Poison ivy/oak incubation

[Anonymous]

Has anyone developed reaction a week after coming into contact with any of the plants?

10 or 11 days ago we were fixing a section of our fence. We had to be in our neighbor’s yard (allowed) and they have a ton of weeds and mess. I was there to help with fence on that side and rake the weeds away. Last week a cut on my ankle (which I thought was from shaving) started pushing and itching and has gotten bigger. Also increasing itchy spots in the days since. I thought I had been bit by a bunch of mosquitos or bugs or I was losing my mind. I just realized it might be a reaction because now I see suspicious looking plants in their yard exactly where I was working. I’ve never had poison ivy/oak issues in my life.

[Anonymous]

That’s really too long of an interval to develop a reaction. It usually develops within 3 days of exposure to poison ivy (I think poison oak is a similar timeframe). However, the reaction is caused by coming in contact with the urishiol oil from the poison ivy plant and the oil is very durable and can remain active on fabrics and other surfaces - so for example if you had gardening gloves and touched the plant and didn’t wash the gloves, you could come into contact with the oil the next time you touch the gloves.

[Anonymous]

Thanks. Thinking back, I think the spots around my ankles were there about 3 days later. It was just all last week and this weekend that I have been itchy and spots on my ankles, upper arms and chest which was only skin not covered. Including the spot on my ankle that was pussing and blisters. Guess it doesn’t really matter. And if that’s it, it’s mild.

[Anonymous]

For my DS, he had a reaction to poison ivy 5 or 7 days after exposure, and it ended up being all over his body. He must have had it on his hands and scratched and gotten the oil all over. The pediatrician said that the delay from first exposure can be a bit longer, before the rash comes.

His rashes took weeks to clear and some of the spots scarred, unfortunately. He is very fair and prone to scarring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For my DS, he had a reaction to poison ivy 5 or 7 days after exposure, and it ended up being all over his body. He must have had it on his hands and scratched and gotten the oil all over. The pediatrician said that the delay from first exposure can be a bit longer, before the rash comes.

His rashes took weeks to clear and some of the spots scarred, unfortunately. He is very fair and prone to scarring.

Thanks. I’ve also never had a reaction before!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For my DS, he had a reaction to poison ivy 5 or 7 days after exposure, and it ended up being all over his body. He must have had it on his hands and scratched and gotten the oil all over. The pediatrician said that the delay from first exposure can be a bit longer, before the rash comes.

His rashes took weeks to clear and some of the spots scarred, unfortunately. He is very fair and prone to scarring.

Something like this happened to my son. You can develop a reaction similar to serum sickness from poison ivy. My son had gotten it on his legs, we washed it off, he developed the rash there, but as the days progressed, it spread over his entire body. Some areas can be slowed to react to the oil, but this was not that. I’m talking eyes swollen shut, legs and arms completely puffed up, rash all over his back and torso. He did not roll naked in a bed of poison ivy, and we had washed him and all his clothing after the exposure. The ped said some people develop a systemic reaction and their immune system overreacts so they get the rash even in places where the oil didn’t touch their skin. Oral steroids calmed it; you can’t really treat a reaction like that topically and the kid was absolutely miserable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For my DS, he had a reaction to poison ivy 5 or 7 days after exposure, and it ended up being all over his body. He must have had it on his hands and scratched and gotten the oil all over. The pediatrician said that the delay from first exposure can be a bit longer, before the rash comes.

His rashes took weeks to clear and some of the spots scarred, unfortunately. He is very fair and prone to scarring.

Something like this happened to my son. You can develop a reaction similar to serum sickness from poison ivy. My son had gotten it on his legs, we washed it off, he developed the rash there, but as the days progressed, it spread over his entire body. Some areas can be slowed to react to the oil, but this was not that. I’m talking eyes swollen shut, legs and arms completely puffed up, rash all over his back and torso. He did not roll naked in a bed of poison ivy, and we had washed him and all his clothing after the exposure. The ped said some people develop a systemic reaction and their immune system overreacts so they get the rash even in places where the oil didn’t touch their skin. Oral steroids calmed it; you can’t really treat a reaction like that topically and the kid was absolutely miserable.

Oh no! This happened to me when it was a kid- it was awful!

[Anonymous]

Agree with the PPs. You should have a reaction within a few days but occasionally get the reaction will spiral out of control even with no further contact with the oil. (that’s happened to my husband and we were convinced we had bedbugs even though I showed no symptoms… a person has never been so glad to get poison oak as a diagnosis!)

It also could be in fabric but that is a bit less likely.

If it keeps getting worse instead of better, see your doctor for treatment

[Anonymous]

If DH and DS look at poison ivy, they break out. Here are a few tips: Use a clean towel and wash cloth every time you wash your hands or shower. This is critical during poison ivy season if you are clearing brush. Use Technu, which offers a “pre-treatment” of sorts if you may have come into contact as well as a stronger version of you break out. You can get it at Walgreens. It is fantastic.

[Anonymous]

5 days until reaction is typical for me. I wish I would break out right away because then I would know where I got it!

[Anonymous]

Yes it takes about a week for me. I might get a barely noticeable spot sooner and then a couple days after that it’s all over the place. Then it keeps coming. I’m sorry, it’s awful.

[Anonymous]

A week is not unusual.

[Anonymous]

If you are in the DC area, it’s very unlikely to be poison oak. Lots of poison ivy here.

[Anonymous]

Yes poison ivy not poison oak.

So I had a bad spot on ankle of blister and that’s drying up. But I’m still itchy on upper arms and it’s not very red or blisters. More like small bumps. Is this normal progression or spread?