Poison Ivy (or Sumac or Oak)

[Swattie87]

Is it possible for the urushiol from these plants to get through breathable waders in a vapor form? (I know you can develop symptoms if the plants are burned and you inhale or come in contact with the smoke, for example.)

Other than the above, I have no clue how I got it, but I've got the worst case I've had since I was a kid down the back of my right leg. It's very concentrated in one spot the size of a lemon on the back of my knee, like that area got a very heavy dose of it. Not the thin isolated lines you get from just brushing against it while walking by. It's nowhere on my arms or hands, so I don't think I touched it with my upper body and transferred it.

The only exposure opportunity I've had in the last two weeks was while fishing this past Sunday...I had long pants and chest waders on though.

I figure if it could get through breathable waders we'd all encounter this a lot more, but seriously, can it? I suppose it's possible I brushed against the exterior of my waders while putting them away in my vehicle, but still...I had long pants on!

Good news...At least it wasn't a tick this time! :-o

 

[Jaybird]

If the oils got on your waders or your boots or your net , and it makes contact , that's all it takes ... A patch the size of a lemon , sounds to me like you got off pretty good .

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear Swattie, Do you have, or were you around a dog or cat during the time you were fishing? They can pick up the poison and transfer it without you knowing it. My dogs have done it to me several times.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[DavidFin]

Like Jaybird said, you probably have oil on your equipment and that's how your got exposed.

Check out Tecnu, you can get it at most pharmacies. It was developed to remove radiation in the 60s, I believe, and it turns out that it's excellent at pulling the oil from your skin.

Also heard recently that you can use automobile degreaser. Don't know which product so research that one.

If you hate yourself use a razor and bleach.

 

[Swattie87]

jaybird - It's more the size of an orange or grapefruit I guess, but the worst of it is lemon sized and right on the fold in the back of my knee. So it's easily agitated by walking, or simply bending my knee. Very dense and solid in that area, not lines or patches. I told my boss I'm wearing shorts to work for the next couple of days to avoid my pants rubbing against it, and let the air get to it better to dry it out.

Tim - Yes, I have a dog, but she wasn't with me while fishing. She's essentially an inside dog, and her only outside time during this time period were walks on a leash on pavement or in manicured and mown grassy areas. Possible I suppose, but not likely, for her to have picked it up. Again, I'd also expect to see it elsewhere or continuing to show up as I haven't bathed her, and I have picked her up and had her in my lap since. The timing of it showing up, Monday evening/Tuesday morning best coincides with my fishing trip on Sunday too.

David - From a kid, the best remedy I found was acne treatment pads with a 2% salicylic acid solution in them. They're intended to pull oils from the skin to clear up acne, but as a side effect they can cause the skin to dry out pretty quickly. Though in the case of poison ivy, the skin drying out is a desirable thing. Been using them for 24 hours and the less severe and less agitated areas are already improving and drying out. Big issue is movement continually agitates the area directly on the back of my knee, causing more swelling and blister formation. I'm actually have a pretty high itch tolerance, and am pretty good at not scratching things that itch - Not metaphorically speaking, but things that actually itch. Just puzzling myself as to how I got it.

 

[Bamboozle]

Sounds more like eczema than poison ivy.

Behind the knees, and in the fold of your arm are classic places to get it, especially when it is hot and you sweat.

If I was you, I'd have a doctor confirm what it is.

Not that eczema is fatal, but it is better to know and get a recommended treatment (usually a prescription hydrocortisone cream) than to guess and prolong the agony.

 

[Tigereye]

Simple homemade remedy for poison ivy--it works

Flush area with hot water (as hot as you can stand), causing an intense almost unbearable itching until it subsides (about 30 seconds).

This flushes all the cells of histamine. (Histamine causes the itch). It will take your body about 8 hrs to build up histamine levels again thus providing you with ~8 hrs itch free relief. (good for a nights sleep).

Secondly the hot water help remove the Urishiol oil.

Works well however not recommended on face, genitals or eyes. In those cases, a visit to the Dr for a cortisone shot is best.

 

[Swattie87]

Pretty sure this is a classic urushiol reaction. I had it a lot as a kid, though my exposure to it was obvious each time...dumb kid playing in the woods and retrieving sports balls from wood lines in shorts. And though worst on the back of my knee, it extends in smaller streaks and lines down to my mid calf. Its responsiveness in the less severe areas to the salicylic acid solution further supports urushiol exposure based on my experience with it. I'm not going to the doc for it, at least not yet.

I've had mild cases of typical prickly heat rash from being hot and sweating in waders before, and this is nothing like that. I don't have especially sensitive skin and have never had eczema, not that you can't develop it later, but this screams poison ivy.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

Swattie-

Don't play around. Get to the Dr., drop your shorts, and take a cortisone shot in the cheeks. If the Dr. is good, he will also give you some Prednisone to take orally. This way, the urishol oil gets the double whammy. Within 24 hrs. you will be feeling fine.

 

[Swattie87]

Haha...Appreciate the concern guys, I've had poison ivy dozens of times in my life, though not recently fortunately. I'll live, it's not a big deal. It's really not bothering me all that much. I started the thread just because I was perplexed as to how I got it, and wondered about whether it can get through waders in a vapor form, as I know it can be carried by smoke.

If it gets bad, or seems infected, I'll see the doc.

 

[streamrunner89]

Nut up or shut up, Swattie!

 

[Bamboozle]

Nobody and I mean nobody gets poison ivy like I do.

I've been to the hospital twice and the doctor thrice with severe cases so I know a bit about it too HOWEVER, even I was once fooled by a case of eczema which I also never had before. In my case, streaking outside the main effected area came from scratching however; it wasn’t the classic blistering of an urushiol reaction.

Regardless, take this poison ivy advice: ALWAYS wash anything you think were exposed to the plants after fishing with Technu or Dawn while wearing latex or nitrile gloves. Urushiol is a tenacious oil that won’t wash off just by wading through a creek. You need a soap or a detergent and agitation to get it off.

My wading shoes are one of the main culprits when I have a mysterious case in a place I can’t explain because you walk on top of small plants you never notice, the oil gets on your hands when you take the shoes off and it get transferred elsewhere.

Sometimes it gets transferred to places you will dread having poison ivy if nature calls!!

Another culprit are the neoprene bootees, which pick up plant oils too. If you turn your waders inside out to dry, you can pick up the oil when you put them right side out if you put your hand inside of the bootee to reverse them.

If I was you, I would wash your waders inside & out with a powered laundry detergent and a soft scrub brush or wash rag or put them in the washing machine with a powdered detergent if the manufacturer says it is OK to do so.

As far as the reaction and treatment goes, the severity of the reaction has everything to do with the length of time you had contact with the oil BUT if you have already washed the area thoroughly with soap & water, any oil on your skin is already gone because it isn’t absorbed into the skin. That means any treatment that is supposed to soak up the oil is a waste of time.

In my case, I have tried everything from soaking the affected areas in a Boric Acid solution to prescription antihistamines to cortisone shots however, focus on alleviating the itching because the rash has to run its course, which in my case is about 10 days.

The one good thing about getting eczema was the prescription hydrocortisone cream (2.5%) I got for it really worked well on the itching caused by my ever-present poison ivy.

Just be glad it wasn’t giant hogweed or wild parsnip you came in contact with!!

Good luck!

 

[PALongbow]

Use Technu scrub after being around ivy or oak poison. I work outside in and around poison ivy/oak and after working I wash down with Technu. It very effective in removing the ivy/oak oils.

Ron

 

[Jaybird]

I'm pretty allergic to it , when it touches me I'm screwed . But last year I watched a YouTube video of a DR who says the trick is using a degreaser like Dawn or Gojo but more importantly using a wash cloth not just rinsing . If you work with oils and grease you know a rinse just dosent do it the wash cloth is key but this works only after you just touched it and about an hour after . But I agree with the others if it's bothering you that much now go to the Dr and knock it out

 

[redietz]

Bamboozle wrote:
Sounds more like eczema than poison ivy.

Behind the knees, and in the fold of your arm are classic places to get it, especially when it is hot and you sweat.

That was my thought. I got it every summer as a kid.

 

[Bamboozle]

Jaybird wrote:
I'm pretty allergic to it , when it touches me I'm screwed. But last year I watched a YouTube video of a DR who says the trick is using a degreaser like Dawn or Gojo but more importantly using a wash cloth not just rinsing.

The real secret is doing it IMMEDIATELY after contact with Dawn, GoJo, Technu or soap. Urushiol can be absorbed into the skin in as little as 10 minutes. After that, all bets are off even if you wash off.

For that reason I always carry Technu wipes and soap with me in my fishing gear. If I think I touched it, I wash off immediately. Doing that has prevented a few outbreaks.

Same deal when using a string trimmer or other tools on the border of my property. I "weed whack" and come into the house to wash off immediately after with Dawn or Technu.

 

[FarmerDave]

Tigereye wrote:
Simple homemade remedy for poison ivy--it works

Flush area with hot water (as hot as you can stand), causing an intense almost unbearable itching until it subsides (about 30 seconds).

This flushes all the cells of histamine. (Histamine causes the itch). It will take your body about 8 hrs to build up histamine levels again thus providing you with ~8 hrs itch free relief. (good for a nights sleep).

Secondly the hot water help remove the Urishiol oil.

Works well however not recommended on face, genitals or eyes. In those cases, a visit to the Dr for a cortisone shot is best.

Hmmm

The hot water might buy you some relief from the itching if you already have the rash. that sounds reasonable. But I want to add that if you know you got into it, use cold water to wash it off as a preventative.

If you know you got into it, wash with cold water. Soapy if convenient, but I usually don't carry soap with me in areas where I might get into it. My reasoning is that the oil is water soluble. Hot water will remove it, but is also opens the pores which could spread it or help it penetrate, so cold water is best after initial contact. IMO of course.

I don't seem to have a problem with poison ivy. It's either because I do that whenever I get into it, or I am one of those lucky ones who don't react to it. I don't want to test the theory.

 

[afishinado]

FarmerDave wrote:

Hmmm

The hot water might buy you some relief from the itching if you already have the rash. that sounds reasonable. But I want to add that if you know you got into it, use cold water to wash it off as a preventative.

If you know you got into it, wash with cold water. Soapy if convenient, but I usually don't carry soap with me in areas where I might get into it. My reasoning is that the oil is water soluble. Hot water will remove it, but is also opens the pores which could spread it or help it penetrate, so cold water is best after initial contact. IMO of course.

I don't seem to have a problem with poison ivy. It's either because I do that whenever I get into it, or I am one of those lucky ones who don't react to it. I don't want to test the theory.

Hey Dave,

With all the time you have spent outdoors, and have never had a reaction to it, chances are you are not allergic to the oils.

I have never had a reaction after all these years, either. My wife has had some really nasty bouts with poison ivy right around our house. She has learned to stay out ot the woods in and around our back yard, but most times it happens when the dog roots around and she touches him.

I've read estimates ranging from 15% - 25% of people have no reaction to contact with these plants. Anyone in this group should consider themselves lucky not having to go through with many of the guys above have to endure.

 

[Canoetripper]

I have been reading this with a lot of interest since I am highly allergic to poison ivy and always had it as a kid playing in the woods along the Yellow Breeches.

The last real bad case I had was on a canoe trip on the Delaware River. It was everywhere and I had it everywhere on my lower legs. I was living close enough to the New Jersey coast that I could spend the next weekend walking in the ocean. That really helped heel the rash faster.

 

[dryflyguy]

I usually get poison ivy at least once a year.
And not in typical fashion. I'll get little patches of rash - and blisters - in places where there was no way I could have touched it. Like on my chest, abdomen, and legs.
And I usually seem to get it in april, when I'm fishing with thermals on, long pants, and long sleeved pullovers.

I seem to get it by just being around it, and maybe even breathing it in somehow. And wonder it it's possible for it to get into my bloodstream.

Anyway, I always have some Tecnu around. And start scrubbing with it at the first sign of a rash.
And once blisters have formed, I use witch hazel - which seems to help dry the blisters, and relieve the itch