Poison Ivy, technu, treatment and climbing gear

Without going into too much gory detail, I'm covered in a blistering rash caused by poison ivy (PI).

After the unavoidable exposure I came home and showered & washed my clothes well.

But a week later I'm still aggravating the rash with new oils from somewhere.

The rash is concentrated around my lower trunk, & lumbar area and I've think I've isolated the contaminated items to my backpack and or climbing harness.

My GF bought me a product called Tecnu
teclabsinc.com/products.cfm…

which supposedly can break down the PI oils off of clothes and tools.

I didn't hesitate to put this stuff all over my backpack, but I'm a bit hesitant to put this stuff any where near my climbing gear.

So the questions for the ether

#1 anyone have experience cleansing climbing gear of PI contamination
#2 Any chemists or chemical engineers out there want to let me know if they think its ok to get this stuff on my climbing harness.
#3 Any other remedies for healing this stuff.

Don't itch it.

I would think soap and water would take it off most things...but really I don't know. I guess if you have tried that then it isn't working...have you cleaned the harness with soap and water yet?

Those Aveno Oatmeal baths are pretty nice and soothing.

Don't itch it!!!!!!!!

Sunlight deactivates the oils. Leave any exposed clothing or gear out in direct rays for a day or two. As far as treatment, a company called "Ojas Aryuvedics" makes a killer anti poison ivy spray called "anti-itchy." Currently no one in colorado caries this product, I'm in the process of trying to bring it into my store here in Boulder, but you can probably order it from one of the many west coast retailers who carry it. A lot of other ivy treatments use jewel weed as an ingredient but it never has seemed to work very well for me, mugwort or sage rubbed on a freshly poisoned area is great, but again, sunlight is the only thing that fully deactivates the oil.

The first ingredient in Technu is "deodorizerd mineral spirits" which is paint thinner used to clean oil based paints off brushes. So, I'd keep if away from your soft good just to be safe. I'm no chemist, but that would make me nervous.

I used to live in a place were it was almost impossible to go outdoors and not touch PI. I'd always wash my legs and arms off as soon as I came home with Technu and never had a bad break out. Once you have the rash, though, i don't think it helps.

Hi John,

As John Langston just pointed out it's now systemic. You could wait it out and go the over the counter route treatment wise, but it's gonna be a long haul and things could get way worse.

Go see a doctor now. It'll cost, but the results are faster and assured. I have traveled both routes and the second is your best option. When you see the Dr. try to push for both oral course and triamcinolone acetonide ointment. If this is a chronic (i.e., every Spring/Summer) problem then try to get a bigger tube or tow of the ointment and use it retroactively if at any point you sense this coming on again.

A good detergent should get the oil off your climbing gear eventually. I'd load it into a large bucket with warm water and some regular Tide or equivalent. The Technu stuff is rather expensive for laundering a whole bunch of stuff anyway. Get the oil out and you are free of the contamination.

If your rash is that bad you need to be on antihistamines and possibly some steroid shots from a doctor (prednisone). You may need additional shots if the reaction doesn't calm down.

Off subject, but nice little page in the new Climbing John.

I got poison ivy in my eyes once and it got systemic, don't let that get any worse, it it's been more than a week and it's not getting better, get to the hospital, if that gets into your lungs/kidneys/liver you'll be in trouble fast.

Out here on the East Coast, Poison Ivy grows thick and deep and you get it every summer.
I use a pricey over the counter medicine called Zanfel, that seems to work, although it takes several applications to get rid of it.
It's a cream in a tube with crystals that you scrub into lather over the affected area. It offers instant relief from the itching.
Also back this up with a similar CVS product, poison ivy soap, similar deal a small bar, you rub over the affected area and dissolve the crystals.
The Zanfel is $30 a tube, but I found I spent more on Cortisone and calamine to get rid of the rash and it takes longer.

I had a similiar situation with poison sumac,the post of responses should be around if you search, either here or on RC.com. The end result was using a little earth friendly dish soap (i used 7th generation) and warm water to wash all my slings, biner, cams, nuts. the clothes, pack and shoes went in the washer with woolite. i didn't get any breakouts. sorry to hear, it sucks.

Prednisone once did the trick for me. My partner also got a bad case on the same trip and his doctor shot him up with cortasone and it helped but his knees went out. Anyhow the steroids do the trick from my experiences.

Second the recommendation for Zanfel: zanfel.com.

Expensive, but it works. You can buy it at Longs Drugs in Fort Collins.

I've never had any luck with anything other than the prescribed drugs to help dry it out. Technu does nothing for helping heal or dry out the skin. It is only beneficial if you wash your skin within like 10 minutes of being exposed...but we all know it's very rare to know you have a brushing with ivy until it's already bubbled all over you, so that's pretty worthless.

Technu is expensive...so I really only use it to wash my shoes off (and especially shoe laces!). The rest of my clothes just stay seperate from everything...carpet, other clothing, my skin, etc. and get washed seperatly...twice.

I was always notorius for getting ridiculous reactions to ivy when i was younger. I was so good about not itching it...and many times it just kept bubbling up...combining with adjacent bubbles, until they created one big disastorous blister looking thing that I never wanted anyone else to see...looked liek some kind of mutation. After a few times of those, I started itching them to death every time i got in the shower, then washing that area and my hands with technu.

As much as people say not to itch...my experiences are quite the opposite. You will not spread the rash by itching alone. It is spread by continued contact with the ivy oils (not your skin oils) which stay live for a long long time...I hear around 10 months. When those stay around...it gets on your hands...and that's how itching MAY spread it.

Just make sure to clean everything very well without contaminating anything else in the process. It realllllly sucks to get poison ivy a few months later from touching some old shoes you didn't wash properly. Once you're sure...itch away I say...it just feels too good.

Edit: Just want to clarify...when I didn't itch...the rash got worse. When I do itch it...it opens my skin up and eventually created scabs, but the PI rash has never come back afterwards. Seems not many people have the same experiences as me. I've just found what works for me.

soap/detergent & water w/in the first few minutes of skin contact. I guess 15 minutes is the ball-park; this crap gets on everything though. I would just wash the harness with a non-abrasive detergent -- put everything in a trash bag when you get back to the trailhead; then toss it all in the washer for a thorough cleaning to get the oil off of everything (obviously, remove the clothing from the trash bag before you put it all in the washer).

After it bonds to the skin, the allergic reaction & autoimmune problems can ensue, averaging for a couple of weeks. Antihistimines & hydrocortisone; steriods might be needed for the immune response. Epi for severe cases resulting in anaphylaxis.

Excessive scratching leading to infection will need antibiotics.

Ice reduces swelling & may offer some relief but does nothing as far as a "cure"

Don't smoke it!
(yeah. laugh; some clown used poison oak for a fire to keep warm. it will bond to your lungs)

For relief of symptoms I agree with JSH and Buff - use ice. It is very effective for several hours. No help though for the systemic problem or possible recontamination from gear.

My mom used to give us oatmeal baths and
also we would wash with a really vile smelling soap called "Fell's Naptha" soap.

Good info as I sit here breaking out head to toe (luckily a slight break in the PI action somewhere around the middle). I've tried to be careful in the overgrown rainforests of Iowa but that damn dog runs wild. I need to start leaving her at home, on my PI covered floors, couches and bed.

Also, last summer I contracted it after pulling my rope in the Flatirons. Broke out all along my forearms and neck from coiling the covered rope. That shit is nasty and I'm getting very fed up with this rash.

A quick update from the OP.

It's just about a month later and by process of elimination by trials, I've sequestered my backpack which was the culprit of the PI contamination.

The good news/lessons learned:

• I didn't have to treat my harness with any chemicals
• I scrubbed the entire pack in soap and water then left it on the porch to bake in the sun all day (Photodegradation).
• I likely will take a break from the contaminated backpack for several months until I can be absolutely certain that the oils have dissipated.
• If I ever suspect exposure to PI in the future I will IMMEDIATELY seek soap and water.
• Interestingly enough, I'm climbing stronger than I have in years.....hmmmmmmmm?

Ditto on Zanfel being effective. I almost didn't waste my money the first time it was so costly. But I had it soooooo bad, it was a horror story. I learned that it's worth every penny of the $30+ for a tiny 1 oz tube. Walgreens has a generic comp that works well for $22 or so which they call "Poison Ivy Wash" and is the same sized tube. I keep one stuffed in my desk at work so that Mon-Tue when it starts to itch I can go into the washroom and stop it stat. Sometimes it does take 2 applications....don't cheap out if you do spend the money. I have a bottle of Tecnu in my car for when I come out of the woods and want to wash as well. I use the Tecnu to wash immediately afterwards then follow up with Zanfel at first itch. Tecnu also has another product which is slightly more effective called Technu Extreme which works better (and costs more) than standard Technu. Be aware that they say the Extreme will go bad if it gets over 90 degrees, so that one is left at home. Ivyrest and Ivy wash, for me, will temporarily relieve the itching but will not actually cure it like the Zanfel. You have to follow the directions with the Zanfel though or it really won't work.

I've probably tried every available remedy. This is from a guy annoying the hell out of his wife by cultivating a wall to wall thick patch of Jewelweed in his backyard. Just sell your firstborn and buy the Zanfel or equivalent. Even when it's blistering and oozing badly it works and it's the only thing which actually makes it go away. If you let it get to blisters or you've scratched till it bleeds, the skin still will need to heal in it's own sweet time, there isn't a magic bullet here. If you screw the pooch, and it's everywhere and even systemic, a hot bath with a box of baking soda placed and left directly on the spots will gain you relief, it works to keep you from going crazy.....but it's temporary.

Laundry soap works better than skin soap to get it off of you.

I've always had trouble with skin allergies, and the best non-prescription remedy I've found, after thoroughly washing everything, is claritin. It works well against all kinds of allergies, and the OTC stuff is pretty cheap. I'd opt for just running my harness through the wash a couple of times rather than bathing it in technu.
good luck, and like has been said, if it doesn't clear up quickly, go to see a doctor.

I am so glad I don't really have much of a problem with PI. You Guys stay away from Beckers Rock in Big Thompson Canyon. You have to dance through a football field sized patch of the stuff.