Re: Poison oak

[Lynne Glazer <lglazer@cyberg8t.com>]

When I asked my allergist about this, albeit several years ago, he said
with a straight face that there were desensitization injections available.

When I asked why he wasn't recommending them to me with such a severe
allergy, he said there were severe side effects.  I'm thinking to myself,
like what?  A little water retention, my skin changes color, WHAT could be
worse than what happens when I get poison  oak or ivy?

He said, "Severe anal itching."  Yep, that's worse.  I gave it a miss.

He also warned about lacquered(sp) furniture like tables, because they're
cured with oil of sumac (same family), though I never noticed any
sensitivity there.

Lynne

>I do believe there are innoculations for help you build immunity.  I KNOW
>there is for poison ivy...and it works.
>
>Teddy
>
>
>K S Swigart wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 28 Jul 1998 guest@endurance.net wrote:
>>
>> > I raided Payless last night for any goop that I could find to give
>> > relief (funnily enough, the best thing that worked, has been a
>> > strong solution of epsom salts and water, liberally applied with
>> > paper towel). I did find some little individually wrapped alcohol
>> > swabs for injection sites.
>>
>> My experience is, the best thing AFTER you have contracted the poinson oak
>> is to use Lanacaine (Maximum Strength).  While it contains all those
>> natural goodies that are supposed to reduce the itching and promote
>> healing it also contains good, old-fashioned benzocaine (20% as opposed to
>> the 3% in the regular strength stuff).  Benzocaine (like all -caine
>> compounds) is an anesthetic, and a topical one at that.  It doesn't stop
>> the itch, it just makes it so you can't feel it....good enough for me.
>>
>> I am violently allergic to poison oak (all I have to do is look at the
>> stuff to come down with it) ,and used this (the last time I got into
>> poison oak they didn't have the maximum strength stuff).  I didn't feel a
>> thing...it was great, and it only took me a couple of days, instead of the
>> weeks of itching to "get over it"
>>
>> As for keeping from getting it, Teacu (or maybe Teacnu) is a product that
>> claims to remove the resins before and immediately after getting into the
>> plant.  So far (I bought some of the stuff at the same time that I bought
>> the Lanacane) it has worked for me, and I haven't had a case of poison oak
>> since (and considering the fact that my horses PLAY in the stuff--which is
>> where I picked it up earlier this year), I consider that to be pretty
>> good.
>>
>> Oh...and my clothes go straight into the washing machine before they even
>> get in the house (the washing machine is in the garrage).
>>
>> kat
>> Orange County, Calif.