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FIRST AID: poisoness plant contact dermatitus
- Thread starter Bushman5
- Start date
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- Apr 24, 2006
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- 685
Had poison ivy all over my body when I was about 8. Face, groin, trunk, arms, mouth. Not a pleasant experience. Got a shot in my buttocks like Forrest Gump and was better within the week.
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2010
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- 106
That has certainly been my experience. I remember running through the woods as a kid, wearing nothing but shorts or a swimsuit (typical Michigan summer wear) and having zero reaction. I had a friend who's mom would put him in long pants and long sleeves when he went out because he was so sensitive. He and I would walk through the woods, Walt looking like a mummy and me near-naked, he would be covered with boils the next day and I was fine (I distinctly remember teasing him once by picking poison ivy and rubbing it on my hands and arms, really stupid in retrospect but what do you expect from a 10-year-old!).
Not until I was in my 40s did I ever have any reaction. I remember having some blisters between my fingers and puzzling about it until one of my son's had lots of boils and wifey said, "What did you do to my son? He's been in the poison ivy again!" After that I actually started paying attention to it and found that I'm growing more sensitive as the years roll by and I rub against it more.
I believe this is the same sensitizing mechanism that produces latex (glove) allergies. Similarly, one of my sisters worked in a lab formulating epoxy resins. She had stories of people becoming sensitized to the resins, sometimes over years and to the point where they would develop severe dermatitis at the most trivial exposure.
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- Apr 14, 2006
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Sorry, hiwa, I'm not sure I understand the question.
As I understand it, around here we have two types of Poison Ivy - Toxicodendron radicans (the sprawling, climbing type) and T. rydbergii (the shrub type which, apparently, doesn't grow more than about 3 feet (1 metre) high).
Poison Ivy used to belong to the Rhus genus, so the climbing vine used to be Rhus radicans.
In my experience, the leaves, while quite variable, are similar between the two species.
As far as developing sensitiviy from repeated exposure, apparently, that can be the case. That's why, even though I'm not, at present, allergic, I avoid it whenever I can.
Another interesting thing I've heard/read - it seems most people with other allergies don't get Poison Ivy. (Poison Ivy is really just a hypersensitive reaction to the allergen, Toxicodendrol (Urushiol).
Another (scary?) thing is that I've read that people have contracted Poison Ivy from 100 year old herbarium specimens!!!!
Doc
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- Sep 23, 2008
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Pustules? With Poison Ivy?
I know there is normally blistering, but I've never seen any that develops a whitehead.
You sure it's Poison Ivy? Sounds like you got eaten alive by Chiggers. In which case: bacon grease and salt.
But if it IS Poison Ivy: Jewel Weed is good, so is Common Plantain.
I've had Poison Ivy once (I don't react to it normally, but some of the hairs of the vine got under my skin) and it almost drove me crazy. I got a steroid shot just to keep from pulling my hair out. It got so bad that I was heating lighter's metal part and sticking it to it.
Porcupine>>
Holy cow, would you look at the oil on those leaves!! That place is the Chinese Hell of Poison Ivy!!
I know there is normally blistering, but I've never seen any that develops a whitehead.
You sure it's Poison Ivy? Sounds like you got eaten alive by Chiggers. In which case: bacon grease and salt.
But if it IS Poison Ivy: Jewel Weed is good, so is Common Plantain.
I've had Poison Ivy once (I don't react to it normally, but some of the hairs of the vine got under my skin) and it almost drove me crazy. I got a steroid shot just to keep from pulling my hair out. It got so bad that I was heating lighter's metal part and sticking it to it.
Porcupine>>
Holy cow, would you look at the oil on those leaves!! That place is the Chinese Hell of Poison Ivy!!
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2008
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- 764
Dude, OP, get the doctor to give you a Cortisone shot. For the severity of the case you have it's really worth it. Have had it a few times, toughed it out with home remedy's for a while. But the one time I got it to where my eyes were swelling shut, I got the shot and it had very quick and powerful effect.
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- Apr 28, 2008
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Great link Doc. Thanks.
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2005
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Ahh...Bushman5, Thats horrible man....Hope ya get over it soon.
I got a patch of it on my shin im dealin with at the moment.....Take it easy bro..
I got a patch of it on my shin im dealin with at the moment.....Take it easy bro..
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2006
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- 1,079
Geez, I hope your getting some relief.
I never had a reaction to it all of my youth, then a few years ago I weed wacked a big patch wearing shorts and flip flops.Durr, the hair is still gone from scratching my shins for two weeks.
Lots of Calamine lotion at night to get sleep.
Mark
I never had a reaction to it all of my youth, then a few years ago I weed wacked a big patch wearing shorts and flip flops.Durr, the hair is still gone from scratching my shins for two weeks.
Lots of Calamine lotion at night to get sleep.
Mark
i have heard that inhaling smoke from burning ivy and poisoness ivy can be really bad , to the point of blisters forming inside the lungs. Have never seen a case though locally.....
i said pustules, i meant blisters. :foot:
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2008
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- 519
When I was a kid we had a large tract of forest behind our house with a creek running through it. Needless to say, I spent the vast majority of my free time there. I basically had a constant case of poison ivy (or sumak or oak... or all three at the same time) from the age of about 6 until I was 15 or so. Got so bad at one point that I had it inside my mouth and was hospitalized for a couple of days. It wasnt that I didnt know what was causing it - I just didnt care enough to take greater care to avoid it when in the bush.
Bushman is correct, bad cases can be extremely painful because of constant irritation/inflammation.
As I got older, the intensity and duration became less and less. Now, I get very small patches of rash (quarter size) that do not spread nor cause anything but the mildest irritation, if I even get a rash at all.
I have been told by a few doctors that poison ivy is systemic. In other words, though you may contact the plant by touching it with your hand, it can spread to virtually any area of your body, even when no contact is made from a previously infected area. I have also known a man who inhaled smoke from a burn containing large amount of poison ivy and was hospitalized for respiratory issues for about a week. He had blisters down his throat and severe irritation inside his lungs and bronchial tubes. Not good.
Bushman is correct, bad cases can be extremely painful because of constant irritation/inflammation.
As I got older, the intensity and duration became less and less. Now, I get very small patches of rash (quarter size) that do not spread nor cause anything but the mildest irritation, if I even get a rash at all.
I have been told by a few doctors that poison ivy is systemic. In other words, though you may contact the plant by touching it with your hand, it can spread to virtually any area of your body, even when no contact is made from a previously infected area. I have also known a man who inhaled smoke from a burn containing large amount of poison ivy and was hospitalized for respiratory issues for about a week. He had blisters down his throat and severe irritation inside his lungs and bronchial tubes. Not good.
It can be fatal IIRC. Don't ever burn it (Poison Ivy).
Hope things are back to normal for ya soon!
Cheers,
--
Terry McG
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- Sep 28, 2005
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- 4,527
It is really interesting reading that. Pete- I wouldn't worry about it too much in our neck of the woods- I've been in shorts and flip flops and sandals my whole life here and have not even heard of anybody getting anything other than nettles. But now I'll keep an eye out for it.
hehehe, one of the gals on the hike apparently has a bad case too..............a day ago she handled the clothes she wore on the hike and now her arms, face and other regions are speckled with blisters.
i best go wash my hiking clothes and pack before i forget.
i best go wash my hiking clothes and pack before i forget.
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- Feb 28, 2007
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- 9,786
That sucks man. I'm not super sensitive to it, but I do get a case of it now and again. I had some on my forearm in April after going after a plant growing on one of my trees. I though I took precautions, but some most have gotten on my clothing. It takes a couple of weeks to get rid of once in the blister form and very itchy. I'm sure you know all about the itchy...