Posion Oak is killing me- Help!!!

On a resent excursion I ended up in a patch of posion oak that I didn't see until it was to late. Smack right in the face!!! Now I am living in perpetual hell with a swollen eyes,cheek,neck and ear.Went to the Doctor who wrote a prescription for prednisone 50 mg and some ointment called triamcinolone acetonide cream, also using the standard calamine lotion in the clear.
I have never gotten posion oak in my life and this just sucks...my wife looked at me and says," I don't understand as much as you go into the field in twenty years I have never seen you with posion oak infection". As tactfully as I could I said, "Yes baby but, that was yesterday today is the day of suffering so pass the scalpel and lets cut this S@#$ Off.
So any recommendations would be appreciated even for temporary relief. Soaking in bath,vinegar compresses even pissing on myself (That's right Dan I said it) anything.

Frank , I'm so sorry to hear of your misery. I never used to get poison oak but now I do! When my wife had adult chicken pox I got her Aveeno oatmeal for bathing. It comes in a box and looks like oatmeal that has been run through the food processor. Laurie would just soak in the stuff. I guess you would have to hold your breath! We were calling her "Swamp Thing" at the time. :smt106She wasn't very happy,go figure.
                                               Good Luck

When I had poison Ivy the roids really worked for me.

A little poisin ivy story...
A german grad school friend of mine managed to crawl through a bunch of poisin ivy right before heading home to Germany for a few weeks.  As you can imagine by the time he got to his parent's house his face and parts of his body were all red, puffy, and covered in pustules.  He didn't know what he had and when he went to the hospital in his home town they didn't know either.  Evidently, for awhile there they were treating him as if he had something like ebola. Luckily for him, someone finally figured out that he had poisin ivy and he was spared being put into quarantine and given some steroids.

Other than the story, I really don't have anything that will help right now.  I hope you have a quick recovery.  From what I understand you actually can become more sensitive to poisin oak with time.  You might want to purchase some Tecnu soap which is designed to remove poisin ivy/oak oils from your skin and clothes for the next time you find yourself in a poisin oak area.  I believe if you can remove the oils fairly quickly you can save yourself a lot of pain.

100mg a day and dont taper til you're out of the woods, usually 10 days or 2 weeks The dose packs are useless but that's all most docs will prescribe

It works better if you start early

Go get the Shots!!! Just tell the people at wherever you go thats what you need so they dont waste your time. Quickest way for relief. I am going to start feeding the ducks I got from Rockfish some of the PO on our property to get resistance through the eggs. Randall

Urushiol oil I guess is the agent that infects the skin upon contact. You know since I have never gotten the rash I didn't think that I would get infected but from what i've read this stuff has an accummulative effect so I guess I am DUE.
Back when I was a kid, during the time that dinosurs roamed the land, I visited a place called Magic Fingers in downtown Saigon or was it Tan Son Nuet. although the brush I went through that day was not of this variety at least the procain penacilan took care of that infection just like magic. Ahh the old days....

I am going to start feeding the ducks I got from Rockfish some of the PO on our property to get resistance through the eggs. Randall

I'll put my omlette order in now with cheese.

Sorry to hear you got it so bad. I know a bit about poison oak as I work in it quite often. Some background:

Urishiol is the oil that causes the reaction, it is found in both poison oak and poison ivy.
It remains active indefinitely on clothes, equipment, hair etc. I work on a hand crew that cuts the stuff all day for vegetation management, and we have cut through forests of the stuff, with chips of poison oak "trees" being thrown all over us by our saws. Normal laundering gets it out of clothes that we have literally covered with the stuff. To get it off your skin or non-launderable items, use Technu. Follow the directions on the technu bottle.

The steroid shots work, but over time they have side effects, so an ounce of prevention is to always wash with Technu after being in areas with poison oak. For me, this keeps me from getting it more than a couple of spots at my inner wrists, where my gloves rub it in all day before I can wash.

  Technu works for prevention. One little note, once you technu, and get all the oil off you, you can't spread poison oak to another person. If you scratch the areas of rash, you can spread your body's reaction (meaning the rash) to other areas, but you are not able to give it to someone else.

As far as once you get it, obviously the steroids you have already received. They do have side effects, but if you get it bad, many doctors prescribe it.

Don't scratch, for many, it makes your body react more and leads to more rash, more itching, and if you break the skin you might get infected.

Some people have relief with very warm water, followed by cold water on areas affected, as it 'scratches' the itch without irritating it. Don't burn yourself.

Many people I work with swear by "Zanfel" for relief once they get poison oak. It comes in a small tube like toothpaste, but is quite expensive. (something like 30 bucks a 1 oz tube). It does offer some short term relief, but for me, it irritated the area and made my reaction last longer than if I didn't use it. Others I have worked with swear by it to the point of calling it 'fire crew crack' as it provides them with relief to the point that they would sell off their children to get it.

Good luck.

Chetbango, Looks like I am heading to the pharmacy for a tube of the expensive stuff. Technu will also be on the list of things to pick up as well since Brain and others including yourself made that recommendation.

ooooh mann, I so feel for you. I'm working on a minor case myself. I get a reaction just from looking at the stuff. I've used technu to get the oil off and heartily recommend the stuff, but it doesn't do much for me once the rash starts. I still use it religiously though if I think I've been exposed. This year I'm trying to eat free range goat yogurt that supposedly has been made from Mendocino goats that eat a lot of pioson oak. Jury's still out on whether that will work.
You have my heartfelt sympathies, that oak is eeeeee-vil.

Yeah, just to be clear, once you get the rash, technu won't really help with making it better, but it does insure you won't have the oils on you to make it worse.

Yeah, just to be clear, once you get the rash, technu won't really help with making it better, but it does insure you won't have the oils on you to make it worse.

Understand. Will use to prevent from now on. Again thanks folks as always. Frank

Here ya go, Frank!
I am just getting over a nasty case of oak. Got it in Pacific Valley while going commando through the brush to get to a shore rockfishing spot. Had it real bad for 2 weeks. I found that the best way to dry it out was to go to the beach and wade in the surf (while casting a swimbait for stripers) for a couple hours. It really helped me turn the corner.

Good luck,
PK



Poison Ivy & Oak
Tips/Remedies
 
Acorns Native American Indians used the following: put two dozen or so cracked acorns into 1 1/2 gallons of hot water and boil down to half this amount, uncovered, for several hours. Then strain and cool the remainder and put on affected area. Another use of an oak is to boil a 2x4 inch section of sprig oak bark in a quart of water for 5 minutes; simmer for 1 hour; apply the liquid for relief of itching.

Alcohol, rubbing Dermatologists at the University of California, San Francisco, recommend applying rubbing alcohol liberally to skin and clothing exposed to poison ivy, followed by a thorough washing with water. This can be done anytime within four hours of exposure. Alcohol is a solvent and draws the toxic oils out of the skin and clothing and prevents or reduces the rash and itching.

Aloe Aloe vera juice can also be used to stop the itching and blistering, and it enhances the healing of rashes and sores. You may apply aloe as often as every two hours.

Alum Apply a poultice of powdered alum in a petroleum jelly base.

Apple cider vinegar To relieve itching, combine equal parts of water or alcohol and apple cider vinegar. Dab on affected areas, let dry, and repeat as often as needed.

Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) Baking soda to the rescue again! Put a tablespoon of soda in a cupful of water; more may be added if the water will dissolve it. Wash the affected area with the solution and/or make it into a poultice. Change often enough to keep the application cool. Cover open blisters with sterile gauze. Another remedy calls for making baking soda into a paste. Baking soda is a good drying agent.

Bleach Household bleach can be used to remove the poison ivy resin and treat the itch. Dab the affected area with a cotton ball soaked in a mixture of half water/half bleach. If you put this solution on blisters, they should be gone the next day. Should the above remedy irritate your skin, try making a wet compress and add some table salt or Epsom salts to the mixture, and apply for 30 minutes. This will help dry out the area.

Brewer's yeast Take large doses of brewer's yeast with warm water and honey four to seven times a day. This remedy has been suggested for poison oak, and results should be noticed by the end of the first day.

Burrow's solution (aluminum acetate), available at drug stores, is a good drying agent.

Buttermilk Keep affected areas wet with buttermilk.

Calamine lotion Calamine lotion has been a standby for many years. Dab it on and let it dry.

Catnip Get some fresh catnip leaves and squeeze it so there is some juice and apply to the rash. Catnip has anti-inflammatory properties and will help reduce the itching and heal the rash quickly.

Cornstarch Dusting the affected area with cornstarch can also be used to relieve poison ivy itch. Another remedy calls for making cornstarch into a paste.

Epsom salts Soak the affected area in a solution of Epsom salts and water for 30 minutes daily. Another remedy calls for making a paste with Epsom salts.

Fels-Naptha Rub the body with Fels-Naptha soap both before possible exposure and afterward, leaving the residue to dry. One of the soap's ingredients, mineral spirits, may be responsible for the good results. After you have been exposed to poison ivy, wash off the resin as quickly as possible, even with plain water.

Goldenseal Make a skin wash by combining 1 teaspoon of powdered goldenseal root with a pint of hot water. When cool, dab this solution on the affected areas. You can make a goldenseal tea by mixing a quarter teaspoon in a cup of hot water; take several times a day. This tea is bitter, so you may want to take capsules instead. Two to three capsules will expedite healing. Goldenseal comes in liquid form and may be rubbed on the skin. The herb's powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-infection properties will help the area dry up rapidly. You may also mix the goldenseal with water to dry up pustules. This remedy is also noted as beneficial for poison oak.

Jewelweed Also known as impatiens and touch-me-nots, jewelweed can be used to stop the itch and dry the blisters. Rub the affected area with the leaves from this plant. Clinical studies have shown that this method works as well as cortisone creams. The juice from the stems can also be used; rub it on gently several times a day and let dry. Excessive rubbing, however, will irritate the area. A third variation is to boil the leaves, stems and flowers until the water turns a deep orange, and swab the affected area or apply as a compress. This method may be easier for large areas.

Lobelia Add 2 teaspoons of lobelia to 1 cup of boiling water; let stand; apply mixture to the affected area.

Mugwort Mugwort is used by Native Americans to treat poison ivy.

Oatmeal Oatmeal is another useful remedy and can be used in several ways. One way is to make up some oatmeal, let it cool down to warm, and spread on the affected area. For cases where the whole body is affected, put three-quarters of a box in waist-high warm water in your bathtub and soak in it for awhile. Another bathtub method is to put the oatmeal in a sock and swirl it around in the bath water. Don't dry off when you get out, and the oatmeal will leave a powdery covering which will help stop the itch. Another remedy is to make a paste using oatmeal.

Petroleum Apply crude petroleum every hour until inflammation is reduced, then wet affected areas with petroleum four times a day.

Plantain The common weed plantain, found along roadsides, meadows and frequently in people's lawns, may be used to stop the itch and control the spread of the inflammation. Crush the leaf and rub it on the affected area. The skin may take on a green tinge temporarily, but plantain works quickly. This herb has broad leaves (4-10" in length) and long flowered spikes.

Salt water Bathe the area with a warm solution of salt water.

Soap Brown soap that is allowed to dry helps reduce the itching.

Stinging nettles Apply juice from stinging nettles to the affected area.

Sassafras Bathe the affected area in sassafras tea.

Tea tree oil can be applied several times a day to reduce itching and promote healing of the blisters.

Tofu If you have some tofu handy, cut it into pieces and attach to the affected areas. It should stop the itching.

Vitamin C Taken in large doses, Vitamin C may also be helpful because of its antihistamine and detoxifying qualities. Dissolve a vitamin C tablet in water and wash the affected area. The juice of an orange or lemon is also very effective.

Another way to use it is to take 1,000 mg of time-release vitamin C hourly. Take it as soon as you can after contact with the plant (poison oak), and be sure to take it at least three times during the night. This will help stop the spread and it should be cleared up in 3 to 4 days. Remedy compliments of Elizabeth Martz.
Vitamin E rubbed on any raw areas will expedite healing.

Watermelon Another remedy is to cut open a fresh watermelon and rub the area with the flesh and rind.

Willard water Put this special water on full strength if your poison ivy is weeping, or follow the dilution directions for normal cases. The itching should stop immediately, healing will begin and you will notice improvement within a few hours. Willard water, a specially treated water, may be obtained at a health food store.

Witch hazel Native Americans used witch hazel for inflammatory skin conditions. Dab some on the afflicted area several times daily with a cotton ball. Witch hazel, a good drying agent, will reduce the itch and promote healing.

Zinc oxide is a good drying agent.

Homeopathic
Rhus tox 30c. Taken once a month will prevent problems from poison ivy. It should be taken sublingually (under the tongue).

Rhus tox 6c will heal poison ivy in a few days.

Lots of good advice here Frank so I will not add to it.  I hope you start to heal soon.

I just want to say that the worst case of PO I ever saw was when my 5 year old (at the time) daughter had it so bad it became infected etc.  I do not wish that on anyone and would have gladly taken it over myself if I had the option.