a myriad of wildflower books. Pick the leaves and boil them into a tea, and continue to boil until the tea is a bit concentrated, and here I can't help you, but boil it for a while. Using a cotton ball, daub the affected areas with the "tea" and let it dry. Repeat every 8 hours or so. For me, the itch and pain were gone in a couple of days. Anybody else know of this? GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), August 21, 2000.

Look in the back issues of Countryside ( during 1999 between summer and the last "y2k" issue) I recall reading a submitted about treating poison ivy reactions.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), August 21, 2000.

This Spring I had a good case of it & Kathleen from this forum told me to get Fels Naptha soap/ I won't be without it now!!!!! I have tried almost everything over the years & that soap & goat's milk soap I had really worked!!! Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), August 21, 2000.

why get it in the first place? in the spring when the leaves are about the size of your finger nail pull 2or3 leaves chew them up and swallow them. worked for all my indian folks and still workes for me today.bob in s.e.ks.

-- Bob Condry (bobco@hit.net), August 23, 2000.

Thank you for all your help! I never expected to get so many responses. I think I need to print them all out and compile them for future reference. And yes, my children are all finally on the mend.

-- Mark Smith (sevensmiths@netzero.net), August 23, 2000.

in regards to the alchol and other things being wiped over area as soon as it is noticed on the skin. the why is it is the oil from the poison ivy that causes the rash so it is important to get it off the skin so the outbreak will not be any worse. if you are just wiping on the alchol (or whatever) i would suggest using multiple paper towels to prevent just wiping the poison ivy oil around a larger area to infect. also make sure that any clothing that came into contact with the poison ivy is washed (again to remove the oil) before being worn again.

as an additional problem if your pets or other animals are in the posion ivy you can get the rash just from rubbing the oil that is on the hair of your animals without having to be in the poison ivy patch yourself. gail

-- gail missouri ozarks (gef123@hotmail.com), August 23, 2000.

Be VERY careful in using Bob's "preventative", ie, eating a few leaves in spring. There have been cases, and I know of one personally, of people approaching death by utilizing this method. There is, however, a "pill" that can de-sensitize you, commonly used by line workers and others who are necessarily exposed. GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), August 24, 2000.

"as an additional problem if your pets or other animals are in the posion ivy you can get the rash just from rubbing the oil that is on the hair of your animals without having to be in the poison ivy patch yourself."

I can attest to that. We had a patch of poison ivy growing behind our gazebo, every time my German shepherd ran through it, I would get small doses on my arms. So I decided to pull it all up. Unfortunately, didn't protect my right forearm well enough, and ended up with a massive dose from wrist to elbow. I used Aveeno cream, that really helped alleviate the itching. During the night when it woke me up, I just rubbed an ice cube over it til it stopped itching and burning, then rubbed in a new dose of Aveeno.

I've tried many remedies over the years for poison ivy, seems every summer I get a dose or two. Haven't found a miracle cure yet, just have to ride it out.

-- Chelsea (rmbehr@istar.ca), August 24, 2000.

Hi Mark, There are a few important things to remember when dealing with small

children. First everyone's physiology is different, and what works for one person may not work for another. Also children have a thinner layer of skin than adults do, and as a result chemicals can be more rapidly absorbed through their skin into the bloodstream. Please bear this in mind when dealing with Clorox or other harsh chemicals as they may work fine for adults, but could have potentially toxic side effects in children. I find that Benedryl has always worked well for me. Hope this helps.

-- Martin Bennett (astrodyne@juno.com), February 22, 2001.

For an emergency, infuse 1:1:1/4 parts respectively of goldenseal root, myrrh powder, and cayenne powder in hot water, let sit for 30 minutes, strain, apply to affected areas. This is an old time formula from Kloss' "Back to Eden," an early 20th century herbal. The goldenseal prevents infection and dries up oozing, cayenne and myrrh help with itching. This formula, prepared in alcohol based linament form, is a staple in my home for skin problems, and I use it on my children all the time. Whatever you do, avoid applying anything that contains fatty oil. Oils of this type will only spread poison ivy.

-- amy (acook@in4web.com), February 22, 2001.

Re: Clorox, I wouldn't use that on anyone's skin, child or adult. It is toxic and irritating.

-- amy (acook@in4web.com), February 22, 2001.

Poison Ivy spreads because people scratch when they itch. Back in 1996, a new doctor wrote me a prescription for "25 mg. tablets of Promethazine". This is basically used for motion sickness. That year and every year since whenever I got an allergic reaction to poison ivy and I started to itch, I simply took one to three doses of Promethazine. The doctor recommended one tablet by mouth 3 times daily for 5 days; however I find I did not need to take the medication that often. Even the first pill helped.

Warning: Promethazine may cause drowsiness. Alcohol may intensify this effect. Use care when operation a car or dangerous machinery.

Poison Ivy finds me every year, but it is no longer a problem using Pormethazine. It should be safe for older children, but be sure to consult with your physician first. Your personal doctor may not be aware that Promethazine works for allergic reactions to poison ivy and you might have to insist that he allow you to try it. Don't forgot simple Benadryl works for all kinds of allergic relations. Pormethazine works by reducing the urge to scratch. Good Luck.

-- A. Johnson (rsjohnson@ykc.com), March 11, 2001.

I am extremely allergic to poison ivy/oak. I have had it twice so far this year. There are 1000's of ideas people have to get rid of it/get rid of itching. There are also 1000's of ways people think about it. Like some people say scratching poison ivy makes it spread. Just as many people say that scratching it does not make is spread. It al depends on if the oil spreads after it has bonded with the skin or not. I used to believe it did spread but as I've gotten older I have realized that if it did spread that way then I would have it in places like my eyes and stuff. For me it just hits the bloods stream and then randomly pops up places for a month or 2. Benedryl helps with itching for some people. For me, it causes me to not be able to sleep and doesn't have any affect on itching. I've tried calagel and sometimes it works and other times it doesn't. I've used Clorox since I was a kid and it dries it up really good. But it'll start itching again later. Cold water sometimes works. Each thing works for some people but not others.

-- David Underhill (bdot@ntrnet.net), April 16, 2001.

The best prevention is teaching kids how to identify the plant and restricting them from areas that are heavily covered, or killing the plants in and near their play areas. Of course that's not going to help now... The only method I have found that works totally, is to scratch all them blisters open, then wash well with disinfectant soap or clean with peroxide. Contrary to popular wives' tales, poison ivy serum does not induce further breakouts. When we happen to be in areas where poison ivy (or ticks!) could possibly be, it's a house rule that everybody comes in through the back porch, strips to their BD suit, dumps the clothes in the washer and then they head for the shower! The sooner you scrub off the juice the less chance there is of an outbreak, or of the ticks becoming attached. Good Luck!

-- Donna M. Davis-Prusik (Seven9erkilo@knoxcomm.net), April 16, 2001.

I had to go get a shot. I just became allergic to it last year. Does anyone know how to kill the vine? I have it in my back yard and have 3 small dogs! Help! Sherrie

-- Sherrie Thompson (kcbit101@yahoo.com), April 17, 2001.

Killing poison ivy is a real chore!! The only thing that I have found that works is a brush killer. However, my mother had some on the back terrace among some trees in her yard, and since the city wouldn't haul off yard waste anymore we just made the entire area a HUGE compost pile. After years of dumping leaves, twigs,etc, there (it's sheltered from wind, so doesn't get blown away) We have no more poison ivy!.. It was effectively smothered. Catching poison ivy from your pets is a real BUMMER! I know! LiveLoveLeaveNoLies... Donna P.

-- Donna M. Davis-Prusik (Seven9erkilo@knoxcomm.net), April 20, 2001.