Poison Oak

[+Sierra Rat]

I've looked in the forum for an answer, but haven't found this topic addressed anywhere else. What have you found to be the best treatment for poison oak? I bought a bottle of tecnu skin cleaner and applied the lotion shortly after the rash appeared. So far (two days), this product has been fairly useless. Have any of you found an effective treatment for poison oak??

 

Thanks, Sierra Rat

[+TotemLake]

I swear by the stuff. It's the best on the market. Are you sure you're suffering from poison oak and not something else like an allergic reaction to something?

[+Blue Power Ranger]

I've looked in the forum for an answer, but haven't found this topic addressed anywhere else. What have you found to be the best treatment for poison oak? I bought a bottle of tecnu skin cleaner and applied the lotion shortly after the rash appeared. So far (two days), this product has been fairly useless. Have any of you found an effective treatment for poison oak??

 

Thanks, Sierra Rat

 

You'll find some info on this subject here and here and here.

 

I am so insanely allergic poison oak that I begin itching upon reading the title of this thread. I got into a nasty patch at Browns Point, WA a while back and had a horrible reaction. The one and only treatment that worked for me was the steroid shot. I'd recommend going straight to that. The shot is painless and you will find relief within just a day or two.

 

Interestingly enough, several months later, when I put on the same shirt I had been wearing when I became infected, which had since been laundered, I became re-infected. (went right back for the shot) I ended up throwing those clothes out!

 

Good luck!

Edited February 6, 2007 by Blue Power Ranger

[+Lizzy]

Two things my mom used to do when I was a kid, depending on if she had them around:

 

Rub it with the inside of a banana peel (watch out, it stains clothes)

or

Squeeze green tomato juice on it

 

Don't ask why, I was raised in Tennessee.....

[+Half-Canadian]

I am also quite sensitive to poison oak, and nothing has ever worked for me except Technu. I keep a bottle of it in the car and immediate clean up with it after I've contacted poison oak. I have never had a problem since. Be sure that you follow the directions on the container carefully, and that you use a liberal amount on your skin.

[+Sierra Rat]

I swear by the stuff. It's the best on the market. Are you sure you're suffering from poison oak and not something else like an allergic reaction to something?

 

Good question, but yes I'm sure its poison oak. I've had it before as a child in southern California. Also, it started out on my forearm and since I slept with my arm over my wife's back, she now has it on her back. I'll admit that at first the tecnu seemed to reduce the redness and swelling in the morning, but by the next day it was back to blistering, swelling and itching. about a half hour ago I tired the tomato as someone else had suggested and so far its seems to help. My wife it taking a wait and see approach. May have to go into town and get a banana; the shot will be the last option. Thanks to all who have replied.

[+kiwimonster]

My understanding is that Technu is only really effective when applied shortly after exposure. After a rash appears, it may be too late. Disclaimer: I say this as someone who is not very sensitive to poison oak (yet), and who has never knowingly had an outbreak. I still carry the stuff in my backpack and use it as soon as I can when I feel I may be exposed.

[+Allanon]

What is this Technu and where can one find it?

[+TotemLake]

It's a neutralizing soap in a bottle. Almost any store will carry it. Most of them will have it in the camping section and some will carry it in the pharmaceutical section.

Edited February 6, 2007 by TotemLake

[+Sierra Rat]

I am also quite sensitive to poison oak, and nothing has ever worked for me except Technu. I keep a bottle of it in the car and immediate clean up with it after I've contacted poison oak. I have never had a problem since. Be sure that you follow the directions on the container carefully, and that you use a liberal amount on your skin.

 

The thing is, I didn't get this geocaching and I didn't knowingly contact the poison oak. I do know where it came from, however. About two years ago, my uncle took down some oak trees on his property and I took the wood for firewood. At the time, I was very careful because of the poison oak on his property. Well, I've finally gotten down to that level of wood in the stack and had forgotten where this wood came from. When I carried the wood into the house it got on my forearm and... well, you know the rest.

 

On the positive side, the tomato trick has worked great so far. The itching and weeping has stopped and now my wife has tried it with positive results. Since we didn't have any green tomatoes, I used a red one and it was effective. So cachers, here's another remedy to try on your poison oak.

 

Again, to everyone, thanks for all of your comments and help. Cachers are the greatest!!

[+Half-Canadian]

What is this Technu and where can one find it?

 

tecnu is a soap that lifts the oils in poison oak off your skin. It works best if you have running water available, but I've often just wiped it off with paper napkins when that's all I had available. I get it at REI, but it looks like it's available at Fred Meyers, Walgreens, and Rite Aid, among others.

[+Prying Pandora]

I've looked in the forum for an answer, but haven't found this topic addressed anywhere else. What have you found to be the best treatment for poison oak? I bought a bottle of tecnu skin cleaner and applied the lotion shortly after the rash appeared. So far (two days), this product has been fairly useless. Have any of you found an effective treatment for poison oak??

 

Thanks, Sierra Rat

 

I am so insanely allergic poison oak that I begin itching upon reading the title of this thread. I got into a nasty patch at Browns Point, WA a while back and had a horrible reaction. The one and only treatment that worked for me was the steroid shot. I'd recommend going straight to that. The shot is painless and you will find relief within just a day or two.

 

Interestingly enough, several months later, when I put on the same shirt I had been wearing when I became infected, which had since been laundered, I became re-infected. (went right back for the shot) I ended up throwing those clothes out!

 

Good luck!

 

Gosh, that makes 3 of us that got it at Browns Point. Stinkchz got into it there too. Tecnu and Zanfel are supposed to be effective at removing the plant oil (urushiol) from your skin, but you only have a window of 15 minutes or so to use them. After that time, the urushiol binds to your skin and cannot be washed off. It takes 2-3 days after exposure for the blisters to appear and by then it's too late to do anything about it. You're best off having Zanfel or Tecnu on hand BEFORE you come in contact with Poison Oak, ideally in your geo-pack. Poison Oak is absolutely Hell to go through. It itches so bad you want to scratch your skin off, but at the same time it feels so horrible that you almost vomit when you touch it. It lasts for weeks. You can get some great info about Poison Oak on this site. I took a photo of my arm when I had it - the arm is so swollen that I can barely recognize it as my own!

[+Blue Power Ranger]

Gosh, that makes 3 of us that got it at Browns Point.

 

I guess that's a bad area. I was there pre-geocaching for a volunteer park cleanup day. My job was clearing brush. I was unknowingly cutting the stuff down piling it and loading it in a truck. I had hours of close contact. Nasty, nasty, nasty.

 

The shot. Go for the shot! Trust me.

[+hydnsek]

Yep, it's all about Tecnu. Everyone's already given you great advice, similar to previous threads on this topic. Like others here, I swear by it. As an orienteer, I regularly bushwhacked through thickets of it in California, and never had a problem so long as I applied Tecnu afterward. Orienteers in general buy gallons of the stuff for poison oak and poison ivy (some entrepreneurial types would bring cases of it to meets to sell!). Here in Puget Sound, poison oak is a rarity, so I haven't had to use Tecnu in a couple years, thank goodness!

Edited February 7, 2007 by hydnsek

[+chamois-shimi & special K]

Seems like I get poison oak at least a couple of times each year while out geocaching. I'm a bit different than most in that the afflicted area weeps like crazy, but I virtually never itch. My current batch of oak (starting early this year!) has been around for about two and a half weeks. The weeping started about 1 week in and finally finished a few days ago. I've now reached the "bad sunburn" stage where the remanents of dead skin are starting to flake off. When the oozing gets particularly bad, we usually smear it with some hydrocortisone creme (chamois-shimi could tell you the exact stuff) and wrap it in gauze. If it's a large area, the gauze is then covered with an Ace bandage.

 

For prevention, I've found that liberal washing of the area within the first 20-30 minutes usually does a decent job. As was mentioned by an earlier poster, once you pass that 20-30 minute window, it's too late. If I think I've been brushing through poison oak, everything I've been wearing (including jacket and shoes) goes straight into the washing machine when I get home.

 

-SK

[+mudsneaker]

ugg, Ive never been in the stuff in all my years of tramping in the woods (knock on wood) and reading this is starting to make me get nervous. For years I didnt even thing it grew in the NW since I managed to never encounter it. Odds are I wont even know I was in it till way to late Im guessing, since I'm just not use to looking for it at all.

 

does it stay alive all year around or just pops up in the summer like nettles?

[+chamois-shimi & special K]

does it stay alive all year around or just pops up in the summer like nettles?

 

"Alive" is an interesting word with regards to poison oak. The leaves turn bright red in the autumn, so it's a bit easier to see..... for awhile. Eventually it will lose its leaves. However, the oil that causes the rash can still be transferred from leafless poison oak sticks. That's why I usually get my worst cases in the winter and early spring - it hasn't leafed out yet so I don't realize what it is.

 

So really, you can get a poison oak attack at any time during the year. I think I've personally had it in the Spring, Summer, and Winter. The red leaves help me avoid it in Autumn.

[+Sagefox]

I've looked in the forum for an answer, but haven't found this topic addressed anywhere else. What have you found to be the best treatment for poison oak?

 

Where we live in coastal Northern California there is a LOT of poison oak. When we moved down here we were told that for the rash we should use Fells Naptha soap, dampen the soap bar and make a paste of it on the infected area, let it dry and leave it there until you repeat the process. We were told this would dry out the rash and make it go away it faster. It seems to work for us.

 

I do this whenever I come into contact with poison oak and a small red spot appears or if I know I've accidentally grabbed it. I've never had a rash develop when using this method. The one time I did have a small rash it went away very quickly. I have substituted other bar soap when away from home.

 

But then, again... I might not get a reaction from it anyway. That happens for some people. I've been into a LOT of poison oak while geocaching and only had one or two tiny reactions so far.

[+hydnsek]

Tecnu and Zanfel are supposed to be effective at removing the plant oil (urushiol) from your skin, but you only have a window of 15 minutes or so to use them. After that time, the urushiol binds to your skin and cannot be washed off. It takes 2-3 days after exposure for the blisters to appear and by then it's too late to do anything about it. You're best off having Zanfel or Tecnu on hand BEFORE you come in contact with Poison Oak, ideally in your geo-pack. <snip>

This is inaccurate, at least for Tecnu. The window is 6-8 hours for applying Tecnu after exposure, says so right on the bottle (I just checked mine).

 

And I can testify this is true. As Team Sagefox noted, Northern California's hillsides and woods are covered in poison oak - thickets, vines, ankle-biter plants, you name it. I have run through it, fallen in it, grabbed it by accident, found orienteering controls attached to it (grrr)... and never was able to apply Tecnu until hours later (usually 2-4 hours afterward). So long as I slathered on the Tecnu, I never got a rash. However, while I am allergic - I had some whopper rashes with intense itching and oozing before I found Tecnu - I am not as sensitive as Blue Power Ranger, so your mileage may vary.

Edited February 8, 2007 by hydnsek

[+Blue J Wenatchee]

I have gotten into Poison Oak each of the last two summers and suffered from the expierience. The first year I suffered for a week before I went to the doctor. Last summer when I realized what I had I went and got the steroid shot right away. I dint find out about Technu until after the second episode but now I carry it with me. Suffering from the effects of the poison oak oil is not a fun expeience. This summer when I get it I will try the bannana and tomato cure.

[+QuesterMark]

I swear by the stuff. It's the best on the market. Are you sure you're suffering from poison oak and not something else like an allergic reaction to something?

 

Poison Oak/Ivy/Sumac rashes ARE allergic reactions to something. It's pretty fascinating, the oil from them reacts with some of the junk inside skin cells and the resultant compound is an allergen.

 

I say it's fascinating because I haven't suffered from it yet.

[+Haffy]

I have gotten into Poison Oak each of the last two summers and suffered from the expierience. The first year I suffered for a week before I went to the doctor. Last summer when I realized what I had I went and got the steroid shot right away. I dint find out about Technu until after the second episode but now I carry it with me. Suffering from the effects of the poison oak oil is not a fun expeience. This summer when I get it I will try the bannana and tomato cure.

 

Anybody have any photos of poison oak? Living here in Maine we get exposed to poison ivy a lot but I don't know if I have ever seen poison oak.

[+TotemLake]

I swear by the stuff. It's the best on the market. Are you sure you're suffering from poison oak and not something else like an allergic reaction to something?

 

Poison Oak/Ivy/Sumac rashes ARE allergic reactions to something. It's pretty fascinating, the oil from them reacts with some of the junk inside skin cells and the resultant compound is an allergen.

 

I say it's fascinating because I haven't suffered from it yet.

That's nitpicking as the OP knew exactly what I was asking.

[+TotemLake]

I have gotten into Poison Oak each of the last two summers and suffered from the expierience. The first year I suffered for a week before I went to the doctor. Last summer when I realized what I had I went and got the steroid shot right away. I dint find out about Technu until after the second episode but now I carry it with me. Suffering from the effects of the poison oak oil is not a fun expeience. This summer when I get it I will try the bannana and tomato cure.

 

Anybody have any photos of poison oak? Living here in Maine we get exposed to poison ivy a lot but I don't know if I have ever seen poison oak.

This site has great info on PO, PI, and PS. Btw, PI is known as the great imitator of plants. It will make itself resemble the plant it is growing next to.

Edited February 9, 2007 by TotemLake

[+Half-Canadian]

For those that are particularly sensitive to poison oak, it is also helpful to launder clothes that have contacted the stuff with tecnu and hot water, as it helps to remove the oils that ordinary detergent won't completely remove from the fabric.

[+Prying Pandora]

Tecnu and Zanfel are supposed to be effective at removing the plant oil (urushiol) from your skin, but you only have a window of 15 minutes or so to use them. After that time, the urushiol binds to your skin and cannot be washed off. It takes 2-3 days after exposure for the blisters to appear and by then it's too late to do anything about it. You're best off having Zanfel or Tecnu on hand BEFORE you come in contact with Poison Oak, ideally in your geo-pack. <snip>

This is inaccurate, at least for Tecnu. The window is 6-8 hours for applying Tecnu after exposure, says so right on the bottle (I just checked mine).

 

And I can testify this is true. As Team Sagefox noted, Northern California's hillsides and woods are covered in poison oak - thickets, vines, ankle-biter plants, you name it. I have run through it, fallen in it, grabbed it by accident, found orienteering controls attached to it (grrr)... and never was able to apply Tecnu until hours later (usually 2-4 hours afterward). So long as I slathered on the Tecnu, I never got a rash. However, while I am allergic - I had some whopper rashes with intense itching and oozing before I found Tecnu - I am not as sensitive as Blue Power Ranger, so your mileage may vary.

It may vary indeed! From the Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac Information Center:

Usually within 15 minutes of contact, the urushiol binds to skin proteins. If it is washed off with soap and water before that time, a reaction may be prevented. After the antigen is fixed, however, it cannot be washed off or transferred to other areas.

The urushiol oil is an oil. Nothing more. This means that to remove it from items like clothing or shovels or pavement we can apply either a solvent or a soap to remove the oil or provide sufficient force with water pressure. Examples of a solvent are things like mineral spirits, rubbing alcohol, gasoline, lighter fluid, and witch hazel. An example of a solvent-based product in the poison ivy arena is Tecnu which contains mineral spirits.

 

Urushiol oil penetrates the top layer of skin and binds to cells deep in the epidermis. Any solvent or soap will remove urushiol oil from the skin prior to bonding. Bonding takes place in as little as 3 minutes according to some web sites but on average according to most literature is 30 minutes.

 

Once it bonds it becomes very difficult if not impossible to remove according to some research. How the different poison ivy products break down this protein bond is still not quite understood. Some products such as Zanfel are reported to have special ingredients that attract and pull out the oil from the bonded protein. This process apparently is protected by US patent according to the manufacturer. Other products are reported to pull out the oil as if this bonding really isn't the main problem. Many of these products use the conventional soap or solvent technques described above.

 

One thing is for certain. People report different levels of success with all these products. What works for some apparently does not work for all. It could be possible that understanding the different types of rashes will help explain this phenomenon.

[+hydnsek]

Replying to PP above without copying all that....

 

No argument that the urushiol binds to the skin cells within 15 mins to an hour. But as the last paragraph you quoted notes, Tecnu and other products do seem to have a means of thwarting the allergic reaction, even after the molecules bind. The mechanism is unknown (but being studied). And the degree of success varies. However, hundreds of orienteers have used it for years, and swear to its effectiveness, so it must work for some of them. I have gotten the rash when I forgot to put it on, but never when I remembered, even after a few hours.

 

But, to your point, none of these lotions will help people who are severely allergic. Tecnu, et al, is for the majority of folks who have mild to moderate allergic reactions. I know a couple orienteers who had to quit competing in the Bay Area because of their severe reactions to poison oak, which weren't mitigated by Tecnu (or anything else).

Edited February 10, 2007 by hydnsek

[+revelstone]

I've had such bad reactions to poison oak, that I'm almost paranoid while on the hunt. Anything that has three leaves gets a very close inspection, and the blackberry vines (which are so numerous in Oregon) can look like poison oak at first glance! We've used Tecnu with good results and always carry it in our geobag. Tecnu is actually made by a company here in Albany, about a mile down the road from us!

[+MissJenn]

Those of you with bad rxns to poison oak should stay away from HHOUNDS Bad Mojo Geocoin . If you keep it too long:

 

you will be cursed with a nasty run in with a poison oak tree

[+edscott]

[...snip... Btw, PI is known as the great imitator of plants. It will make itself resemble the plant it is growing next to.

 

The form a plant takes is a result of it's DNA. It can't change that to meet it's local environment or for any other reason for that matter. There are some other plants that look a bit like poison ivy, but with a bit of practice it's relatively easy to tell the differences.. sorta like being able to tell dogs from cats...

[+Prying Pandora]

I have a lovely blistery poison oak rash developing on my arms from caching around the Geocoinfest area (Temecula, CA) on the weekend. It's not as bad as the case I had a few years ago, but all the same, ick. No leaves on the plant to ID it this time of year, so I had no idea I'd been exposed.