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Anybody Else Not Affected By PI?


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I haven't had PI or PO for 20 years, but the last 8 I've been in and around Seattle where neither exist. I did get warned once by Lil Devil in San Jose at one cache location but didn't touch it so can't say whether I am or not now.

 

I'm definitely harmed by nettles though. Yikes.

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PI & PO can be nasty.

Just because it didn't effect you yesterday doesn't mean that tomorrow you will be safe.

As Stunod's case shows, some who have been "safe" can suddenly react worse than most people.

The safest thing to do is avoid it even if you think you don't react to it.

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Just because it didn't effect you yesterday doesn't mean that tomorrow you will be safe.

 

So it goes with all allergies. Additionally, each subsequent outbreak could possibly be worse than the last. So, I kind of figure I'll be intrepid 'til I get the first rash, then get careful... :D

 

Happy Caching!

Lori V.

TeamVilla5

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Geez, I really need to learn the lingo. When I read your question I thought, who'd be affected by 3.14159265? It took me a few minutes to equate PI with Poison Ivy; I'm having a dense day today.

 

I've never been affected by poison ivy, but since I've gotten older I seem to be sensitive to things that never bothered me before. Because of that, I still try to avoid the stuff.

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I used to get Poison Oak terribly when I was young (I spent a lot of time tromping through the woods) but hadn't had it in years until just recently, after clearing some brush off my property. I am just as allergic today as I was then... ugh.

 

What is interesting, however, is that no one else that was helping me was affected, including my daughters running around in their bare feet! This leads me to believe that I can literally get PO from the air this time of year.

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From what I've read about PI, some people have better immunity to the resin that causes the outbreak. However, the more you come in contact with the resin, the more likely you are to receive an outbreak. After time, your body loses it's ability to fight the reaction if you continue to push the envelope.

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I've been imune most of my life and at 57 I am just now getting to the "few itchy bumps" stage. I have five acres, and PO is the second most prevelent plant (after Scotch Broom) so I pull alot of this all summer long. I have to wash my own clothes and take a shower before touching my wife, she gets a bad rash if I mention that I saw some.

 

Check out this site for some useful info and pictures <a href="http://www.knoledge.org/oak/#what

Edited by piscatore
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So far in my life, I have had no allergic response to poison ivy. I have always lived in areas where it is plentiful, and have even rubbed it all over my skin. While I was in college in the early seventies, while on a class outing for a Biology 202 Botany class, I rubbed several crushed leaves on my skin and ate three leaves, in order to prove that it is only an acquired allergy not shared by everyone; I did this to bug my arrogant professor who had claimed that it is not an allergy but a toxin in the plant which causes PI and which affects everyone (nope, I did not have any kind of bad reaction to rubbing it on my skin or eating it.) He lost on this one; I proved my point.

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I did this to bug my arrogant professor who had claimed that it is not an allergy but a toxin in the plant which causes PI and which affects everyone

 

I can't believe a college Botany professor could be so misinformed! <_<

 

Your experiment is quite impressive! Made me giggle! <_<

 

Happy Caching!

Lori V.

TeamVilla5

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Got my first dose of PI this year on April 1st. After a week of trying to ride it out,

I ended going for some treatment. Had it twice last year, even while being very

careful. For the rest of the spring/summer I am going to be on PI alert.

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I've been an outdoorsie type person for over 4 decades and had never had a breakout. Figured i was immune to it and never ever worried about trampsing around in or handling it. Well, i finally had a breakout of the stuff about a year ago and allthough it wasnt a bad case at all, it proved to me that my immune system had changed some. Still doesnt affect my habits except that now i dont knowingly play in it like i used to! <_<

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AS a kid I used to get covered in the stuff! Think I used to get infected from the coat of my dog. Now I don't seem to get it at all but I am very carefull to avoid it as much as possible and if I can't I rush home and wash off with Technu as soon as possible. Did get a pretty ugly dose of it two Father's Days ago. Went out early in the morning on my own (my Father's Day present) and ended up falling face-first into it on the first cache I did. Figured that I don't seem to get it anymore and continued caching for the rest of the day. That was long enough that the Technu didn't work and 2-days later my face looked like a leper!

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Poison Ivy doesn't affect me much at all, but I still avoid it when possible, or at least try to shower as soon as possible if I've had heavy contact with it. We don't have poison oak in Pennsylvania, but my recent trip to California taught me that I do need to avoid that one. I had some small itchy spots on my arms and legs for 2 weeks with that stuff. I don't think I ever ran into nettles either, so I don't know much about them.

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I could pick PI & PO like daisies & not be affected... my dad & son could just look at it funny & break out horribly!

 

Anybody else out there not susceptible to PI breakouts?

 

Happy Caching!

Lori V.

TeamVilla5

As a kid in PA, I had to take shots to help prevent PI (My first time to read this definition) PI can be in the wind & smoke and if you are prone to be getting PI...look out <_< Here in the South we have PO & PS. These two you need to touch in get a rash <_< We were out Caching this morning in the hills and we noticed that PO is starting to be seen just about in all the green shrubs and climbing the trees:o Wear long pants and be very careful...and don't forget the snakes, ticks, ants, and fire ants :tired: It's a jungle out there...

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I used to have no problem with PI...as a kid I could handle it with no effects. But as of about 6 years ago that is no longer true. Now I break out as bad (or worse) than most people. <_<

 

I was the same way with PO I could wade through it waist hi and never get a rash, until about 12 years ago.Now it seems if I look at it, it grabs me <_<

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I use to be able to sit in it and not be bothered. Now, it's horrible, or at least it was horrible until I got turned onto Calagel. This is great stuff....2 part treatment, the Technu removes the oil (soap doesn't really do that and if you don't remove it, you just keep spreading it) and then, the gel that you then spread over the infected area. It is antiseptic, and protects it and keeps it from itching. It makes it tolerable. Try it....have bought it from Walgreen's and Wally World.

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I seem to be immune to poison ivy (not even sure if there is poison oak in WI, and I don't think I would recognize it). At one point while caching I was reaching for a cache, my shirt went up exposing my stomach -- all the while I was sliding along a nice crop of poison ivy growing along a tree. But no effects whatsoever. I've waded through it in short socks and tennis shoes as well. I'm sort of testing my limits, I guess (I know that's not bright).

 

And I'm allergic to most everything else, so this is an oddity for me. Evergreen trees give me hives, nettles about kill me, not to mention pollen, ragweed, and the like.

 

My brother is allergic to poison ivy -- screams like a baby whenever he spots it!

 

Bec

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oh man im jealous of you people. im sittin here wiht poison oak all over my right arm. its starting to appear on my left arm and else where on my body. from someone that has had it bad a few times you all should be awfully thankful.

 

im one of those that can identify it if i have it infront of me but if im running along a trail well im out of luck.

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oh man im jealous of you people. im sittin here wiht poison oak all over my right arm. its starting to appear on my left arm and else where on my body. from someone that has had it bad a few times you all should be awfully thankful.

 

im one of those that can identify it if i have it infront of me but if im running along a trail well im out of luck.

 

Get Calagel and stop the spreading. If you do the Technu first and then the gel, it will stop itching too. See my earlier post.

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The allergy to PI is acquired, as are all allergies, by repeated exposure to the toxin, which in this case is the oil on the plant. This causes one to become sensitized to the allergen in the oil and eventually you will develop an allergy to it. It is simply a fact of "medical" life. It is rare that anyone is allergic to anything on first exposure to it, rather allergies develop as we become sensitive over time to the substance.

 

In general it is unwise be ever become cavalier around poison ivy. Anyone can develop an allergy to it!

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I agree about it coming and going. My father-in-law has only recently become reactive to bee stings. I worked in retail nursery (plants) for 13 years, with minor allergies to pollens and dust. Grasses have always killed me: hay, bermuda, anything with lawn-mowing. Never have had reaction to the poison oak around here though. And it has only been the last 3 years since I have not been working that I seem to be allergic to all those same plants that I used to sell!

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