Poison Ivy

I work with The MOM Team and a company called Melaleuca...I have a book on their products that was published by RM Barry and independant company...When I looked up poision ivy it says to use Melaleuca's Anti-bacterial hand soap to clean the area and then use their Triple Antibotic Ointment. Both contain TEA TREE OIL. I can tell you I've used both on my girls for other rashes and irritations and it has helped. Hope this helps!

T.

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This has worked for me. First wash it with regular antibacterial liqud hand soap then soak a gauze in herbal tea place it on the affected area, as needed. Tea tree oil is also wonderful for this. hope this helps.

J.,

I'm just like you - the worst time I got poison ivy, it was simply by breathing it.....there was a three acre field of it about a mile away and it was a VERY windy spring day.

The only thing I've found that works (at all) is ZANFEL. It's about $30-$50/box for one tube, depending on prices in your region. But it clears up the poison ivy immediately and usually doesn't need a second coat....though there was one time I did. It's a scrub you use in the shower that breaks the chemical bonds of the oil, destroying it. I HIGHLY recommend it.

Of course I'm sure you know to wash your clothes immediately and not let them touch anything else, lest it also need to be washed.... :)

Good luck!

My adult daughter too is very allergic to poison ivy. She too usually has to go to the doctor and get an oral steroid prescription because despite everything, it spreads. However, I used to work for a dermatologist and he gave us a sample of Ultravate steroid cream. Stops the poison ivy in its tracks if you use it at the first sign of the rash, and you only use a tiny bit. I know this isn't a natural solution, but thought I'd throw it out anyway.
By the way - you said you have a poodle - the last 2 times we could not figure out how she got the poison ivy because she hadn't been near any although there is some in the wooded area behind our house. The dermatologist said she likely got it from our cat, who had been prowling in the woods. I wonder if your dog has given it to you.

TEA TREE OIL!!!!!!!!!!
Run don't walk and get some.
relieves the itch and the rash!
Found at health food stores, whole foods, etc...
You can also Google it,to learn more, but this is the natural healer for skin. Really great to have on hand esp. with kids.
Best of luck with your rash. I know how absolutely uncomfortable this is for you.

I have that same problem. Not fun! The best thing I've found for it is IvaRest. You can get it at Walmart and Walgreens and any other place like that. It's got a combination of calamine lotion and some anti-itch stuff that cools it off and helps relieve the itch. I haven't found anything that works better. I just coat the rash really thick with this stuff and make sure not to touch the area until the coating dries really well. Hope this helps!

Hi J.!
My husband's family are all very allergic to poison ivy - they take oral ivy (I don't know if it is a natural treatment or not) as a preventative measure for when they do get it and then also take it after they get it. Apparently it helps to reduce your response to it. They have had really good luck with it.
Also, just by chance, the last time my husband got it, he had some rubbing alcohol in his car and it was really itchy so he was willing to try anything. He poured that on (his arm, I don't know if I would put it on your face or neck!!) and it stopped the itch right away and it cleared up really quick. So he found his own remedy. He keeps it in his car permanently now!

J. - I have a friend in Knoxville who was exposed to poison ivy and used mangosteen juice externally on the affected areas. The next day was amazing, the skin healed and she was able to attend her meeting the next day. This is a natural product and you can find out the research, testimonials and how to purchase it by going to www.insidemangosteen.com/judy0114.

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Take care,

J. H

My family has dealt with many rashes and have found that the Aveno Oatmeal bath works the best. Soak in the bath for about 15 minutes once a day and usually by day two it is almost gone. Works great for poison ivy, poison oak, chicken pox, etc.
Good luck!

Benadryl, OTC cortisone cream? Alfalfa tablets help to "cleanse" the blood, might eliminate histamines.

Oh man, J., can I empathize with you! I am highly allergic to the poison ivy and had the rash all over the left side of my face neck AND left breast one week before my daughter was due. I, too, wanted to avoid steroid shots. I found that Burt’s Bees Poison Ivy soap worked like a charm. I lathered the stuff on and then just let that lather dry on my rash.

We also determined that, since I was on bedrest for the last month of my pregnancy, our dogs must have carried the oils in on their fur, and when I cuddled up with them the oils got on me, too. So watch out for that sweet little poodle!

Try using plain white vinegar to dry it up. Vinegar is a neutralizer.

I've used Tecnu products in the past with great results.
http://www.teclabsinc.com/products.cfm?id=7160B911-D759-F...

Their Tecnu Extreme formula is a soap-like product that you wash your skin with after any potential exposure to poisonous plants....so it can prevent the rash before it starts. Their website states that their product is "homeopathic", though I don't see the ingredients listed. (It says something about if you have a MySpace account, you can get a free tube.)They also have products to be used after a rash starts. Don't know how "natural" they are, but you could check it out if you like.

Wishing you an itch-free season.

J., I am so sorry for you. I too, have gotten it several times and been in agony. Once I had it all over my face. I washed my face gently with soap about every 15 min, and blotted dry with t paper. It will spread. I would get the cortisone shot right away. However, if you want to go it alone, go to walmart and get something called Bandaid calamine spray. It used to be called rhouli spray. It is calamine lotion under pressure. It is a spray can. You will need several cans of it.
Wash the affected area, and spray it. It will coat it all, and stop the itch immediately. Then, at night, take 50 mgs of benadryl pills and during the day, take a good antihistamine, unless someone keeps the kids, then, take the benadryl. It will make you sleep though, or very groggy. I would judt go to a doc or urgent care and get a cortisone shot. Buy some spray roundup, and start spraying the poison ivy!

of course there is calomine lotion...but if i have a small patch i put bleach on it...but that is something..not sure you would want to do on a large area...and def not near your eyes....i usually apply with a q tip...and within a couple applications it doesn't itch...i know this will make me sound crazy but it also may help to itch it..that way the bleach can get down into the rash...

M.

Hi J.,
I, too, have the pleasure of sporting the beautiful rash at least once and mostly twice a year. I honestly think you can get it by looking at it :) and I don't believe at all that it doesn't spread if scratched or when it starts oozing.
I only seek steroid treatment when it gets on my face and I did once when my daughter was a newborn because I didn't want to risk spreading it to her.
Otherwise, I wash with Fels Naptha soap (a bar soap found in the laundry section of the grocery store) at least a dozen times a day.
A baking soda paste made with a little water helps with itching and dries it up quickly.
Also, for a super natural remedy, seek out some jewelweed. It's a plant that most of the time has little orange flowers on it and can often be found in the wild or you can grow your own. See what it looks like here: http://www.altnature.com/jewelweed.htm
This site offers a recipe to make an ointment you can keep for a few months:
http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Jewelweed....

I've been known to sleep with socks on my heads to keep from scratching in my sleep and especially to keep from spreading it to my face!

homeopathic remedies

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