Poison Oak Treatment?

I contracted a case of poison oak about a week ago and it's really got me itching today. I need some relief and I was wondering if the community had any ideas for home remedies and or effective treatments. I've been through the whole course of oral steroids (prednisone), and topical creams (hydrocortisone) with previous outbreaks, but they never seem to work all that well. I'm open to any and all of your suggestions, so let's hear them. Look at the pictures. Feel my itch. Answer my question, and help me return my skin back to its normal, smooth state.

Comments

[cpic]

A friend who is very sensitive to poison oak that knew someone who did a Ph.D. on poison oak (really!). She was told it is an acid inside the urushiol oil from the poison oak that causes the rash/ allergic reaction. Baking soda neutralizes the acid. My friend carries a rag (actually, a diaper) that is damp from a water/baking soda solution whenever she walks her dog in the woods. She wipes the dog down lightly. My friend is so sensitive, she wears latex gloves in the woods, so that says something about the baking soda treatment. I, myself, just heard about it and will try it (I've been using Technu, which is good but I worry about if its key ingredient is toxic)

[mammasass]

If you are tough skinned or just itch so bad you don't care anymore try rinsing first with acetone then using about a palm full of "Sasquatch Itch Cream". It has manzanita bark extract in it that the native californians used (Wintu tribe I think). It stings a little but it's like fighting fire with fire. After about 5 minutes the stinging wears off and then I had about 12 hours of no itching. I had to repeat it at that time but I didn't care so much at that point. It'd rather be in physical pain than itching like this. Those of you that said it worked are right but people need to be prepared for a little discomfort at first. If you don't know about that, the sasquatch cream could freak you out a little.

[Docdede]

My husband got poison ivy and was using cortisone cream to dry up the bumps and puss. It wasn't working, so we gave the baking soda mix a try. It's working way better then the cortisone. Unbelievable. Thanks for sharing the home remedy.

[chariotmaker]

Hi everyone. I haven't been on this site for some time but felt I could share a proven remedy. I got the same after 40 years of no problems. Mix a small amount of vinegar with enough baking soda to make a paste the consistency of peanut butter. While standing in the shower and out of the water stream, scrub the paste as hard as possible over all blisters. Believe it or not it will feel great. After you finish washing and get out dry gently and apply more vinegar. The sores will heal very quickly.

[kostyc]

Just tried this remedy. I made the vinegar and baking soda paste and scrubbed the the areas. Oh it felt amazing. Cleaned off the paste and threw on some vinegar onto the scrubbed area and man did that sting. I haven't had any itchyness since. There is a little fluid that has come out but for the most part its dry. I'm impressed so far. Ill keep you posted on the results.

[hunter3036]

TRUST!!!!!this remedy works great,after the little burn from the vineger...awesome relief.this works great and gets rid of the rash fast......thanks alot

[tom-the-bomb]

I really hope this works!!
this is the fourth time ive gotten poison oak out of stupidity,and hopefully this will kick it out of my body within 3 days.Thanks hope this works!!!

[carlos_lightning]

I came across poison oak again this past Friday and oh man, it hurts and started to look and spread all over. I have tried calamine lotion before and it work but it too a while. As soon as I saw your post I went downstairs and mix baking soda with vinegar and applied it as you instructed. It's only been a few minutes since I came out of the shower and I can feel that the rash is healing quick!!! I smell a little funny, but i prefer that over the itchy rash. THANKS so much for the tip.

[georjean]

I have been a long time sufferer of poison oak. We have acreage and the dogs run the property. They of course pass by the poison oak and get it on their fur. then pass the nasty stuff on to me. I have been suffering with another bout of the itchy rash. I have tried all of the remedies. Yes most will slow down the spread and help to releave the itch (oh the itch) but it seems like it takes forever for it to go away and then I get it again. My sister happen to read about the baking soda and vinegar treatment. I thought what the heck, why not, I have tried everything else. So I mixed up a batch of the paste, climbed into the show and scrubbed and scrubbed. Chariotmaker is right, it felt GREAT. OHHHH MY. When I got out I dapped more vinegar on. Holy bejevious that did slightly burn. There were a few weepy spots, thank goodness only a few, because I did what Graywoulf suggested and put a little salt in the wound. This did burn. But it really does work. I woke up this morning and the rash is almost completely gone. Thank you guys so very very much.

[devin6]

Thank you so much for this remedy! I aquired poison oak last week (never had it in my life) and by the time it reached the blister stage a couple of days ago it really freaked me out. Forget about the itch, I had a blister the size of a quarter right in the bottom center of my left foot. This made wearing a shoe impossible and walking (with flip flops) awkward and painful. I just now made the paste, gritted my teeth, and went to work on the "main" blister. This thing was so fat it took considerable strength to burst it. What followed next was brief pain followed by soothing relief as I worked the paste into the wound. I am typing this pain and itch free. The paste works immediately! Thanks again.

[blisteritch]

I came in contact with poison oak last week and got a severe case of itching and blisters the size of baseballs. After reading the horror stories, I went for the baking soda and vinager routine. I rubbed the paste with a washcloth as hard as I could to brake the blisters. The itching stopped almost immediately, and the healing process started the next day...Go for the vinegar/baking soda paste.

[sleepinthedirt]

Get "Sasquatch Itch Cream" ---It really is a product. No joke. Their motto is funny: Keeps you in the bush and out of the doctor's office.
anyway--it works. I'ts not an ivy block or wash or solvent. It's made for when the rash starts. The maker said to "think of it like a fire extinguisher" . then I added: "When the Sasquatch hits the fan!" He didn't think it was that funny. But it works. no doubt. it works.

[graywoulf]

This will stop the itch... I guarantee it. In one word... HEAT!!! Applied in any form directly to the affected area will stop the itch for quite a while. I have used these forms of applying heat in about this order. 1. A HAIR DRYER... Start from a safe distance with the medium or high setting and gradually get closer until all of a sudden, the itch goes into overdrive for a second or two then you are done. Some of you will probably laugh or make odd comments about this but I don't care because I and many of my friends know it works. 2. HOT WATER... I just stick my arm or leg or hand (wherever it is) under the faucet with the hot water running cold to hot. Or sometimes if the affected area is large enough, a hotter than usual shower or bath helps. Again, expect the itch to go into overdrive again. It's what I refer to as an "itchgasm". LOL! 3. USE YOU IMAGINATION... Seriously, heat in any form does the trick but be sensible. YOU ARE NOT TRYING TO CAUSE SECOND OR THIRD DEGREE BURNS HERE!! Don't try using the wood stove or a candle or torch or ANY kind of open flame. Hot air or water is the safest method and NO HEAT GUNS EITHER! Use your brain and be safe. This also works with mosquito bites, chigger bites and just about any kind of itch as well. As far as the old school crap about "don't get it wet" goes, if you have poison ivy or oak already then water WILL NOT make it spread!! If the blisters are oozing then apply SALT. Yea, it will burn a tiny bit but it dries up the blister and speeds up the healing. Chemicals like alcohol, acetone, lacquer thinner and such will just irritate the skin worse and cause infections... and worse as mentioned elsewhere. Now go get your hair dryer and get some relief! Graywoulf

[Gotoalex]

I've been doing this all my life but you're the only other person who's ever mentioned it. The "itchgasm" remedy always made me wonder why it works. The rash seems to start itching at a certain temperature, then, as you said, it goes into overdrive and there's a struggle for usage of the nerve, and then the irritant seems to break down. The explanation lies I think in the very nature of our sensations.

It always seemed to me that it was the lymph fluid released by scratching that spread the irritant; that's why hot water is my choice of treatment.

[odarwin]

If its hot out go to large scale water park, parks of this nature keep water/chlorine mixtures at the highest legally allowable, this will dry out rash in one day. If it is cold out go to nice hotel with hot tub/spa soak for as long as you can stand then quickly rinse with cold water. Caution hot tube with no chlorine will cause spreading of oil. You can avoid bad rashes by drinking goat milk from goats whom have consumed poison oak.

[SomeUniqueUserName]

I feel great empathy for anyone with poison oak/ivy/sumac rash. Here's my story, complete with gross details and (eventual) remedies.

[ranshir]

Ok ... if you feel that you have gotten yourself in poison ivy or anything like that. you should find some mud and rub it on the infected area.. let it dry and walla its gone... I kid you not... Im an outdoors person.. and trust me it works.. the nettles will pierce your skin and start letting the oil go in.. it takes a few hours for you to actually get poison ivy or such anyway.. the mud will dry and pull the nettles out as it drys and there will be no time for the oil from the plant to set there and irritate the skin... Try it the next time you run into poison ivy or sumack or poison oak.... this really works its no joke.. this must be done as soon as you feel you have been infected....

[Bert99]

Benadryl or something like that

[RMConstruction]

Vodka on wound (mythbusters)

[lmirwin53]

Tried the baking soda and vinegar paste -- very, very good!

Just thought I'd add this to the discussion:  As someone who used to drink way too much coffee and not get enough sleep (and still has a sleep problem) and someone, who unfortunately has gotten poison oak frequently (since it grows behind my house), I have this common sense observation:

Getting a good amount of sleep really calms down the rash quite a bit!  Let your body be at full strength when fighting poison oak.

[JACorley]

So, i have had poison oak for almost a week now, it covers my ENTIRE body.... to all the people who post, wash it off... well we already realize that we have it thanks! so please dont comment and say this. I've been looking at every single site on google to find a cure... and nothing has worked. ive taken oatmeal baths, salt baths, ive even put lemon juice on my skin... please do not do the salt or lemon juice... it just burns, no help. There is a wash called "poison ivy cleansing scrub" from cvs... get the generic brand because its cheaper and works the same... scrub it on your skin in the shower. DO NOT I REPEAT DO NOT TAKE HOT SHOWERS!!!!! Take it from someone who knows. It is literally everywhere because it spread with the hot shower, when you take a hot shower it loosens the Urushiol (causes the itch) and it will spread... then there is also this stuff called Calagel, it really takes makes the itch go away following the "poison ivy cleansing scrub"... if you dont want to use topical gels... then you can take benadryl combined with zyrtec or clairitian, it helps so much... but it will make you really sleepy. Also If you plan on using Tecnu, use degreaser, its the same thing... but it should be used in an earlier stage. Sorry this is so long, but i really dont want people to go through all the mess and money ive gone through. BUT! there is really no cure... just little things like these to help. Mine still hasnt fully gone away... REMEMBER NO HOT SHOWERS, WASH EVERYTHING YOU COME IN CONTACT WITH, AND DO NOT REWEAR CLOTHING!!!!! I hope this has helped a little bit. :)

[porcupinemamma]

If you suspect you have been exposed ,immediately wash the area with Sunlight laundry bar soap-4th generation family cure. It works. Use for poison ivy too.

[Kraethi]

if you have just noticed you have come in contact with poison oak or ivy, a fast remedy is to find the plant named jewelweed or touch-me-not and rub it on. look it up, its pretty common. It's also the main ingredient in calamine lotion.

[!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

i have had poison oak 13 times and am extremely allergic to it. if you can get a prescription steriod cream it works great but if you don't want to go to the doc lots and lots of calomine lotion does the job.

[waffleking101]

Lol, I never get blisters from poison ivy or poison oak. I don't know why I just don't. The worst case of poison ivy or poison oak that I have gotten was a slight itching and that was it.

Oh, and stinging nettle doesnt effect me either =D

[Atomman]

You must have itchparisonthiatis!

[lil jon168]

im immune to poision ivy or poision oak too

[Thelonelysandwitch]

I heard that rubbing honey on it will help remove it.

[Oregonguy]

I just contracted a nice case of poison oak on my lower legs. I am quite allergic to it and in the past would go to my doctor, who prescribed a powerful steroid that cleared up the rash, the oozing and the itch withing 48 hours. This time, I have no insurance, so I scoured the internet and came up with two treatments that work for me. Everyone's skin and immune system is different, so take it for what it's worth. I used Tea Tree oil for the first five days after the poison oak rash appeared. It did help with the itching and dried out the blisters but it seemed to be spreading the rash. I then purchased a bottle of Tecnu, a rub-and-rinse over the counter product. I did as instructed, rubbed the stuff on the poison oak areas three hours ago and am now typing this with zero itching already and a reduction in the blisters. I'll keep it up until the devil rash goes away. As I said, everyone's skin is different, but this worked for me. Cost $14.00 for a 12oz. bottle. Check it out.

[Flumpkins]

Those pics look delicous

[thickneckarts]

I've always heard oatmeal will do the trick. Not maple brown sugar or apple cinnamon, just plain ol'oatmeal.

[Mr_Sodono]

The REAL answer and solution is the juice from the stem of an orange flower (which always grows near Poison Oak) called Jewelweed plant.

I am not joking. This is THE CURE. Google the following and you will get 896 EXACT hits:

google link = "poison oak" cure "orange flower"
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22poison+oak%22+cure+%22orange+flower&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=

[judiann]

I get poison ivy so easily - even on a riding mower. I would even get it from the family dog and off my husband's clothes (he's a carpenter). For years I took 3 to 4 prescriptions of perdisone during the season. I knew this wasn't good for me. So I went to a naturalpath and he prescribed BPX a herbal remedy made by Nature Sunshine. (3 pills 3 times a day for about 3 days and then start decreasing) If I had it really bad he had me take Amalayse too also by Nature Sunshine. 2 pills 2 times a a day for about 3 days and then start decreasing) It was like the decreasing dosage of perdisone. It still took about a week to get relief, but at least I wasn't taking perdisone. For the itching, I used mostly OTC anti itch ointments, kept my self busy and tried not to to scratch. Lotsa luck - I've been there and am still there at age 68.

[Jusme_Newby]

chariotmaker: From the MSDS sheet on lacquer thinner: "Skin: One or more components of this material is a skin irritant. Direct contact with this material may cause redness, burning and skin damage. Contact may result in skin absorption but symptoms of toxicity are not anticipated by this route alone under normal conditions of use. Persons with preexisting skin disorders may be more susceptible to the effects of this material." A 15 or 20 second exposure on your skin will not "stay in you liver forever." I am not saying that this will cure everyone's rash, I only know it worked miracles for me.

[roeyer]

This is only a 'prevention' tip: after any time of potential contact (like working in the woods around my home) I always swab exposed skin areas - arms, hands, my bald head, etc. -with 90% rubbing alcohol, to cut the urushiol. Then just do soap & water, and wash clothes. (Also do a quick alcohol wipe down of shoes that can't be washed.) This has worked so well for me that I have become more bold about going into the woods and clearing poison ivy/oak, haven't had problems since starting this practice. This will NOT cure a skin reaction that is already underway. Many other interesting ideas here for cures.

[decal]

Burow's solution is a pharmacological preparation made of aluminium acetate dissolved in water. It was invented in the mid-1800s by Karl August Burow, an ophthalmologist. The preparation has astringent and antibacterial properties and is used to treat a number of skin conditions such as insect bites, rashes caused by poison ivy and poison sumac, swelling, allergies and bruises. Burow's solution is traditionally applied in cold compresses over the affected area. In otology, it is applied as ear drops of a 13% solution. Burow's solution is available over the counter as a generic preparation. Bayer also manufactures a modified form of the preparation under the commercial name Domeboro. Aluminium acetate From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Aluminium acetates are the aluminium salts of acetic acid. Three such salts exist: neutral Aluminium triacetate, Al(C2H3O2)3 basic Aluminium diacetate, HOAl(C2H3O2)2 basic Aluminium monoacetate, (HO)2AlC2H3O2 Synthesis The triacetate forms when aluminium sulfate is mixed with barium acetate. Another synthetic method is by bringing together aluminium hydroxide, acetic anhydride and glacial acetic acid in water, forming the basic aluminium monoacetate The diacetate is prepared in a reaction of NaAlO2 with acetic acid.

[Jusme_Newby]

This may sound wierd, even dangerous but it worked for me. Really! I had a very bad case of Poison Oak a few years ago and NOTHING gave me relief. Until a co-worker in the factory where I worked convinced me to pour lacquer thinner right over it. Don't pat it or rub it, just pour it over. Lacquer thinner evaporates fast and you aren't getting any INSIDE of your body but, by drying so fast, (10 - 15 seconds) it will dry the ooze and not burn or sting at all. I did this three times that day and by the time I went home, the area was dry and whiteish. the next day the Poison Oak was Gone!!!! Remember, though...DO NOT RUB IT IN! Just pour it over the area and let it hit the floor (outside, in garage, etc.) If you choose not to do this for fear I am some sort of creep trying to hurt you, I understand. I thought the same of the guy that told me!

[chariotmaker]

Dude, that is not smart. Lacquer thinner is absorbed through the skin and collects in the liver where it stays FOREVER!

[scoochmaroo]

Cool oatmeal baths are supposed to be very soothing too. Use like 5 c. ground oatmeal or baking soda to a cool bath and soak for 15 to 30 minutes. I've heard epsom salts can work for this too, but I don't really know. Wet compresses will help the itch. Are you sure it's poison oak? It looks a bit like werewolf attack.

[noahw]

How sweet would it be if I turned into a werewolf! Fire up the Instructables Van - I've got to dance on it's roof!

[bowhunterhall]

that would be very awsome, tell me if you do.... XD

[bowhunterhall]

scrape the itchy spot raw and put either bleech or hairspray on it. let whatever you put on it dry, don't wipe it off.

[lil_brown_bat]

For future reference, there's a commercial product called Tecnu that does the best job of removing the urushiol (the oil from poison ivy/oak/sumac that causes the reaction). It needs to be applied soon after exposure, but it does the trick. Once you're rashed up it won't help One thing that may help you now, in addition to the other suggestions you've been given, is to thoroughly wash your clothes and also anything else that may have gotten urushiol on it. A lot of people who have a poison whatever rash that "won't go away" are in fact re-exposing themselves to oils on clothing (usually something like a hat, jacket or pack strap that doesn't get washed often, or ever). If the rash seems to keep coming back, look at clothing and gear as a possible culprit.

[CALOCCIA]

20 years ago I went on a special excursion train ride and we were entertained by a profession hobo who traveled world wide on trains! My business partner had poison oak at the time... poison on top of poison it looked like and had the same problem! The hobo ask John to look out of the window and he said: Do you see those orange flowers there? John said: Yes. The hobo said thats "Jewel weed". You take the stems and squeeze the juice out and put in on there and it will go away very quickly! John did and to this day everyone we know that we have told the story to uses it. Its great for poison Oak and Ivy also! I never did take the time to find out if Jewell Weed was the actual name of the flower or not. It has long orange blooms on it. In West Virgina you can find it growing in ditches along the road and on the banks during spring and summer months. Good Luck.

[JamesRPatrick]

I'm not allergic to anything yet, but I hear amputation does the trick.

[Bookdemon]

Strange but true.... Use a hair dryer on the itchy spots and the itch will go away for hours! I was an unbeliever too, but then I had poison ivy and thought I would sell my soul to get rid of the itch. I tried every remedy I could find online, and the hair dryer trick won my vote. Here's how you do it: 1) Don't burn yourself!! 2) Turn the hair dryer on (to the hottest setting) and position it close to your skin -not touching it though. 3) Hold it there until you think your arm may be on fire, and then one second longer. This step itches really bad too. It is worth it. 4) Turn the hair dryer off and enjoy the relief! This works for bug bites too. Please let me know how it works for you. Good luck!

[crho85]

I never had poison oak, but had poison sumak ( on my ankles and feet). Calomine and lots of benadryl. Although some people are saying the blisters dont have oil, I found that "popping" them with a cotton ball stops the spread. If you ever get exposed again, look near by for jewel weed. It is green with silver. The liquid in the stem seems to help

[gooddiehl]

There are two main things that I do when I get poison oak/poison ivy (and yes, I have gotten both). Sometimes you have to cycle though these treatments, which means that one works one time but not the other, and so you may have to alternate them 1) Colloidal Silver: I like to use the kind made by Sovereign Silver (they are a good company that's been around for a very long time, and I can remember my mother giving it to us when we were younger... great stuff). Take 1ml every hour or too, and apply to the affected areas topically. This not only lessens the itch but heals it up faster 2) bentonite clay: Make the clay into a paste with water and apply it to the affected area. This really helps to cool and diminish the itch, and helps to dry out the boils. Hope that helps.

[benthekahn]

To help the itching, try taking benadryl* before you go to bed. This will make you tired, help you sleep soundly, and keep you from scratching in your sleep.

*an easy to find non-prescription allergy relief pill.

[don-t-die]

IF you live near the ocean, taking a dip for a few hours helps dry it up. I did it and it was completelty gon the next day...

[NachoMahma]

. The calamine, Epsom salts, oatmeal treatments work well. Part of what they are doing is pulling oils from the skin, including any urushiol that you may have missed when washing. . I've used LR's hot soak and it worked very well for me. I used very hot water (as hot as I can stand it) and then applied ice packs. The hot water will make it itch TERRIBLY, but when you slap that ice pack on, relief is instant. I'm not sure that the heat doesn't cause some other problems and ice packs alone may do as good a job. ;) . Topical anesthetics and "itch creme" can provide some relief, but not a good idea if the blisters are broken.

[Lithium Rain]

Oh, no! I HATE poison ivy (and oak, and sumac). :-(

Have you tried calamine lotion?

Also, hot showers or baths make it itch worse initially, but provide a great deal of relief once you're dried off and cooled down.

I've had people tell me to break the blisters with a razor in the shower, but in my experience that's a *really* bad idea. It makes them sore and itchy and spreads them further when the oil comes into contact with more skin upon breakage. So don't do that.

[wupme]

There is no oil that spreads when cutting the blisters, thats a myth.
http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/279.htm

But you still should not break them, the liquid inside is sterile, and if you break them, you can get other infections because.. well you broke your skin.

[wupme]

I almost forgot. Poison ivy and poison oak are the same thing... its not the same plant, but its the same oil (uroshiol) wich causes the itch and blisters and rash...

[fwjs28]

i have posion ivy really bad, and i practivally itched my arm to bleeding(badly)....i had to go home and put ice on it...the ice numbs everything.....

[lemonie]

Yeah, that's nasty, but right now it's a bit late. Just keep 'em antiseptic. Unless you've got some Lignocaine-jelly... L

[technoplastique]

I'm allergic to one of the resins that I use and I get a similar (though less sever looking) reaction whenever I accidentally get some on my skin. Hydrocortisone does nothing to help with my resin reaction, either. I use this cream from Aveeno and it works wonders for me. A rash that would last days or weeks is usually almost gone within a few hours. It's not exactly the same problem but it might be worth a try.

[=SMART=]

I hope you get it sorted soon ! Hot damn that looks itchy !

[noahway noahow]

I've had excellent results with something called Zanfel. It's $40 for a once ounce tube, has weird ingredients in it like Nonoxynol-9 but it absolutely works - http://www.zanfel.com/help/users.html

[lebowski]

I used to get is all over my body as a kid. I haven't gotten it in years. Try some baking soda and a little water to make some paste, then apply that to your poison oak. That should help relieve your itching. Don't take hot showers, that will make it spread. Wash your hands with cold water and soap as your hands will carry the oil around to other areas, although it depends what stage you're in.

[noahw]

Thanks for the tips - I hadn't heard of the baking soda thing before and just thinking about it seems soothing. I have gotten poison ivy or oak just about once a year for as long as I can remember. My reaction to poison oak is much less intense then my reaction to poison ivy, so being on the west coast has generally improved things for me. I've decontaminated my whole house and washed all of my bedding/towels/clothes etc... I think at this point it's all just coming out from my initial contact with the stuff. Although, there's always the fear that some of the oil is on something permanent, like my furniture or car seat and that I'm re-exposing myself all of the time, but asking that question can make you crazy eventually.