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Poison Ivy
Apr 23, 2016 12:23:47 GMT -8
via mobile
Post by scapegoat on Apr 23, 2016 12:23:47 GMT -8
Haven't had a brush with poison ivy since I was a kid. Lawdy, it itches -I think I leaned against a tree that probably had an unassuming vine on it. I considered myself savvy to it's wily ways but this has got me thinking now since it's kept me from getting good sleep, ugh.
Wondered opinions on what remedies work best. Do you carry anything in your kit or just deal? Rash doesn't seem to show up for a couple days so I'd assume for just weekend trips it wouldn't be worth bothering.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Apr 23, 2016 12:40:36 GMT -8
I carry antihistamine in my kit, for the itch, so I can sleep. That's it for me.
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rpcv
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Post by rpcv on Apr 23, 2016 14:19:48 GMT -8
I haven't had it in a few years, but the last time I did, Burt's Bees Poison Ivy Soap provided some relief and dried the rash out.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Apr 23, 2016 15:38:55 GMT -8
I don't backpack where poison oak (or ivy) grows Like Zeke, I do carry an antihistamine, and I carry "itch goop" for mosquito bites, etc., usually (got in the habit when the kids were little, and decided I like soothing my bites, too).
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snappypepper
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Post by snappypepper on Apr 23, 2016 16:43:23 GMT -8
I had a super severe allergic reaction to poison ivy 2 years ago that wreaked all kinds of havoc on my health. I'm a huge fan of the Tecnu products and they were what the dermatologist and ER doc both recommended.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2016 17:17:17 GMT -8
+1 for Tecnu products. Work very well. I hike in Va, which is as poison ivy and tick infested as you can get. Jewelweed also works pretty well when applied immediately after contacting poison ivy. In the field, I'll grab a handfull of that, rub it on the area affected, then wash thoroughly, then reapply.
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Post by Lonewolf on Apr 23, 2016 18:51:21 GMT -8
I'm lucky. I used to be highly allergic when I was a kid but outgrew it and it (and poison oak) has no effect on me now.
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almostthere
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Post by almostthere on Apr 23, 2016 18:55:02 GMT -8
Zanfel (or the pharmacy brand of it) works great for an itchy icky rash. Technu gets the oil off everything so you don't keep re-oiling from the clothes, shoes, hiking poles, etc.
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amaruq
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Post by amaruq on Apr 25, 2016 4:45:13 GMT -8
I apply my eyes in order to avoid it. Cover up when I can't.
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toejam
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Post by toejam on Apr 25, 2016 10:35:08 GMT -8
Tecnu Extreme - I used to get awful rashes that lasted for weeks. Now I use this stuff at the end of the day or after I get home from a weekend trip. If I get a rash, I use it every day until the rash is gone.
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Post by dayhiker on Apr 25, 2016 11:11:26 GMT -8
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Post by cheaptentguy on Apr 25, 2016 14:13:19 GMT -8
I know this is a bit OT, but are there many instances during thru hikes when you guys would go to a Minute Clinic or the equivalent to get a prescription remedy? Or would you mostly rely on over the counter stuff and just power through?
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almostthere
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Post by almostthere on Apr 25, 2016 16:30:08 GMT -8
I know this is a bit OT, but are there many instances during thru hikes when you guys would go to a Minute Clinic or the equivalent to get a prescription remedy? Or would you mostly rely on over the counter stuff and just power through? That depends on the severity of the reaction to it. If it's just itchy, just hike. If you have one of those reactions where you swell up all over and develop a systemic rash even though you have just a single point of exposure on a leg, you evac to a hospital like, PRONTO. My dad was so deathly allergic that even though I never developed a reaction I was anal about never bringing exposed clothes into the house until they were contained in a trash bag.
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Post by dayhiker on Apr 25, 2016 21:31:46 GMT -8
From that site:
"If you have a minor rash, go see what your drugstore has, such as Zanfel. BUT if you have a bad rash, with blisters, or anything near the eyes or other tender parts: go see the doctor! There are prescription remedies for serious cases that only a doctor can prescribe."
IF you know you have a problem I would bring Zanfel & Technu or if you have some precription thing .. . And if you know you are going where it is a known problem like the ROgue, you might consider not going if you have a bad problems with it, I am not allergic, but I still take precautions , esp. if I am going to a place like the rogue.
Also:
"Don't touch your face, or any other tender skin areas. While the oil has a hard time getting through tough skin on the fingers, it goes right in to the tender skin of the face, eyes, and private parts!" Beside that you don't want your eyes to swell up
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markskor
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Post by markskor on Apr 26, 2016 7:11:07 GMT -8
California hiker - We have lots of poison oak out here. Once, Big Sur, above Salmon Creek, made the mistake of having a campfire...must have been some urushiol oil residue on the wood/ in the smoke. Woke up looking like the hulk (except not green)...eventually worked its way down to the privates too...took 4 months to finally clear up the boys. Now, having learned a hard lesson, decided to try and restrict my future hikes to above 4,000 feet elevation, the upper range/limit of the dreaded 3-leaf assassin, Sierra.
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