Poison Ivy

[Goldenboy]

Well I've noticed that the Poison Ivy in my area is starting to look pretty healthy the last couple weeks. I got a couple spots on the back of my legs. It's really wierd because I never used to break out from Poison Ivy at all but the last couple years I get it. It never seems to spread too much but man is it itchy.

Does everyone here have to deal with Poison Ivy or it just a midwest thing?

[underground quester]

Occasionally out in the rural areas where I locate especially on the farms, there is a weed here called stinging nettle. It is very much the same as poison Ivy and has a burning sensation type sting.

I have had it on my hands mostly and the sting goes away in a short time.

[Goldenboy]

We also have stinging needles here. The only nice thing about stinging needles is that the burning/stinging sensation normally only last about half an hour. The sad things are most these plants aren't even native to our continent.

For those who haven't had the pleasure of dealing with stinging needles here's a little info about it.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-stinging-nettle.htm

[gypsygirl]

I am notorious for getting poison ivy. It doesn't matter what I have on or even if I get into it or not. I just have to be in the vicinity of it. Thank goodness they have come out with an ivy scrub that seems to clear it up fairly quickly. I wish you could still get the shots for it ... but that was banned quite a few years ago. That is the only thing I really don't like about spring, summer or fall. :crying:

[locomike]

i deal with it to, but its really bad when u have those older homes and empty lots next to them oh u look n the ivy is all in, on, and around the peds and cant forget about the black widows n brown recluses in,on and around the ivy n peds

[gypsygirl]

Well I have gotten my second round of poison ivy this year! This time it has appeared on my face!! Just great... I feel like elephant girl! I think I got it the day I wore my baseball hat (was having a bad hair day)... and had to go through a wooded area ... I washed up afterwards.. but never thought about the hat.

Well of course about 36 hours later... I have it on my forehead right where the hat was... on my left ear & left hand a bit! Driving my absolutely crazy!!

I have found a scrub that gets rid of it fairly quickly (at least last time it did). It doesn't seem to be working as well on the face! I'm hoping by tomorrow I will have it under control and not continuing to spread!:yikes:

I don't even have to touch this stuff to get it... so just washing up doesn't help much... obviously... and I don't live in the same area that I work... so I can't just go home and shower & change after being exposed to this stuff. When I did work in my home town years ago... I was able to do this and it seemed to help a lot.

[sprayandpray]

I have never had a reaction to Poison Ivy but Stinging Nettle will get me. Gypsy, quit scratching!

[Goldenboy]

Good luck getting it under control Gypsy. We had a guy that worked for us years ago like you that could pretty much drive by a ditch with poison ivy and get it without ever getting out of his truck.

[gypsygirl]

Okay... I am about ready to go to chemical burn mode! (Bleaching this stuff!) Just not sure how that is going to look on my face! Definitely going to bleach the hand though! This is driving me NUTS! Gee... can't come to work today because I have poison ivy everywhere!.... Yeah... that would go over well!

[yahoo]

i deal with it to, but its really bad when u have those older homes and empty lots next to them oh u look n the ivy is all in, on, and around the peds and cant forget about the black widows n brown recluses in,on and around the ivy n peds

dude know what your saying......we have alot of those empty lots here and this is what i've learned.....don't hook up to none of those peds on that lot .....go down to the clean lot and hook up to that ped.......:bump::D

[yahoo]

Okay... I am about ready to go to chemical burn mode! (Bleaching this stuff!) Just not sure how that is going to look on my face! Definitely going to bleach the hand though! This is driving me NUTS! Gee... can't come to work today because I have poison ivy everywhere!.... Yeah... that would go over well!

gypsy............take that old ball cap you got and burn it...........:ecomcity::yahoo:

[yahoo]

my solution for poison ivy....................stay away!!!!....don't even shake it or try to chop it down out of your way......just stay away....

[gypsygirl]

Like I said... I don't even have to touch the stuff! I am waiting one more day and then I am calling the doc! It has moved to my eye lids. Hubby is now getting it!! What am I going to do??? Ugh!!! (That is a rhetorical question.)

[Goldenboy]

Gypsy have you tried using Zanfel. That seems to be what everyone at work swears by. It's a little expensive but if it works who cares. Here's the link if you need it.

ZANFEL (http://www.zanfel.com/help/)

[gypsygirl]

I have the walgreens version of this... same ingredients... same concentration... has helped ... but not enough at this point... Thank you for the link though... I am getting a good look at the different plants... although by the time I see them it is already too late!!

[Goldenboy]

Here's some interesting facts about poison ivy.

Myths versus Facts

Myth: Scratching poison ivy blisters will spread the rash.
Fact: The fluid in the blisters willl not spread the rash. Before blisters form, the rash can only be spread by unbound urushiol. Avoid scratching of blisters. Fingernails may carry bacteria that could cause an infection.

Myth: Poison ivy rash is "contagious."
Fact: The rash is a reaction to urushiol. The rash cannot pass from person to person after the urushiol binds.

Myth: After the first time, I can't get poison ivy again.
Fact: Although not everyone reacts to poison ivy upon first or subsequent exposures, people generally become more sensitized with each contact and may react more severely to subsequent exposures. In addition, the reaction may last longer.

Myth: Once allergic, always allergic to poison ivy.
Fact: A person's sensitivity changes over time, even from season to season. People who were sensitive to poison ivy as children may not be allergic as adults.

Myth: Dead poison ivy plants are no longer toxic.
Fact: Urushiol remains active for up to five years. Never handle dead plants that look like poison ivy without proper protection.

[LadyLeatherneck]

Gypsy your husband should ask for your co. to pay his dr. bills. Another reason for the family forum. Fallout for being married to a locator!!!!! We should get same benefits as military spouses!!!!!!!!!!!! :ylsuper:

[ifinditunderground]

Poison Ivy is the greatest evil on the planet.....there isn't a single place on my body I haven't had it. Including inside my nose and under my eyelids. It's is good to work behind a desk....

[yahoo]

Poison Ivy is the greatest evil on the planet.....there isn't a single place on my body I haven't had it. Including inside my nose and under my eyelids. It's is good to work behind a desk....

ifindit.........dude where you been ....it;s good to hear your voice again!!!:ecomcity:

[Bubba]

Kind of a funny story about me and poison ivy. I used to get paid a pretty decent sum of money to race a mountain bike when I was younger. I started to get into endurance races and did 24 hour solo in Minnesota. It was miserable from the start, raining for the first six hours. Our team support made a ton of food and I filled up on pasta salad. Around 2 in the morning it all of a sudden felt like a cat was trying to crawl out of my bum. All I could do was pedal straight into the woods, drop my shorts and pray. I grabbed what was available for wipe and it turned out to be poison ivy. I raced another 14 hours and my entire body was covered in welts by the finish. I won't describe what the next week of my life was like. Ever since then poison ivy doesn't affect me. Sorry this got so long...........

[Bubba]

Damn..............My last reply was a real thread killer.

[sprayandpray]

Damn..............My last reply was a real thread killer.

Well Hell Bubba, no one could top your experience unless the claimed they had used Poison Ivy for a Condom!:good:

[Wingfoot]

Poison Ivy - Leaves of 3, leave them be.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff124/wingfootsmp/Poison20Ivy.jpg

I'm not plagued with poison ivy welts where I am tanned. Where I am not tanned , I get a terrible reaction. Once I unknowingly had the toxic poison ivy urushiol on my fingers. I drained my radiator and my stop cock swelled to twice it's size for 4 days! The fluid flowed without interruption during the recovery.

[sprayandpray]

Now, that's a 'thread killer'! Jeez, Wing, that was a lot more info than any of us needed:eek:(Twice the size for 4 days-Hmmmm?)