what to do about poison oak

[Zippo]

Originally Posted by H2oChick

Last weekend after a ride through the brush in Chino, I had an itching sensation on my lower leg. It started to turn red and swell. As soon as we got home, my husband told me to use paint thinner to remove any oils if it was poison oak/ivy/something. Within 15 minutes it was completely gone. I'm trying to figure out how to carry some in my pack.

i've heard of people using straight Chlorox too. Why not use acetone - it goes straight to your liver as well. Really not good for you guys.

Tecnu is all you need. http://www.tecnuextreme.com/

[DBD]

Here is a cure but you need to be a bit masochistic;

Get in the tub, turn the water as hot as you can stand. Run it over the effected area. It will start to itch reeeeal bad. Turn the heat up. It will itch more. Turn it up again until it is close to if not scalding hot. It will itch like you never though an itch could feel but there will be some euphoria

DO NOT SCRATCH!! AT ALL!! At least try not to.

Stay there until the itching starts to subside then fill the tub with water and and epsom salt. Put effected area in. It will draw out even more of the oils. Once the itching has completely stopped get out and let it dry. A little alcohol will help it dry a bit faster.

Do the above twice a day.

pop a Prednisone tab or some other strong anti-inflammatory for a day or so to help minimize the reaction and you will be good to go in a couple of days.

[TKCastle]

Go to the doctor if you cant stand the itch, they have this steroid cream to go along with the steroid shot and will knock the itch on it azz. If you know you are going to ride and be exposed to PO bring along your windex and after you are done riding spray you hands first then clean with paper towel then discard. When doing this you never want to use one towel to clean, you risk cross-contaminating your self with the PO oils on the towel.Next do one leg discard, other leg discard. Arm, discard and then the other. Trust me this works I am the self proclaimed Oak master. I have had PO on every part of my body and yes I have had it on my Nads, I have never gotten infected since I used this method.

A little story:
Ripping the S/T coming down Marshall Canyon, with my bandana that I was wearing tied to my camel pack. Get to the parking lot and want to wipe my sweaty face and I untie my Bandana and begin to clean my face. Little did I know the bandana was brushing up against a PO bush while waiting for my bud. Two days later my WHOLE face and a little past my hair line was covered in a blistery yellow, swollen mix of pure bliss. So swollen around my eyes that I couldnt see for two days,
so dont fell bad it could be worse.

[wheel slayer]

I look in my medicine cabinet.
Step one Tecnu scrub. Than apply Cortaid. this works. Shower with cold water and wash the riding cothes with paint thiner. Thiner works if knw you came in cotact with it it but it has't gotten under the skin. Sorry but it cold water till the rash is gone. I believe Poison Oak is the Devil's weed.

[kentonn]

1) Use a product to neutralize the urushiol such as tecnu.
2) Do whatever you can to reduce itching. Calamine lotion (in my opinion) seems to be a complete joke and a waste of time.

This product is basically a mixture of Hydrocortisone and Benadryl. It is convenient because you just spray it on and it works well. It will burn a little when first applied but then relieves the itching for about an hour. It is hard to find in stores but I was able to find it on Magellan's website:
http://www.magellans.com/store/Healt..._AidKR551?Args=

[Red Hot Sloth]

Kudos on the Name Drop!

Originally Posted by Koke

Cliff Clavin moment...

Cashews contain urushiol, which is the irritant also found in poison ivy. Even “raw” cashews have been steamed to remove this compound. Otherwise, anyone with a reaction to poison ivy could have a potentially fatal reaction to eating cashews.

[stormyClouds]

Originally Posted by Zippo

i've heard of people using straight Chlorox too. Why not use acetone - it goes straight to your liver as well. Really not good for you guys.

Tecnu is all you need. http://www.tecnuextreme.com/

i will second the call for tecnu. have been insanely allergic to poison ivy since i was a little guy. i have tried everything (except maybe the acid/steel wool thing) and this is the only product that i have found to work. cheap it is not - worth the money it is.
btw, when it gets really bad you need to go to the doc for a steroid shot to your ace. then it's gone in 2 days.

btw, the heat (super hot water/hairdryer, etc) is not your friend. it does feel insanely good, but like putting heat on a new injury, will increase blood circulation and spread the oil more quickly.

[dstepper]

Originally Posted by DBD

Get in the tub

That is how my mother used to bust me when a was a kid. I used to sneak down into the creek where I was told not to go...the oils would float on the bath water and I would end up with a ring of PO around my chest...busted...grounded...

Only way to help is to stay out of it in the first place...my rides down El Prieto are done for the spring.

[brownlandshark]

Originally Posted by gil_caz

hey guys, i just recently got hit with a bit of poison oak. this is my second time getting poison oak. the first time i was not so fortunate of knowing it, and i like to pick things, that was not fun.

so i know this time that i have it and not to pick and scratch . is there any other recommendations you guys know. i just dont want to go to the doctors, wait in line, pay my co-pay, and sit there for an hour so he can give me a cream.

gracias por todo

Try washing it with very hot soap and water. this draws out the oil. Then when the pores are open pour on some citrus degreaser. Rub it in then rinse with cold water. I swear this works. Learned it from a friend after I asked why there was a bottle of degreaser in the shower. Used this method many time with good results. Good luck.

[G-Ride]

I'm not allergic, but my good friend and riding buddy is extremely allergic. He can get it just by looking at PO. He swears by this stuff:




It's kind of expensive ($20-30 per tube), and your pharmacy may have to order it, but it works (so I hear).

Here's their website:

http://www.zanfel.com/help/

Good luck.

[TKCastle]

Originally Posted by G-Ride

I'm not allergic, but my good friend and riding buddy is extremely allergic. He can get it just by looking at PO. He swears by this stuff:




It's kind of expensive ($20-30 per tube), and your pharmacy may have to order it, but it works (so I hear).

Here's their website:

http://www.zanfel.com/help/

Good luck.

Wow! I bought that years ago and it was $55 bucks.
Didnt completely wash it away but the PO did subside quicker than usual. Save the cash and use Windex, removes all the PO oils.

[stormyClouds]

Originally Posted by G-Ride

I'm not allergic, but my good friend and riding buddy is extremely allergic. He can get it just by looking at PO. He swears by this stuff:




It's kind of expensive ($20-30 per tube), and your pharmacy may have to order it, but it works (so I hear).

Here's their website:

http://www.zanfel.com/help/

Good luck.

crap, that is the stuff that i meant to give props to, not tecnu. zanfel is the real deal. i think that i paid $40 for a tiny bottle of it.

[denmother]

Originally Posted by G-Ride

I'm not allergic, but my good friend and riding buddy is extremely allergic. He can get it just by looking at PO. He swears by this stuff:

It's kind of expensive ($20-30 per tube), and your pharmacy may have to order it, but it works (so I hear).

Here's their website:

http://www.zanfel.com/help/

Good luck.

Available at CVS, Rite Aid, Eckerd, Walgreen, and WAL-MART Pharmacies.

Q: Why did my arms break out one day and my hands another?
A: Urushiol must penetrate the skin to cause a reaction. Places where the skin is thick, such as the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands, are less sensitive to the sap than areas where the skin is thinner. The severity of the reaction may also depend upon the extent of urushiol exposure.

Q: How can I prevent recontaminating myself?
A: Urushiol is pervasive. Although it can only bind to humans, it can get on your pets, tools, gloves, clothing, shoes, and bedding -- and contaminate you upon contact. Any soap and water will wash urushiol away from non-human surfaces. Clean any outdoor tools that may have contacted the plants. Wash the clothes and gloves that you wore when exposed. If you sat down or went to bed without washing yourself or your clothes beforehand, clean all bedding and upholstery that you may have had contact with prior to washing. Wash your pets. Remember that urushiol can remain toxic for one year or more.

[Dial Tone]

I've never heard of the Windex trick to wash out the PO oil but I'll keep a bottle in my trunk box just in case. Thanks!

[CeeDubb]

This stuff worked like a charm and even left a clear protective coat over the rash site. Soothed the itch immediately.

[Rockinthecasbah]

I get it bad also I use one of the cleansers to make sure all the oil is really gone, then one of the creams a couple times daily along with a steroid pack from the doctor and I still had it for like 3 weeks last time

[speckledtrout]

I was short, chubby and wore thick glasses in the 7th grade. I had poison ivy all over my arms and face. My evil mother made me go to school with gauze mittens on so that I wouldn't scratch myself. It was not at all humiliating. sigh.

[dhshuttlemonkey]

Originally Posted by gil_caz

hey guys, i just recently got hit with a bit of poison oak. this is my second time getting poison oak. the first time i was not so fortunate of knowing it, and i like to pick things, that was not fun.

so i know this time that i have it and not to pick and scratch . is there any other recommendations you guys know. i just dont want to go to the doctors, wait in line, pay my co-pay, and sit there for an hour so he can give me a cream.

gracias por todo

Dude, you should of said something. I have a bunch of Technu packets in the truck.