[YVEYANT]

Ivy-Dry Super. It comes in a dark small spray bottle and goes for about eight bucks.
Any pharmacy sells it over the counter. If you get bit by a mosquito or spider etc takes the itch out on the first shot,same for poison ivy etc..

[TAftw]

Yeah, this stuff truly is the best. Aside from it, there's a $150 tube of cream from Canada that works pretty well. I get poison ivy all over, I bet I get it worse than anybody here, (won't go into details) and Ivy Dry is the only stuff that gets rid of it for me. What works pretty well is if you take a Kleenex or cotton swab or gauze and soak it in Ivy Dry, then bandage it to the affected area. Only watch out though, too much exposure will dry out your skin very, very, very badly.

[Brian Baker]

In regards to poison ivy and oak, if you're ever out in your yard working and come into contact with it, a good homemaker remedy is plain old Dawn dishwashing soap. Run the water as hot as you can stand it and scrub the affected area with Dawn. This will "leach" the body oils out of the area, which is what the poison attaches to and spreads.

[lust4speed]

We only have poison oak in our area, but I would suspect they are similar. The strange thing about it is there's reverse immunity - each time it gets easier to catch. I'm to the point that if I am just in the near proximity of poison oak I will break out. The dishwashing soap is also good after the outbreak to keep it in check.

[26667]

Fels-Naptha Soap is also a good one to shower with or wash up after contact with the resins from these plants. It can be found with the laundry soaps.

[Zig'sbird]

Thanks for the tip on Ivy Dry. I could have REALLY used it last week.

[mike nixon]

jen needs it now, in spots we won't mention. we'll probably find a pharmacy tomorrow.

mike

[fellro]

Trick to the hot water is that it will also spread the ivy oil... It is actually recommended to only use cool water. If you realize you have come in contact with it, go take care of it pretty much immediately, or you will most definitely regret it...

[75cancup]

I spend alot of time in the woods and i always use sunblock on my arms and legs before i go out and sunlight dish soap and the garden hose ( cool water is best ) when i get home , i do this if i'm biking or cutting firewood .
I also have used tecnu products but its not forsale in canada. mike.

[fellro]

The technu is the remedy I use, tried all of the others, just not working for me. Dealing with another bout too, but this one is mild compared to waht I have had to over the last few years. Lived on the family farm, which is just covered with that crap...

[stimpy]

we used good old fashioned argo corn starch made into a paste with water apply and let it dry it sucks the oil right out , for skeeter bites we put an ice cube on the welt and it will cause the toxin to be forced out of the bite hole when the skin contracts .and grandma always told us to use cold water on poision ivy ,oak , and sumac as the hot water opens the pores and alows the oil to embed itself deeper . ( never argued with her as she was a RN and her remdys worked )

[lust4speed]

Only took one time trying to fight it with a hot steamy shower - never again.

I was also told that poison Ivy/Oak was acidic, and oral doses of antacids would also help. At the time it was Bromo Seltzer or something like that, but it did help in the fight. I would think that Alka-Seltzer would work good.

As stated above any drying compound is good to put on the outbreak, and the things to stay away from are any type oils or ointments.

[mike nixon]

Originally Posted by YVEYANT

Ivy-Dry Super. It comes in a dark small spray bottle and goes for about eight bucks.
Any pharmacy sells it over the counter. If you get bit by a mosquito or spider etc takes the itch out on the first shot,same for poison ivy etc..

this stuff seems to be helping jen with her bout of the itch. per her doc's recommendations, we spray her down with this stuff and then topcoat it with caladryl for the itch.

it works.

mike

[Tin Injun Tom]

As for a good preventative, eat mangos periodically. The mango is related to poison ivy, and when you eat enough of them, it's like building up anti-bodies against catching the rash.
Someone told my parents about that ten years ago, and they haven't gotten infected since. I drink (real) mango flavored juices all spring and summer, and I think that works just as well. I got into a real dense thicket of poison ivy last year, and never broke out.
I used to get a serious case of it about once every three or four years. Hands, wrists, ankles and feet.
My mom always swore by washing with Fels-Naptha after known exposure also.
TAftw, I would seriously recommend eating a mango at least once a month, maybe every two weeks would be better. If I got poison ivy as bad as you, that's what I'd be doing.

[YVEYANT]

I did some reading on that and everything I can find states the skin of Mangos have the same oil Urushiol which is what causes the itch and skin reaction. Everything I read claims the skin of the Mango can cause these allergies, not prevent it.

Here is one of the articles:
The mango is in the same family as poison sumac and contains urushiol, though much less than poison sumac. Some people get dermatitis from touching mango peel or sap. Persons showing an allergic reaction after handling a mango can usually enjoy the fruit if someone else first removes the skin. It is very rare to develop a rash on your hands however. While the peel is typically considered inedible, recent study has shown that it yields considerable extracts that can be used in antioxidant food supplements.[4] Consuming the peel itself is generally not advised as a painful rash or swelling may appear on the lips and face.[5] However if you are not allergic to the Urushiol within Ivy, Oak, and Sumac enjoy the benefits of the peel. However continued exposure to Urushiol can lead to a reaction. The amount of time it takes depends on genetic structure of the individual person.

The mango is an excellent nutritional source, containing many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, as well as enzymes such as magneferin and lactase which aid in digestion and intestinal health.[6] It is also used in some parts of southeast Asia and the Muslim world as a supplement for sexual potency.[7]

[Tin Injun Tom]

Originally Posted by YVEYANT

I did some reading on that and everything I can find states the skin of Mangos have the same oil Urushiol which is what causes the itch and skin reaction. Everything I read claims the skin of the Mango can cause these allergies, not prevent it.
[7]

Ant, thanks for putting up the extra information. I've never read anything on the subject, I just know my folks have had no poison ivy breakouts since they started regularly eating the fresh fruit. I'm sure they always peal the things before eating. I've seen them do this a few times. And they are not the type that casually repeats BS, without finding out for themselves.
Someone who is extra sensitive to poison ivy would probably need to use caution when handling them.
Tom