BigBlue

Any of yall know of an easy way to get rid of this stuff? I accidentally got into some while I was working on my land. And no smart remarks like "Yeah. Don't get it in the first place." : It sucks that I get it now cause I've got a "special" date Sat. night that we've been planning (me and my new girlfriend ;D) and now plans are having to change. Oh well. Guess we'll figure out something.

Jrr

Pygmy Goats!!!!!!!!!!!

chuck3

Yeah, don't get in it in the first place, silly boy. hehehe

Alan_Reagan

If you are serious (and if you are not now, you will be after that date......don't forget, you can give it to your significant other, Bud) the goats or donkeys will work.<br><br>What I did was take a bush axe (you know, long handle, curved blade) and cut the vines at the base of my pecan trees. Then, pull what you can of the vine away from the tree and let it hang free. It will take about a week for it to die in the trees. Or you can spray the ivy with Roundup and kill the roots at the same time.<br><br>What I had in my field, I mowed with the bush hog. After two mowings, it disappeared.<br><br>On the trees it was gone for the remainder of the first year and some new stuff came back the following year and I repeated the treatment and now it is all gone.<br><br>Try not to do this in the summer or early fall. That's the time when the leaves are really oiled up and misting poison into the air. If you got it now, it's not as bad as it could have been. My next door neighbor ended up in the hospital two yeas ago after messing with the stuff in the fall. Nasty. Nasty.

Shovelhead

If I'm not reading his post wrong, He's already been in contact with the stuff and is lookin' for a way to get rid of the itching, and blisters.
Correct me if I'm mistaken.
I've heard bathing in an oatmeal bath will help dry the stuff up.(note..don't eat the oatmeal afterwards)

Let me try a little search to see what else I can find.

Edit....from the FDA website:

(urushiol= the stuff on the leaves that makes you break out)

First, Epstein says, cleanse exposed skin with generous amounts of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. (Don't return to the woods or yard the same day. Alcohol removes your skin's protection along with the urushiol and any new contact will cause the urushiol to penetrate twice as fast.)
Second, wash skin with water. (Water temperature does not matter; if you're outside, it's likely only cold water will be available.)
Third, take a regular shower with soap and warm water. Do not use soap before this point because &quot;soap will tend to pick up some of the urushiol from the surface of the skin and move it around,&quot; says Epstein.
Clothes, shoes, tools, and anything else that may have been in contact with the urushiol should be wiped off with alcohol and water. Be sure to wear gloves or otherwise cover your hands while doing this and then discard the hand covering.
Dealing with the Rash
If you don't cleanse quickly enough, or your skin is so sensitive that cleansing didn't help, redness and swelling will appear in about 12 to 48 hours. Blisters and itching will follow. For those rare people who react after their very first exposure, the rash appears after seven to 10 days.

Because they don't contain urushiol, the oozing blisters are not contagious nor can the fluid cause further spread on the affected person's body. Nevertheless, Epstein advises against scratching the blisters because fingernails may carry germs that could cause an infection.

The rash will only occur where urushiol has touched the skin; it doesn't spread throughout the body. However, the rash may seem to spread if it appears over time instead of all at once. This is either because the urushiol is absorbed at different rates in different parts of the body or because of repeated exposure to contaminated objects or urushiol trapped under the fingernails.

The rash, blisters and itch normally disappear in 14 to 20 days without any treatment. But few can handle the itch without some relief. For mild cases, wet compresses or soaking in cool water may be effective. Oral antihistamines can also relieve itching.

FDA also considers over-the-counter topical corticosteroids (commonly called hydrocortisones under brand names such as Cortaid and Lanacort) safe and effective for temporary relief of itching associated with poison ivy.

For severe cases, prescription topical corticosteroid drugs can halt the reaction, but only if treatment begins within a few hours of exposure. &quot;After the blisters form, the [topical] steroid isn't going to do much,&quot; says Epstein. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that people who have had severe reactions in the past should contact a dermatologist as soon as possible after a new exposure.

Severe reactions can be treated with prescription oral corticosteroids. Phillip M. Williford, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology, Wake Forest University, prescribes oral corticosteroids if the rash is on the face, genitals, or covers more than 30 percent of the body. The drug must be taken for at least 14 days, and preferably over a three-week period, says FDA's Ko. Shorter courses of treatment, he warns, will cause a rebound with an even more severe rash.

There are a number of OTC products to help dry up the oozing blisters, including:

aluminum acetate (Burrows solution)
baking soda
Aveeno (oatmeal bath)
aluminum hydroxide gel
calamine
kaolin
zinc acetate
zinc carbonate
zinc oxide

Hope this helps.

Dieseldude4x4

I would not recommend it but Chlorox works very well in about two applications. You will know it. Don't try this at home folks.<br><br>Disclaimer: Not making any recommendations here, just telling you what I have done in the past.

Dieseldude4x4

Crap, now I am itching just talking about it, think I touched the monitor. I see blisters already. Whatever you do, be careful and get it treated.<br><br>I get it so bad, I have to go to the doctor and get the 11 day dose of Prednisone (or whatever it is, the steroid). That is nasty too.<br><br>Top may have a good cure, lets ask him. I understand he eats it for lunch as a side salad.<br><br>Hey top, whats a good cure for poison ivy?<br><br>Good luck.

Shovelhead

[quote author=dieseldude4x4 link=board=10;threadid=8250;start=0#79628 date=1039737919]<br>I would not recommend it but Chlorox works very well in about two applications. You will know it. Don't try this at home folks.<br><br>Disclaimer: Not making any recommendations here, just telling you what I have done in the past.<br>[/quote]<br><br>When you're finished with this method, do you wear one white glove, and dangle your child over a handrail?<br><br>Woah DD... Clorox ???....GEEEEZE you're hardcore

DuaneWKKC

Well Big.. Ive never had it, one of the few itch itch things I'm not allergic to itch itch. We used to get to go itch itch swimming in the summer itch itch when my brothers got it. Always went to a State park where chlorine levels itch itch where very high. Bleach works too itch itch but it is my understanding that it hurts just a little itch itch. Be carefull with your date itch itch you dont want her mad at you for her hard to splain itch :-[ . Good luck on both occasions there bigblue.

Duane

edit.. wow lots of responses at once. didnt mean to repete but other post about clorox wasnt there when I started typing. Gotta get quicker I guess.

Dieseldude4x4

Big Ma Hockenberry, bless her heart, use to put it on the kids back home when they got it. Did two things, got rid of the itch and taught them to stay away from it. NOT!!!!<br>Course, those were the kids out running around in two feet of snow in diapers too. Toughest bunch of kids I ever seen.<br><br>Old Cow, and old fellow back home, use to use creosote on a tooth ache. Now thats hard core there.

Alan_Reagan

<br><br>I see now. Sorry. I thought you meant on the farm. <br><br>Get some calamine or caladryl. There's something called Ivarrest (sp) that my wife uses. Dries it up pretty fast. Stops the itching. It really has to run it's course if you don't get it right away.

Lary Ellis (Top)

I prefer a good heavy garlic, olive oil salad dressing with my poison ivy. Ranch dressing has a tendency to add to the &quot;sour&quot; flavor associated with &quot;urushiol&quot; in it's raw state.<br><br> Also as a flavor enhancing entree, I find any legless reptile (preferably poisonous) is ideal in a light red wine sauce. My own favorite being the western diamondback rattlesnake, but a good eastern Copperhead will work in a pinch.

Dieseldude4x4

[quote author=SFtopSGT link=board=10;threadid=8250;start=0#79650 date=1039739780]<br>I prefer a good heavy garlic, olive oil salad dressing with my poison ivy. Ranch dressing has a tendency to add to the &quot;sour&quot; flavor associated with &quot;urushiol&quot; in it's raw state.<br><br> Also as a flavor enhancing entree, I find any legless reptile (preferably poisonous) is ideal in a light red wine sauce. My own favorite being the western diamondback rattlesnake, but a good eastern Copperhead will work in a pinch.<br>[/quote]<br><br>(looks around for tops wagon wheel comb and stainless tooth brush)

Lary Ellis (Top)

Tosses DD4x4 another 5.9 and plugs in both bug zappers for entertainment ;D

bigfoot

Take it from some one that has been there. I’ve had the stuff in my mouth on the bottom of my feet. And on other more sensitive areas of my body that shall remain nameless.
If you have it bad break down and go to the Vet (doctor) and get the shot for it , things will begin to clear up over night if you wish to clear up faster add some over the counter medication .
You can believe me on this one, all I have to do is walk by the stuff and I’ll catch it. I catch it about 3-4 times a year working on fence and around the farm.