The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Lye Soap
Posted by Sandy (Langley, OK) on 10/19/2008
★★★★★
Lye Soap
In the early 60's my daughter who was about 7 got poison ivy. I took her to the doctor. Got shot and instructions. It got worse, between her toes, fingers, everywhere!! A little old lady in Nebraska told me to get some P&G Soap. You could buy it then. People used it for washing clothes. Bought some and it cleared up her poison ivy. They no longer market it, so when I find it at a flea market or craft shop I buy lots and give as gifts. Please believe me, this really works. Keep it in the bath or shower and see how it really destroys the oil that comes from the blisters.
DMSO
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn) on 10/05/2008
In the 60's I worked for the paper company who made DMSO and supported the research. DMSO could never be used in a double blind trial because it's use caused your breath to smell of garlic. It has zero to do with garlic.
The plant was located in Bogaloosa, La. No employee in the DMSO plant ever had a cold nor the flu while working in that section. The Doctors and Big Pharma killed DMSO because it was so effective and cheap. Read Dr. Jacob's books on the subject and you will cry.
Joyce is right about the poke plant but not about DMSO.
Fels-Naptha
Posted by Debbie (Buffalo, Ny) on 10/05/2008
★★★★★
FELS-NAPTHA soap is amazing to counter the poison ivy aftermath! As with the other recommendations, I lathered up with the soap and ran my arms under the hottest water I could tolerate (don't burn yourself!!)and low and behold NO itching for several hours!! This method works GREAT!!!
DMSO
Posted by Melissa Hicks (Cadet, Missouri) on 10/04/2008
The information about putting garlic and then DSMO is incorrect!
05/13/2008: Joyce from Joelton, TN replies: "Hello, glad you had good results from putting DMSO on your poison ivy rash! Being severely allergic to poison ivy and knowing that DMSO quickly passes into the body carrying anything on the surface along with it,I definitely would be afraid to try it! Supposedly the reason why DMSO is not used widely in medicine is because a little garlic & DMSO was placed on the foot, and almost instantaneously tasted by the recipient."
DMSO when applied to your skin causes a garlic taste in your mouth. It didn't soak the garlic juices into the body. However DMSO does pull lots of water into the body.
Bark of an Oak Tree
Posted by Melissa (Cadet, Missouri) on 10/04/2008
The reason this might work is because in the process it turns into DMSO. For those of you who don't know, DMSO is derived from wood pulp!
Fresh Aloe Vera
Posted by Anna (Philadelphia, PA) on 09/12/2008
★★★★★
Poison ivy was so bad on my forearm that I honestly thought it might be a flesh-eating bacteria. I squeezed a leaf of aloe over it and the next day it was healed!
Lemon Joy
Posted by Gail Mathena (Winston Salem, North Carolina) on 09/07/2008
★★★★★
Preventing poison ivy breakouts -- Lemon Joy put on all exposed areas, yes even around the eyes will keep you from breaking out. My husband is very allergic, and I attempt to keep it out of the yard, and off the trees. Every year, no matter how many precautions I took, I would break out, especially on my face. Last year I used Lemon joy to dry it up. This year I applied Lemon Joy like a lotion and went at it. After exposing myself for hours and clearing the nasty vines out, I showered. It usually takes 2 days for the breakouts to occur, but none did. My sister, who is highly allergic, swears by it but usually showers with Lemon joy after exposure. I decided to attempted a preventative alternative, because I couldn't get to the shower quick enough.
Preparation H
Posted by Kat (Mooresville, NC, USA) on 08/13/2008
★★★★★
To John: I tried your remedy first because it was supposed to work in one day. You weren't lying! I am really impressed, but I couldn't find one with red on the tube so I bought the Wal-Mart brand max strength. People this worked for me.
Hot Water
Posted by Sarah (Northampton, Massachussetts) on 08/11/2008
★★★★★
Hot water really works for poison ivy! I turned the water up almost all the way, and ran it over my arm, where the poison ivy is. It did burn a little bit of course, but now there is absolutely no itch! I am also rubbing baking soda with white vinegar in it to get rid of the actual rash.
Banana Peels
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 08/08/2008 489 posts
Hello Rosie, with all due respect to the medical field and Wikipedia, I disagree that it can't spread from the fluid in the blisters. Anyone who has ever had a good case of it will probably side with us. When you haven't been outside or petted the pets who have, and the stuff is still spreading a week or more later, it has to be from the rhus in the blisters that got inside the skin to cause the blisters to begin with. I also remember a roofer say that after initially breaking out with poison ivy one night, that after working on a roof throughout the next day and sweating up a storm, he found the poson ivy was gone after that. So apparently you can sweat it out, the same way it entered the skin to begin with. Now for the best thing I have found for this infernal itchy poison ivy, if you have a Dollar Tree or Deal's store go look in the hand lotion, shampoo section for a product put out by Fruit of the Earth called E or Vitamin E with Naturals. It comes in several different ones, but the yellow gel one is the one that I find stops the infernal itching and starts drying it up after the third time of applying it. You can probably find it in health food stores but probably not as cheap as at the above stores. It makes no claims at being anything other than a lotion or gel, but boy do I love this stuff. Just put it on the rash and reapply each time it starts itching again. The naturals in it are like chamomile, comfrey, burdock, etc. If you recognize the plant and know when you have come in contact with it, that's even better. If you go in, wash off, then get good old Apple Cider Vinegar & wet a wash cloth in it and thoroughly wipe everywhere that you think touched it. The acid of the vinegar titrates the alkali of the rhus and you don't break out (I think you probably have to do this within an hour or two of exposure though).
Banana Peels
Posted by Rosie (Ewing, Illinois) on 08/08/2008
I am going thru chemo. On my good days, I like to work outside. Got a good case of poison ivy/oak. Will try the natural remedies. The inside of a banana skin, the fels napta soap, the lemon peel. But I think the hot water would open up pores and cause the infection to spread.
EC: From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_ivy
"The oozing fluids released by itching blisters do not spread the poison. The appearance of a spreading rash indicates that some areas received more of the poison and reacted sooner than other areas. The blisters and oozing result from blood vessels that develop gaps and leak fluid through the skin; if the skin is cooled, the vessels constrict and leak less..."
Garlic
Posted by Molly (Austin, Tx) on 07/24/2008
★★★★★
I'm very sensitive to poison ivy and many other plants, and get rashes alot, that burn and itch, and usually require medical treatment, however lately I've used Garlic..just a thin slice of one clove, and rub it all over the itchy part, the sting goes away right away!!!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 07/19/2008 489 posts
To David from Grapeland: Hi David, Just wanted to tell you that the toxic substance on the rhus (poison ivy) is alkaline and that ACV, being acid, will titrate it, so that you won't get the itchy rash if you use it shortly after exposure to poison ivy/oak.m Just thoroughly wipe all exposed areas off with full strength ACV. After it breaks out, the best thing I have found to stop the itching and start drying it up is a product put out by "Fruit of the Earth" called Vitamin E with Naturals (Those naturals are burdock, calendula, chamomile, comfrey, golden seal and honey). I use the yellow gel form that I find in the lotion department of our local Dollar Tree stores. Using this it is gone in 3-4 days. You might also want to look into Beelith tablets (ask the pharmacists for them, nonprescription but I have never found them out on the counter) for those kidney stone problems. They are magnesium oxide and B6 vitamins. I'll share a funny one about kidney stones with you. Early one morning I got a excited call for help for an employee in the basement who was doubled over with abdominal pain. I asked if they could bring him up of if I needed to come down and get him. They brought up immediately. After getting a few things done, including interview, I asked the fellow if he'd had any history of kidney stones. Although his reply was negative, I told him that I was sure that was going to be the cause of his pain. My fellow nurse said, "Yeah, now you know what it feels like to have a baby". Realizing from the confused look on his face, that he did not understand what she meant, I said "They equate the pain of kidney stones to that of having a baby". After mulling this over a few minutes, our patient sounding very sincere, said: "The first thing I am going to do when I get out of here is call my ex-wife and apologize". Both of his nurses cracked up with laughter.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by David (Grapeland, Texas) on 07/18/2008
★★★★★
After two weeks of using calimine lotion for a
severe posion ivy rash and found little to no releif, I used acv on the same rash that I had on my arms. I was reluctant thinking that it would burn but I was so desperate that I tried a topical application and I got almost instant releif from the itching. With continuous applications several times a day the rash dryed and healed. there wasn't any burning and I found it very soothing. I read somewhere that the Isralites practically lived off of vineger and garlic while in Egypt and where very healthy. David , East Texas
P.S. I just remembered that I also used acv for dissolving calcification of kidney stones. Suffering two weeks with birthing pains in my back from kidney stones I finally went to the doctor where after x-rays he determined that I did indeed have several small BB sized kidney stones . Of course he wanted to schedule me for surgery go up in me to retreive these stones in a basket type apporatise and $1500.00 later I would be ok. I told my mother and she said she removed hard water deposits from her coffee pot with vinegar. so I took a couple of table spoons of vinegar and within 30 min. to an hour the stones passed.
DMSO
Posted by Tom (Austin, TX) on 06/30/2008
DMSO is a powerful solvent. My guess is that it works on poison ivy because it dissolves the plant oil(s) that cause the rash. It would then follow that what gets absorbed into your body would not actually be the poison ivy oil(s), but rather broken-down components.
Fels-Naptha
Posted by Wendi (Conroe, Texas) on 06/03/2008
★★★★★
Poison Ivy remedy: Fels-Naptha!! It can be bought at Kroger in the laundry detergent section. It looks like a bar of soap but is actually used for removing stains on clothing. Half the battle is the itching that can last for weeks. I wet the end of the bar and rubbed it on the areas. Within 1 minute it quit itching and I was itch free for more than 5 hours. That's 3 hours longer than with any thing I've tried before, including otc drugs for poison ivy. Within 3 days the blisters were dried up and healing. I suppose you could shower with it but I only had a few areas. When the itching becomes unbearable you'll just about try anything once. As for me, I'll be using the Fels-Naptha Bar!!!!
Over the Counter
Posted by Linda (Erlanger, Ky) on 06/03/2008
★★★★★
I recently came into contact with some poison ivy in our flower bed at home. About a week later, here came the rash. I was using the Tecnu which is a good product but was taking forever to see any results. A co worker suggested a product called Ivy Dry so I found it in spray form at Walgreens and it is awesome! It dries up the red patches very quickly and takes care of the itch also. I highly recomend this stuff!
EC: Yes, we've tried the product and agree. It takes the itch away fast, that's for sure.
DMSO
Posted by Jay (Altoona, Fla) on 06/02/2008
★★★★★
I found that DMSO was also excellent for curing Poison Oak and Ivy. I imagine a combo of DMSO and H202 would dry it up in very short order.With DMSO the drying up of the blisters starts immediately as does the cessation of itching. As a child my rashes would be so bad that I would have to get shots to dry it up. Calamine Lotion, oatmeal baths, etc were all ineffective and did little more than offer a small degree of temporary relief.
Vinegar, H2O2, Lavender Oil
Posted by Debbie (Austin, TX) on 06/01/2008
★★★★★
OMG! Yes, this does work for poision ivy. Nothing I purchased ever worked. I used liquid laundry detergent, distilled white vinegar and 3% H2o2 and it instantly took away the nasty itch. I did several applications as Ted directed. THANK YOU!
Over the Counter
Posted by Kathy (St. Louis, Missouri) on 05/23/2008
★☆☆☆☆
I've been using Zanfel for 3 days. Temporary relief, but the poison oak rash is spreading... back to the ACV!
DMSO
Posted by Jay (Altoona, Florida) on 05/22/2008
★★★★★
For Poison Ivy or Oak I found DMSO to be my life saver.Simply apply to the rash and cover with a bandage. Itching stops immediately and rash is gone in a couple of days.
Over the Counter
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn.) on 05/20/2008
★★★★★
Maybe now would be a good time to suggest that readers who have a local Dollar Tree Store go and see if they can find a product put out by "Fruit of the Earth" - I have had my share of poison ivy/oak as far back as I can remember - have used a little bit of everything on it including bleach, alcohol, steroid cream, steroid shots - you name it & I've probably tried it to find it didn't work very well to hasten healing or allay the itching. They will find it in the hand lotion - shampoos area - the one I am praising is Vitamin E with Naturals gel (yellow gel) - it also comes in Aloe Vera with Naturals gel, which is green and probably will work the same. It can probably be found in places like Wild Oats or health food stores but it will probably be closer to $4 or $5 else where. If you dig herbals you'll recognize the naturals of burcock root & calendulas in them. I find it also helps itching from other problems also. I have about 10 bottles stashed and check for more every time I pass a Dollar Tree.
Of course that the alkaline oils from the plant can also be neutralized with vinegar to prevent the rash if you know you have been exposed to it. The thing I have used to use to hasten poison ivy's drying & healing was ACV and epsom salts - but if you have the problem get a bottle of this stuff and try it. It not only stops the itching, but starts drying it up after the rash is started.
DMSO
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, TN) on 05/13/2008 489 posts
Hello, glad you had good results from putting DMSO on your poison ivy rash! Being severely allergic to poison ivy and knowing that DMSO quickly passes into the body carrying anything on the surface along with it,I definitely would be afraid to try it! Supposedly the reason why DMSO is not used widely in medicine is because a little garlic & DMSO was placed on the foot, and almost instantaneously tasted by the recipient.
DMSO
Posted by George (Altoona, USA) on 05/12/2008
★★★★★
Poison Ivy cure DMSO applied to the rash and covered with a gauze bandage stopped the itching immediately and the rash dried up in less than a week.
Towel Scrub
Posted by Tiffany (Columbus, Ohio) on 04/24/2008
★★★★★
Odd Cure for the Itch: I get poison ivy, and I get it BAD. i never find products that work EVER. not even for temporarily relief. a few years ago, i actually got fed up with the scratch and had to do something about it. so i ran a towel under hot water, and began scrubbing the infected areas as hard as i could, making sure the blisters would bleed. it burns, like crazy. but for me, the burning is much more bearable than the itching. i've recently used this method for every outbreak. just make sure you actually have blisters first, otherwise it just might make it spread worse. also, clean the bleeding areas with rubbing alcohol.. as crazy as that sounds. hopefully it will cure your itch like it did mine. also, be prepare for scars.
Over the Counter
Posted by Mylu (California, Missouri) on 04/15/2008
★★★★★
re: poison ivy,oak or sumac. I broke out a week ago. I tried all the remedys ,they helped some. Went to my phamas. yesterday and he told me about a new wash. It's called ZANFEL ,it really works. The ingre. bind with the oil and washs it away.You can use this on the actual rash-bisters. I could tell a difference in 30-45 minuets. Good luck and GOD BLESS
