help with poison ivy?… by iamheretowi
ok i got this darn poison ivy and now it is really bothering me “go figure right lol” anyways i have it all over the left side of my face, left ear, head “im bald” just under my nose, left and right forarms and a little on my leg. i know alot of people say use oatmeal or something but mine is all over and in alot of places. alsi i currently have caladryl, some anti-itch oinment, and ivy-dry. it dont really itch and when it does i can handle that, my problem is this nast guuuuuu stuff that wont stop coming. i have had this real bad since sunday and it hasnt stopped. it oozes from my left cheek and my ear. it is like a nasty yellowish color, i tried to cover it “with a band-aid” but there is so much it goes thru and continues to fall down my face. i dont have insurance so i dont really want to go to docs/hospital. plz help i need this nasty stuff to quit coming out.
Best Answer:
If you know you had contact with one of the plants, immediately wash areas of the skin that may have touched the plant. Sometimes the rash can be completely avoided by washing the affected areas with plenty of water within 10 or 15 minutes of contact. However, most people have up to 4 hours to wash the plant oil off before a reaction occurs. 2 Clothing should also be thoroughly washed immediately. Contaminated surfaces should be cleaned with rubbing alcohol.
To relieve itching and help blisters dry out, apply wet compresses or soak the area in cool water. Antihistamine pills or calamine lotion may help relieve symptoms.
To prevent infection, try not to scratch the rash and cut your fingernails short to minimize the possibility of opening the skin and spreading bacteria.
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Antihistamine pills such as diphenhydramine hydrochloride (nonprescription: for example, Benadryl) or hydroxyzine hydrochloride (prescription: for example, Atarax, Rezine) help relieve itching and dry blisters.
Corticosteroid pills may be used to treat a moderate or severe rash. These prescription medications help improve or clear up the rash more quickly. Prescription corticosteroid creams, ointments, shots, or gels may also be used, but pills are usually more effective.
Barrier creams and lotions help prevent the plant oil (urushiol) from coming in contact with the skin or reduce the severity of a reaction. These creams vary in their potency and are not always effective.
You may be able to use a product that dissolves urushiol, such as Tecnu Poison Oak-N-Ivy Cleanser, an organic solvent. These products may reduce the severity of your reaction if used up to 48 hours after exposure.
The most common complication of poison ivy, oak, or sumac rash is a secondary infection, usually caused by scratching. When this occurs, your health professional will probably prescribe a type of topical antibiotic cream if the infection is in a small area. Otherwise, you may need systemic antibiotics, given by injection or prescription pills. 1
What To Think About
The following medications should not be used for poison ivy, oak, or sumac rash, because they can cause allergy problems of their own:
Antihistamines applied to the skin (such as Benadryl cream, spray, or gel; Dermamycin)
Anesthetics applied to the skin containing benzocaine (such as Americaine, Anacaine, Lanacane, Bicozene)
Antibiotics containing neomycin sulfate (such as Neosporin, Neo-Rx, Mycifradin, Poly-Pred)
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