rockstar

well i went to the ER today after work (i work in the operating room so it wasn't to far) when i noticed a god awful rash on my leg that started on my ankle to the top of my knee and felt the worst itching i've ever felt. i rubbed my hand across my blistered leg and my skin literally sloughed off i was freaking out, i thought it could be poison ivy/oak but i honestly don't remember coming in contact with either. i was thinking F*&K i must have contracted a flesh eating bacteria, i mean you see alot of stuff while operating on folks. i was suprised and relieved when the doc said it was poison oak although he also said i was a bad case and that i really reacted badly to the oils. i really have no idea when i came in contact with it, i ride 2-3 times a week but i guess you never know

Deanoldo

OH, YEAH!!!! I've been fighting it for a week and a half. I finally went to the Dr. a couple of days ago and have been taking Prednisone. I'm not sure when I came in contact with it either. Nothing over the counter seems to work for me. My doctor told me to take a couple of benedryl before I go to bed and if it doesn't stop the itch, at least it will knock me out for the night....

Dean

forum*rider

yuk, poison oak is nasty stuff.

Did the sores/itchy spots spread to your hand when you touched it? Because I remember thats what happened to my uncle a few months back. He got it on his leg then scratched it, then started scratching his back and well, you get the idea.

veghead

I have had good luck using Tecnu and CalaGel from Oak-n-Ivy.

BlackDiamond

I think I'm immune to it. I have ridden and fallen in the patches my frinds just have to look and they are wiped out. With no ill effects. You should have seen my friend though...looked like some lizard or snake. NANAANNA does not bother me nanananana

themuffinman149

my friends a real nature guy, he says that it often looks like apart of a bush, or is very close to other plants, i dont no why. he also says the way its shaped even if ur jjust riding down a hill the leafs tend to wrap ur leg.

poison oak is just out there hunting u. u r the pray. thats why i where very light jogging pants wen biking :-p

kona_roastbika

yikes i got stung by a bee when i was rideing

kona_roastbika

heres a pic of posion oak

khuon

Don't get too complacent. I understand that successive exposure to poison oak/ivy may cause you to become increasingly reactive to it.

cryptid01

I've found the best temporary relief comes from getting in the shower and blasting the infected patch with increasingly hot to very hot water. It will make you itch like crazy, but once you've depleted your body's supply of histamines, it won't itch again for four to six hours.

I'm a land surveyor, and I used to have frequent exposures. Pure agony. I ultimately went with a homeopathic treatment (actually ingesting the oil orally to build a tolerance) and never caught it again.

trekkie820

Wait a tick, you work in the O.R., and you had poison oak? damn, patients will think that their bloods itching!

khuon

Hitting the infected areas with a rag soaked in semi-diluted hydrogen peroxide also works pretty well.

Jim311

I remember the last time I got an awful rash. That's the last time I ever go on a bender in Vegas.

Duffy

Poison oak/ivy cannot be spread from one person to another or from one part of the body to another simply by touching. The oils penetrates the skin and stays there. I am very much alergic to both and have to be very careful when riding. I use an ivy block which works pretty well. I also make sure I do not touch or grab on to any trees,especially if they have a vine wrapped around them. If I suspect contact I immediately wash the area with water or use baby wipes to remove the oil.

BlackDiamond

Nope, I think I'm still immune. Even in the military I never had any problems, while my buddies would get eaten up.

Hopper

Quick and easy solution involves a saw... he he he. Nah just kidding you may get in trouble for destroying the plant.

I don't know much a bout it cept it's a ***** when you touch it. When I was 4 I was camping and just grabbed a hand full of the stuff, it totally sucked.

thedopefish

i dont think ive ever gotten poison oak or ivy... and ive never broken a bone or had stitches....the worst ive gotten is some big nasty gashes... and i once sprained my ankle pretty bad skateboarding.

Structure0

Zanfel. Zanfel. Zanfel. This is the best over-the-counter anti-Oak treatment. It actually works. Try some searches on it.

It is hyper expensive. Upwards of $35 for one tube. I thought I was crazy when I bought it the first time, since that sort of crap never works. But I was in horrible shape so I tried it. It worked. Amazing. And it has saved me from much misery since. If you apply it the next day or as soon as you notice you've contracted a case, you can almost eliminate it. Not quite magic (the rash won't go away once started even if the itch does) but damn close to it.

rockstar

haha it's a good thing my patients are asleep cause it would probably hurt while we crack the chest and work on their heart... i was scrubed in for 7 hours standing on 1 foot and scratching with the other it was the worst feeling ever

Jay_2004

the only place where poison ivy affects me is inbetween my toes...the worst spot...I guess i shouldnt be running around my house in bare feet though...lol

MsVicki

Yeah, yeah...I have heard that one before. I took my students on a field trip to the park once, and there was a big patch of poison ivy or oak. I told the kids to stay away from it and before I could stop him, one of my students whipped off his shirt, said "I'm not allergic to it!" and went and ROLLED in it.

The next day he came to school covered in Calamine Lotion. I guess he was allergic after all!

GT_ATB32

Get A Chain Saw and cut down that evil oak!!!!!!