I HATE this EVIL weed!!

[oldred]

Yesterday while spraying my apple trees I stooped over and pulled a clump of grass from around the base of one of the trees using my left hand, this morning my entire hand is swollen and my fingers are swollen so badly I can't bend them. I suspected the problem was the grass clump so I went out to look around the tree and sure enough I spotted small sprouts of the evilest weed on Earth -POISON IVY!!!! I HATE this stuff and it obviously hates me! I am so susceptible to the stuff I am almost afraid to type the words poison ivy and this puffy swollen and extremely itchy hand is the reason why. Anyone else have this much problem with this diabolical scourge of the plant world?

[mattw]

My father did, he always said that all he had to do was to look at it funny and it attacked him. I do not know of a place he had not had poison ivy, when he got it... it just went wild. Mouth, eye lids, ears and places one does not want to itch all the time. Would not go away without a trip to the doc. Me, on the other hand... I have never had it, can pull it, burn it, climb through it and I have never been affected.

[FISH4BUGS]

".....leaves of three....leave them be".........as my grandma always said.

[buckwheatpaul]

Go to your doctor and get a steroid shot and the swelling will go down....our brother in law was a K-9 officer for years and when he ran a trail he always came down with it.....the shot was his salvation....good luck brother.....Paul

[Winger Ed.]

I feel your pain.

I can look at a picture of the stuff and start to itch.

[Bookworm]

I've never been afflicted, but I'm still cautious around the stuff.

I spray killer on whatever I find around the property here, and never intentionally walk in it or touch it.

[farmerjim]

When I was young(60 years ago) I was highly allergic to it. I would get it so bad that my eyes would swell shut. I took a series of desensitization shots and then another series of pills. I can now walk through it mow and bush hog it without any problem. If I get the juice from the plant on me I will get a small spot of it. My dermatologist told me they have taken this off the market because it does not work for most people. If you know you have touched it wash the area with Clorox water. The part of the juice that gets you is a protein and the Clorox will break it down. It will break down your skin too, so wash it off after you rub down with it. If you get it, do what buckwheatpaul says and get a steroid shot, they work overnight.

Triclopyr (Remidy) will kill it to the roots.

[MrWolf]

I used to be able to lay in it with no issues. Moved to South Jersey and got it. I used a rougher wash cloth and scrubbed the areas. Seemed to help me along with creams, etc. Good luck

[truckjohn]

There are a couple poison ivy skin products on the market - but you have to get them on QUICK for them to be any use... The names I remember are Tecnu and Zanfel. Both are wash products designed to get the stuff off your skin.

For me - I wear rubber nitrile gloves when working around the stuff....

[cwlongshot]

Tree guys know this stuff

Search a product called tecnu

Its awesome stuff!!

Sorry to read. I dont think that this stuff does a whole lot after the fact. But as preventative after handling the stuff. Its very good!

CW

[nagantguy]

I hate it as well; get near it and I’ve got it, can’t stand the stuff.

[Froogal]

If it even LOOKS like poison ivy, it takes a bath in glyphosate.

[snuffy]

I had terrible problems with it back in the 60's. I'd get it even though I had tried diligently to stay out of patches of it. My dog would run through it, the oil would get on his coat, I'd get it from there.

What worked for me was sold without a prescription, OTC,.IF you'd follow the instructions EXACTLY, it did work. Now maybe the instructions have changed. Then, you'd take a rough washcloth and use whatever soap you'd use when taking a bath, scrub the affected area and around that site vigorously with that washcloth. It was wonderful to do that because we were always told NOT to scratch it.

The idea was to break open the blisters while using the soap to wash away the oil that's inside the blisters. That's how it spreads. The ivy dry then is slathered on those open blisters. This will sting quite a bit! Once that stinging is over, the itch is pretty much gone, and it lasts for up to 6 hours. Doing this for a couple-three days, it starts to heal up.

One time my mom took we to our old-time Dr. because those treatments made a mess of the bathroom. He gave me some sort of shot that cleared it up right away. Might have been a steroid, don't know if there was steroids back in the sixties.

[Kenstone]

I've never been afflicted, but I'm still cautious around the stuff.

I spray killer on whatever I find around the property here, and never intentionally walk in it or touch it.

… and don't put the dead stuff in your burn pile [smilie=b:
don't ask,
:-|

[762 shooter]

I feel your pain.

I work in the woods every day and usually keep a spot or two somewhere on me the whole summer.

762

[Bazoo]

I'm only mildly allergic to it thankfully. If I get it, it don't itch bad, and only makes a few watery bumps, and don't spread rampantly. I often will have some and not realize it till the wife points out a few bumps.

Funny story, the wife was setting out in the yard with her dog. Believe she was on a blanket but can't remember for sure. I came out and seen her, said "you're setting in a patch of poison ivy". She said no, there was some fore and aft but none exactly where she was. I smirked. So her dog was laying in it and eating grass and got a leaf, then licked her. She got poison ivy on her face. I continued to smirk. Ha

[bob208]

used to be if I was down wind I got it. I was old enough to join the scouts. mon took me in and I got a series of shots. I have not had a case of it since even when I pull the vines off the house and barn.

[Winger Ed.]

I continued to smirk. Ha

Don't get caught doing that...………..

[CastingFool]

As much as I know about plants, and as often as I'm in the woods, I wouldn't recognize it if I see it. Never been affected by it, even after rubbing my hands on what I was told was poison ivy. I know the saying about leaves of three leave it, but I still wouldn't recognize it

[MaryB]

I am immune, same for stinging nettle. I can pull the stuff bare handed and no issues... although I generally wear gloves because of the bumper crop of thistles... dang thistle spines drive me nuts when I get one under the skin.

[EMC45]

The Park uses Tecnu. Apparently it is really good stuff.

I used to get it terribly when I was a kid. It would cover me and I would itch all night long and not sleep. I have gotten older and it doesn't affect me like that anymore and I weed eat it and I have pulled it off deer stands a few times getting ready for the season.

[salpal48]

When my grandmother had the farm in Penn. , they planted poison ivy around the tree trunks to keep unwanted apple thieves from steeling The apples. i did not stop many People But later you knew who was the thieves were

[Texas by God]

I haven't tried eating it or smoking it, and I'm not going to, but it or poison oak have never bothered me in the least. I used to get paid to remove it for folks. My wife however cannot even be around it without getting itchy. She has caught it a few times just about doing my laundry. I will post a picture of the north Texas version of poison ivy here in a little while.

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[oldred]

I had to go see the Doc, that left hand is swollen to almost twice it's normal size and is developing sores rather than blisters. Don't know what was in the shot bit I assume it was a steroid, also got some ointment of some sort so maybe I can get some relief.

Went back and sprayed the dang stuff with Roundup mixed to the brush kill ratio! I don't normally allow Roundp around my fruit trees or garden but this time I made an exception. I sprayed the entire area and anything that even resembled poison ivy got drowned with the Roundup!

[Gewehr-Guy]

I HATE THIS EVIL WEED......... I read this and thought it was about quitting smoking, and I was going to offer you some encouragement !!!

[Texas by God]

Professional Idiot pictured. Dont try this at home!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190817/af4de9f9f544f5c4bf72b5b5b33cdfde.jpg

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[CastingFool]

Texas by God, I saved your pic! Thanks for posting it.

[JBinMN]

Tree guys know this stuff

Search a product called tecnu

Its awesome stuff!!

Sorry to read. I dont think that this stuff does a whole lot after the fact. But as preventative after handling the stuff. Its very good!

CW

Tecnu!
+1000

BTW... Jewel weed, if ya have some nearby, is natures anti urishiol.

[TCLouis]

IF ONLY all were as allergic to it as some of us, it would have been eradicated years ago!

[webfoot10]

You guys find you some jewelweed, smash the stems till you get a green slime from it.
Rub this slime on the areas affected by the poison ivy. It will stop the itching fast. My
wife takes the jewelweed and chops the pulpy stems into small pieces and then smashs
them up in a sauce pan. Then add olive oil to cover and simmer till the consistancy of
cooked spinach . Mix a little beeswax in with the mixture till it's like vaseline. Store in a
jar and if you come into contact with poison ivy or oak. Wash with water and dry, then
apply the jewelweed mix.

[GhostHawk]

Good old fashioned lye soap will break up the poisons and speed healing.

My mom used to get it bad. She walked through a ploom of smoke from trash her dad was burning when I was a young boy. Must have had a few sprigs of poison ivy got caught up and burned along with leaves and twigs.

Got her in the eyes and the lungs. She was pretty sick lady for a couple of days.

I've never had a sign of trouble with it, but I don't mess with it.

[OldBearHair]

Came to a clear creek as we were on a hike when one young man walked into some poison ivy and began to react by jumping around holding his calves and yelling.. Came across the creek where I was. I scooped some wet sand up and rubbed it on the skin with him standing in the water.. In a few minutes afterward, he said it had quit stinging. In my garden area, a small weed comes up and if it touches your skin, it really stings.. My wife can find it easily and dig it up. We don't know what it is. We get in to it once in a while.
Poison Ivy doesn't bother me since the fifth grade. Got some on my chin in Arkansas about five years old. Every year when we got our school pictures, there I was with Raliegh's healing powder on my chin. It would come back for a couple weeks, then finally it quit bothering me.. ( my period key gives me two for the price of one sometimes )

[Texas by God]

It may look different in other locales but it’s the real deal here. My wife’s uncle had a “serious nature call” once out in the Houston wilderness and caught poison ivy on his posterior that spread to his anus and colon. He was hospitalized for weeks. I just hope I don’t suddenly become allergic to plants and insect venom at a certain age! So far, so good.

[Bazoo]

The ivy here has several variations including very similar to what TbG shows.

[Petrol & Powder]

I once looked at a picture of poison ivy in an encyclopedia, broke out in a rash the next day.

[samari46]

Evil Weed is right. I'm one of those who only has to look at it and get it. Cortisone shot does work very well. I've had it 2 times so far this year. Doc usually refrains from giving me the shot because I'm a type 2 diabetic. But since the meds from my orthpaedic doc screws up both my BP and BS he now gives it to me. Frank

[farmerjim]

Get your doctor to give you a prescription for clobetasol ointment. It is a strong topical steroid. It works well on insect bites and small patches of dermatitis (poison ivy ). It takes the itch out of tick and black fly bites.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Spraying is on today's to do list...

[Thumbcocker]

There used to be a product called imuivy that was supposed to give seasonal immunity to the weed.

[Froogal]

I won't say for sure that this worked, but a few years ago while trying to eradicate some other weeds, I discovered what I suspected to be poison ivy. The back of my hand had already made contact before I saw it. I was not too far from my shop so I walked in, grabbed a can of aerosol carb cleaner and liberally sprayed the back of my hand with it. I DID NOT break out in a rash.

[6bg6ga]

Try wearing gloves.

[Ole Joe Clarke]

I know a guy that admitted doing this, and he's a banjo player so I don't doubt it. :-) He was trying to impress his friends or a girl or both I don't know, but he ate poison oak, rubbed it all over his body. It about killed him.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

[Texas by God]

I won't say for sure that this worked, but a few years ago while trying to eradicate some other weeds, I discovered what I suspected to be poison ivy. The back of my hand had already made contact before I saw it. I was not too far from my shop so I walked in, grabbed a can of aerosol carb cleaner and liberally sprayed the back of my hand with it. I DID NOT break out in a rash.Yes, carcinogens in solvent form will clean that oil right off of you. Kills ring worms, too......

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[oldred]

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Durn yore sorry hide now my eyes are itching!

[Hannibal]

When I first read the title of this thread, I thought it might be about 'The Devil's Lettuce'. :bigsmyl2:

[Kenstone]

When I first read the title of this thread, I thought it might be about 'The Devil's Lettuce'. :bigsmyl2:

… or Devil's Cabbage
whew

[MaryB]

I won't say for sure that this worked, but a few years ago while trying to eradicate some other weeds, I discovered what I suspected to be poison ivy. The back of my hand had already made contact before I saw it. I was not too far from my shop so I walked in, grabbed a can of aerosol carb cleaner and liberally sprayed the back of my hand with it. I DID NOT break out in a rash.

Urushiol oil is what causes the itch, being an oil the solvent in the carb cleaner removed it.

[bedbugbilly]

I used to be able to not get it either - wonder if "aging" has anything to do with it.

When I was in high school, Dad and I were cutting brush out of a fence row on the farm - was in the fall and weather was misting. We both ended up getting poison sumac sap on us - I had a spot about the size of a quarter on the inside of my left wrist - Dad on his lower arm. It blistered and broke - ended up getting in our blood streams and we were a mess. I lost two weeks of school over it as it spread all over our bodies. Mom would take cotton balls and wipe us down with an aluminum oxide solution (IIRC) that the doctor had the pharmacy make up. We both had steroid shots but it took a long time for it to clear up - we both were a mess.

Seems like no matter how careful a person is about keeping an eye out for the ivy, etc. - you can easily miss it and it doesn't take much. I got poison on both of my hands one time by digging holes and planting fruit trees. d No ivy was visible above ground but I got into some roots of it when I was down pulling loose dirt out of the holes with my bare hands. That time, the Dr. put me on steroid pills of some sort which were supposed to be taken over 7 days. I ended up having terrible leg cramps by the third day and had to stop taking the pills - for me, the steroid shots seemed to take care of it for me much easier as well as quicker.

[nelsonted1]

A friend said when he was a kid, a hundred years ago, a friend of his told a neighbor girl he was immune to poison ivy. He plucked off a leaf, ate it and died....I found out repeatedly, that Kentucky ivy is different than Minnesota's version. I never got it here but got it terrible several times in Ky and needed shots. I always wonder about people were whipping with the garbage all over their body head to foot and not get poison Ivy. Then wash your clothes how to keep the oily residue out of everyone's clothes

[nelsonted1]

Indians killed settlers by piling poison ivy against or near stickers and setting it alight. The smoke is deadly

[oldred]

I got poison on both of my hands one time by digging holes and planting fruit trees. d No ivy was visible above ground but I got into some roots of it when I was down pulling loose dirt out of the holes with my bare hands.


I did the same thing twice! The only difference is that I was digging up broken water pipes both times and pulling the roots with my bare hands, didn't see the evil ivy nearby until two days later while I was in misery and went to see how I had gotten into it. That was the first time and it got me really bad that time too, the second incident was about 10 years later and that time all I did was put my hands into the water to connect the pipe (all the digging was done with a backhoe) and the water must have been contaminated with it. That time all I got was a miserable rash and no swelling so that's why I think it had just gotten into the water where it must have been diluted and weaker.


As if the ivy rash was not enough when I woke up this morning the swelling had reached nearly to my elbow with one finger swollen much worse than yesterday and one area of the blistering was reddened and wet. I immediately went back to the doctor and was told I had gotten a serious infection despite the precaution I had taken to avoid that! I was given an antibiotic and some prescription ointment but was told it would be at least 24 hours before I could expect to see any improvement.

Did I say I absolutely HATE that evil weed???????

[oldred]

Indians killed settlers by piling poison ivy against or near stickers and setting it alight. The smoke is deadly

Can"t you just imagine what a miserable death that would be?

[samari46]

Besides the cortisone shot, they also prescribe prednisone pills which is a steroid. For stuff like poison ivy 7-10 days is usually enough. those folks who have empisyema (yeah I know spelling). take it for no more than 5-6 months or they risk having their bone becoming brittle. Leading to broken bones like ribs and other bones. Frank

[oldred]

Well the swelling is looking a lot better this morning, she said it should in 24 hours or so and apparently the antibiotic is working as it should but I am still typing with one hand. I guess most of this problem was due to getting the infection since even though poison ivy always caused some swelling in the past this time it was MUCH worse so something else had to be at work. Still it was the evil ivy that caused the problem (along with my negligence while pulling that grass!) so it still gets the blame.

[labradigger1]

Agree as previously stated. Jewel weed works. We locally call it touch me nots locally. It doesn’t work on everyone though. There is nothing better to use for my son and that’s including prescription meds. It does not work for me unfortunately. I cut the stem and rub the juice directly on affected are. The blisters and itch are gone the next day for my son.

[Wayne Smith]

I once looked at a picture of poison ivy in an encyclopedia, broke out in a rash the next day.

Purely psychosomatic!

[WheelgunConvert]

I’ve had success, post contact, washing with the Gojo orange hand cleaner/ degreaser. Grabs the oils before they take hold.

[BNE]

My grandfather could pull it up with his bare hands and never have a problem. His daughter, my mom, swells up if it gets close to her. Had it get into her lungs once, that was terrible. I know I have touched it and not had a reaction, I then intentionally rubbed my bare leg through it once. Nothing. But I still avoid it.

No sense in testing my resistance.

BNE.

[fatelk]

I've never had it myself, either, but when I was young I heard about some neighbor kids that got in bad trouble one time. It seems they were not sensitive to it, could touch it without problem, so they had a really mean idea.

There was a rope swing over a creek by a campground. These little brats got some poison ivy, crushed it up real good, and rubbed the juices all over the rope swing just to be cruel to anyone who used it. It turned out for them that just because you're not sensitive to it, doesn't mean the juice won't get you. As I recall they were both seriously ill and had to go to the doctor.

[skeet1]

When I was a foolish young man, I and my friend would make the trip from Minneapolis to Brainard, MN on Friday night, camp out and went to the races the next day. One time we got to where we were going to camp well after dark. I got my sleeping bag out and rolled it out and had a good nights sleep. The next morning I woke up to find that I was laying in a patch of Poison Ivy, the worst case I have ever had!

Ken