Wasn't sure where I should post this.

I moved a tree stand a couple days ago and the next day I woke up itching with rashes all over me. Went back to the tree and sure enough, poison ivy all over it. I am usually pretty good at avoiding it but it got me this time.

What do yall use to treat it once it's already all over you?

I know of all the typical ointments (hydrocortisone, Calamine etc.) But thought yall might have some other kind of treatment that work's. All the typical ointments seem to stop the itching but not heal the rash?

Go buy a product called Technu at the drug store. It is a soap and a lotion. It will remove the oil from your skin and dry the blisters out pronto. Also wash your bedding as the oil from the ivy is on it if you slept in it. Otherwise it will just spread and keep spreading.

Im not sure what will help it but you might want to piss free willy style, dont touch your peter.

Fels Naptha soap works great also if you can find it.... I wouldn't wait too long. A Dr visit will get you a strong shot and steroid pack and get you cleared up before you get too miserable.

Best advice so far!!!

Check out Zanfell. Suppose to remove the oil from your skin and kill the itch in 30 seconds. Have never used it myself, but have heard great things about it. Last time I saw it was at Wally Mart and it was about $30, but everyone says its well worth it.

Seriously I've had it a few times over the years that was so bad I had to get a shot from the doctor. This was mainly when I got it in my eyes. The last time this happened they told they best thing to do once you know you have gotten into is to just change clothes and take a shower. The oil soaks into your skin after time and this is what causes the rashes. I haven't tried it yet but again I haven't got to go hunting in the last couple of years either.

I showered when I got home because I was filthy but I didn't know yet I was exposed to it. Probably would have scrubbed a little harder had I known.

Went to HEB after I read the first reply looking for Technu but they didnt have it. Picked up some caladryle ointment, and it is already working better than the hydrocortisone.

My resources are pretty limited bc I live in Elgin. My wife is going to Austin tomorrow and I am giving her a list of the stuff you guys are recommending. Thanks and keep it coming.

This gonna sound bad and it will burn a little..... Take a good hot shower, scrub the affected areas (not on the face or privates) with a wash cloth and soap (it'll feel GREAT!!!!). When you get out dry off and get some bleach, I put the bleach on a paper towel and blot it on these affected areas. You'll smell like bleach and it'll BURN but it'll dry it out real quick. Do this for a couple of days or until you can tell it has completely dried out. Like I said sounds bad but it does work!! You probably have some at home already..... I haven't tried it with out

isnt it weird how good the hot water feels on poison ivy. Hope you have a tankless.

That sucks I can rub that stuff up my nose and in my eyes no issues

I hear Bobcat urine work's pretty good, use plenty!

Talk to your doc, and ask him about “Diprolene”. It is a steroid, comes in a small “eye dropper” type bottle and you just drop drops on the area, real simple to apply, and it knocks the stuff out!!

that and goose grease

I was the same way up until I was 9.

That all changed one summer at the age of 10.

A friend of mine down the street had a lot of poison ivy in his parent's ivy (not poison ivy) bed in the front yard.

There were some girls from the neighborhood riding bikes that knew that bed was dangerous. They stopped by to see the stud that couldn't be phased by a simple plant.

So her I come, walk right up to the first poison ivy plant I see, pull the leaves off the vine, and proceed to rub it all over my body, including my face. Crushing the leaf's in my hand to show them I wasn't scared.

Next day I woke up and it looked like I gained 50 pounds I was so swollen. Ever since then I have been highly allergic to it. Haven't got it in probably 8 years but, it sure did get me this time..... What a dumba## kid I was.

my wife uses a vinager\paste from simple flour and applies a thick coat over the rash and next morning its perty much dried up.

I'm pretty immune to the stuff but if I do get it its very small and I don't mess with it at all and it will be gone in a couple of days.

Ivy Dry will dry it up in a couple of days you can get it at most drug stores.It is a liquid you put it on with cotten balls it's the only thing that I have found that works without a mess

go get you some zertec it works. I had it last year and took zertec and it worked great.

I will share a secret with you. If you get it on you, wash down in a hot bath with TIDE powder detergent. No other brand will work as well. Tide will cut the Poison Ivy oil off and prevent you from blistering. It will sting at first but will stop the itching and begin the healing process immediately.

I was a professional woodworker and we used alot of Teak wood. An old man that worked in the factory discovered that if the Teak Oil was washed off the glue would adhere to the wood. We used Tide to wash down the wood before glueing and I got the notion that it might work on the Poison Ivy blisters I had. Sure enough worked like a champ. Give it a try, it works best if you can wash before you blister. I have not had a bad case of poison ivy in years since I started using Tide to wash it off me.

Good Luck.

I second the Technu product. They give it to us at work, at when you are climbing poles all day, you do get into the poison ivy. It's also good to wash your tools or whatever came in contact with the oils.

Let me start by saying that not everyone reacts to poison ivy the same way. Some people get the rash, and it goes away pretty quickly (within a week to 10 days). My wife is blessed in that regard. Other people like myself, are highly allergic and the outbreak can last a month, or longer, even after prescription steroids. This is me. Everyone falls somewhere in between.

Do's: #1. Get the shot, or a prescription, ASAP. Nothing will have a greater effect than this one step. Prednisone is what they prescribe and it only runs about $12.
#2. The prescription will work internally by basically shutting down your immune system. After all, the rash is YOUR BODY attacking the skin where the oil has bonded. The prescription will stop this effect, and allow the rash to start healing. However, the script won't alleviate the itching during this process. Take Benadryl. 2 tablets every 4-6 hours along with the script.
#3. Take hot showers to alleviate the itching. You will find that you will want the water almost hot enough to burn you.
#4. If you think you may be in an area that has poison ivy, and want to avoid getting it, put water-proof sunblock on all exposed areas of skin before you go into the woods. This will act as a barrier and stop the oil from being absorbed into the skin. If you sweat a lot you may have to reapply. If you have to reapply, and think there may be oil sitting on your skin, use something to completely dissolve the oil before you put more sun-block on. Rubbing alcohol will strip all the sun-block and oil off your skin, then you can reapply sun-block.
#5. If you suspect you have come in contact with poison ivy, borrow your wife's cold cream, otherwise known as make-up remover. You can rub that on all exposed areas, and then wash it off with Dawn dishwashing detergent. This will dissolve the Urushiol oil AS LONG AS YOU HAVE GOTTEN IT BEFORE IT HAS BONDED TO THE SKIN. The oil can bond to your skin in as little as 15 minutes. Even after bonding with the skin, the cold cream should prevent any excess oil from spreading to other parts of the body, and may help to break the bond.
#6. If exposed, jump in your swimming pool & remain there for at least 20 minutes. The chlorine, and the cold water, work to dissolve the oil, and stop it from bonding with your skin. Again, you have to get into the pool BEFORE the oil bonds with your skin (approximately 15 minutes from time of contact with oil).
7#. Wear clothing that covers all of your skin. I know its summer time, and it's hot, but this is really the best solution.
#8. If you come home and bathe without taking any precautions to dissolve the oil--make sure to wash your towel, wash rag, and clothes in cold water to dissolve the oil as those items can spread the oil to other people in your household.
#9. Wear gloves when walking through the woods as it is common to use your hands to move branches out of your way and in doing so get the oil on your hands, then you scratch a mosquito bite somewhere else on your body, and now you have spread the oil. DO NOT SCRATCH ANY PART OF YOUR BODY WITH THE GLOVES. I've done it. You won't like the results.

DONT'S:
#1. If you suspect you have come in contact with poison ivy-DO NOT TAKE A HOT SHOWER! The hot water opens your pores, and allows the urushiol oil to bond EASIER with your skin. Urushiol oil can be dissolved in cold water after about 20 minutes of immersion. Further, bar/bath soap will NOT dissolve Urushiol oil. Using a wash rag, and bar soap will SPREAD THE OIL & RASH ALL OVER YOUR BODY.
#2. Don't allow any pets that have been in the woods with you to come inside the house until they have been washed with Dawn, and cold water. Your dog can spread the oil from his fur to your household furniture. Animals are not affected by the oil.
#3. Don't believe that you are not allergic to this plant. It has many variations and though you *might* not be allergic to one variant, you don't want to find out the hard way which ones you are allergic to.

As I sit and type this I still have scars, and flaking skin from the last episode that I had (almost 6 weeks ago now).

I broke down and went to the doctor for a shot. He also gave me prescription for prednisone. I work outside, sweating and itching this morning was enough to take me to the doctor. What started as a small patch on my left arm a couple days ago is now covering my left arm, parts of my right arm and most of my neck. MISERABLE!!!!

Honker, you are on the right track. Right now, since you already have the shot. Now start taking your Benadryl. The Benadryl will control the itch. It will make you a little drowsy, but you won't be scratching anything. Heck, you won't even notice you have the ivy unless you just start looking for it.

I forgot to mention that you can also use a hair-dryer to add some heat to the rash, and make it quit itching. Just set that puppy on HIGH heat, and put the nozzle right up against the rash. It will be a feeling that you will enjoy. I have a theory about why the heat feels so good. I think our brains are hard-wired to scratch skin afflictions. The brain wants you to scratch it so that extra blood will flow to the region, and aid in healing. Your reward for scratching, if you want to call it that, is that the brain will release dopamine (the happy chemical). This in turn keeps you scratching, and you heal faster. Now with poison ivy, and a large area of skin and nerve cells being affected, when you apply heat to it, it's like you are scratching it, and your brain gets flooded with dopamine. With my arms covered recently in ivy rash, I could put one arm under very hot water, and I could literally feel myself begin to get light headed as the dopamine was being released, and the wave of relief that comes with it. Even though it is your appendage (arm in my case) that is receiving the hot water, you can literally feel the chemicals in your head. It's weird, I know, but if you pay attention, you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. The relief is not where the rash is (that comes later from not itching) but rather in your head.

I have had poison ivy so many times over the past few years that the guys I work with call it "plant-herpes". They'll say "got another case of plant herpes don't ya?". Yep.

the roids are the only way! Go to the doc and you will be all good in a couple of days. I wake up with my eyes swollen shut at least once every turkey season.