Every day for the last 2 weeks I've been sitting here checking up on my blogs and sewing away on my latest projects (coming, I promise!) and I itch and itch until I can no long
er stand it. What started out as a small bout of poison ivy (oak, perhaps?), has now spread all over my left arm, my side, my stomach, and leg (from all the itching, no doubt). I swear to you, neither the Benedryl poison ivy lotion NOR the "never fail" Calamine lotion that my mother always used (the pink stuff, remember?) is working. Here we are 2 weeks later and I'm about to commit myself to the mental institution downtown because every square inch of me itches. ALL THE TIME.
I know the simple thing would be to go get a shot of cortisone, but I really would like to avoid that if I can. Enter my friend, Google (I believe you've met before). Google has told me to try a hot water bath of baking soda once a day, then to put Gold Bond Powder on my poisonous lesions. Think it will work? Yea, I don't know either but I can tell you what I"ll be doing tonight.
Stay tuned for the exciting development of curing Monogram Momma's
poison ivy via home remedies...
Posts
16 Comments:
Have you tried the over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream? When I was a camp counselor, I would always have some kind of itchy spots and hydrocortisone was my best friend. You can find it at any drug store with the other "ointments" (awkward). Best of luck!
N gets poison ivy very badly. I swear if he walks within 5 miles of the stuff he is itching.
He is a big fan of baths with baking soda. As well as baths with oatmeal.
Also, he takes Benadryl orally before he goes to bed at night.
If he went to the doctor every time he got it, we would be spending our entire paychecks on doctor visits it is that frequent.
Good luck!
Thanks, College girl. The hydrocortisone creme isn't working either. It controls the itching but won't dry it up and get rid of it. Ughh!
You poor thing! When I was 8 I got poison ivy on my hand and therefore it spread all over me (my mom and the dr thought it was chicken pox at first) and I remember Aveeno oatmeal baths helping. I would spend all night in the bathtub. It didn't cure it but at least for the time I was in the tub I was comfortable. Good luck!
OH NO…you poor thing!! Rubbing alcohol or witch hazel on the blisters will draw out the toxin oils out of the skin relieving the itch); aloe another one that is suppose to help reduce the itch and promote healing. Hang in there!
Honestly, oral prednisone is the best thing you can take to really get rid of it quick. Your family practitioner can call you in a script for a Prednisone tapered dose pack. I would also ask for a few days worth of Ambien, because it will likely cause insomnia. Good luck!
Ok...now we are talking OLD SCHOOL home remedies! My granny says white vinegar works on EVERYTHING and I have used it for just about everything and it always works.
I have also tried bleach on a cotton ball...again from my granny...it worked to stop the spreading!
Good Luck!
Oh no! I hope you find something that works!
I don't know anything about this, but it SOUNDS AWFUL! I just wanted to say GET WELL SOON!!! :(
UPDATE: Well, i *think* the baking soda worked and it's starting dry out a teeny tiny bit. But I'm still miserable as can be. I did use the Gold Bond last night too. I think that is supopsed to work b/c it's main ingredient is baking soda. One of my friend's husbands is a nurder practitioner so he is going to call in a steroid for me today hopefully!
HQM: I'm going to try to give the vinegar a try and let you know. I'm sure I"ll smell lovely with my mixture of GOld Bond ointment & white vinegar! lol. Now, the bleach thing I had heard about and mentioned at book club the other night. 2 of the ladies there screamed in horror and told me not to do it. One of them had done that with their poison Ivy and burned the top layer of her skin off!! She went to her Dr in even worse pain and shape than before and it scarred her arm! I think if I had a little spot I could do it but I am covered!
UPDATE: Well, i *think* the baking soda worked and it's starting dry out a teeny tiny bit. But I'm still miserable as can be. I did use the Gold Bond last night too. I think that is supopsed to work b/c it's main ingredient is baking soda. One of my friend's husbands is a nurder practitioner so he is going to call in a steroid for me today hopefully!
HQM: I'm going to try to give the vinegar a try and let you know. I'm sure I"ll smell lovely with my mixture of GOld Bond ointment & white vinegar! lol. Now, the bleach thing I had heard about and mentioned at book club the other night. 2 of the ladies there screamed in horror and told me not to do it. One of them had done that with their poison Ivy and burned the top layer of her skin off!! She went to her Dr in even worse pain and shape than before and it scarred her arm! I think if I had a little spot I could do it but I am covered!
UPDATE: Well, i *think* the baking soda worked and it's starting dry out a teeny tiny bit. But I'm still miserable as can be. I did use the Gold Bond last night too. I think that is supopsed to work b/c it's main ingredient is baking soda. One of my friend's husbands is a nurder practitioner so he is going to call in a steroid for me today hopefully!
HQM: I'm going to try to give the vinegar a try and let you know. I'm sure I"ll smell lovely with my mixture of GOld Bond ointment & white vinegar! lol. Now, the bleach thing I had heard about and mentioned at book club the other night. 2 of the ladies there screamed in horror and told me not to do it. One of them had done that with their poison Ivy and burned the top layer of her skin off!! She went to her Dr in even worse pain and shape than before and it scarred her arm! I think if I had a little spot I could do it but I am covered!
Yikes! Give the vinegar a shot...it's our family go to! Once when Emma was about 14 months she wiped Vaseline all through her hair...I tried EVERYTHING to get it out for days, called the hair salon, the doctor, all my friends and neighbors and finally gave the vinegar a try came out after a few "washings" buy, Emma smelled like salad dressing for a week!
There is a medication over the counter called Domboro powder. You mix it with water. Works great.
Good luck!
I get wicked poison ivy - I usually end up on oral antibiotics once a year so a good relief is a necessity - I feel so bad for you. BEST ever that I found - go get it NOW - Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment and their Skin Relief bath additive- comes in a box with multiple packs. Colloidal oatmeal and other things to relieve all sorts of skin ailments. That and their 3 skin creams are all meant to relieve the itches. They all actually work. I used to use Lava soap and bleach as a kid - (I'm 39, don't tell! so I know this was a total 70's treatment. I suffered until someone recommended this.
Good luck!! I also swear by Tecnu for right after you may have been exposed - it scrubs the oils off before you get the rash.
Thanks, cc! I ended up as my last ditch effort, trying white vinegar and you know what? It completely dried up the poison ivy/oak! Not kidding! It stung like hell but it was worth it to be itch free now!
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