Itchy!!! Poison Ivy Help!!! Please...

[coolbeans]

Started scratching last week and finally Friday couldn't take it anymore and went to the doc.. I have poison ivy on the back of my legs..have never had it before so I had no idea what it was (my dog runs in our woods, and sleeps behind my legs at nite, I never would have thought of it, but I guess I am alergic because nobody else is itching at all).. gee thanks! anyway the doc prescribed some meds and cream for the itching but I'm suffering.. any home remedies!!!! help!!!!!!!!!

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

Calamine lotion, there is also a first aid spray that stops the itching. We had a girl at camp last year with poison ivy, she said that cold showers made it feel better. Hope it stops itching soon! How about benadryl maybe?

 

[LUCiD]

Hope this helps:
http://landscaping.about.com/od/weedsdiseases/a/cure_poison_ivy.htm

Good luck and sorry that you got poison ivy, I hope you get better soon.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Sorry I have no remedies. I have read that washing with a dishwash helps because they are designed to break down and remove oils. as opposed to a face soap. I think I read that here...

But also beware, each contact makes you more and more allergic!

Mikeeee

 

[seven dwarfs]

I know this sounds strange but someone told me to put vinegar on poison ivy. We have done this several times now and it works! Good luck, it is awful to have.

 

[TheBigBadWolf]

My pharmacist friend said to take Cimetidine (tagamet) and Benadryl together since Benadryl is an H1 histamine blocker and cimetidine is an H2 histamine blocker. When you take an H1 and an H2 together you get more relief because they affect different parts of your allergy-response system. I've never had poison ivy but my friend said this combination should cure it in only a day or two.

 

[dis-happy]

Go buy some Zanfel. A little expensive at $30. for a small tube, but it's the ONLY thing that works. And it does work!!!!

 

[manning]

Go buy some Zanfel. A little expensive at $30. for a small tube, but it's the ONLY thing that works. And it does work!!!!

And it works FAST!!!

 

[Hercules10]

PI is a oil. So you have to wash everything in a alkaline based soap.

Lotions, creams and pills never did do it for me. I always asked the doctor for a cortizone shot. Worked over night for me. But oooooh that is one painful shot even for the butt.

 

[sue1013]

Zanfel is great! I can now avoid getting a shot of cortizone. My dogs also bring the poison ivy to me.

 

[coolbeans]

okay, the vinegar isn't working and I now smell like an Easter Egg!!

 

[Serena]

okay, the vinegar isn't working and I now smell like an Easter Egg!!

about the comment, not the itching.

I hope you find something soon that works. I have never had poison ivy, but have had many itchy rashes and hives. I'm writing some of the remedies down for future use.

 

[matthew&haleysmom]

My son, 5, has poison ivy on his face. We discovered it Friday morning and took him to the doctor. The Dr. told us no calomine lotion or anything. Dr. put son on a steroid and told us to give him Benadryl for the itching. By Friday night, he stopped itching and the swelling of his face went down. HTH.

 

[coolbeans]

My son, 5, has poison ivy on his face. We discovered it Friday morning and took him to the doctor. The Dr. told us no calomine lotion or anything. Dr. put son on a steroid and told us to give him Benadryl for the itching. By Friday night, he stopped itching and the swelling of his face went down. HTH.

See, that's frustrating. They gave me a steriod pill (some 21 pill pack for 6 days) and a cream.. but I still itch!!! argh!!!!!!!!!!!! And I have my DH and kids on itch alert..they can hit me if I itch!

 

[Hercules10]

And I have my DH and kids on itch alert..they can hit me if I itch!

Have they declared open season yet!?

Either try that Zenfal (I never did) or go get the shot. I tried those pills once and they take for freakin ever!

 

[matthew&haleysmom]

See, that's frustrating. They gave me a steriod pill (some 21 pill pack for 6 days) and a cream.. but I still itch!!! argh!!!!!!!!!!!! And I have my DH and kids on itch alert..they can hit me if I itch!

That did make me laugh. We did tell DS that we would tape his hands up if he kept itching his face. Then, we told him we were kidding. The Dr. didn't want him to have any lotions/creams because she was afraid DS would rub it into his eyes. He is on prednisolone sod phos. It is in liquid form. He starts off with a high dose for the first 3 days, a medium dose for the next 3 days, and finally, a lower dose for the last 3 days.

I have a friend who gets poison ivy often due to his job. He told me to put Dry Ivy on my son. I didn't try it but maybe that will help.

 

[mykidslovesdisney]

DS10 and I just got over an awful case of PI. It literally last almost a month. We both ended up on Steriods. DS had to take it twice. The first time they gave it to him it was the same dose for 1 wk. It worked great for him. 2 days after stopping he broke out all over his torso( an area he did not have alot on earlier). He was put back on it for 2 wks- slowing decreasing the doses. I had it really bad. On my arm and leg. Both swelled awful. I could barely walk- my ankle was lost amist all the swelling. I had had it for 2 wks by then. I called by dr. they also put me on steriods. It took a really long time for it to get better. I still have a really itchy part by my ankle. I don't have any rash now but I think my skin got soo dried out by all the lotions that it is now overdry. We used benedryl and zyrtec together at night time. Benedryl was continued during the day. I also got the benedryl gel to put on the areas. It seemed to work better than Caladryl. I also used dembrose soaks for my leg while it was soo swollen -- it looked infected but it wasn't. It is in the pharmacy area.-- little box $13. I mixed it w/ water and soaked a towel in it and wrapped the towel around it. It felt better. The oils are hard to get rid off and can stay dominate on lawn equipment.

My dr recommended to have Zandel (sp?) on hand for poisson ivy - helps get rid of the oils. It is expensive but it has a long shelf live so I am going to get some for the house and for DSS bc he is in construction and has gotten it this summer too. Just a word of warning on the scrubs-- be careful. I used cortaid PI wash and it litterally took the skin off around my ankle. So ontop of PI I also had a but of cuts in the area too.

Have you tried icing the area?? the school nurse recommended Icing bc it will stop the itch cycle. I know once i started itching I couldn't stop.


Good luck with the poison ivy. Sending pixie dust to make the itch go away.

 

[JessicaR]

RUN and get some Zanfel. It works wonders. My kids suffer every year with every poison ivy, sumac, oak there is. This stuff is excellent! Make sure you use it as directed it makes a difference.

http://www.zanfel.com/help/

 

[torinsmom]

My doctor gave me a prescription for Elicon cream once and that worked really well to get the poison ivy gone quicker. Since then, I keep it on hand. It didn't help the itch though. The best things I found were Gold Bond cream(about 30-60 minutes relief), and using a hair dryer on hot over the area(15 minutes relief) I swear I get PI if I just LOOK at it. They know now to give me steroids when I first come in, because it always goes systemic with me. I get it on my face, ears, scalp and all over. Not pleasant at all. In fact, I once told the doctor I would rather go through LABOR than have poison ivy!

Marsha

 

[manning]

Have they declared open season yet!?

Either try that Zenfal (I never did) or go get the shot. I tried those pills once and they take for freakin ever!

My wife used it and she started to get relief within 30 seconds. Go to the drug store and get it!!!

Zenfal ---about $30.00

Fast relief ... priceless