Munra Point / Poison Oak

[Aardvark]

Long time sufferer here - I seem to be getting less sensitive to PO with age - one of the few advantages so far...

I found the best minimization of symptoms being A cold shower rinse first - you want your pores closed up - followed by a warm soapy shower. And NO Scratching! - especially during the early stages. I have found the Techu pre-exposure "armor" somewhat effective. I had places that were particularly prone to getting it - behind the knees, inside the forearm - that I would treat prior to exposure

One August I worked out of Grant Pass doing timber cruising - literally wading through a waist deep understory of the stuff in 100 degree heat - Cortisone shots were a godsend. I had a 5" diameter stalk of PO growing on one of my plots.

[raven]

I got an extremely bad case once; I can assure you that injecting the juices through scratches and not realizing one has been exposed until later is not advised.

If I had read this thread I would have asked a physician for Prednisol, but reading about delayed out breaks associated with Prednisol left me looking for other solutions. Zanfel http://www.zanfel.com/ turnd out to work as advertised, stopping the itch quickly and allowing healing to begin -- on the surface. Nothing else even reduced the symptoms temporarily.

[Eric Peterson]

This is funny!

I sprained my cankle pretty bad a few months ago in the Gorge and had to hobble through some PO
at the very end of the hike before hitting a formal trail again. Had a minor PO flare up as I was in shorts,
used to think I was immune but this stuff was super green and potent so I got bit albeit just a touch and
I hobbled right through it

Glad your okay and I bet you meant this was the first injury from a fall, we've all slid and fallen on
our asses from time to time

[ghosting]

Yeah, I've taken my share of recoverable quick falls. This was the first, "Oh F$@#" one.

Also, I unfortunately had to go on Presnidone as I was getting feverish and it was getting impossible to sleep.

Thanks for all the horrible stories, advice and jokes.

- Jas

This is funny!

I sprained my cankle pretty bad a few months ago in the Gorge and had to hobble through some PO
at the very end of the hike before hitting a formal trail again. Had a minor PO flare up as I was in shorts,
used to think I was immune but this stuff was super green and potent so I got bit albeit just a touch and
I hobbled right through it

Glad your okay and I bet you meant this was the first injury from a fall, we've all slid and fallen on
our asses from time to time