# Need Help or Home Remedies for poision ivy **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 16, 2001, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-or-home-remedies-for-poision-ivy/72661 "2001-07-16T11:48:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nicklz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8baadc/32.png) [@Nicklz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicklz)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-or-home-remedies-for-poision-ivy/72661/1 "2001-07-16T11:48:29Z")
Alright I have poision ivy almost everywhere, (no not there) but the place that is killing me is between my toes, everytime I walk or move them it’ll start itching again, and I can’t make it to the doctor till this evening. The creams won’t work for me, so other than soaking my feet in hydrocloric acid is there anything else I can do to releive the itching??? A thought just came to mind I could just cut my toes off, you really don’t need them anyway, do you? ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-or-home-remedies-for-poision-ivy/72661/2 "2001-07-16T13:10:06Z")
Gods! Get yourself to a doctor, immediately! He can either give you a shot, or a tablet regimine to get rid of it. Home remedies have never worked for me. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-or-home-remedies-for-poision-ivy/72661/3 "2001-07-16T15:21:04Z")
Hot water…just as hot as you can stand without being burned. It will stop the itching. Just be careful. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-or-home-remedies-for-poision-ivy/72661/4 "2001-07-16T15:46:53Z")
Well, crushed Jewelweed is supposed to be good for poison ivy. So I suppose you could go wander barefoot through a patch of it. (Of course, Jewelweed usually grows in proximity to poison ivy, so this might cause more problems that it solves.) ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-or-home-remedies-for-poision-ivy/72661/5 "2001-07-16T16:02:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Reeder \* > \*\*Hot water…just as hot as you can stand without being burned. It will stop the itching. Just be careful. \*\* I second this solution. It actually feels quite good, sort of like scratching it. I then follow up by extremely cold water. As for the shots and/or tablets, this is typically Prednisone, which is a steroid, so you may want to avoid it if you can (but when I get this bad it won’t go away without a shot). Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-or-home-remedies-for-poision-ivy/72661/6 "2001-07-16T17:37:29Z")
I spent several years working in land survey. I was exposed to lots of great outdoor/wood/swamp things. The way I always got rid of poison ivy was to take a relatively soft steel wool and scratch. I would scratch it until I almost couldn’t take it anymore. After that I drenched it in alcohol. It would usually be dried up and itch free within 36 hours. (and no…It never left any kind of scar.) I doubt you’ll be willing to do anything that drastic though. I hope you find a fix. Oh yeah, this works great for chiggers too. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-or-home-remedies-for-poision-ivy/72661/7 "2001-07-16T18:03:36Z")
The scalding hot water treatment plus the steriod shot works wonders for me (I have systemic reactions to urushiol). Previously, my reactions used to last more than a month of itching, oozing, bitching & moaning. Or you could try [this little gadget](http://www.itchstopper.com/). Let me know if it works. > [@](#): > > The way I always got rid of poison ivy was to take a relatively soft steel wool and scratch. This opens you up to infection, alcohol or not you are breaking the skin. I do not suggest it. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-or-home-remedies-for-poision-ivy/72661/8 "2001-07-18T03:06:35Z")
I am starting to get the first telltale nodules on my left forearm. I knew I shouldn’t have touched this thread. :mad: :scratch :grumble :scratch ---
**Author:** ![dragonlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@dragonlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragonlady)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-or-home-remedies-for-poision-ivy/72661/9 "2001-07-18T03:15:53Z")
Try Zanfel. They have a website that will tell you who carries it. My girlfriend is VERY allergic (she required IV prednisone this year) and she says it brought her untold relief. It actually stopped the itching and let the steroids heal the rash. She still has hives from the allergy, but it’s MUCH better than it has been in the past. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-or-home-remedies-for-poision-ivy/72661/10 "2001-07-18T03:25:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dragonlady \* > \*\*Try Zanfel. They have a website that will tell you who carries it. My girlfriend is VERY allergic (she required IV prednisone this year) and she says it brought her untold relief. It actually stopped the itching and let the steroids heal the rash. She still has hives from the allergy, but it’s MUCH better than it has been in the past. \*\* Thanks, I’ll try this before I end up in Nicklz boat, or worse (I always seem to end up with it in the most inexplicable places). Will report back on efficacy. BTW [here](http://www.zanfel.com/) is the link. I like their store locator, I may even be able to find an all night place on the way home, if this storm ever breaks.