How to treat poison ivy?

Question

Nevermind my question on whether it can spread on my body ( as my previous question stated), tell me how to treat it ASAP!!

I CANT STOP SCRATCHING AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Answer 1

OK, I am the queen of overkill on itching, anyone can tell you that, but I hate hate HATE itching. So this is my take. First, you have to understand, that I speak from the "I gotta make this end" perspective, and if it puts me to sleep for a while, fine.

OK. 1) Wash whatever parts of you have poison ivy on them. (Put the clothes in some kind of bag that you won't have to touch when you clean the clothes). Wash the skin really well with gentle soap and lots and lots of water.

2) Solarcaine SPRAY, the cooling effect of the spray adds to the medication. Solarcaine has a topical anesthetic to deaden some of the itching sensation.

3) Once the spray has dried, put on some Hydrocortisone cream. These are sort of big guns, so don't lay them on too thick or too often or on too much skin. Hydrocortisone is a big-time anti inflammatory.

4) Put Caladryl over them. (Caladryl is a trade name calamine lotion; dries fast and pink just like you remember from summer camp -- or, at least, I do).

5) Put yourself out of your misery with an oral dose of Benadryl liquid (an antihistamine which will kill the itch from the inside while helping you sleep through the worst of it). The liquid acts faster than the pills. Tastes a little weird, but not bad. Dose according to the back of the box. Can give you a little cotton mouth after wards.

I feel your pain, dude. If you can't do the sleeping thing, use benadryl cream as well as the other stuff. It's a lot to slap on there, but I TOTALLY feel your pain. Itching is about the worst.

Cool baths with vinegar and oatmeal might work, and Gold Bond powder afterwards, too. You might also try damp washcloths with cornstarch in them.

I would say, if it is on huge parts of your body, or if you **Ahem** sat in it or something... you might see a doctor, they could put you on something oral that could take care of it.

Good luck. Don't cut your skin off, you have to live with it later. :)

-Julie

PS, for me, the trick has been, sleep through as much of it as I could. Read -- Benadryl! It helps the itch and knocks me out, too.

Answer 2

Oh, sweetie, I know, it itches like a 'b'... first you need to take some Benadryl. It may make you a little drowsy, but your body is having a histamine reaction and the benadryl will deal with that. Next you have to treat the skin with something that will cool the itch. The old calamine lotion works wonders, and it even comes in a clear formula so you don't walk around with pink splotches all over you. You can try some hydro cortisone cream (Aveeno makes a great one with oatmeal in it that I like), and you can also try Benadryl spray, which stings a little, but it may also help. When I was a kid we always used something called "Rhulicream" and I remember it working really well. I'm not sure it's still around. I'm sure everyone has said it: the more you scratch, the more you itch, so once you apply something to it, try to leave it be. Meditate!

Answer 3

Honestly, as someone who gets Poison when the wind blows against me anywhere in the vacinity of Poison 'leaves' in the Spring and Summer (literally), I have learned that first and foremost, the moment you know you have it, just go to the Doctor's office and get prednisone. Follow that up with getting Ivarest Cleansing Foam & Ivarest Anti-Itch Cream (or your preferred brands of this type of over the counter medication), wash everything that you sleep on and in, every bit of clothing that you've worn, and anything you've touched ON A DAILY BASIS, until the ivy is 100% gone and your skin is healed 100%. Now, to answer your question, it really varies upon dosage and severity of the rash but for me, generally speaking within about 48 hrs. the itching stops (for some people its quicker), after about a weak the rash is dried out and every 2-3 weeks the skin has completely healed. I have gotten Poison Ivy in the past to the extent of having to be hospitalized. The worst part of getting it is when you get it near the eyes (I always do), because there's not much you can do about it. Don't wait and try to "beat it" yourself with creams and soaps, just go to the doctors ASAP, get on prednisone, the stuff works. Are there side effects? Unfortunately for me, yes, not severe ones, but I have trouble sleeping and there are times where, after I've run the course with the medication, I need to use something to deal with constipation. These are normal side effects and with the right actions taken, just OTC stuff if necessary, it should correct itself within a day or 2 after completing your prednisone cycle. For me, these side effects are worth relieving myself of the torture that is Poison Ivy.

Answer 4

Calamine lotion is fantastic for poison ivy and poison oak (which actually sucks worse than the poison ivy rash). You need to dry the area out. As impossible as it seems, try not to scratch, it can open the area up and cause a rather nasty infection, in addition to possible scarring. You might want to try an antihistamine pill to help with the itching. just keep plugging away with the calamine lotion until the rash dries up.

Answer 5

the best thing to do is go to a drug store and get some calamine lotion. it may not be spelled that way, but it will relieve the itching and heal up the scars. It can be found at any WalMart also

Answer 6

umm this might sound weird..but it works for my dad..if you live by the beach, you can go in the water and the itching will go away..and if not you can probably just put salt in a bath tub and take a bath..i hope this works for you like it does for my dad

Answer 7

Cheap Online Mall >>>> http://store2.w3org.pw/okx24

Answer 8

Calamine lotion.