Dealing with Poison Ivy

I am allergic to poison ivy. Highly allergic. When I was in Girl Scouts, we had a campfire once that had poison ivy in it. Poison ivy can spread through smoke. We were girls. There was a lot of smoke! This girl had poison ivy on her eyelids and inside her nose. You'd a thunk I would have learned back then, but I still am not 100% sure of what poison ivy looks like. *sigh* I had thought that most of it was gone from my yard, but I discovered a few weeks ago that it's not. Since then I have had 2 courses of steroids trying to get rid of this, and while it's better, it's still here.

On the bright side, I have discovered several frugal ways to minimize the discomfort and itching of dealing with this nasty rash. First, whenever you think you might have been exposed to poison ivy, oak or sumac, wash thoroughly using Fels Naphtha soap. I can find this yellow bar soap at about $1.20 at my local store, and the bar lasts forever. It seems to dry up the poison ivy oil much better than other soaps.

Second, if you discover too late that you've been exposed and the rash has already erupted, use either CalaGel or IvaRest, both around $5 or less at your local Wal-Mart. I use IvaRest when I'm going to be at home because it has calamine lotion in it and therefore is tinted a bit. I use CalaGel, a clear substance, when I'll be out and about. Use sparingly as a little bit goes a long way. The first time I used CalaGel, I squirted out a dime-sized blob, and it covered both arms and my neck with some left over!

Third, if you can't take Benadryl for itching during the day because it makes you sleepy, use over-the-counter Pepcid AC twice a day ($4 for a generic bottle at Wal-Mart). The Urgent Care doc told me about this and said it is what they use in the emergency room for itching when a patient can't take Benadryl. It works, although it was nice to use Benadryl as an excuse for a mid-afternoon nap!

Keeping fingernails trimmed short and washing your hands frequently will also help stem the spread of the rash. Don't share towels and change your bedding frequently also. The poison ivy oil will transfer to the linens and then to the next person who touches them.

Thankfully I have a daughter who is not allergic to the oils. Guess who will be doing our weeding from now on? Don't forget to stop over at http://www.lifeasmom.com/ for more Frugal Friday ideas!