> I just finished up a course of Prednisone (a steriod) after
> getting poison oak from cleaning and sharpening my chain saw.
Careful with that Prednisone ! What the MDs don't tell you is ... it can
cause diabetes ! Not to mention lots of other side effects, like weight
gain and Cushing's syndrome (which makes you look like you have Down's
syndrome).
All things considered, I'd rather let the poison oak/ivy run it's course.
BTW there's an over-the-counter product that I didn't know about for a long
time that seems to work very well if you know you've been exposed to poison
oak/ivy. It's called "Tecnu", and it's basically a soap that will dissolve
the essential oil that causes the reaction (urushiol). Buy it at Wal-Mart
(although you may have to ask several people before anyone knows what it
is). It's best used after exposure but before the rash starts, but even if
you wait until you feel that first tell-tale itch, it still works pretty
good.
I now keep a bottle in my travel kit.
Randall - terribly allergic to poison ivy
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