Wellness

[Bird mama]

Geez Mousie, not again . I am so sorry that you are suffering with poison oak. I've never had it (which, because I've said it out loud, I will now get it) but did run into poison ivy as a kid - once. It was all over my legs and my poor dad didn't know what to do for me because it was his week alone with us kids up north until he could switch weeks with mom. (we were caretakers of a funeral home, so the place had to have one adult on site).

I remember being pink with calamine lotion. That and he gave me any junk food or candy I wanted as long as I didn't scratch.

I understand the hot water thing. Some times you have to fight fire with fire so to speak. I hope it clears up sooner rather than later.

[mousiegirl]

Yep, Bird mama, the last dose was a year and a half ago on the same rose. I was brought up being slathered with caladryl, had hives frequently, and did use this once for poison oak, but when it dries, it cracks and flakes all over the place, so forget that!

My face was so still and peeling, so I slathered on some lubriderm, never use it, but DH does, and it has helped, so will keep that up.

With first dose of poison oak, I had never experienced anything like it, and would sit on the edge of the bed in the middle of the night scraping my legs with the cap of a marker, as it had a sharpe edge, and I know now, but not then, that it was made worse by doing this. This new, to me, remedy of the hot water has been amazing in that it stops the itching for hours, no chemicals or scratching.

Happy Easter to you and yours.

[Mindy D]

I spent a summer at Fairchild Tropical Gardens taking Tropical Botany. There is a product that can help remove ushirol, the chemical that causes the reaction. There are also other products for the itching. This is what professional botanists use when traipsing through wooded areas. Search for Technu. The hot water on skin method for temporary relief is not new, or just from Dr. Weil. It works for some, but did not work for an allergic reaction I had.

[esmeraldagooch]

I use this. It works fast.

http://ivydry.com/

[morganjen]

I just am finishing up a bad case of poision oak that the oil somehow got on my arm. I suspect I got it from my dog. Rash and blisters up and down my whole left arm. I've been using Calamine lotion and TecNu scrub and spray, which seem to work well. Does anyone know if the scars from this ever go away?

[Suziepeach]

When we were kids' our Mom always used Calamine lotion or white shoe polish.  The white shoe polish worked better than the Calamine.. stayed on well and dried the ivy up.