Poison Ivy

[Sojourner11]

If you read my post post about Solo being an escape artist and the fence you may have caught the part about some poison ivy over by where he gets out. Well I don't know if it was there or some place where he ran off too while out, or even if it was Solo but I got a nasty case on Poison Ivy from one of my gang (I suspect). Back on Oct 29th I think I was hugging and scratching on Solo and the next day I began to itch my arm. A day later if went full on, and within a few days it was lighting me up big time! I am pretty allergic to it and it lasted a full week until I tried a product to supposedly rid you of it and stop the itch with the first few uses, which I fear may have actually spread it more and caused a systemic reaction (actually got IN my system and had my arm looking like Popeyes) by first of this week. I was out of town and finally broke down, called my doctor and had him phone in a prescription for a cortisone pack as well as some kinda lotion. In addition I have been taking a ton a Benedryl a day to deal with the itch. I am now back home and am freaked out to where it might be on in the house, which dog, and how to deal with detoxing my home, clothes, car, and anywhere else it may be lurking. I am going to try to get the 3 bathed first thing tomorrow, shampoo my carpets, wash, wash, wash everything I was in contact with but know that Urushiol oil is pretty potent stuff and can linger for a very long time.

Any ideas on how to deal with this stuff or at least get it off the dogs?

[CoraP.]

I am so sorry! One summer my mom had an awful case of poison ivy and it took almost the whole summer for her to get rid of it! I don't know of any other things you could do except the ones you already mentioned! Take care...I hope it is soon gone!

[summer_rose03]

I would guess bath, or waterless shampoo to get it off of them.

I know the feeling of being allergic to a treatment! I caught ringworm from someone at work, so I was using athlete's foot cream, then tea tree oil when that didn't work to get rid of it. I was applying it and applying it ALL the time. I didn't want it to spread so I kept applying more and more, but it just kept getting worse. It itched so bad, looked awful. And to top it off, it was right around Valentine's Day, so I had to go out to dinner and stuff with my arm all red and nasty. It looked like I had some kind of disease.

Well, I finally went to the doctor and found out it was an allergic reaction to one of the creams I was using! OMG, I suffered for nothing. It itched, it hurt, I was MISERABLE. I still have a faint round scar from it. Doc gave me a prescription and told me to get a bunch of Benadryl. It was much better with in a day or so. I never knew my skin was so sensitive.