Poison Ivy. How can I cure it?

[GMN]

I get it horrible just looking at the stuff! I have found that sticking your arm or leg or whatever under running water and slowly turning it up hotter and hotter until you can't take it anymore they turn it up a little more and let it run over it feels AWESOME. It is kind of hard at first but it really makes it quit itching for a while at least. Just try it!

My doctor told me hot water was the worst thing you could do for poison ivy, because it expands the blod vessels, making it itch even more. I too, at first thought it felt good using hot, but after I switched to ice cold, I noticed an improvement almost immediately (at least for a lil while)

Gail

 

[sidney411]

Gail, I'll have to try the cold water next time. I have gotten relief for up to half the day with one hot water treatment, and have been able to sleep through the night after a shower when usually it wakes me up in the night.

One thing is for sure - the most miserable times I can remember in my life have been caused by poision ivy!

This is funny, well, not really but anyway. True story: I know a guy that went to the bathroom after being in contact w/ poision ivy and was not alergic to it. That night he went home and got a little frisky with his wife.....she went to the doctor absolutely convinced her husband had cheated and brought her home some sort of disease. They almost got a divorce because she didn't believe the doctor when he said it was poision ivy.

 

[J&T Farm]

My grandmother would mix bleach and water, soak a rag and hold it on there for about 5 min. It burned but by morning it would be all dried up and much better.

 

[Nowland Farms]

Poision Oak or ivy does not bother me. When we were just kids, my 1st cousin and I were wrestling in the woods. The woods turned out to be poision oak. My cousin was covered just about from head to toe. Me? I had a small rash on my arm about the size of a silver dollar which lasted 3 or 4 days. It's been about 38 years and it still does not bother me. I try to stay away from it when I can because I have heard that your body may change and it could begin to bother you.

 

[fit2btied]

My grandmother would mix bleach and water, soak a rag and hold it on there for about 5 min. It burned but by morning it would be all dried up and much better.

I did that last summer, but the rash got bad enough that I finally went to the doctor. He started talking about putting me in the hospital to find out what was wrong - said it wasn't poison ivy. When I told him about the bleach deal, he said it was poison ivy complicated by chemical burns. Guess I went a little heavy on the bleach.

 

[TLCfromARK]

GMN, I've tried the cold water also, the hot worked much better for me. I'm not against trying something new but I'm a firm believer in doing what works for me.
I hope none of us get the retched stuff ever again!

;-)

 

[samanthasteven]

According to my experience If you treat it, the rash will go away in the next two weeks. If you delay treating it, the rash will go away in about 14 days. This article https://www.everydayhealth.com/poison-ivy/ helps us understand the severity of poison-ivy.

 

[NonTypicalCPA]

12 year old thread! Cool.

If it's really bad then a shot is the only way to go. Steroid I believe. Thankfully it doesn't bother me much.

 

[sstterry]

According to my experience If you treat it, the rash will go away in the next two weeks. If you delay treating it, the rash will go away in about 14 days. This article https://www.everydayhealth.com/poison-ivy/ helps us understand the severity of poison-ivy.

I didn't major in math, but isn't two weeks and 14 days roughly the same thing?? ;-)

 

[Ebenezer]

We use jewel weed in the summer when it is growing. Break the stems and rub the sap on the spots. Works pretty good. I've thought about collecting some and freezing it for winter but never have.

 

[GMN]

Take Benadryl at night-keeps the itching down

 

[Coosh71]

I use bleach. Hurts like a #@+$&#/*$ but works. Dries it up quick

 

[BRYANT]

I have used bleach and/or salt to dry it up. But the best way to keep from getting it is to take the shots to make you where you are immune to it ,if they still give them they did 40 years ago, I use to could get close to it and it got me, how I can pull it up and at the most get a few small spots on my hand.

 

[GMN]

I had it real bad a few years back I went to the doc got the shots did nothing-that was miserable lasted the whole month of July -it was poison Ivy with pustules filled with clear fluid-nothing worked but time that is the worst I had it and have never had it again
Now I wear pants in summer working outside-long sleeves too and just avoid places that I know have poison ivy-sumac or oak-like the woods

 

[ga.prime]

According to my experience If you treat it, the rash will go away in the next two weeks. If you delay treating it, the rash will go away in about 14 days. This article https://www.everydayhealth.com/poison-ivy/ helps us understand the severity of poison-ivy.

I didn't major in math, but isn't two weeks and 14 days roughly the same thing?? ;-)

I believe Samantha was making a little joke. She was saying that in her experience it will go away in 2 weeks, treatment or not.

 

[sstterry]

According to my experience If you treat it, the rash will go away in the next two weeks. If you delay treating it, the rash will go away in about 14 days. This article https://www.everydayhealth.com/poison-ivy/ helps us understand the severity of poison-ivy.

I didn't major in math, but isn't two weeks and 14 days roughly the same thing?? ;-)

I believe Samantha was making a little joke. She was saying that in her experience it will go away in 2 weeks, treatment or not.

I was flip when I should not have been. It was her first post and she resurrected a 12-year-old thread. She has since posted more. My apologies samanthasteven. I was rude and I should not have been.