Two years ago I was trimming around my office and did not realize that I had gotten into poison ivy. I spent the whole day working outside, sweating and brushing my hair out of my face. Two days later I got the worst case of poison ivy I've ever seen. One whole side of my face swelled up and I couldn't open my eye. I had it all over my arms and on the back of my knees. I used Caladryl clear gel and Benadryl gel and pills. The best immediate relief came from warm poultices of oatmeal. It only took a few days for the worst to be gone, but I'm convinced that it gets into your blood stream and pops out at random spots for weeks afterward. Ever since then it seems that I just have to look at the plant to get a few spots of the rash. I was never this sensitive to it before. I did find a product called Tecnu that you bathe with if you know you have touched the plant and I use it after every hike. I'll have to look for this Jewelweed, but I don't recall ever seeing that flower in the area.
(MD)
Enough rambling
Debean

mulbie wrote:
Well all of this is way too late for me. I have driven The Yachtsman
crazy over the last 3 weeks with my itching, constant showers, poison
ivy creams, and requests to "please wash this stuff for me". Wow what
a mess. I know of at least 2 other people who have recently had bouts
with this pest despite being careful. I think I got my original
"spot" by transporting the oil from some contaminated shoes ---- there
doesn't seem to be anyplace this year that doesn't have some poison
ivy along the trails! I've tried all the cures (except the hot water
which I think would make it worse), and have to say that only two
products helped --- the very expensive Zanfel, which made the rash
disappear faster, but also may have spread it, and a product that I
only found at Walgreens this week --- dermarest --- which seemed to
completely dry it up. Ivarest stopped the itch, but had no curative
properties. I don't care what the experts say, the rash spreads on
your own body even without additional contact with the oil. Long
after the first blisters were gone, new spots kept appearing like
mosquito bites. You can't convince me otherwise, as these new spots
popped out for 3 weeks with no additional exposure. Whew, glad that's
over! -- please excuse my venting. Hope my two cents worth helps
someone else.

Mary Manatee


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