Ever have a tough encounter with a poisonous plant?

Question

Spring is upon us. Do you know what plants to avoid when out on a hike in the woods?

WhiteSteve · Accepted Answer

I have had some pretty bad ones when I was a kid and just ran through overgrown brush recklessly, haha. When I was like 14 I got it all over my neck, I must’ve walked right through some. I had been in some woods, I’m sure that’s where I was exposed. That was the worst I ever had it, miserable week, haha.

Last time I got it badly (have a little spot on my legs right now from doing an impromptu yardwork task when I was still in my gym shorts, but it’s not that bad), I think was about 20 years ago. That time, I had it all over the underside of one of my forearms. I was bugged out about it because I often sleep with my head on my forearm, and I was worried about spreading it all over my face when I slept. I was trying to wrap the area in gauze to protect myself.

HOWEVER…. I learned something that time. The internet was still in its youth, not what it is today, but I was able to research some facts about “poison ivy & friends” from the actual American Dermatological Association or whatever it’s called. I’ll pass this information onto you fine folks who may not know, now…

So…. here’s the scoop: all of these plants secrete an oil called “urushiol.” That oil is what ultimately leads to the rash. Here’s where it gets interesting…I lived my entire youth believing that touching the rash would spread it, and that is patently false. The rash only gives the APPEARANCE of spreading. The OIL, not the resulting rash, it what gets “spread.” The initial point of contact gets irritated first and worst, but that’s not for like 5-7 days. What happens is that on the day you have contact with the oil, you then may touch and spread the OIL around your body, where it will also cause irritation, but since it’s not the site of direct contact, the oil will be less in volume, and it will take longer to absorb and manifest as a rash than the initial contact point, which staggers the manifestation and gives the illusion that the rash has spread. My understanding though, is that the palms of our hands and bottoms of our feet have thicker skin and is more resistant to the oil absorption, so a rash is far less likely in those areas.

So with all that said, here’s the solution: dish detergent. You read that right, haha, the same stuff you use on your plates and silverware. Dish detergent is better equipped than body soap to break down oil, as it’s designed to cut through greasy substances from food. So the key is to wash yourself with dish detergent before using your body soap, on the day of potential exposure, once the rash shows up, you’re days too late. I just keep a bottle of dish soap in my shower, and any time I do yardwork, or if I go fishing and am cutting through the woods or brush, anywhere I might be exposed, the first round of the shower is using dish soap. I didn’t have any dish soap in my shower as the bottle had gone empty for last time, and didn’t think much of it since I only was working in the yard briefly, but apparently I contacted it and luckily didn’t scratch my leg where it touched, then spreading it. It’s in one spot, so it’s only a mild annoyance. But other than that, I’ve had almost ZERO rashes from that stuff since I learned all this, so I highly recommend the practice to everyone👍👍

ManHater · Accepted Answer

I can walk through that stuff without even knowing and have my friend just look at me saying I just walked through poison IVY Poison OAK etc... Where if he even touches it he flares up in blisters. I suppose as a child I pretty much played outside a lot.

HighlyVolatile · Answer

When I was a boy, I went camping in West Virginia with my American side of the family. And as usual, I wandered off (my parents always panicked like, "Where did he go?").

So I walked into the woods in the pitch black of night and the ground underneath me collapsed as I stepped on the earth and I fell on these wooden spikes. They pierced my arm and belly and I was stuck and the sharpened wooden sticks kept tearing into my body trying to climb out.

I finally got out bleeding everywhere and made it back to the campsite and my wounds weren't that bad -- no punctured organs or anything. Just that pit trap designed for animals was covered in poison ivy.

I woke up in the middle of the night in my tent bandaged up only to find I was covered head to toe in rashes. I was like one giant rash. It even covered my eyeballs -- I especially remember the discomfort around my eyeballs all covered in hives and rash. I used to think the poison ivy got into my bloodstream but apparently, that's a myth that it can get into our bloodstream. I think I just hit it with almost every part of my body.

Aerissa_Jade · Answer

Tons of something called Stinging Nettle that I very much avoided touching at all costs, near where I grew up.

Ever have a tough encounter with a poisonous plant?

I learned quickly, when taking a shortcut through the fields to catch bus or go home, if in shorts or a skirt to not get close to those things.

DarkCarousel · Answer

Yes, a stinging nettle. It’s odd because it was painful for the day and irritated for nearly a week until it appeared to have gone away. Then a few months later, I had a flare up of irritation in the same spot. Apparently this is common with other people that I have spoken to about stinging nettle.

TrueConfection · Answer

As far as poison ivy goes I just remember the jingle, "Leaves of three let it be."

I only had a bad encounter with a plant once. I was a teenager and running in shorts and a tanktop when I tripped and landed face down in a patch of stinging nettles. My chest was covered. 😵

CarolineW · Answer

No, only a poisonous dwarf. He was 5ft 2in and his name was Jake. Kept biting my knees. Patted him on the head and told him to go away

KrisPW · Answer

Poison ivy as a kid. All up and down my legs, spread to my arms and chest because I just wouldn't leave it alone. I thought I was going to die.

normalice · Answer

From the ages of 9 to 17 I did not go a single summer without being covered in poison ivy pretty much the whole time.

RawIronhide · Answer

I'm not allergic to poison ivy at all really. I can rip the stuff right out the ground and be just fine.

DonkeyDan · Answer

Multiple times on my legs from stinging nettles as a kid, and once on ny ass and surrounding areas as an adult, we won't go into that though 😳

Mangospacho · Answer

Oh yes. I remember the calamine lotion smell very well too. I probably had a rash for a month from poison oak but, on the bright side, I did like that calamine lotion. I wish there was a calamine lotion scented candle.

1fatalflaw · Answer

On time i ate the boiled seeds from a jimson weed plant and 2 days later was starting to get my vision back

Lovesims3plumbob · Answer

When I was doing gardening in my old college. Have to pull out all the nettles. Was wearing PE , gloves coverralls. They still get pass all yet part from gloves.

exitseven · Answer

I had a horrendous rash one summer. I thought it was poison ivy and it turned out it was from the gypsy moth caterpillar.

Amy10223 · Answer

Yes, twice with poison Ivy in my own backyard. It was absolutely terrible. I had rashes all over my arms and fingers. Took some antihistamines for it and lathered myself in calamine lotion.

NathanDavis · Answer

poisonous plants... no we don´t have much vegetation variety here either (concrete jungle) but there is a crazy amount of pricky trees, bushed and plans... lol all kinds of crazy cacti

TexasRed95 · Answer

I am not allergic to poison ivy or oak. And to my knowledge there isn't much other poisonous plants in my area.

Anonymous · Answer

caladryl lotion or calamine lotion or aloe vera. some say use baking soda banana peels and some other stuff and cool compresses ice packs. back in the olden days they use to use oatmeal from what i remember

blissinanarchy1 · Answer

There was this level 15 poison ivy plant once and my machete was only a level 2. I did a quicksave before, and had to keep respawning. I eventually beat it, but yeah it was tough.

Staximus · Answer

I drank too much jamaica and got an attack of acute pancreatitis, felt like I was going to die

Razp_Sorbet · Answer

Avoid sitting on the grass for a long period of time. Grass rash is no fun... That's all I really have to worry about. Gauze I guess

Brendan24 · Answer

I got into contact with poison ivy a couple times 1st wasn't fun the 2nd wasn't all to bad  I did get a mean thorn bush going all the way down my leg from my knee

Irunya41 · Answer

I'm mostly not reacting to the ones in my area. I did a bit when I was a child thoug

douride2 · Answer

the only thing was a brush with poison ivy years ago now.

Blackmamba5061 · Answer

Yeah I'm not allergic to poison ivy not sure about poison oak so 🤷

Anonymous · Answer

As a kid, I once put part of some type of plant in my mouth, spit it out, and encountered a strong nasty tingling sensation in my mouth for awhile until it finally went away. OH the stupid things I did as a kid

omnivert · Answer

Dont know but all these have been encounter by me a lot of times.

Wise4myage · Answer

No, but it grows on our property so I am always on the look out for it.

Fuentes · Answer

I was always lucky enough to never be around those plants

bigpauly · Answer

I remember getting a really bad rash as a kid once.

Blackcupcake · Answer

no and I'm in the woods quite often... hahaha

Aakash_Hangargi · Answer

Very Informative 👏👏👏

TallAnon · Answer

Pretty sure the worst I've seen is hogweed

OddBeMe · Answer

Fly trap hurt my feelings once.

RobT312 · Answer

Yes…I’m super allergic to all of them

AviatorTom · Answer

I try to avoid plants with clusters of 3 leaves.

humanearth · Answer

Yes, very common here in the northern Midwest

Subarugirl · Answer

Leaves of three, let them be.

nawtee_me · Answer

Yes, poison ivy kills me….

Anonymous · Answer

yes it made my leg itch a lot

aided_ · Answer

i happily say no

8Bit_LYNX · Answer

Very informative

CubaPirate · Answer

Thankfully not

jimmy2 · Answer

Yes it is miserable

MrJMM · Answer

Yep!

Ever have a tough encounter with a poisonous plant?

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