# Poison Ivy Cure



## pyroman_27 (Feb 4, 2003)

Some of you may have heard of this one. It worked great for me when I was a kid. I used to get Poison Ivy, Oak and or Sumac all the time and I had it bad to the point my legs would blister and weep. I used to have to get shots to make it go away. My grandfather's friend recomended this. Take a sock and put about two or three cups of oatmeal in it. Run it under warm water and knead it a little. Once wet, squeeze out the excess water. Once the extra water is gone, you'll get this slimy white extract from the oatmeal. Rub this over your poison as you would calamine lotion. I would keep a small bowl of water close in case the sock and oatmeal became too dry. Let it dry over your rash. Reuse as the itch comes back. It takes away the itch and dries out the poison in just a few days, and that was in my extreme cases. You may need a refill of oatmeal if all the slime (I think it's starch) is gone. But one good sock full usually lasted me for the few days I needed it. I hope this helps those who get the rashes. I will never forget how miserable they were when I was young. Luckily, I don't get it that bad any more. I remembered this tip after finding a few dots of rash on my lower legs after hunting morel mushrooms this spring.


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## TLong (Jan 12, 2009)

That works good, also banana peels. You rub the peeled banana peel, (banana side toward the skin) over the affected area.


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## Indianbullet (Jan 18, 2003)

Banana peel is amazing stuff, never heard of it for that before, but it works wonders on Athletes foot and cold sores. I was told eating lots of cashews works to heal poison oak and is preventive against getting it?? good snack if nothing else I guess


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## Fast Ed (Jul 9, 2009)

I used to scub myself down with ajax or something like it when I was in landscaping.


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## sizzle1usa (Sep 26, 2007)

Take baking soda and milk ix in a bowel until it makes a paste apply to infected area immediate relief soothes and stops the burning use until ivy is gone usually three days


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## ken l (Jan 7, 2006)

my aunt used to paint my feet with white shoe poilish it would dry on it and the itch would go away .sounds bad now but work real good back then


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## John-in-VA (Mar 27, 2003)

Meat tenderizer take some and water make a past and rub it on .It works great in a day or so it's all gone.I bought a book of home remedies it was in there ,a guy at work had gotten it bad ,he used it and the next day it was gone .


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## danesdad (Feb 6, 2007)

Take a hot shower. Have the water as hot as you can stand. Run it on the sores. This causes the histamines in your skin to release and will relieve the ich for a time. Repeat as necessary. The key is the water has to be as hot as possible. 

They also make this stuff called Zanfel. Its a creme that has an abrasive in it and when you put it on it is absolutely heavenly. The itch goes away and you may not even need another application to be cured in a few days. The downside? This stuff is RIDICULOUSLY expensive! Upwards of forty dollars for a one ounce tube.


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## g_c_c_23 (Jul 19, 2008)

*Bleach*

I used to get it every summer from our lake cabin in my teens. The best meathod that i found was to either itch it until it bled or to take my bone saw for gutting deer (had an 8" serated blade) set it on edge and scratch all the bumps away and get a tub of as hot I you could stand water and bout a half a gallon of bleach. Usually was dried up within 2 days and now I don't seem to get it anymore not sure why maybe I'm just a little brighter and stay away.


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## Petapal (Nov 29, 2007)

My brother takes a wire brush and scrubs the rash until it is raw.Then he puts laqauer thinner on it.He swears it works.(I think he was dropped on his head when he was young,maybe several times).I like to think I'm smarter than him.:shade:


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## Bow pro (Mar 4, 2009)

The lacquer thinner actually works....any kind of solvent like that will work. It dries it up really quick. I work with solvent based inks and I can get my hands on just about any thing I want. The thing that works the best for me is MEK (Methel Ethel Keytone) that stuff works wonders.


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## tarleet (Aug 11, 2009)

danesdad said:


> Take a hot shower. Have the water as hot as you can stand. Run it on the sores. This causes the histamines in your skin to release and will relieve the ich for a time. Repeat as necessary. The key is the water has to be as hot as possible.
> 
> They also make this stuff called Zanfel. Its a creme that has an abrasive in it and when you put it on it is absolutely heavenly. The itch goes away and you may not even need another application to be cured in a few days. The downside? This stuff is RIDICULOUSLY expensive! Upwards of forty dollars for a one ounce tube.


The hot water trick i've used. Work great instantly if you have nothing at hand. I use it for more than just that. FOr any kind of iche from bug bits, to ichy eyes. works great, but then again i like hot showers so I can stand hot water.


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## madrivergear (Apr 1, 2010)

I had it really bad last year, where I'd have gladly removed limbs with a hacksaw to clear the itch. I tried the extreme pain meds that I had and the neighbors could come up with not much success, until I filled the tub with HOT water and jumped in at 3am. After the initial scream, the itch was gone. The hot water trick works to kill the itch. This post so far is the best list in one place I've ever seen.


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## CamoRoss (May 4, 2010)

Shower in dawn dish washing liquid right after exposure. It acts as a degreaser, therefore washing away the oils of the poision


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## ClydeWigg3 (Jan 4, 2009)

Bath with a little bleach water. Bleach drys it up.


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## dwagoner (Sep 27, 2007)

hot tub or spa with high chlorine in it is prolly the best way i could think of


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## loghopper (Mar 3, 2009)

CamoRoss said:


> Shower in dawn dish washing liquid right after exposure. It acts as a degreaser, therefore washing away the oils of the poision


I use rubbing alcohol on a cloth to break up the oil right after exposure. Ivy Cleanse is just alcohol on a moist pre packaged towelette...quite handy when needed.


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## murk_man2001 (Mar 4, 2006)

Cheap hair spray,takes away the itch and drys it up. Costs about a $1 and thats for the really cheap stuff. The more alcohol content the better.


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## xlr8ngn (Jan 14, 2009)

What has always worked for me, is I wet the area first with water and sprinkle heavily with salt. Then I scrub it into the skin for as long as I can take it, breaking the blisters. Next, add a little more salt until no more will stick. Then let it completely dry, and dust the salt off. It may take a couple of applications if new blister appear, but the ones you break will begin healing and soon be healed.


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## lc12 (Jul 30, 2009)

CamoRoss said:


> Shower in dawn dish washing liquid right after exposure. It acts as a degreaser, therefore washing away the oils of the poision


As he stated, Poison Ivy is an OIL! That is why all of the "solvent" suggestions help in breaking up the residue on the skin.
If you all notice, most of the "home cures" say that the Poison Ivy will be gone in about three days. Well, duh!!! That is about how long it last no matter what you do! This is direct from my doctor, as is this bit of info: Poison Ivy does NOT spread from the blisters on the skin, as many people think. Because of it being an "oil" it will stay on your clothes, pets, shoestrings, whatever it has come into contact with, until washed away. The fallacy about the "spreading of the ivy from scratching the blisters" is, in reality, due to the oil being under your finger nails and is spread when you scratch in that manner!
That is why you sometimes get the Poison Ivy in places that you say is IMPOSSIBLE to have spread THERE! 
I work outside and my biggest problem with Poison Ivy is in walking through it to do my job, and then untying my boots at the end of the day. The Poison Ivy is on my boot laces and then is between my fingers from handling the laces and then gets spread if I do not wash my hands right away after removing my boots! :thumbs_do
There are some good ideas here as well as some "old wives tales", regarding cures and such.
Take each for what it is worth and most importantly, watch where you are going and what you are touching!!!


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## JamMorg (Mar 6, 2008)

We always had a bar of Fels-Naptha soap around for treating poison ivy. Just lather it up and apply to the itchy area and let it dry. Takes away the itch and dries up the rash very quickly.


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## open season (Feb 24, 2009)

I am highly allergic to poison ivy. Now when I have been out in the woods or think I may have been near it, I take a bath in water dilluted with bleach. This has seemed to work. I haven't had a severe case in several years...


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## bambieslayer (Apr 7, 2010)

yea fells nartha soap works great been using that for a long time


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## CTHarvester (Sep 23, 2008)

Two cures work the best for me:
1. Brake Cleaner
Probably not the healthiest of cures but it works
2. Swimming in the ocean

I'll have to try some of the recommendations here. Thanks


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## Lagrange (Dec 8, 2008)

Do you ever wonder who comes up with some of these? I mean seriously....rubbing a banana peel on yourself? Oatmeal paste...? Somewhere in time there was this guy sitting there thinking...man this poison ivy sure does itch.. Then he gets this bright idea to take the oatmeal out of his bowl and slap it on his leg. Then he sits there looking at it....waiting. (crickets are heard chirping in the background)
Or perhaps there's this old woman (the one the old wives tales are about) who goes around experimenting on people. She probably travels around with a large trunk full of odds and ends to try out. The epitome of the DIY'r.

In the end, if it works..who cares.


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## jsmbly (Jun 29, 2006)

I got one for you.I used to get it so bad my eyes would swell shut.So a guy told me to eat a leaf.So I ate and no more poison ivy.I think it made me itch in my guts lol


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## skynight (Nov 5, 2003)

Remove the oil by washing with dawn. Rub 1% hydrocortisone into the rash until it will not disappear. Done.


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## bcbow1971 (Oct 24, 2007)

I had it bad, I may have had sumac but same cure......my mom used hot tea soaked towels on my sores.....But I like scalding my skin and using Sarna lotion.....or you can take a few benadryl capules and empty powder in calamine lotion bottle and use that. 

Dry it out is the fastes way!!!


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## gridman (Aug 26, 2007)

Fast Ed said:


> I used to scub myself down with ajax or something like it when I was in landscaping.


i never used ajax, but i do wash any suspected areas down with warm soapy water, as soon as i get home from afield, and that has worked tremendously well.


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## il amateurhuntr (Dec 4, 2008)

i use bleach on a towel

it feels like rubbing alcohol on acut


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## mdewitt71 (Jul 20, 2005)

*Man, I have had Poison Ivy for over a week now.....*got it weed eating my arcehry target lane out back then went camping at the lake and got a killer sunburn ontop of it (made it react even worse). 

My left leg is swollen from the knee down, I cant even put my foot in a running shoe. I have been washing in HOT water, using alcohol, calimine lotion and benedryl like crazy. Went to the Dr on Tuesday and they gave me a steriod shot but, so far it hasnt done anything I am still all swollen up.


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## pyroman_27 (Feb 4, 2003)

mdewitt71 said:


> *Man, I have had Poison Ivy for over a week now.....*got it weed eating my arcehry target lane out back then went camping at the lake and got a killer sunburn ontop of it (made it react even worse).
> 
> My left leg is swollen from the knee down, I cant even put my foot in a running shoe. I have been washing in HOT water, using alcohol, calimine lotion and benedryl like crazy. Went to the Dr on Tuesday and they gave me a steriod shot but, so far it hasnt done anything I am still all swollen up.


Try the oatmeal. I used to get it that bad as a child. Once you squeeze ou the starches and put them on it, It will dry it up in like three days. It's in the first post of this thread. Good luck. I know your pain.


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## Kyle_Smith (Nov 19, 2008)

ive had to take them steroid pills twice I had it so bad and i mean bad and it was EVERYWHERE. Them pills made me poop out some mean lookin stuff lol. but any way I just got over a whole left arm and half a right arm dose. it has always lated a week on me and this time i had a steriod cream and before i put that on i would scratch them and dump bleech stright out of the jug, hurts but it only latsed 4 days this time.


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## GusGus30125 (Mar 5, 2009)

Tecnu is the best stuff Ive found for poison oak and ivy.


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## Beekeeper1099 (Oct 4, 2009)

jewel weed works as a preventative as well as cure, just break the stalk and rub it on the exposed areas, it cuts the oil so you don't get the rash, or if already have the rash it takes the itch away and heals it faster. works really good. the best part is that it grows right next to the poison ivy, so you don't have to look far!


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## Mapes3 (Aug 13, 2009)

sure would have been nice when i started hunting. my dad and i were looking for a tree, found one that was perfect, but had vines all over it. when season started, we had big leaves on it (not knowing it was poison oak) and still hunted out of it. about a week after, we had rashes from our feet to our heads. it was horrible. took about a month to heal.


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## callou2131 (Dec 2, 2009)

I am getting over a bout of it right now. Remind me not to scout thick brush wearing shorts and sandals again! I scratch it with a hobby saw used for modeling, then dump rubbing alchohol over it after breaking all the blisters. Burns like hell for a few minutes, but works well.


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## firewood (Sep 25, 2008)

*Poison Ivy*

I have a friend who swears by ZANFEL...It's expensive and not easy to find but I've heard nothing but good about it from those that seem to get poison ivy just by looking at it.
If I have to be around it in the summer I try to wash my hands and arms w/Fels Naptha soap as often as I can during the day. I think that helps a lot. Then I don't wear those clothes again until they get washed.


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## Cybercat (Aug 4, 2003)

Ok I am a herblist so here is a tea that a local herblist told me works well from the inside out for the poison plants once exposed to them.

2 parts nettle
1 part rosemary
1 part basil
make it as a tea and drink a couple of cups throughout day.

here is a known preventive one passed down in the family. Eat a small leaf of the poison ivy in early spring. Makes you immuned. No this is not nuts I know of many people that do it and it works for real well. Remember it is early spring leaf you need to eat.


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## Hunterdale (Nov 28, 2009)

Technu for me as well. Heard about eating the leaf and was always told to do it in spring when the plant is young and only 1 leaf no bigger than a dime. Never tried it. One other caution for you guys, if you do some controlled burns or cut and burn, the smoke from poison ivy if inhaled can and will cause an entire body reaction. Had a friend hospitalized for a severe reaction many years ago from burning. Be careful.


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## riverrat bbq (Sep 21, 2009)

Abuddy of mine gets it so bad, all over his body. The doctors gave him all kinds of things but they didnt work very well. so one day I was listening to the great Paul Harvey's the news and he recomended Benadril. My friend tried it and cant beleive the doctors never recomended it befor. works like a charm. give it a whirl. could be better then turpintine.


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## wvridgerunner (Apr 3, 2007)

I used to get poison oak/ivy several times a year... with at least one outbreak bad enough to get a steroid shot. 

I was at an herbal store 3 years ago, and found a pill call "Ivy-Gone". The pill contains small amounts of poison ivy. I've taken 2 of these pills each spring for the last three years, and haven't had a rash since! And yes, I do still come into contact with poison oak/ivy quite often (even pulled the vines off of trees), and still haven't been affected. 

I believe the pill is only sold locally, but you may want to check local herbal stores in your area.


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## CAH (Mar 15, 2010)

*Before and After Poison IVY*

A few years ago i got the worst case of poison ivy ever. i was dumb and did not realize that the vine i was breaking off an antenna was poison ivy. Well to get to the point i went to the local pharmacy, not the chain giants, the local hometown pharmacy where people actually talk to you not at you. The Pharmacist there sold me their home made concoction which work better than steroid cream that i have used since. The ingredients are on the bottles home made label and are as follows. ETHANOL 54%, MENTHOL 1%, DIPHENHYDRAMINE 2.8%, HYDROCORTISONE CREAM 1%, PRAMOXINE 1.9% AND CAMPHOR O.3%. Now like i said this stuff was AMAZING. And i can agree with the hot water remedy, also a hair dryer hold it on the area as long as you can stand it and it will stop the itch for a long time..
Now as far as the before the ivy. The pharmacist sold me this little bottle of homeopathic remedy stuff called rhus toxicodendron by BOIRON. Small dissoluble pills 3 pills 3 times a day. smaller than tic tacs. He told me that he sells it to professional linemen, the power pole guys, and they swear by it. So i bought some and brought it home to research it before i tried it. here is a link to a study about the effects of the medicine although i think this study is a liquid form w.poisonivyprevention.com/graphics/rhustoxsolution.pdf i'll take these a month before i start scouting and then stop once it freezes. also like others have said. Wash your hands and clean you clothes after being out. i carry hand sanitizer in my truck and always wash my hands before i risk spreading any oils from the poison ivy around. Sorry such a long post but I hate poison ivy. I'd rather have a kidney stone.


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## gmark (Jun 15, 2010)

*Toxic fumes*

This may be the Oral Ivy stuff mentioned. Different mfg's. Thanks for posting links. I'd readily take a pill to help prevent poison ivy/oak/sumac. I don't know how some people say it only lasts 3 days. I'm lucky if it dissipates after a week. 

I have heard the following from 2 different people. I would not try this nor would recommend it. However, should the mood ever strike you to eradicate these vicious plants from the face of the earth, DO NOT BURN THEM!
One person said her father burned some. Probably 20 some odd years ago. He always had issues with poison ivy like the rest of us. During the course of burning the ivy he inhaled some of the smoke. For a few days he was extremely ill. Unable to get out of bed. Upon recovery never had poison ivy again.
Second person same thing. Burning ivy and inhaled smoke. Said he was about 14 at the time. Early 30's now. Ended up in the hospital for two days. No more ivy. 
We all see what it does on the outside. I sure as heck don't want to think about this crap in my lungs. Even if I never would have it again. (if I even survived)


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## CAH (Mar 15, 2010)

w.amazon.com/Boiron-Rhus-Toxicodendron-6c-pellets/dp/B00181J9OS


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## CAH (Mar 15, 2010)

http://www.amazon.com/Boiron-Rhus-Toxicodendron-6c-pellets/dp/B00181J9OS


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## character26 (Apr 8, 2007)

ddghhdhd


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## Cybercat (Aug 4, 2003)

CAH said:


> http://www.amazon.com/Boiron-Rhus-Toxicodendron-6c-pellets/dp/B00181J9OS


Thanks for the link. That is the latin name for poison ivy.


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## Krypt Keeper (Oct 10, 2007)

Petapal said:


> My brother takes a wire brush and scrubs the rash until it is raw.Then he puts laqauer thinner on it.He swears it works.(I think he was dropped on his head when he was young,maybe several times).I like to think I'm smarter than him.:shade:


similar here. my grandmother told me to take a wash cloth and dip it into warm water with alot of salt disolved into it. Apply to area after you pop all the blisters and used a papertowel to soak away most of the weeping, redo the wash cloth once an hour or so. 

I now use some scrubbing stuff made for ivy, oak, sumac and scrub it really good and then apply salt directly do the skin. 

I get a shot for it, and still get it. Just thinking about poison ivy will make me break out


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## TexasArcher58 (Jul 31, 2010)

*Poison Ivy*

Tecnu is the best stuff I've ever used and carry it in my bow box at the lease.


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## SCbryan (Feb 20, 2009)

How about just getting in the ocean...takes care of every other wound it seems.


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## V-TRAIN (Feb 27, 2009)

Zanfel worth the price. cost about $30 but works.


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## hunt1up (Sep 4, 2009)

SCbryan said:


> How about just getting in the ocean...takes care of every other wound it seems.


I would need an ocean for that.


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## swain39 (Jul 11, 2010)

Had a doctor tell me to use the orange "goop" hand cleaner. The purpose of it is that it takes the oil from the plant off of your skin. I always carry around a bottle of it while hanging stands. If i know ive been in it, Ill scrub down with it and it wont bother me. I couldnt believe how well it works.A few times a little rash broke out, but it never spread and was gone in a couple days. Extremely hot water also works pretty good.


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## V-TRAIN (Feb 27, 2009)

another thing i do is wear rhyno skin under my clothes when hanging stands,
scouting, and hunting. it is similar to under armour, just around longer.
it keeps you from getting ticks and red bugs. i still spray down with off.
wearing that keeps me from getting it on my arms. the only place i can
get it is on my hands or face. it has cut down drasticly the amount of
posion ivy i get.


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## Stab 'em (Dec 26, 2008)

I trim trees and get it bad also. I treat it as soon as I am out of t by washing with Orange Goop or Lemon Gojo. It takes away the oils that cause the skin reaction. Rinse well or it will just spread the oil. To dry the blisters I use Super Ivy Dry. It is in a brown bottle with a pump sprayer. Awesome stuff. Benadryl works because it is your body fighting the irritation and that is causing the itch and blistering. If you can stop the body from fighting the ivy oils then you won't get any allergic reaction.


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## tjb50cal (Jul 5, 2010)

all these " cures " remind me of episodes from mythbusters....maybe you should submit some ideas to them.... lmao


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## chacam (May 21, 2010)

Try jewelweed, a member of the impatiens family. We used it a lot in NY but haven't seen it here in FL. You can run it through a blender and then rub it on the affected area. We used to freeze it in ice cube trays as well for use when it wasn't in season. Google jewelweed.


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## K9Handler (Aug 15, 2010)

I am very alergic to poison ivy. i got it at work this past month. I get it so bad that topical ointments do not work because it pusses so much that the topical ointments just run off with the puss from the ivy reaction. I will tell you that the oatmeal baths help in the relief of the itch, as well as the scalding hot water. the best thing that works for me believe it or not for the itch was Vicks Vapor rub. It has that tingling affect that messes with your nerve endings causing the itching to subside, that and there is an ointment out there for shingles that contains capsicum, which is basicly what is in pepper spray and that may burn slightly, but it does the same thing, screws with your nerve endings causing the itch to stop. I would assume you could get cayenne pepper and make a paste with water and put it on to do the same thing


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## Jeffro1011 (Oct 5, 2009)

I locate underground utilities for a living. I am always walking through it, while in shorts, and sticking my hands and arms in it accidentally. It grows so heavily over some of the phone pedistals I have to access, so I have no choice but to tear it off and pray. I keep a gallon of regular old hand sanitizer in my truck and I use it to rub down my arms, legs and hands after I see I have come in contact with the plants. I haven't gotten a case of it in the last 4 years. Either it works really well to cut the oils that cause the reaction, or I have become immune to it alltogether! I don't think the latter is possible, so it must work pretty well. I also used the oatmeal thing when I was little, but my mamaw actually made a bath of it instead of just a wet sock with some in it. Yucky, but very effective.


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## peregrine82 (Aug 25, 2007)

I am highly allergic to poison ivy and the only thing that works is a 5 day prescription of the Steroid Prednisone. Starts to clear after 2 days. Any time I feel I have walked in the ivy I use gloves to remove my boots then scrub them with bleach. Gloves hit the garbage.


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## GAGAMERGETTER (Sep 20, 2009)

i just scrub mine with bleach and almost always it gone the next day if i get a rash


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## deanzr2 (Dec 17, 2008)

PVC cleaner takes the oil from the plant right off.


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## MikeD74T (Jun 20, 2010)

Jewelweed is also know as sweet fern, although it's a bush. I make a tea from the leaves & keep it in the fridge. Stops the itch right away, & is cool & soothing to apply. Just dab it on with a cloth or cotton ball. AND it's free. MikeD74T


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