Do you get poison ivy?

[kirstenb1]

My husband is immune to it. I break out usually on my legs. Then it spreads to my arms, and face. And I look like the Elephant Man, as someone else posted. Then I have to beg my doctor for a week's supply of prednisone, because that's the only thing that knocks it down.

 

[deedeetoo]

I've never had it and I've had lots of exposure. I just don't seem to react to it.

 

[RDR_BU]

I am highly allergic to it. Have not gotten into any in several years thankfully.

 

[Sabeking]

I have had it so many times it is ridiculous! The first time was in high school. We were clearing am area for some priests around the rectory. Like geniuses we decided to burn it. Not only was it all over my body but also in my eyes. Got it when I was pregnant and had to go on steroids.

My last time was actually pretty funny. I was training for a marathon and had to go potty at mile 15. I decided to cop a squat behind some trees. About 2 days later my *** was itching like crazy. There is no doubt I scratched at some point in public. I know people thought I was a red neck ...but actually I'm just horticulturally challenged!!!

 

[mel&me]

never had it, been around it a bunch of times, even cut it down and cleared out for a customer that was highly allergic to it.

 

[bcla]

Maybe 80% of the population gets a reaction from urushiol. Also - I've heard that some people who didn't get a reaction for years suddenly find that they do. The other deal is that it's the sap inside the plant that can cause reactions, and the plant has to be compromised (heavy wind, previous contact) for the sap to be released. And if you notice it, wash it off quickly with soap or detergent. There is a time window to prevent it from binding to the skin where a reaction can be prevented. I've carried packets of this Tecnu stuff when hiking. It's also pretty easy to just wash contaminated clothes with ordinary detergent. However, a washing machine shouldn't be heavily loaded when trying to get the oil out. Maybe even multiple washes to make sure it's gone.

http://poisonivy.aesir.com/view/comments.html?func=showMessage&mid=101572&wid=279

It kind of blew my mind that Chinese or Japanese lacquerware is made from this sap. I suppose whoever makes the stuff has to be extremely careful since the vapors can be nasty until it's fully dry.

 

[slo]

I have tons of it by my house and it's a constant battle to control it. Luckily, we've never been affected yet, but our poor friend has after helping us around are yard.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I have never had it...I'm not complaining but I do find it odd. I do a ton of gardening which involves being ankle deep in weeds and I have never had a reaction to it. Anyone else???

If I touch it, yes. That being said I know what it looks like and wear appropriate clothing when handling it.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Yes, it sucks.

My wife gets it worse than me. She also gets a similar rash when she comes in contact with mango.

 

[bcla]

Yes, it sucks.

My wife gets it worse than me. She also gets a similar rash when she comes in contact with mango.

Something called mangiferol found in leaves/wood of the plant and in the skin of unripe mangoes. Very similar to urushiol. However, one has to be hypersensitive to get rashes from the skin's fruit. Most people can tolerate tiny amounts of it, but it's a working hazard for pickers. Has she seen a dermatologist?

http://www.themangofactory.com/nutr...-hypersensitive-persons/#sthash.s1UNuW9U.dpbs

I freak out when I see western poison oak, although I've never suffered symptoms from it. I've brushed clothes with it and did what I could to avoid contact with it until I could wash them (handled with kitchen gloves that were then washed with soap). Once one sees what it can do, it kind of stays in the noggin.

However, I'm familiar with contact dermatitis from other sources, and it's no fun. I can't use bacitracin on wounds now; they just won't heal. Some bandages give me these strange clusters of tiny blisters. Fortunately nothing like a urushiol reaction.

 

[4nana]

I can sympathize with your stories and pain as my son was terribly allergic to poison ivy as a child. Now our 2 grandson have had several bad reactions to poison ivy from scouting trips. Thankfully, years ago I discovered Hyland's Poison Ivy/Oak Tablets, a traditional homeopathic formula that soothes the pain by stimulating your body’s own healing response. I swear by it, if used immediately it cuts the spreading and pain in its tracks!

 

[bcla]

I can sympathize with your stories and pain as my son was terribly allergic to poison ivy as a child. Now our 2 grandson have had several bad reactions to poison ivy from scouting trips. Thankfully, years ago I discovered Hyland's Poison Ivy/Oak Tablets, a traditional homeopathic formula that soothes the pain by stimulating your body’s own healing response. I swear by it, if used immediately it cuts the spreading and pain in its tracks!

Homeopathy? You should see some of the discussions where it was brought up.

I looked it up, and this stuff you mention has one part in a million actual poison ivy plant (rhus toxicodendron) as an ingredient. Sounds like a bad idea to me for anyone who is already hypersensitive to urushiol. Most people will probably tolerate it.

 

[Dawnlight]

just a little bit on my arm, you barely notice

This is the reaction one of my girls had last summer, only the huge blisters were on her fingers and hands. It was awful, just awful. Our doctor prescribed topical steroid cream, but it didn't help at all. Back to the doctor to lance the blisters so she could use her hands and a prescription for oral steroids and things cleared up. She also had some on her face but, thankfully, it wasn't nearly as bad as her hands.

Some of my kids have no reaction to poison ivy.

I haven't had it since I was a kid, but I don't remember having anything as bad as the above photo or what my daughter experienced.

 

[EMAW_KSU]

I have been to the ER four times to get a shot as my throat will start to swell shut and have a hard time breathing. I have had a series of poison ivy extract shots which has reduced the symptoms but I am also very carefull if i thinks I have been exposed. I was about 14 or 15 the first time i got it. My mom wishes she would have taken pictures of it.

 

[Flight]

I've had it. Oh, the misery!

 

[Earstou]

DH had never reacted to it in 55 years. Last year, he saw some in the yard and pulled it with his bare hands. Then went in and washed. A few days later, he had a bad rash in a spot I won't mention, that had been totally covered with clothes. He had no clue what it was until his doctor told him it was a poison ivy rash.

 

[MommyMK]

Not only do I get poison ivy, I react to regular ivy too and my yard is full of it! Not nearly as bad as poison ivy, but I do get a rash from English Ivy too. I had poison ivy last year, it lasted about a month, I was miserable!

 

[LilPiglet]

I must not be allergic to the stuff. We had some growing in our backyard many years ago where I played a lot as a little kid and never caught it.

 

[Ambear]

I'm pretty sure I've had it before but I'll never know exactly what plant gave me a rash once. But it was on the back of my knees blech.

I have sensitive skin. For a few years in high school and early college I had polymorphous light eruption which is essentially an allergy to the sun. I'd get red rashes on my arms it was horrible. Now it's gone though Yay! I just had to slowly be in the sun more.

 

[tinatark]

Not me, DH is horribly allergic! Has gotten it in the dead of winter once, and got it while on a mission trip to land of no green, Haiti!

Our pharmacy is a compounding pharmacy, and the owner/pharmacist is very allergic, too - he has compounded a couple of things that have helped DH - one a topical cream, another is an oral med.