Shelbyville Times-Gazette

Itchin' to get away

Posted Wednesday, July 23, 2008, at 2:53 PM
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Oh, the joys of living the outdoor life,

escaping the work-a-day stress and strife.

There's nothing like camping to take you away,

to explore Mother Nature on a warm Saturday.

I just went hiking and relished the sun

and didn't even notice, 'til we were done

that the pretty green foliage was making me itch.

Mother Nature is sweet -- but poison ivy's a

Pain in the you-know-what.

Does anybody have itch remedies to recommend?

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Make a baking soda paste and apply to the affected area. If the rash is rather large, soak yourself in a warm bath with either oatmeal or baking soda.

Once the rash dries and becomes scaley, I don't know what for that. I got poison ivy last month at a fishing tournament, and once the area dried up, it quit itching as much. But, I couldn't find an oil or lotion to easy the dryness.

The baking soda or oatmeal may sound like hillbilly remedies, but with my right hand in the air, I swear it works for me.

-- Posted by craftin_mom on Wed, Jul 23, 2008, at 3:06 PM

She's right.

Jewel weed makes a good poultice,too and grows next to the itchy stuff.

Hot water,,tea- tree or emu oil,aloe vera gel,non-fat dry milk or Fels-Naptha soap for baths and Gold Bond powder can help as can Burrow's solution,kaolin or zinc oxide.

Avoid topical meds ending in -caine,cortizone or ant-histamines except by reccommendation of your physician.

Talk to your doctor for more hints and the anti-ivy shot.

That can spare you the really dangerous reactions that even take people by surprise when the itchy weeds go into stealth mode in the winter.

-- Posted by quantumcat on Wed, Jul 23, 2008, at 6:48 PM

How's the itchy now? Have you tried my "redneck remedies"?

-- Posted by craftin_mom on Fri, Jul 25, 2008, at 7:10 PM

Mary Reeves' response:

Thank you both! The aloe vera gel and the oatmeal bath worked wonders and I stopped shredding my poor ankles down to the bone.

mary