Posted by Michele (Chicago, IL) on 06/20/2019
★★★★★
I am completely amazed that hot water relieved my poison ivy! Thank you earth clinic peeps! If I just glance sideways at poison ivy I will break out, so recently I had it on my hands and forearms, I pulled up my Dr. Earth Clinic and went searching. When I read about the hot water remedy I thought “what have I got to loose”? I ran the faucet over my arms and hands, hot as I could, being careful not to burn myself and believe me - they itch to high heaven when this is going on but then it slowly dissipates. Afterward they did not itch for over 8 hours! I promptly did it again and it was almost 16 hours this time. Each time the effect lasted longer, I'd say all total I might have done it 7 times. my skin is rather dry and flaky but that's a small price to pay for relief!
Posted by Jim (Cabrera, Dominican Republic) on 07/23/2012
★★★★★
This is a great description of how to use the HOT water method. It works for me and takes away the itch instantly for long periods of time.
Posted by Big T From Kc (Independence, Mo) on 09/02/2010
★★★★★
You are correct in your assumption. Oddly enough, I got the info straight from a physician, which you would think would try to prescribe some medication to help fund the medical establishment. This is how it was described to me and the reasoning behind why this works. Get the water as hot as you can stand, without burning yourself. (I have a higher tolerance of pain and have burned myself in the past, but over time, worked out the perfect temp. ) What the hot water does, is releases the histamines in that area of your body, that is being treated. Our body has an allergic reaction to the ivy. With allergies, what do we take? Anti-histamines. So, with the hot water releasing these histamines, that cause the allergic reaction, there is nothing there to cause the itch. I was told that it can take your body, on average, 4-8 hours to replenish the histamines in the applied area, so it depends on the person I suppose. My own personal experience, I get relief from the itching for about 8 hours. When it starts to flare up again, another hot water treatment. Another interesting thing occurs too. The use of the hot water tends to dry out the affected area as well, thus the reaction to the ivy only lasts 3-4 days and it's gone. The drawback to it though, is now you've got dry skin for a few days. I don't experience that too often, but it does happen on occasion and really isn't a big deal to me. But, you could use lotion if you were so inclined. What used to be an 8-10 day irritation, aside from the frustration of trying every over-the-counter method to no avail, is now completely gone within a 3-4 day period. Plus, water is much cheaper than anything else you purchase. I used to hate mowing the grass or working in the yard, due to the ivy that grew along my fence. Now, I go at it with wreckless abandon, not worrying about the ill effects of the reaction, because I've found the perfect way to take care of the problem. IT WORKS! Besides that, what have you got to lose, water is basically free.
Posted by Celad (Kearney, Nebraska, Usa) on 12/01/2009
★★★★★
I don't remember exactly under which ailment I first found it, but the spoon heated with hot water to stop itching for several hours is great. I needed it for multiple (maybe hobo) spider bites that were driving me crazy. As I recall there was something about the heat driving histamines away.
Therefore it also works for poison ivy, oak and sumac. There was a very helpful comment about the urushiol being the active agent and once that is washed off (of everything!) the clear fluid from the blisters is not an irritant. Thankfully I just got a very mild case (through a hole in a jersey glove I think) between my middle and ring fingers on one hand. I just ran a trickle of hot tap water over it as long as I could stand it a few times (maybe I only needed to do it once ;-) and that was way hot enough to assuage the itch, again for several hours.
Getting a child to bear the heat for even a short duration is another topic!
Thank you, Earth Clinic!!
Posted by Sarah (Northampton, Massachussetts) on 08/11/2008
★★★★★
Hot water really works for poison ivy! I turned the water up almost all the way, and ran it over my arm, where the poison ivy is. It did burn a little bit of course, but now there is absolutely no itch! I am also rubbing baking soda with white vinegar in it to get rid of the actual rash.
Posted by Alan (Toronto, Canada) on 03/27/2007
★★★★★
I have had poison ivy numerous times, and while I have not found anything to cure it there is a very quick and easy way to relieve the itching for up to an hour or two at a time: hot water. If you take the infected area and hold it under VERY hot water (in a shower for example), you will get an immediate sensation of relief. I put the water as hot as I can stand it (being very careful not to burn your skin... it sounds strange but it's easy to do because even burning temperatures offer the same relief). When you're done the itch will be gone for about an hour or two at a time. If you're really getting so you can't stand the itch - try it. for the worst exposures I've had 4-5 very hot showers daily and it really makes the itch far more bearable. Again, be very careful not to burn the skin or you'll take even longer to heal.
