We went to the lake Friday. Had what looked like a long burn mark on back of my hand for a couple of days. Saturday morning, we went out on the boat.... my hand started blistering in the sun....and I knew it was poison ivy. No itching, blisters are nearly gone...but I feel like I have the flu....kinda mopey.

The last time I got into P.I. was over 30 yrs ago. And I was told I had it inside, before it showed itself outside. I had to take steroids. It's been so long ago, I can't remember much about it. I do remember the first time that I'd gone to the Coast and weeded my dad's yard a week before. I thought I was just a little "sad" because I had to leave my dad's. Never dreamed it was P.I. causing that feeling. Finally started seeing blisters all over my legs and arms and went to the doctor.

I'm concerned I haven't seen the worst of it yet this time. The "mopiness" just came out of nowhere today. Just want to do nothing....
Has anyone else experienced this with poison ivy? Or am I just a whiney baby???

I'm VERY allergic to PI....in fact I don't even have to physically contact it...especially when it's hot & sultry like it is now.....apparently,...the plant emits molecules of the "bad stuff" during transpiration,....sort of "breathing". I've never had the reaction you've experienced......that is, feelin' mopey.....at least,...not in the way you've described......I have felt anxious because of the itching and oozing of the blisters....may have even
cussed a little .....I finally discovered a way to get some relief without scratchin' my hide off....and that is to kinda "scald" the area affected (if possible) with the hottest water I can stand...either under the sink faucet or shower. I assure you it's like being scratched by a thousand angels' wing feathers (is that too much embellishment?).......well,...it does feel heavenly!
After the area becomes sorta numb after "scalding"........it won't itch for a long time. Now,...you have to be careful to let the hot water mostly contact the affected area...cause the adjacent non-blistered skin will not like it at all
Afterwards....I coat the area with Aloe vera gel and let it dry.....the blisters disappear quickly.

My sister is even more sensitive to PI and has had it inside and out (even her eyeballs)...but as I recall,...I think she was exposed to the smoke
of some PI being burned with brush.....not recommended! She looked like one of the people/characters that I remember that were in an old Japanese horror movie....something like "The Mushroom People" or "Fungus People"...can't recall the title....but she was hideously temporarily disfigured because of the swelling and blistering.......of course,....we (sister & brother) thought it was "cooool".....she, however....was very distraught that we got to see her that way. She survived.....physically and emotionally

Lee, your description of your sis and her siblings reactions made me smile! I'm feeling a little better today, but still wary that I'm gonna look down and see blisters all over me. Thanks for the heads up about the scalding water. Hope I won't need to...but will keep it in the back of my mind. Phamacist recommended Tecnu, but it was for scrubbing the oil off right after you're exposed. I don't know when or where I got into it. And I couldn't scrub the blisters, anyway. But I taped the name of the product on the inside of my cabinet door....for next time.
Bruce took me to look at hardwood flooring this morning. I guess he thought it would be a good distraction. My head is still spinning, tho, after hearing we'd have to have the entry tile broken up and then dug out (it's mud-set), wheel barrowed out, and 2X4s laid down to build up to the height of the slab so they could lay wood floor. Sounds like a big, big mess....expensive mess... But, I did forget to be mopey!!!
And it's raining now, so can't be all bad.

Have you ever heard of Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis as a natural treatment for poison ivy? You might even have some growing... I believe it's naturalized or native to Texas. A salve of jewelweed is used to help it heal poison ivy rash quickly and keep it from blistering. Jewelweed is good for healing all sorts of skin conditions.

I have never tried it because I've never had a reaction to poison ivy I've accidently handled the stuff too, with no reaction at all. I don't touch it though cuz I don't wanna push my luck!!

That is very interesting about poison ivy making you feel blah - you are obviously very in tune to your feelings correlating the PI to your mopiness!

A bath with honey, vinegar and a sachet of crushed comfrey will also heal burns, and other injuries.

That's interesting...jewelweed...hoping I don't have to try it, but I'll remember to check this thread if I have to again. I still can't find P.I. in my yard. I did go plant shopping with a friend the week before, but we were not in any brushy or uncultivated areas that I can think of. 'Just a few local nurseries along the back roads.

As for the mopiness....I'm usually "upbeat," so I knew something was wrong when this hit me out of the blue....for no good reason....such as not getting my way, or being peaved at husband, catching a cold, etc!! It's better today, but still have that lingering feeling that something's not quite right.

Sorry, Sandi! I've never had any reaction that way, just rash and itching.
Just got back from my Saturday trip last night. My truck broke down after my niece's wedding...stayed with DD in Houston until it could be fixed. I hated to do that...they had their own problems, A/C in their house was out and a move coming up this weekend...and my DH was stuck at home alone. Glad to be home!

That's awful. I'm so sorry. I hope your husband was okay alone. You don't have close neighbors up there either, do you? I bet you're glad to be home! And I bet your husband is too.
Hope you got some of the rain today. we had a gully-washer this afternoon. Our DD, SIL, and GS are on their way home from Colorado. Just called from Llano. They've been in rain on and off all afternoon. Been worried about low water crossings from San Angelo to here. Glad they're almost home.

I hate to rub it in, but I have never had a reaction even though I have been through it over and over again. My DH, however, gets covered from head to toe with blisters and usually needs steroids to help him cope. He is sensitive enough that he comes inside to wash off as soon as he comes in contact with poison ivy. Even then, he doesn't always escape a bad reaction. He feels and looks miserable, but I don't know whether is because of the blisters or "mopiness"

There are a couple of neighbors he could call if he needed help. He's okay. We're looking for another vehicle...the truck is too old to rely on it much. DD and DSIL helped me a lot, but the truck just couldn't be worked on until Monday.

It's hard to be without a truck. Now that my husband's retired, we seem to go nearly everywhere in that truck of his. My car is a year old and only has 6400 miles on it....and that's with two trips to Illinois...(1300milesX4=5200). he just likes to drive the truck...
Well, kids are home safely from Colorado. Daughter's friend is married to a rancher, and they went up to help round up cattle....for fun. Came home saddle sore, but grinning.
Here's our 4 yr old grandson with friend. I'm sure he was a lot of "help" rounding up! He had lots of stories to tell us tonight.

Aw, so cute!

I've got PI blisters on my ankle.......just talkin' about it must've done it

Well,...actually....I did some clearing near some PI a day or so ago...and thought I was safe by immediately showering (remembering to scrub WITH the natural growth direction of my arm & leg hair....suppose to be a good thing to do)....but alas.....here 'tis!

That's got to be "power of suggestion." Is it too late for Tecnu? Probably....
I'm thinking I may have made some P.I. grow in my front yard under an oak by spraying the last of my Messenger on the yard. Every time I've used that stuff, something that I thought had died comes back. i'm not going to check just yet, but when i get up the courage to really look for it...it's the only place I can think of that I might have pulled a weed or two without gloves.
Take care of yourself..... I found Caladril that's "clear," instead of pink.

Believe it or not,.....I often get PI in the winter....yep.......because I'm too forgetful to wear gloves when I'm digging/transplanting a small tree or shrub from the property....and PI roots or suckers (which can run laterally....away from the visible "above-ground" stem....up to many feet away) are interwoven with the roots of other plants - including the one I'm transplanting. dopey me!

You may have contacted some that way...

You're probably right. I'll never play in the yard without gloves again! As it is, I'm trying to decide whether to toss my gloves, since I don't know if there's something on them..like P.I. oil and I'd just get it again. Only reason I hesitate is I rotate gloves and have four pair from the glove co-op....and I really like 'em! I'm going to wash them all in detergent, and then soak 'em in Spray-n-Wash or something that releases the oils in clothes.

Good idea! Dee washes our gloves regularly.....doesn't seem to adversely affect them!

'Even the ones with the rubber coating? Mine always start to "peel" when I've washed them.
How are you doing with your Poison Ivy today?

sorry to answer the following day....I sleep during the day....work at night

It's pretty much dried up and going away! Yea!

Do you put them in the dryer or let air dry? The heat from the dryer will definitely cause peeling

Glad you're better. Now you have to find it and kill it!!! Still can't find the culprit in our yard.

No, I air dry them, but the latex usually starts to separate from the gloves. I've hand washed them all....at least the ones I could find.

It's raining on and off. Has been for a few days. Lots of growth and blooms. Nice not to have to water the yard, but going to ruin a lot of people's weekend. Supposed to rain until the 4th....and then part of that day too.

Now, go back to sleep like this little guy....after a hard day driving cattle in Colorado.....and happy 4th of July!

It sure looks like your are enjoying your grandbabies, bubbles!! That is wonderful. Mine are in Houston, far enough that I don't get to see them much

I had this poison ivy growing and I didn't recognize it til' it grew berries and I had it ID'd! It's a huge vine that has been growing for who knows how many years!