In a message dated 97-10-25 13:53:15 EDT, you write:
> Aside from putting the various soothing creams on the hot
> spots, do any of you have a remedy for this stuff?
Hi Bernie,
Buy some Benadryl pills and follow the directions on the box. Reactions to
poison plants are merely alergic reactions, and Benadryl fights the alergy
from the inside.
Most important, do not take hot showers -- lukewarm at best. The hot water
opens pores and causes the spores to ooze. You should use Calamine lotion
topically to help the skin dry, and to keep the ooze from spreading.
The basic rule of dermitology is that if it's wet, keep it dry. If it's dry
keep it wet. If it itches, don't scratch it.
Another warning, poison plants are never dormant. I had poison ivy growing
near the house in Newton, and one January in bitter cold I cut all the vines
and took them to the dump. The next day I had a helluva rash around where
the glove touches skin, and on my face from rubbing a runny nose.
I didn't react to poison plants until the Blue Mountain & Reading railfan
weekend 1988, after which I was covered head to toe with poison oak, and my
eyes were about to swell closed (I like long, hot showers). The above was
explained to me in the emergency room, and all they did was give me a
Benadryl injection, and prescribed the pills.
....Mike Del Vecchio
--> SPORRS: Serious Photographers of Railroad Related Subjects
