Help! I posted last week about dh having chiggers. Well, after a few days of it spreading and itching like crazy, I sent him to the emergency room(since we were out of town) It turns out he was having a BAD reaction to poison sumac. They gave him a shot and a 7 day treatment of prednisone. He called last night, he is in Dallas on business, and it has started spreading and itching again. His last day of medication is tomorrow, so I did make an appt. for him to see our doctor tomorrow. Until then, does anyone know what is best to put on it to stop the itching. It looks so gross. It is all over his arms, legs and part of his torso. It is very red and looks irritated. Also, it is blistering up in some places.

Has anyone had such a bad case of this? How long will it last? We are going to my brother's wedding next week. He is freaked out it will spead to his face.(he is in the wedding). BTW, I looked at pictures online and it does look exactly like poison sumac, so I am pretty sure he does have the right diagnoses.

By Luvn29 on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 11:21 am:

I personally, would skip the calamine lotion and such, and go straight to either Benedryl gel (or spray) I think I remember seeing a spray for it, and that may be your best bet to avoid touching it and spreading it more. There are also other gels and sprays on the market just for poison ivy and such. Anything for poison ivy should work for sumac, too. If you can find a spray that has calamine in it, those are good, because they help dry it up faster. I just don't use calamine only for bad cases like that. Sorry I don't have actually names. I can't remember any besides IvyRest.

By Tayjar on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 11:40 am:

There is an over the counter product called Zanfel that works on poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. You can get it at Walgreens, Wal-Mart, etc. It is expensive - about $30 a tube.

Follow the directions exactly. You rub it into a paste and spread it onto the affected area for 3 minutes. You will see results the next day.

My DS usually gets poison oak or ivy and sometimes sumac about 7 to 8 times a year. Our pediatrician uses this on her kids so we tried it. What a God send it has been. His last bout with poison oak, about a month ago, was the worst he has ever had in his life. One of his little buddies who contracted it the same day ended up in the hospital. The literally had it from the tips of their heads to the tips of their toes and all places in between. And I do mean all We used the Zanfel twice and it cleared it right up.

By Debbie on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 11:54 am:

Thank you! I will get some zanfel this afternoon. I just feel so bad for him. I know it has to really itch because he never complains...and he is complaining now. He even asked me to make him a doctor's appt. Usually I have to force him to go.

By Karen~admin on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 12:23 pm:

Debbie, it's been quite a while, but my X had a case of poison sumac that he was very nearly hospitalized for. When it started, he thought it was poison ivy, and it spread and spread until he went to the ER and was diagnosed. I remember it as being really bad, including numerous red, angry looking blisters, and he missed a week of work, because he literally could not wear clothes, he was covered in it. I think people who are sensitive to it react pretty badly, like your DH and my X.

If he can avoid touching it and then touching his face, and using clean towels each time he showers, hopefully he can avoid getting it on his face. Ditto the sheets - I would just try to avoid re-touching anything that has come into contact with the affected skin areas.

I am so sorry he's going through this, I know he is suffering - and he sounds like my X, who was never sick and never complained and never missed work, but this stuff really knocked him down. I hope your DH is better soon!

By Debbie on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 12:49 pm:

Urgg... I just did some research online. I didn't know this, but the oils from poison ivy/sumac/oak, stay on surfaces for up to a year. It started on his hand(with wedding ring and watch) So, these items probably have the oil still on them. We need to wipe them down with rubbing alcohol to get rid of it. Also, it may have been on his shoes. So, we have to wipe them down too. He is spreading it by touching these things. You can't spread it by touching the rash, you have to be touching something with the oil still on it. Wow, what a mess. I guess I am going to wipe down the entire house and all his belongings with rubbing alcohol!

By Karen~admin on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 03:05 pm:

Debbie, now that you mention that, I *do* remember about the oils - so would that include clothing, bedding, etc?

By Tayjar on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 03:49 pm:

Also, don't forget the steering wheel in the car, car door handles, car keys, etc. where his hands may have touched.

I have so been there before. I feel for you.

By Debbie on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 04:09 pm:

Yes Karen, it does including clothing and bedding. I have a sanitizing cycle on my washer. I washed everything on that cycle. Thanks for reminding me about the car. I guess we will wipe all that down to. Yikes. What a mess. He was with my oldest ds at football camp when he must have gotten into it. I am so glad my ds didn't get it.

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 05:26 pm:

Yikes! I have so far, avoided any poison ivy or sumac. People just seem so miserable with it! An email friend of mine is battling poison ivy. She has been to the doctor for the steroids, too. I thought the steroids (hydrocortisone and prednisone) helped, but then it seemed to get worse.

Hopefully, cleaning the oil off of stuff, will help. Sounds like cleaning up after lice and a lot of work!

By Tarable on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 06:06 pm:

This is going to sound kinda weird but do you have any animals at your house? My mom used to get poison ivy from our dog. We would have to give him 2 baths after she got it to get rid of the oil on her fur. I just wanted to mention that just in case you do. You might want to give the animal a bath. Just another suggestion for surfaces that you might need to clean. Good luck.

By Debbie on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 09:27 pm:

Tara, we don't have any animals, so I don't have to worry about that. I think I have wiped down everything I can. I couldn't find Zanfel at Target, but I found Ivy Dry. I sprayed it all over him when he got home, and it has stopped the itching. It is suppose to dry it out. He goes to the doctor tomorrow morning. He is going to ask for another shot, and she will probably give him another round of prednisone. The girl I talked to when I made the appt. said sometimes it takes 2 courses of treatment. I wouldn't wish this stuff on anyone!

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 11:54 pm:

I was thinking maybe he needed to go to the doctor again! Maybe more steriods will help!