Poison Ivy

[EkkaGrrl]

I have poison ivy: Luckily it's just on the back on one knee but it seems like it's spreading. I do not tolerate poison ivy. The first and last time I ever had it I had it from spring thaw until the winter and it spread over my entire body. My body does not like poisin ivy!!

My question to all of you is is there anything I can do to help the itching while pregnant? If I could stop scratching it it will stop spreading and I'd like to nip this thing in the bud now while it's not too bad.

[luckydog]

Get thee to the drugstore and purchase some ZANFEL. I'm massively allergic to urishiol/poison ivy, and this stuff is miraculous. It works and it works super fast.



ETA: From their FAQ, BTW:

Q: Is Zanfel safe to use during pregnancy?
A: Yes. Zanfel is also safe for use by nursing women.

[Morwenna]

I've never had poison ivy, but for bites and stings, we use Sting Stop. It's homeopathic and totally safe, and really works. http://www.amazon.com/Sting-Stop-Ins.../dp/B00016QU6G

Seems like it might help itching from poison ivy too?

[BoGiBoBo]

I've also heard lavender oil. Good luck!

[josybear]

let it soak in cold, cold water as often as possible. cold washcloths work if you can't sit on the edge of or inside a tub of cold water. i'm 100% certain that cold water is safe for preggos.

[mom22girls]

OOOh no Ekkagrrl, I've been wondering about you since I haven't seen you post in awhile. : For some relief either colliadal oatmeal (made by Aveeno in the US) baths or bathing in baking soda. Also calamine lotion (like chicken pox) I'd worry about oil (like the lavender oil) spreading things instead of drying up.

Take care of yourself!!!

[alisonsage]

ok, i used to get this all the time from my lovely dog! (he would run around in undergrowth and then i would pet him and get it on my hands and the rest is history..)

i totally recomend TECHNU (or is it tecnu??) this is the only thing that worked for me. it is a soap w/ a minerl spirit base and you rub it on the affected area and then wash with cold water. it removes the carrier oils and prevents spreading. again, this is the only stuff i have found that really works. i would call you caregiver and ask if it is safe to use during pregnancy, but i think it would be.

you can find this stuff at a drug store and it usually comes with a bottle of calomine-like lotion that helps to dry the rash out.

also, try to keep the rash clean and dry- sweat doesnt help at all. i know it's july but try!!!!

lmk how it works!

[EkkaGrrl]

Thanks for all the ideas everyone! The poison ivy has spread to my ankle now.: I really hate being itchy. I can handle almost any amount of pain you throw at me but being itchy is the worst!!!!

I'm going to look for the products a couple of you have reccomended but I'm not sure I've ever seen them here. I'm in Canada so some of our products are different.

As for lavendar, it doesn't work for me. The last time I had poison ivy I tried it but ti was just frustrating. I smelled great though.

Alisonsage: I'm pretty sure it's spreading because of me bein so sweaty. It's been pretty warm here and I run hot as it is. Maybe tis is a good excuse to just sit in front of the air-con all day.

[EkkaGrrl]

Originally Posted by mom22girls

OOOh no Ekkagrrl, I've been wondering about you since I haven't seen you post in awhile. : For some relief either colliadal oatmeal (made by Aveeno in the US) baths or bathing in baking soda. Also calamine lotion (like chicken pox) I'd worry about oil (like the lavender oil) spreading things instead of drying up.

Take care of yourself!!!

I LOVE Aveeno!!!! I'm going to go out today and buy some. I don't know why I didn't think of it. My only problem is with the hip issues I have I haven't even attempted to get into the tub. I'm not sure I'd be able to get out. I'll have to recruit DH for that one I guess.

[TeleMom]

I almost never post but saw this and thought I'd add in my two cents. I'm not dealing with poison ivy, but have been diagnosed with cholastasis which gives unbelievable itchy hands and feet. So I can totally relate to the hatred of itching!

First of all, I agree with what others are saying about putting something like calamine on to dry out the poison ivy. But one thing that has completely gotten me through my itching is ice packs. I read somewhere that cold is interpreted by the brain before the itching sensation. In my case it has completely worked. I basically sleep with an ice pack on my feet and two small ones in my hands (getting up to change them in the middle of the night). You might want to consider wrapping them in towels to keep the poison ivy area dry, but otherwise I highly recommend it as a quick fix to stop itching!

Hope it clears up soon!
Melissa

[ashleep]

I second the baking soda. Make a paste with water and slather it on. Let it dry and keep it on as long as you can. It will fall off some if you walk around, so apply it at rest time. It really helps with itching and dries it wonderfully.

Also, applying it allows you to rub it *just enough* to get your I-gotta-scratch fix.

[zinniamars]

My daughter was an August baby and I was COVERED in poison ivy, so I totally know how you feel! Spending lots of time in my in-laws' swimming pool seemed to help- maybe the chlorine helped to dry it out.

I'm currently 38 1/2 weeks with my third- everyone keeps asking me how I'm doing, but so far I've remained poison ivy free, which has made this pregnancy much more pleasant!

[dctexan]

Sweetie, go to Walgreens or CVS and get a product called Ivy Dry. Best poison ivy stuff I've ever used (other than going to the doc and getting steroids). You can also get an OTC cortizone cream (look for the strongest you can get, maybe 2%?). You can also take benedryl. So sorry you are suffering

[lyttlewon]

I have never had poison ivy but I have had poison oak too many times. Nothing has ever helped to relieve the itch for me except benedryl and that is probably because benedryl makes me lose conciousness . Also I discovered if you slap it instead of scratch it you don't break the boils and spread it.