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Old 07-30-2007, 05:21   #16
abc_123
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The companion product to "Tecnu" is "Cal-a-gel" (sp?). It's basically an updated version of that pink calamine lotion that you put on poison ivy (once you know you have it) to dry it out and stop the itching. It is thicker than the traditional pink stuff so it stays in place better. It goes on and dries clear, so you don't walk around with pink spotches all over your body. The bottle also has one of those pop-top lids that allows you to dispense the product on the area that you need it and not have to worry about dumping half the bottle out by accident.

I've got poison ivy from clearing brush around my house and have been using the stuff since last week and like it so far.

YMMV.
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Old 08-06-2007, 16:00   #17
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Official Tecnu trials going on here...

I was down at the hunting club in S. GA over the weekend putting a big tree stand under a solitary water oak on one corner of a huge peanut field. Of course it was chock full of poison ivy, and my mouth was flapping about how I'm no longer really allergic to it. Anyhow, I noticed some bumps coming up on the inside of one arm. Stopped at RiteAid on the way home, to pickup some Zanfil... I'ved used in the past with success. Tecnu was on down the shelf so I decided to try it. It's far cheaper than Zanfil. I'll let everyone know how it turns out.
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Old 08-07-2007, 10:27   #18
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Slight change of topic, but I have found that insects which feast on your blood do not care for the taste B-Vitamins. I encountered a hell of a lot of the aforementioned critters in VN, after I started taking B-Vitamins on a regular basis I wouldn't have nearly as many of the critters on me as the other guys did!

I never figured out which "B" did the trick, so I used B-Multi's, still do!
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Old 08-08-2007, 15:52   #19
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The product kachingpow is referring to is called Zanfel. The active ingredient (no shit) is Nonoxynol-9, famously a spermicide used in condoms, foam, jelly, etc. It supposedly works by binding the urushiol in the poison ivy sap. It's expensive at about $40 at tube and is available over the counter. We've recommended it for patients with results ranging from no improvement to almost miraculous resolution of the rash.

This may be a certain amount of voodoo, as clinical trials are lacking.

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Old 12-18-2007, 20:05   #20
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My apologies

I am sorry for bumping up this thread, but I have been lurking around the medical sections a lot recently, and was hoping that I could provide some input in case anyone would like to reference this thread at a later time.

Poison Ivy (or contact dermatitis) is a Type IV hypersensitivity reaction. T-Cells and cytokines, not mast cells and histamine, are responsible for most of the damage. Your best friend when dealing with Poison Ivy is the almighty steroid. OTC Hydrocortisone cream is usually not strong enough, go to your physician and he/she will give you the good stuff (trialmcinolone or betamethasone), or, if it is extensive, will probably give you some oral Prednisone. Take on a full stomach, trust me. Some people swear by the Medrol Dosepak, but for the most part, I would get the doctor to prescribe prednisone, there are many cases of rebound inflammation with the Medrol dosepak.

if I remember correctly, the three golden rules of dermatology are if it's wet, dry it, if it's dry, wet it, and if it is not supposed to be there, cut it off. Poison Ivy is usually wet, so I would go with a Domeboro soak, Aveeno bath, or some calamine lotion. If you detect exposure quickly (within 10 minutes) use rubbing alcohol, after that use water WITHOUT soap. Please don't use soap. Water can dissolve the oil, soap may carry and spread the oil to other places that you may not want blistering.

Finally, a word of warning abour Benadryl. Since this is not an antibody/histamine related reaction, Benadryl will not do much good against poison ivy. You may notice oral Benadryl helping some, but this is due to the sedation, not by any immunologic mechanism. Topical benadryl will do even less good, you probably won't even get the sedative effects out of it. It MAY help just due to the effect the gel has drying the skin, but there are much better products for that. If you want to take Benadryl, and it helps you, by all means, I am not condemning it, but with the number of side effects you may see: sedation, urinary retention, constipation, delerium/confusion, I would steer in the topical steroid / Domeboro direction for someone who is treatment-naive.

I hope I could be of some help.

Last edited by shr7; 12-18-2007 at 20:06. Reason: spelling
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Old 09-13-2015, 05:35   #21
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My field days are over and I now just go out afield hunting and fooling around, but I still get chigger bitten now and then. Pre treating with bug juice is the key to chigger prevention, on those occasions when I get bit I treat the bites with a dab of maalox antacid. After washing my hands and the areas bitten ( ahhh the rough buffy pads feels so good on a chigger bite) just dab a bit of the maalox on it and it will stop itching in a few minutes (5-15min). My Doc told me the itch is caused by the substance in the chiggers enzymes used to break down the tissue and the maalox will change the PH and stop the tissue breakdown and subsequently the itch.

Now this may all be a bunch of Hooey, but last week I got bitten about 50X and I used the maalox and it worked like a champ for me...
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Old 09-14-2015, 18:54   #22
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Chiggers

I second the fingernail polish remedy. Have used it for decades. Took some grief when the rest of the team saw me packing it in my aid bag, at least until they got bit up!http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/...lies/smile.gif
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Old 09-15-2015, 14:06   #23
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Baking soda and some water. Mix into a paste and cover the affected area. Let it dry and flak off. It will pull our the poisons. You will feel it.
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Old 09-15-2015, 16:42   #24
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I found the best antidote was moving to Arizona.
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Old 09-15-2015, 16:52   #25
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Quote:
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I found the best antidote was moving to Arizona.
I suspect that none of these remedies will be effective on a snakebite.

TR
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Old 09-15-2015, 17:33   #26
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I suspect that none of these remedies will be effective on a snakebite.

TR
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Old 09-15-2015, 17:41   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Reaper View Post
I suspect that none of these remedies will be effective on a snakebite.

TR

Believe it or not, Reaper, I was bitten by a poisonous spider a few years back - swelled up my hand pretty bad. I used a salt poultice on it. (My sister, who was an RN, reminded me that "salt sucks", so I tried it.) I used two separate applications of 1/2 hr. each. Worked like a charm!

Had to do this also when I was stung by a nasty hornet. Didn't know what it was; but I was loading scrap wood & kindling onto a pile. I thought I had been pierced by one of the branches, so I swatted at it with my other hand. Then I saw something big, black and ugly fly off. Turns out the sucker still had its stinger in me when I swatted it! The stinger stayed in my arm. Didn't realize that was what happened. Put up with about 12 hrs. of pain that nothing would ease. That was when I tried the salt poultice application for the first time. Double application. Took all of the pain away so that I was able to go to sleep.

Next morning the entire area was completely numb. I looked at the site of the sting and saw something black still under the (puffed up) skin. Was able to sterilize a razor and cut out the stinger. Bandaged it with Neosporin. No problems. (My sister also used to call me Dr. Killpatient.) Hey, it worked. Just thought I would pass this along FWIW.

(While I might use the salt poultice technique on a snake bite, I would still definitely get my butt to a hospital!)
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Old 09-16-2015, 11:15   #28
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For most cases of contact dermatitis/insect bite.... mix baking soda and vinegar (I tend to use white vinegar) into a paste/poultice and use a cotton ball to swab it onto the affected area(s) - a light carbolic acid paste is what you're essentially making. Another method for relief is using warm Epsom salt solution soaks (essentially a topical hypertonic treatment).

And don't forget your Anti-Monkey Butt powder. It has a small amount of calamine in it and will alleviate some of the itching.
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