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My fix for Poison Ivy.

CJD3

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My life long cure for Poison Ivy in Ohio has always been the Jewelweed. For 40 years, when ever I did get the itch, I seek out this plant. It is a natural combative and has always made it go away in a few days or so. Just break the tubular plant off at a joint, crush up the joint and rub on affected area. 2-3 times a day.
The Jewelweed is also called "touch-me-nots"; or as my wife and kids use to call them "pinchie-poppies." You see these plants with their little orange or yellow trumpet flower growing in ditches and shady /damp areas almost everywhere. The little seed pods in the fall are "spring loaded" and will explode the seeds a couple foot or more if you so much as bump them. You can eat the little seeds. Not the coiled spring. They taste kinda like walnut. It was great fun for them to go looking and pop the seed pods! The big ones really blow!(well... as far as "blowing seed pods" go that is.)

jewl weed 4.jpg jewl weed1.jpg jewl weed 2.jpgjewl weed 3.jpg

The plant can sometimes even be found growing near poison ivy

"Jewelweed is best known for its skin healing properties. The leaves and the juice from the stem of Jewelweed are used by herbalists as a treatment for poison ivy, oak and other plant induced rashes, as well as many other types of dermatitis. Jewelweed works by counter-reacting with the chemicals in other plants that cause irritation."-
 
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jagermeister

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It's kind of ironic because Jewelweed almost always grows right near poison ivy patches. I've tried it in the past.... It works for some people, but it didn't do a thing for me. My go-to poison ivy cure is a product called Zanfel. It's about 35 bucks for a little 1 oz tube, but it knocks poison ivy out in less than 3 days.
 

hickslawns

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It's kind of ironic because Jewelweed almost always grows right near poison ivy patches. I've tried it in the past.... It works for some people, but it didn't do a thing for me. My go-to poison ivy cure is a product called Zanfel. It's about 35 bucks for a little 1 oz tube, but it knocks poison ivy out in less than 3 days.

That is what I have found as well. I use it to my advantage. If I see Jewel weed, I watch my step and avoid the poison ivy. lmao
 

Riverdude

The Happy Hunting Grounds Beyond
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Hey Big Bro, I know that is the actual name but I thought we always called it "Silver weed"?? Always worked for me.
 
Great information CJD3! Will give that a try next time, as there always is a next time for me. My go-to when I first get it is bleach. Once I know it's poison ivy I take a paper towel and drench it with bleach and wipe over the area. Then wash it slowly and pat dry. Cover with a light layer of Benadryl lotion. After about the third time of doing you will feel the burn but that's about the time when the itching is gone and it's clearing up. Sometimes it gets too bad though and a quick visit to the doc takes care of it soon. May give the Zanfel a try, just hate seeing the cost but then again it's cheaper than the doc!!
 

bowhunter1023

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Stings like a bitch after a while don't it?!?! LOL that's when ya know it's working!!!!

Yep, but its a good burn like you said because you know its working! The worst I ever got it was in February one year. I was washing old work clothes that had been in the garage all winter and I put my arms in a pair of jeans covered in poison ivy from where my dad had weedeated a bunch of it. Never knew it until two days later! I actually got a shot for it that year. I also got poison ivy, oak and sumac all at the same time in the second grade. Had to walk around with oven mitts taped to my hands and miss a week of school. I had giant open sores from the oak and sumac. Got poison ivy from a fire once TOO...
 

CJD3

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Hey Big Bro, I know that is the actual name but I thought we always called it "Silver weed"?? Always worked for me.

Silverweed is something else.(with a little yellow flower. ) The root is used to ward off witches and evil spirits.
sorry.
 

brock ratcliff

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It also grows right next to stinging nettles...and is the only way I know to kill the burn from nettles. If you do much summer stream fishing, jewel weed is the greatest thing ever!
 

Huckleberry Finn

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That's really neat, CDJ3, thanks for sharing.

Knock on wood, I don't get poison ivy, but the old man does something fierce. I do recall popping those things along the bike trail when I was a kid though.
 

finelyshedded

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Thanks for the info Jim! I'll definitely give it a try.

Good info on the nettles TOO Brock! Once I was walking thru an uncut pasture to a farm pond to fish following a deer/cow path. I was wearing shorts and the path cut right thru the middle of a patch of nettles as big as a typical living room. I'll just leave it at that..........:smiley_blackeye::smiley_baby:
 

hickslawns

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Another suggestion if you know you have been in some PI. When you go home to shower, don't turn the shower to a hot setting. The hot water opens your pores and makes it worse (in my opinion with a little bit of scientific reasoning.) I also grab some dishwashing liquid and use it to wash. It is the oils in the PI which attach to your skin. Ever see dish soap cut grease on dishes? I use it after wrenching on equipment to clean up my hands/arms. It will cut oils, grease, etc. There again, this could be a mental thing in my head, but it seems like if I wash up with dish soap instead of bar soap (after knowingly getting into some PI) the PI is not as bad and sometimes I avoid it altogether. Just a couple cheap suggestions which may or may not work but won't cost a fortune.
 

Hoytmania

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If I think I have been in contact at all with any poison ivy I immediately take a shower when I get home and wash with Fels Naptha. It eats through the oils of poison ivy like dawn dishsoap does grease. I keep a bar of that soap in the bathroom all the time.
 
Funny you mentioned that hickslawns....for years I was told to wash with HOT water, as hot as I could stand it. But for some reason I still always got it and usually got it pretty badly. A few years back someone mentioned the same thing and now it's cool showers only.....it does make a difference! I never thought of the dish soap!!!
 

hickslawns

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Funny you mentioned that hickslawns....for years I was told to wash with HOT water, as hot as I could stand it. But for some reason I still always got it and usually got it pretty badly. A few years back someone mentioned the same thing and now it's cool showers only.....it does make a difference! I never thought of the dish soap!!!

I am not a rocket scientist, chemist, doctor, or anything, but it sure does make logical sense. I do suffer terribly from PI and have tried many remedies. Seems this works well if you wash off quickly. I also discard the clothes right next to the washer and when doing laundry I immediately go to the bathroom and wash my hands/forearms after putting those clothes in the washer. Of course it is always best to come in, drop the clothes right in the washer and then shower, but with 3 kids. . . washing machine seems to be running all the time.
 

Gern186

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NW Ohio Tundra
Another suggestion if you know you have been in some PI. When you go home to shower, don't turn the shower to a hot setting. The hot water opens your pores and makes it worse (in my opinion with a little bit of scientific reasoning.) I also grab some dishwashing liquid and use it to wash. It is the oils in the PI which attach to your skin. Ever see dish soap cut grease on dishes? I use it after wrenching on equipment to clean up my hands/arms. It will cut oils, grease, etc. There again, this could be a mental thing in my head, but it seems like if I wash up with dish soap instead of bar soap (after knowingly getting into some PI) the PI is not as bad and sometimes I avoid it altogether. Just a couple cheap suggestions which may or may not work but won't cost a fortune.

Thanks Dr Phil......:smiley_coolpeace:
 

jagermeister

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I've never really understood how/why bleach works for some people. I tried it plenty of times in my "younger" days, but it never did a thing for me. Bleach is a disinfectant... And there's nothing from poison ivy to "disinfect." The urishiol oils just need to be neutralized and washed away before your skin has a reaction to it. Some products, like Zanfel, can scrub through and remove these oils even after the reaction has occurred. Obviously everyone is different, though, and certain things work for certain people. I get really BAD reactions to poison ivy. I don't remember a summer when I didn't get it. I've been to the ER because of it... I've been to the MD for it... pills, steroid shots, none of that shit does much of anything for me in regards to poison ivy treatment. When I just have a "minor" reaction, I just keep myself from itching it and apply calamine. After a week or two, it eventually goes away. But when I get it BAD, there is NOTHING that beats Zanfel, in my opinion. The relief is instantaneous... and the rash is literally gone within 2 or 3 days. Trust me, when you get a 4" x 8" rash on the side of your neck, or your face, OR YOUR BALLS, them fuggin trips to the doctor or ER just don't work fast enough. Get yourself some Zanfel, and knock that shit out instantly.