Heat as a poison ivy treatment
There are many poison ivy treatments; steroids, creams, antihistamines. But even with the marvels of modern medicne I wound up in the ER a few years ago because I scratched my arm so much it became infected.
Of course, I already blogged about Tecnu Extreme, and it really does work. But what if it’s too late? What if you wake one morning to find your arm swollen and red, little bubbles of fluid already formed, like I did yesterday morning?
Heat is a treatment that you won’t find many places. I’d heard years ago that extreme cold or heat could chase the histamines back from the skin, thus easing the pain and itching. Cold, even ice cube cold, doesn’t do it for me; I need heat. So I stick the offending appendage under the hottest running water I can stand for a minute, and there is no itching for up to 8 hours.
This particular treatment has worked the last few times the ivy’s jumped on me, and saved my sanity.
Disclaimer: If you try it, I am not responsible for the temperature of your water. You are the best judge of how much heat your skin can take before burning occurs.
I’m not this far along yet, but a couple of years ago:
2 Responses
Thank you so much, Maitri! I would apply the milk right away, but the bubbles have grown huge and burst open and are oozing. So I don’t know if milk would be okay at this point. As soon as they heal up a little I’ll utilize it, though!
Thanks again! 
Hello Dearheart,
I have seen this blog the last few days, wincing every time I saw your poor posing ivy! I just had to tell you about a miracle remedy that shocked me to pieces. 2 years agon I had an outbreak of psoriasis which I had never had in my life and it came about 2 months before my daughe3r’s wedding. Well, I tried everything on the market and everything anyone even remotely suggested, and I would scratch until I bled at night when I was out of it and couldn’t control it. I then was given some information from a very old timey lady and she said, “Honey, there’s only one thing that works, and it will work also on poison ivy, poison oak, anything like that on your skin.” Brace yourself. It’s milk. Common, ordinary, already in your fridge milk. You wash and pat dry to affected area very gently, and then douse it with milk which is very cold and feels good, and you let it dry on your skin. In 3 days it was so much better I couldn’t believe it. When I went to my daughter’s wedding you’d never have known I had it. Since then I’ve had a few other outbreaks and I go right to the milk at the first sign and it clears it up. It’s easy, and so as not to waste the milk I pour it over my skin over a bowl, cover it, and use it again (You’re putting it on clean skin.( You HAVE to let it dry on your skin and leave it there. Do it a few times a day down to morning and night as it gets better until it’s gone. For whatever it’s worth, it saved me and I thought I should share it with you…
Blessings and heal quickly!
Maitri