I hate poison ivy! (Poor, pitiful me :-( )

kathryn

kathryn

Cathlete
And it (and maybe some of its relatives, like poison oak) hates me!
THis is the second time this year I have somehow been exposed to it (probably when I was weed whacking in my yard, and didn't see some.) And when I'm exposed, it goes systemic, and parts of my body that were never in contact with it can break out.

Last time, I kept it pretty localized to my forearm (which looked like a flesh-eating virus had gotten to it, then like someone had grabbed me violently around the arm and left bruises) by going to my acupuncturist early, and downing liver cleansing teas, calcium and vitamin C throughout the day. This time, I either started too late, or it's just not working, because it went from my feet ,to my legs, to my torso, to my upper arms, and just the last two days, has threatened to go to my neck and face (no welts, pustules or splotches, but a slight itching and very faint raised areas, like a zit about to come out). Yesterday, a patch of bumps showed up on my face, so it was to the pharmacy to get my prescription of Prednisone filled (HATE to take that stuff! And was hoping I wouldn't have to fill the scrip.)

And to top it off, I haven't felt like exercising in the last two weeks (the time it's been around), and have missed about every other day if not more. I'll be in crap shape for a conference I'm going to be presenting at in Québec city beginning of July.

:( x( ;(
 
So sorry Kathryn. I have never had it, but I am sure it is not pleasant. I think I read somewhere though that each exposure initiates a stronger reaction.

Hope you feel better soon and get back on track. I'm pulling for you!

Tammy
 
Kathryn...I'm sorry...:(...Prednisone is nasty stuff, I hope it helps QUICK. We have poison oak here. I used to get it horribly and all over like you described. I'd hug my dogs and the next day right under my eyes it would swell something fierce. Like I had been crying all night. We have a soap called Tecnu that you wash with immediately if you know you have been exposed. Not sure it works with Ivy though. I have been lucky as I've gotten older I don't seem to get it as bad anymore...WOW...one good thing about aging...http://smilies.sofrayt.com/%5E/_950/wink.gif[/img] ..Carole
 
We have a soap
>called Tecnu that you wash with immediately if you know you
>have been exposed. Not sure it works with Ivy though. I have
>been lucky as I've gotten older I don't seem to get it as bad
>anymore...WOW...one good thing about
>aging...http://smilies.sofrayt.com/%5E/_950/wink.gif[/img]
>..Carole

Yes, I use technu, but this time, I didn't think about it, because I didn't think I was exposed (and I'm still not sure where I was exposed (in my yard or at a garden walk), or exactly to what? ivy/oak something new that grew just for me?). I just ordered two 1/2 gallon containers of it! AND three bottles of Ivy block pre-exposure lotion from www.dermastore.com , and a book on poison ivy from Amazon.com . That will help with next time, I hope (so there IS no next time!).

Kim: I've read that you can be non-symptomatic to poison ivy, etc. when you are first exposed, but that continued exposure will make you symptomatic (strange: a lot of allergens seem to make you LESS symptomatic the more you are exposed). A friend of mine never used to react to PI, but now she does. And I used to pull the young PI plants out of my yard by the roots, sometimes with no gloves and washing up immediately afterward with Technu. I never had a breakout the first two years of doing it. This was before I read about the "more exposure--more reaction" stuff. :-( Now, it can lightly graze my forearm when I'm weeding, and I'll break out all over. Maybe I should add a hazmat suit to my list of purchases?

Oh, and my lower left cheek now looks like that of a chimpmunk!
 
Kathryn, I'm sorry about your predicament right now. If it makes you feel any better, I can commiserate with you as I am suffering from a sunburn from yesterday. I feel so drained & miserable. I wasn't able to workout all weekend. I can't imagine having to deal with poison ivy, though. I can barely tolerate mosquito bites without tearing up my skin.

As far as allergens go, yes, each exposure can trigger a more violent reaction from your immune system, so please be careful. I imagine you don't like to take drugs & stuff, but as soon as you realize what happened try to take some Benadryl, Claritin or other comparable anti-histamine. It helps with the histamine reaction that is involved with the swelling and hives. Then either follow up with your doctor or treat it the way you normally treat your exposure.

And don't worry. You'll look great for your conference.

Marla
 
I'm sorry you're feeling so miserable, Kathryn. I'm sure it's driving you crazy. I hope the Prednisone clears it up and you can get on with your life.
 
Kathryn,

I am so sorry. I just have to look at the stuff, and I get it. I am on prednisone tapers occasionally for my RA and it is nasty stuff.

Hope you get better.
 
Kathryn, loads of empathy coming your way. While I use Ivy Block when I'm on the trails in my area, I pick up poison oak from my dogs even when I'm avoiding the overgrown trails. It does seem that I get more & more sensitive to the stuff.

I pass on oral steroids & use a topical, triamcinolone, along with a Benadryl like product when I have a flare up. It's more effective than other treatments that I've used.

I love winter, the poison oak dies back & the snakes hibernate.

Debra
 
Oh, Kathryn! I feel your pain. 2 yrs. ago, I got a horrible case of poison ivy from my dogs. They frolicked in the woods behind our house, had it on their coats and passed it along to me. 5 days of oral steroids left me hungry and cranky, but knocked the poison ivy right out of me.
Since then, I'm pretty careful to wear long sleeved shirts and pants vs. shorts when doing yard work etc. Ivy block and technu are always in our med. cabinet, because we have so much poison ivy around us. Hope you feel better soon.
Valerie :)
 
Kathryn!!!

I had the most horrible case of poison ivy in 2002, and mind you, I was nursing my 6 month old daughter to boot with PI up and down my arms. Mine went systemic, too. When I went to my doctor, he actually started to laugh and said, "What were you doing, rolling in this stuff?" IT WAS HORRIBLE!!! My father would send people to my house, just to see how bad it was. I was the neighborhood freak!

So I just wanted to sympathize with you. The one thing that saved me was my hair dryer. When I would start to itch really bad, I would put my hair dryer over the area as hot as I could stand it for as long as well. It worked amazingly. Just passing that along, hope it helps you, too!

Knock on wood, I haven't had it again. And the pharmacist told me that since I was nursing my daughter at the time, there's a good chance that she'll be immune to it, which would be nice!
 
I am sorry for you too. I had a terrible case in 2000. I found out I was pregnant when the doctor wanted to give me the pred shot. So, no meds to help me. I looked like I had burns all over and my arms/elbows swelled so much I couldn't straighten them. It took a month to go away without meds. Anyow, I run when I see anything with three leaves. Good luck to you. Melissa
 
Kathryn,

Try tea tree oil, the 100% pure stuff. My boyfriend got poison oak recently and tea tree oil dried it up quickly, much better than Calydryl. Just apply with a cotton ball. However, don't apply to really sensitive areas; it may burn. I've found tea tree oil in drug stores. Target sells a good size bottle that's not too expensive ($5-$6).

Hope that helps,
Elaine
 
Kathryn, I'm soo sorry. How miserable you are not to mention not being able to do your workouts. Sending some healing vibes your way. Get well SOON!
Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH (AKA "Den Mother Debbie")http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/wavey.gif[/img] If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!
 
Thanks for the moral support guys.
I slept 4 hours last night (the prednisone at work!), am cranky and farty today (some other fun side-effects of the drug---THIS is why I hate medications: almost all of them come with some kind of nasty side effect. Not so with Accupuncture and homeopathy.)

I was doing some grass pulling as I walked by my front garden, and noticed at least three "three-leaved" demon plants! And they all looked a bit different from each other. From now on, ANYTHING with three leaves is under suspicion.

Going back to being cranky, and farty, and hopped up (and increasingly doughier, as a result of slacking off exercise).

Later!
 
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