scratch, scratch, scratch!!

[Reed]

Good luckun out there Tex.

Steroids are bad - had a year of them with high-dose chemo. Looked like a Bhrama bull, could tear-off a truck door with no provocation. But that's long-term use including withdrawl nightmares and joint vascular necrosis. For an anti-histamine
and intervention on ivy reaction, it's necessary - there won't be residual effects.

Always have a vial, pills, or salve of Benedryl in your truck. It's as necessary as duct tape and water. Someday.

 

[Froggy]

Reply

Rhus-tox and Caladryl Clear are the combo that seems to help ease the pain. Today I did Locust with Poison Ivy from the base to the top. It was roughly 20" dbh and maybe 65' plus tall. This thing was covered. You could have mistaken it for an Ivy tree. Sprayed clorox diluted with water all over my hands , face , and neck. Wore long sleeves also. Still got the itch. The clorox seemed to help. Bleached out my shirt, but oh well. I can live with that. Although it was a brand new company shirt. Thought I'd share my sob story about my ivy day.LOL
BB

 

[WillClimb]

Heartland,

PI (Poison Ivy) I call it "Magnum PI" - grows up the tree, like a vine...like regular ivy.

PO (Poison Oak) - stays on the ground like a ground cover.

Just like everyone has said, wash up good as soon as possible after contact. But the biggest underestimated thing for me is that the sh*t gets on your clothes, your ropes, your saddles, etc. The oil (urushiol - sp?) does not break down well, as most oils don't, and unless you thoroughly wash your clothes and equipment, you'll likely end up getting an additional itch here and there. That's probably how it got all over your chest.

It seems like the places I should get it the worse don't get it too bad...because they get washed real well. Then some item of clothing re-infects me. But my belt (the one that goes in the belt loops on my pants) is the biggest culprit. I've been totally over an ivy infection, didn't wear the belt for a week, put the thing back on, and my forearms (right where they touch my belt) get loaded again.

Wash your stuff and you'll be glad you did.

 

[TREETX]

This hackberry could have been mistaken for an ivy tree.

almost 24hr - no itch. Tons of psycosomatic mental itching when I think about it but no real itch.

Upper 90's here and I attacked the tree wearing 2 longsleeve shirts, gloves, sleeved duct taped around the gloves, a T-shirt over my head with arms tied behing my head so I just had a slit for my eyes, goggle over that slit, and my stihl insulated, waterproof climbing boots (not available in US).

Right when I finished getting it down, I carefully removed all ivy gear, careful about what I touched, drove home fast (8 blocks), dropped the clothes in the wash, and took a COLD shower and scrubbed with TECNU.

So far all is good. Still have ivy covered belt, saddle, ropes, saw, handsaw, throwline, etc...

 

[jokers]

Poison ivy in Winter

Treeman82

I`m curious to know what you mean that you don`t need the ivy treatment in winter. The reason being is that the branches of the plant that resemble tree branches and the vines as they ascend the host tree are just as much a risk as the leaves. Also wanted to point out that in testing at Cornell it was found that the potency of the urushoil on a branch left exposed to the weather and uv radiation on the roof of a garage for 10 years was almost identical to when it was fresh.

I am also wondering by what your doctor meant when he said" one more time and that was it". No more steroids?

I currently live and work in Oswego County, the poison ivy capital of the free world, and I have learned to spot it in it`s many forms at 65mph as a matter of self preservation. Used to get it bad, even on the family jewels and the crack of my a$$ from the perspiration carrying it down.

Poison Ivy is a condition known as contact dermititis meaning that you must get it on you to have a reaction but spray off your saw or trimmer is all it takes. It also doesn`t only show up where you have been exposed, you can get a systemic reaction anywhere on your body.

I have found that the best way to treat an outbreak is to dry the rash with and application of chlorine, either applied directly, full strength, or in a heavily chlorinated pool which also seems to sooth the itch but is kind of gross for other bathers,LOL. Regular applications of a good moisturizer like Neutrogena help soothe the dry skin itch after the ivy reaction has subsided. Caladryl clear or one of the generic brands of that product also work pretty well at getting it under control and calming the itch. Also want to point out that warmth makes the rash ooze so avoid hot showers for that reason also. Tepid water is the prescribed temp which is also good for nuclear decontamination .

The best bet is to learn what it looks like at all stages and avoid it like the plague. From what I have been told, a persons sensitivity increases with each exposure, even if they don`t initially break out. I will be glad to send samples for visual ID if anyone is interested.

Russ

 

[mikecross23]

This past September I got a bad case of the itch! I had also just started picking up more business and therefore exposing myself to it more often. I had bad PI for most of the next three straight months. Doctor and prednizone shot and pills were necessary a few times too. My dang reaction to the ivy was so bad that I was getting discouraged w/ continuing my goal of getting the biz up and running. I stuck it out and now I haven't had it for six mo's. A few times since I might have had a spot or two, but nothing more earitating than a mosquito bite.

I use tecnu now if I know I've touched it, but other than that I don't do anything different. I guess my imune system is getting in gear.

-Mike-

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Over here thye freeze out, it is more of an herbaciouse perennial then a woody one.

Might be why I never got itno it, most of my clearing work is in the winter when the more lucerative climbing is less available.

 

[WillClimb]

TREETX:

I would wash all the rest of that stuff too...ropes, saws, saddle, etc. Even if it means scrubbing them off with just cold water, soap, and a scrub brush. I wash my leather belt in the sink all the time. It hasn't seemed to hurt it or stretch it out.

I wash my ropes in the washer after PI contact. Just make sure and daisy chain them, use very gentle detergent like Ivory Snow, and make sure that bleach wasn't used in the previous cycle. If so, then run a rinse cycle 1st.

 

[che]

My brother-in-law (very sensitive to poison ivy) was just over and told me about this product he heard about. Thought I remembered a current thread about PI here.

I've not tried it, but here's the link:



Zanfel

 

[MasterBlaster]

Poison Ivy

I have used Oral-Ivy for the last decade with great success. For me , it reduces my reaction to exposure from extreme discomfort down to a slight , easily ignored itch. I take 3-4 drops, every day, all year round. There is no off-season, down here in 'da bayou. I try to back off of it when I can(slow times, or RAIN!), just to break the cycle somewhat. I have nothing but praise for the product. Peace!

 

[dbeck]

OK, here is my chance to ask a prominent question. What hapens when you are doing a lot clearing and there is a lot of pi and you have it all over stuff your chipping. How concerned are you about chipper dust? It concerns me lots...I have heard stories of people close to death from inhaling ivy particles from fires and dust...
Everyones input here, would be great, I think. Thanks

 

[MasterBlaster]

Ive heard those stories too, but in 26 yrs it's never affected me that way-knock on wood!