GAH!

[+Thrak]

Aaaaarrrrrrrgggggghhhhhh! I freaking HATE POISON OAK!!!!!

 

Yep. Somebody had to look there - 6 of us weren't finding the cache and we'd been looking for a long time. There was a ton of what I call "velcro grass" - I don't know what it's really called - and it was about 10 - 12 inches high. After I had knelt in the stuff and "carefully" explored the areas "near" the poison oak I decided the cache wasn't there. Now I was careful. Really. I had a fear that I had accidentally brushed my face against the PO but wasn't sure.

 

Later, as we were STILL looking, I noticed that, right where I had been kneeling and reaching, there was some previously unseen PO. It seems that a long sucker of it had grown out along the ground, underneath the velcro grass, and I hadn't seen it. Wow. I've never seen poison oak so mashed and bruised.......

 

Scratch, scratch, scratch, itch, itch, itch. *itch, *itch, *itch.........

 

Ah, well. At least we finally found the cache.

[+Morning Dew]

Not me, I get it every year (or poison ivy). The stuff is the most vile, irritating, life draining stuff on the planet. It makes me insane and I won't go anywhere near it if I see it.

 

I get it so easy and have a touch of it right now, praying it doesn't spread. We can put a man on the moon but we can't take ANYTHING to stop poison ivy or oak.

 

Now, shortly will follow a WHOLE list of miracle cures replies, some will even include links to various Poison Ivy sites and cure websites. And the reason there are 1001 miracle cures? Because they don't work.

 

That's why when you get a headache you take aspirin.

 

People don't suggest:

 

Hot shower

Cold shower

Bleach

Rubbing Alcohol

TecNu

Zinfel

Cortizone shots

Cortizone pills

Deodorant

Calamine lotion

IVY dry

"Insert Brand of Choice" Headache Cream

 

They say......"Would you like a couple aspirin?"

Edited April 26, 2008 by Morning Dew

[+TMDMom]

I tromped around in it today, and my last round is just now fading away. My caching buddy isn't affected by it at all. She's in shorts, I'm dressed like a crazy person in 80+ degree weather all covered up.

[+TMDMom]

what I really wish existed was a pill you could take to prevent you from having the reaction. You can't NOT come in contact with it whilst looking for a cache. Least not around here.

 

And if you get the oil on your shoes or anything else, the next time you touch that item you reinfect yourself.

[+Smokey Bear Collector]

 

Later, as we were STILL looking, I noticed that, right where I had been kneeling and reaching, there was some previously unseen PO. It seems that a long sucker of it had grown out along the ground, underneath the velcro grass, and I hadn't seen it. Wow. I've never seen poison oak so mashed and bruised.......

 

 

Thrak....didn't you advise me last month of the odd nature of PO??? poison oak, poison ivy, hanging from trees, coming up from the ground....getting you anyway it can?

 

My PO from March has healed but I still have a lingering itch that won't go away. I swear I want to rip my arm off sometimes!

[+Ed & Julie]

Aaaaarrrrrrrgggggghhhhhh! I freaking HATE POISON OAK!!!!!

 

Yep. Somebody had to look there - 6 of us weren't finding the cache and we'd been looking for a long time. There was a ton of what I call "velcro grass" - I don't know what it's really called - and it was about 10 - 12 inches high. After I had knelt in the stuff and "carefully" explored the areas "near" the poison oak I decided the cache wasn't there. Now I was careful. Really. I had a fear that I had accidentally brushed my face against the PO but wasn't sure.

 

Later, as we were STILL looking, I noticed that, right where I had been kneeling and reaching, there was some previously unseen PO. It seems that a long sucker of it had grown out along the ground, underneath the velcro grass, and I hadn't seen it. Wow. I've never seen poison oak so mashed and bruised.......

 

Scratch, scratch, scratch, itch, itch, itch. *itch, *itch, *itch.........

 

Ah, well. At least we finally found the cache.

 

I feel your pain (or itch).

 

I have gotten PO at least 6 times since I started caching.

[+Team Gingerbread]

I avoid PI but of course always see it. Everytime we exit a wooded area our routine is to look for ticks and wipe down all exposed areas (not faces unless I know I got hit in the face with a PI leaf) with Tecnu. If we have been in heavy wooded areas we wash down at home with tecnu scrub. Over a year of caching and no PI yet. We live in Ok PI capital of the world.

[+briansnat]

After being immune much of my life, I'm now sensitive to the stuff. I know the immune folks like to smugly state that fact whenever the subject comes up, but before you do that just realize that it's probably just a matter of time. You'll get yours heheheh.

 

Anyway, if I'm exposed to it, I shower as soon as I get home. Cool water, not hot. Hot water opens your pores.

I soap up and rinse thoroughly probably a dozen times. As long as I do this I usually can avoid a case of PI.

The sooner after exposure the better, but I've washed as many as 5 or 6 hours later and was OK. I'm guessing the more allergic you are, the sooner you need to wash it off.

 

Technu is even better than soap.

[+ventura_kids]

You forgot to include Buji

It's the latest greatest cure... so don't say it doesn't work yet.

[+Isonzo Karst]

Buji wipes were in the goodie bag at GW4 (?) I think. Anyway, they may work. I tend to mild reactions, and am fairly careless of it - but I have used the Buji wipes on my hands when I realized that I was grabbing PI vines. You can stick them in your geocaching bag and use them when you realize that you're in the PI. Though it may be too late......

 

 

By the way, if you come to Florida or elsewhere in the SE, you should know what Poison Sumac looks like.

It's a swamp dweller, and much more toxic that PI

Edited April 26, 2008 by Isonzo Karst

[+NeoAddict]

I love being immune to the effects of poison oaks and ivys.

[scottly66]

It makes me itch just reading this. I was so allergic that I have caught it in the winter in snow. I have caught it from the smoke of it being burned before. Fingers swelled up with HUGE Blisters , it was terrible. But I'm immune now!

FYI--Here we have a chain of pharmacys called Medicine Shoppe they sell a preventive. It is a liquid, and you put like 8 drops in water and drink it once a day for a week or so. Thats it.

 

I use to take a preventive injection at the doctor- 3 shots 1st year than booster each following year. But the stuff was so toxic that the staff was catching it, so they did away with it. If you have a bad case of it see your doctor and insist on a PREDNISONE PACK- IT IS STEROIDS IN THE FORM OF A PILL OR TABLET- day 1 you take I believe 7 pills day 2 you take I think 5 its been awhile and by day 3 the PI or PO is history!!

And chances are you will be immune for awhile after taking this stuff.

Final note Burrows Soaks used in bath water will relieve itching as well as Oatmeal.

[+Thrak]

Poison Oak, Poison Ivy, Poison Sumac.......... They all contain urishiol which is what causes the horrible reaction. I hate the stuff.

[+redtech]

Smiling smugly because it never bothers me. :-)

 

My brother used to get it so bad when we were kids that his skin would be blistered and peel off in sheets. It was disgusting! It was almost like a bad burn. He's 31 now and never gets it.

[+9Key]

After being immune much of my life, I'm now sensitive to the stuff. I know the immune folks like to smugly state that fact whenever the subject comes up, but before you do that just realize that it's probably just a matter of time. You'll get yours heheheh.

 

I'm the other way - I used to get it all the time when I was a kid and when I first started caching, but now I don't get it at all. I must've built up an immunity.

[+ArcherDragoon]

Poison Oak, Poison Ivy, Poison Sumac.......... They all contain urishiol which is what causes the horrible reaction. I hate the stuff.

Also...don't forget about Wild Parsnip!!! Has a different chemical makeup...but can be as bad...if not worse then Ivy, Oak or Sumac...

[+KerBear]

I'll add stinging nettle to the list! feels like being stung by 1000 bees. for posion ivy-have been fairly lucky and not had any bad cases. have seen several hides right in the posion ivy tree! not everyone knows what it looks like!

[+Thrak]

I'll add stinging nettle to the list! feels like being stung by 1000 bees. for posion ivy-have been fairly lucky and not had any bad cases. have seen several hides right in the posion ivy tree! not everyone knows what it looks like!

 

I've heard that is really nasty stuff. I'm very glad we don't have it around here. (No chiggers either!)

[+Keruso]

I've never gotten any Poison on me, and I used to always go out camping with the Scouts. Never got on me, or if it did, never affected me

 

Stinging Nettles are a different story. Haven't seen them in a while, but they ITCHED LIKE HECK when they get you

[+ekim1432008]

Hi there

 

Having been in the tree cutting industry, maintaining power lines in South Carolina (a state with a massive amount of the poison plants), I have had poison ivy, oak and sumac dozens of times over major portions of my body. In desperation I have tried every "cure" known to mankind, and a few of the ones only known to martian-kind as well. After that I smartened up and spent a large amount of time researching the facts about the plants. I now consider myself to be somewhat of an expert on the subject.

 

I believe I could write a book about it but for now here are the important points.

1) In all of these poison plants the active ingredient is Urushiol oil. Urushiol oil is a clear liquid that once exposed to air turns black and will look like pine sap on your skin.

2) The time to noticeable reaction after exposure depends on the thickness and density of the skin exposed, it can be as quick as 15 minutes in delicate areas, like the inner thigh, or as long as 48 hours in thicker skinned areas, like the forearm or hand. The only way to be affected is through exposure to the Urushiol oil, the seepage from blisters and such CAN NOT spread the reaction. It can seem as if it is spreading from blister seepage due to the fact that it will take longer for the thicker skinned areas to react.

3) Once exposed if you can wash vigorously with cold water (soap will help), or wipe the exposed area with rubbing alcohol within 15 minutes you can remove the Urushiol oil before it absorbs. Urushiol oil can stay on your clothing, car seat, GPSr ETC. and cause re-exposure for up to 7 years. It is important to clean anything that may have contacted the Urushiol oil. This form of re-exposure also lends to the wives-tale of spreading infection with blister seepage.

4) Once the allergic reaction has begun the most immediate relief you can find is to run warm water on the exposed area, SLOWLY turn the hot water up until it will cause you physical pain to turn it up any more, wait until you get used to that temp. and then turn the hot water up until it will cause you physical pain to turn it up any more, repeat this step until you reach a point where for 30-45 seconds you feel an insane, outrageous, irresistible itching in the exposed area, this feeling will pass quickly and there is no mistaking it when it happens. This is the heat causing a massive release of histamine, this is a biological reaction and will happen. Once the histamines are released it is physically impossible for the exposed area to itch. I HAVE TRIED ALL THE STUPID CURES LIKE OATMEAL AND ALL THE DANGEROUS CURES LIKE BLEACH. THIS IS THE ONLY THING THAT WORKED. Sorry don't mean to yell, I just can't stress this enough.

 

I have never tried the pretreatments to prevent exposure (due to the unreasonable expense of using the product 8 hours a day 5 days a week), so I can not offer an opinion on them. However I have tried a product called Oral Ivy, it is Urushiol oil suspended in an alcohol solution (like using Rattle Snake venom to make Rattle Snake anti-venom) after exposure to Urushiol oil taking Oral Ivy cut the time I was suffering by at least 60%. The makers of the product also say it can help you develop an immunity to the Urushiol oil.

 

I hope this helps and feel free to contact me with any questions.

Mike

[+ekim1432008]

Forgot to mention that it will take your body 8 hours to replace the Histamines released by the hot water, so you will have to repeat the process every 8 hours to avoid discomfort.