A night to remember - or forget

[Karen Johnson]

The crossdresser's dream - the wife was going to be out of town for the weekend. Oh, boy! My wife accepts (for the most part) my crossdressing, but it's still nice to have the house to yourself. And what's better, I've been collecting all kinds of goodies to wear - bras, breastforms, dresses, skirts - and everything in between. I've gotten everything but a wig, and that is in the works.

I had big plans. Shower and shave, nice perfume, take my time getting dressed. Do a few things around the house, spend some time in the yard (we have 5 acres with a lot of privacy), and then go for a dress and drive.

Then the poison ivy struck. I've got it everywhere. It's all over my chest, legs, arms. And I can't find any way of getting rid of it. I've tried everything and nothing works well. All I could do is walk around in a nightie, which I do all the time anyway.

Oh, well. Maybe next year.

(If any of you ladies know of any remedies for poison ivy I'd sure like to hear them.)

[Valerie Nicole]

I got poison ivy once, when I was really little. I don't remember much about it, other than its better not to scratch. Also, if I remember correctly, it went down after a few hours, though I could be mistaken there. Anyway, good luck and get well soon.

[Byllie]

As someone who is VERY allergic to poison ivy, here are some pointers.

Poison ivy cannot spread by scratching the blisters. The blisters appear about three days after contact. It's the oil in the leaves and stems that gets on our skin and starts the allergic reaction, which as I said takes a few days to blossom. By then, you've washed the oils away. The reason why it looks like it's spreading is that differfent parts of your skin take various rates to show the reaction.

Scratching is bad because it can lead to scars, just like too much popping of zits.

Suggestions: A soaking bath in Alveno, an oatmeal based product. Calydryl is also great. It's Calimine lotion and Benadryl combined. And lastly, be patient. The blisters will dry of their own accord in a few days.

[Gina_darling]

We don't get it over in the UK but I did go to a party AS Poison Ivy from Batman :heehee:

[Ammdi]

if it's *Really* bad, go to the Dr. I have gotten oral steroids for poison ivy and poison oak.
That works ina few days.

[Dasein9]

I've had success with a product called Ivy Dry. It eases the itching but will dry your skin out terribly. Follow with some very good lotion after the rash is gone.

[DanaJ]

Remember - leaves of three, leave them be :)

I get this about once per year, there are many good OTC medicines at major drugstores such as Walgreens. Good luck ;)

I hope this doesn't gross many people out, but here is my foot (with pretty polish) last year at its worst, this is poison ivy after a long day in work boots. And talk about itchy!!!! It would wakr me at night, the itching was so intense. Scratching only makes it worse, so you just have to grin and bear it.

I can remove this if it is too yucky :)

[Phoebe Reece]

Ammdi has the right idea. See a doctor for a severe case. I got into some that was wrapped around I tree I was cuttiing down about 10 years ago. My reaction was so severe on one arm that about three days after the exposure one side of my left arm turned black. A doctor prescribed both some oral and topical prescription meds that took care of it. My arms had discolorations from the experience for nearly a month.

[Lilith Moon]

I can remove this if it is too yucky :)

I've got a good one of my wife's shingles. Anybody want to see it ? :devil:

Seriously, we don't have it here in the UK as somebody already said. We do have stinging nettles, though, which instantly hurt like hell on contact and then come up in itchy weals.

[Julogden]

Hi Karen,

I've found heat to be a source of short-term relief, at least in minor cases. A friend told me that she sets her hand-held hair dryer on low heat and blows it on the ivy rash and it helped, so I tried it and it worked quite well. It hurts though, seems my skin gets extra sensitive to heat when I have poison Ivy. Hot washrags might be good too, haven't tried that though.

A product that I use when I'm away from home and my hair dryer is hydrocortisone ointment, gives some relief too.

I'm very sensitive to poison ivy, and it's very common around here, so I often have at least a touch of it from Spring into Autumn, as I'm a nature nut who gets out to the woods and prairies on a regular basis. If you know you've been exposed to Poison Ivy, a hot, soapy shower followed by a change of clothes immediately after exposure can often prevent a significant rash too. The longer the toxic oil is on your skin, the worse the rash will be.

Good luck,
Carol:hugs:

[Julogden]

I got poison ivy once, when I was really little. I don't remember much about it, other than its better not to scratch. Also, if I remember correctly, it went down after a few hours, though I could be mistaken there. Anyway, good luck and get well soon.
Must have been something else, a bad Poison Ivy rash lasts for weeks.

Carol:hugs:

[Rebecca-L]

if it's *Really* bad, go to the Dr. I have gotten oral steroids for poison ivy and poison oak.
That works ina few days.

I agree. I had a really bad case once (got into the sensitive flesh on my thighs and on my face) from cutting out some brush on a cedar tree. The Dr. prescribed cortizone in tablet form. Note that this can cause mood swings, though.

Good luck. You have my sympathies.

[trannie T]

Sorry Karen, but I found your story to be hilarious. Poison ivy isn't funny though, benadryl works or you may see your physican for a prescription for steriods. Oatmeal soaps may work and they won't do any harm. I wish you a speedy recovery and thank you for the story.

[Julie York]

Remember - leaves of three, leave them be :)

I get this about once per year, there are many good OTC medicines at major drugstores such as Walgreens. Good luck ;)

I hope this doesn't gross many people out, but here is my foot (with pretty polish) last year at its worst, this is poison ivy after a long day in work boots. And talk about itchy!!!! It would wakr me at night, the itching was so intense. Scratching only makes it worse, so you just have to grin and bear it.

I can remove this if it is too yucky :)


How do you get that IN work boots?


:eek:

[Phyliss]

DanaJ says: "I can remove this if it is too yucky" The only "yucky" part is the hairy feet, looks like a Hobbit. :heehee:

Seriously Poision Ivy ain't nothing to fool with. Fortunately, having been raised on a farm and drinking fresh raw goat milk as a baby I have a built in natural imunity to the stuff. My sister however would be "breaking out" right now just talking about it. Poision Ivy almost killed her when she was a teenager, she got it so bad.

[Billijo49504]

Go see the Dr, the oral steroids work great. About 20 yrs ago, I used to get it so bad, I used to get shots in the early spring. If someone was burning posion ivy a block away and the smoke was blowing my way, I got it....BJ

[DanaJ]

DanaJ says: "I can remove this if it is too yucky" The only "yucky" part is the hairy feet, looks like a Hobbit. :heehee:

It's a bit hard to shave or wax with poison ivy on my foot ;)

[Jere Oneil]

If you want a good home remedy, see if you can find some old "Octagon" laundry soap. It comes in a bar. Make a paste from it and apply to the rash. It will dry up the rash in just a few days. As a kid I used to get poison oak or poison Ivy every year, and this is what my mom used. It is a lye based soap, so it can be irritating to your skin though

[KimberlyS]

Karen, I feel for you. You have had some good solutions to helping you. Here are some tips for cleanup and prevention. You do not want to keep exposing your self to it or your wife.

The Oils will stay active up to 2 years or more where ever they have touched or are including the ground. All clothes gloves that may have come in contact with, or touched after contact should be washed. Any tools you used should also be wiped off to remove any oils or sealed some how. Any surfaces or objects that may have come in contact with or touched should be washed.

You can continue to re-expose yourself to it as long as the oils are present.

And Note: I hope you washed your hands well before going to the bathroom. Trust me that one is not fun. :eek:

As someone else said burning can make the oils go airborne which is true and can be even worse for many if breathed in.

While doing cleanup and future exposure, after working with anything that may have oils on it wash your hands and arms with a soap to remove oils. Dish soap works good for this as well as for the shower. The sooner you remove the oils the better to minimize absorption and reaction. Always remove boots and shoes outside where contact does not matter. Our policy when ever we may have had exposure became, to strip down to underwear at the door and put clothes straight into the washer. Followed followed by a dish soap shower. Hopefully now all of ours is cleaned up?

[Mary L]

Sorry about your PI and inability to enjoy your opportunity to dress. Prescription steroids can do wonders for bad cases, but they carry their own risks. I know someone who became psychotic to the point of hospitalization when the dose was too high. My wife took a steroid for treatment of PI and temporarily lost the ability to understand how aunts and uncles were related to nieces and nephews! All back to normal when the dose was reduced.

[AllieSF]

Calomine lotion and Lava soap if they still make it. Get a good lather up, real creamy and thick. Apply it and let it dry. Since you said you have tried everything and it is still unbearable, a Dr.'s visit is probably in order to get some stronger relief. Good luck.

[vbcdgrl]

Like the song says..... "Gonna get a notion....of calamine lotion"

Vikki

[BeckyZ]

I have had poison ivy and oak more times than I care to count. Comes with working in the woods.
I have tried every remedy mentioned plus some that weren't. The only things I have found that work are anti-itch cremes for temporary relief (use frequently and generously) and antihistamines. Neither will cure it but both take the edge off. For extreme cases go to the Dr. From your picture, I would classify yours as extreme. I have been to the Dr twice for cases that got out of hand. A shot in the rump with cortisone knocked it down after a couple of days.

A couple of products that my wife found recently that are far above average for over the counter are: Tecnu (a cleanser) and calagel (an anti-itching compound).

[Katrina]

One thing that I have done when I think I've been in contact with PI is swab the area down with rubbing alcohol and cotton balls. The rubbing alcohol breaks down the oils in the same way it dries out your skin. Rub gently and keep using new cotton balls/paper towels so you don't just spread it around. Its kept any PI rashes I have had down to a few small zit-like things.

[jjjjohanne]

There is a product I used once called Zanfel. It actually works. For me, it didn't bring about a total remedy, but it took away the itch and swelling temporarily and reduced the exposure. It is an over-the-counter product at most pharmacies. If you try it, PM me and tell me if it worked for you!

[Tiffy]

I just had poison Oak a few weeks back. Nasty stuff and I ended up in the ER getting steroids to get rid of it. Good luck with it.

Tiffy

[marie354]

When I was a kid, it never bothered me. I could roll around in it and not get a single bump.

Now, however... All I have to do is be down wind from it and I break out. The bad thing is I am allergic to calamine lotion!

What did I do?

Bleach.
Everyone has it in their cupboard. It's inexpensive. And... It dries the rash and disinfects too!

Blot it on the affected areas only. It will dry out your skin too.

And most of all... DON'T SCRATCH! It spreads rapidly just by a touch.