Asian bird flu strain of Poison Ivy

[Vendetta]

So Sunday I wake up and have 3 little red bumps on my right arm. I figure its no big deal. By Sunday evening I realize its poison ivy. No I can look at the stuff and get it but I usually put some Ivy Dry on it and in a day or two its gone.

Not this SHIT!!!!!!!!!!

I am eat up with this stuff and its killing me. I worked from 1900 until 0430 this morning. I came home and have slept like 3 hours. As soon as I get to sleep I wake up because Im itching. I have a doctors appoinment at 11:45 to get a shot of steroids which in turn will make me eat like a horse in about 3 days. Be careful because apparently Poison Ivy is bad this year

[Beans]

Damn, tha blows. I am alergic to poison ivy and get really sick from it. I will make sure to stay away from it!

[gozling]

I really hope you think twice about the steroid shot...
... here is a recipe that I have used alot... due to my holistic background it is what i used to use in my vet practice and it worked on people really well...

3,000 to 8,000mg of Vitamin C daily- this prevents infection and spreading of the rash. A natural anti histamine that reduces swelling.

Zinc- 80mg daily do not exceed a total of 100mg daily from all supplements. Needed for skin repair of tissues. Use zinc gluconate lozenges or Optizinc for best absorption

Vitamin E oil or cream- apply topically as directed on label. Aids in healing and prevents scarring

Vitamin A 25,000IU daily- If you are pregnant ( LOL ) do not exceed 10,000 daily (I have to put that since everyone reads this). Needed for healing of skin tissue. Also boosts immune system.

Shark Cartilage- 1 gram per 15 lbs of body weight. Divided into 3 doses. Reduces inflamation

All purpose Bactericide Spray from Aerobic life industries or another similar company- appy topically follow label. Destroys bacteria. Prevents spreading of the rash.

Calamine lotion- appy topically as directed. Contains calamine, phenol and zinc oxide. Has drying properties for faster healing.

Nature works Marigold Ointment from Abkit or Aloe Vera- Apply topically as directed. This relieves itching.

Rhus Toxicodendron- As directed on label. The classic Homeopathic remedy for poison ivy. Relieves itching and promotes healing
OR
Poison Ivy/oak tablets from Hylands- as directed. A homeopathic combination remedy for poison ivy/oak.

just some other info for you as well....

Herbs:
Aloe vera helps relieve burning and itching. A strong tea made of equal parts lime water and white oak bark is very good for poison ivy oak or sumac. Apply a compress wet with this solution. Replace the compress with a fresh one as often as it becomes dry.
The following herbs can be used topically as remedies: Black walnut extract, bloodroot, echinacea, goldenseal, and myrrh. Black walnut has an antiseptic property and helps to fight infection; bloodroot reduces swelling; echinacea promotes healing of skin wounds; goldenseal is good for inflamation; myrrh is a powerful antiseptic. Echinacea can be taken internally for the immune system as well.
Caution: do not use bloodroot during pregnancy and use goldenseal with caution if you are allergic to ragweed.

Other recommendations:

for a sever case: consult a physician of course. Symptoms that warrant medical attention include an extensive rash that covers more than half of the body; extreme swelling and redness and fever. you should also consult a dr. if it occurs near the eyes, mouth or genitals. Try to stay cool. Sweating and heat make itching worse.

for mild cases:
Apply compresses made with very hot plain water for brief intervals.
Apply compresses soaked in diluted Burow's solution (use 1pint to 15 pints of cool water). You can purchase burows in many drug stores.
Soak the affected skin in cool water with colloidal oatmeal (aveeno) added, available at most drug stores.
for relief of itching, apply a paste made from water, cornstarch, baking soda, oatmeal or epsom salts. Use 1 teaspoon of water to 3 teaspoons of dry ingredients.
Apply aloe vera juice, tofu, or watermelon rind to the area for cooling relief. Using 1 pint of buttermilk with 1 tablespoon of sea salt added is helpful.

Considerations:
Oral prednisone is sometimes prescribed to relieve itching and swelling. However, this treatment should be reserved only for very severe cases involving fever, dificulty urinating, dangerous facial or genital swelling or other symptoms of acute illness. Oral steroids are extremely powerful drugs and can cause serious side effects.

Topical steroids are not helpful for poision ivy and should be avoided.

The toxin urushiol does not affect dogs or cats but they can bring the irritating substancfe home on their fur and pass it to you.

Obviously prevention is better than treatment... however, if you think you have come into contact with this... remove all clothing and shoes, and immediately scrub your skin using brown or yellow laundry soap (such as Fels Naptha) and water or alcohol to remove the irritation oil. Lather several times and rinse in running water after each sudsing. Thsi procedure is useless if not done within ten minutes; after that time the oil with have penetrated the skin and cannot be washed off. Wash all clothing in hot soapy water with chlorine bleach added if possible.

I hope this helps you some... If there are spelling errors... I am sorry... I tried to spell check the best I could and tried to write this fast for you.
If you have any questions let me know.
Remember with such an infection you have to treat the inside of your body in order for the outside to handle and heal the stress.... your body needs to be boosted in some areas.

Take care and I hope you are better soon.
Heidi

[Vendetta]

genital swelling

Only on the weekends!

Gozzy Thanks for all that info. I have already made the appointment for 11:45 today. But I have saved you post for the future and Im gonna stop by and buy all the stuff you listed today. All though you didnt get me this time I'll try it next time. I get this stuff several times a year but usually not this bad.

[Jenna]

What, did you get bitten by one of those bird-ivy hybrids they're genetically engineering?

[gozling]

Only on the weekends!

Gozzy Thanks for all that info. I have already made the appointment for 11:45 today. But I have saved you post for the future and Im gonna stop by and buy all the stuff you listed today. All though you didnt get me this time I'll try it next time. I get this stuff several times a year but usually not this bad.

lol only on weekends... LOL

you are welcome. Most of the stuff you can find in a health food store and if they dont have the exact brand they should either be able to order it or have something similar.
Good luck with your drs. appt... I would be interested to hear what he/she decided to do for you

[Vendetta]

Jenna, let me tell you further about my genital swelling

What, did you get bitten by one of those bird-ivy hybrids they're genetically engineering?

[Willowdared]

Make sure you wash your clothes, and your sheets in really hot water. The oils can stay in fabric and you'll just get it again.

Throw some dawn (not a lot - a squirt) in the wash. It will help release the oils from the clothes/sheets. Give them an extra rinse too.

[smokey703]

I think I just got poison ivy from reading this thread.