Poison Ivy

[Jason Southwick]

There was some lush poison ivy at the Bouton Brewery, and I can feel and see it appearing on my arms and legs, three days later. I remember rubbing my eye, and as for my hands coming into contact with my balls, well, I generally keep my hands on my balls, so I've been getting in a good pre-scratch between typing sentences here.

It almost makes you wonder whether, after reading this, you should touch YOUR keyboard. (Tip: If you type fast you have to let go of your balls for only a few seconds at a time.)

Poison ivy is a weird plant, connected in many minds to several misconceptions.

The first is that you can get it from someone who has poison ivy blisters, especially the puss. You may understandably not want to touch someone else's poison ivy rash, or let the puss touch your skin, but you won't get poison ivy from it. Essentially you get it straight from the plant's oil, generally and especially when you touch the plant directly, though the oil can be transferred from, say, your hand to your balls.

The second is that you'll develop a resistance to it over time and repeated contact. Nope. You get less resistant over time.

Just last Saturday at Don's Orchard Paradise Streeter goes, "I don't get it," referring to poison ivy. He's just getting it now, yet believes he actually got it before Saturday, at his brother Andrew's backyard course in Charlton, weedwacking thick, rich poison ivy.

Weedwacking poison ivy, especially with short pants and short sleeves, as Jeff did, is an excellent way to catch it. You think the wind is rustling those big green poison ivy leaves, but it's actually the whole big interconnected evil plant laughing at you, whispering, "You're miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnne."

Other misconceptions? What it looks like. It has a whole lot of different appearances: harmless little plant, big hairy tree-choking vine, reddish, green, glossy, matt, serrated, less serrated, big almost palm sized dark green leaves, little itty bitty lighter green sprouting leaves. A few things are always constant: the leaf grouping is always three leaves, and always at least one of the leaves is trying to grow a thumb.

And there's a bunch of plants that sort of look like it, but once you've stared poison ivy in the face, and declared it disc golf course enemy number 2 (behind litterers), and hunted it down with gloves and ripped its shallow roots out of the ground and sprayed big patches of it with generic Roundup and killed it and danced on its grave (while retrieving a disc or two), you never forget.

Though it still seems every spring there's always a few small deciduous sprouts that make you bend down for a closer look at the woodier stem. Just spotted it again at Pyramids at the bottom of the hill on Hole 8, despite last year's meticulous and mostly manual assault against its toxic trespass.

You can never completely eradicate it, and, unlike litterers, you shouldn't bury it in your garden. You shouldn't burn it either, and if you do anyway, stay away from its smoke, which, if breathed deeply, will mess your lungs up worse than all those people who voted for George W two times in a row.

Badumbum.

[Bill Newman]

something I actually agree with JS about..PI blows...

it comes in several forms: ground cover, plant, vine...others?

it likes wet conditions, it like dry conditions, it keeps coming back....

[Chris Piaseczny]

The sooner you can wash it off, the better. it takes a while, like a few hours, for the oil to bond to your skin. So I always try and get to a cool shower asap after a round. The cool shower is key too, as hot water actually helps with the skin bonding process.

I've never really tried the preventative lotions you put on before heading out, do they work?

chris p

[John Mucciarone]

a topic i love, about something i HATE!
Its all about the OIL of the plant, which gets on towels, clothes, discs, dogs too.

history:
aveeno baths, oatmeal baths, bleach, calamine, caladryl, benadryl. tried them all for various levels of relief.
used to get it real bad. oozing and blistering. pretty awesome sight. or not. really.

today:
Ivy Block has worked pretty good in limited testing on my part (put it on before you play)
I wear super lightweight pants (LL BEAN) to play in, no bother chancing that which i know i can't beat.
Wife NEVER EVER got it until last Spring. Needed Steroids because it got that bad -- consider yourself warned.

My 93% effective way to deal with it when you are out playing with shorts on, etc.
RUBBING ALCOHOL SWABS. Wipe after each round if you can, or before you drive away.
The swabs pull the oil (which lies dormant on your skin) off your skin. When you get home,
rinse with COLD WATER. A shower is the worst thing. Warm water = open pores = Ivy 2-3 days later.
Tecnu also works okay to clean off. But I trust in the Rubbing Alcohol.

Since moving back East 8 years ago, I have had it less than once a year, and only spots on legs or arms or hands.
Just be conscious of it. And avoid courses that have lots of it. Cover up and swab!

[Jeff Wiechowski]

............or just quit throwing discs in it.

What is it with PI and ticks(lyme)?? Been playing DG for twentysomething years and NEVER had a problem.............. am i immune?

[Eric Kevorkian]

After a few bouts with PI/PO/PS (Ivy, Oak, Sumac) over the past couple years, I started wearing the long socks that go up to my knees. They seem to do the trick, and I don't hesitate to go in after a disc.

Like John said, wash with COLD water ASAP after your round. I haven't tried the rubbing alcohol, but may give it a shot.

May not hurt to swab your disc after you pull it out, too.

[Jeff Wiechowski]

May not hurt to swab your disc after you pull it out, too.

[Jeff Woodcock]

simmons park in burlington is COVERED with poison ivy!!!!!!!!! i played 18 there last week thankfully without catching any. i recommend a good shower as soon as possible after a poison ivy round.

[Shawn Mullen]

Got it bad all over my legs. It's not the itching or the rash that is concerning to me, that is fading pretty quickly and really doesn't itch too bad. I've been using caladryl and this spray on stuff that I got from the Dr. It's the swelling in my ankle that it's creating that bothers me. Not sure if I should play on it or not. The Dr. said to ice, elevate and take advil.

[Todd Eddy]

I just bought a house and the woods are covered with PI. Yet I cannot seem to stay out of the woods. So now I too am covered with PI. I find that Budweiser (cans) work pretty well.

[Kevin Fanning]

simmons park in burlington is COVERED with poison ivy!!!!!!!!! i played 18 there last week thankfully without catching any. i recommend a good shower as soon as possible after a poison ivy round.

DUDE, you said it.
I have yet to play a round there where i did not get it.

I have heard it all... from topical creams to straight up dumb ideas(a guy at my work told me to scrape deep into the rash with a fine tip metal comb, and then rub toothpaste into it ) None of them worked for me(although i never tried the toothpaste)... So the last time I got it real bad(@simonds, of course), I was so fed up that i made an appointment with my doctor. He had me choose between topical steroid cream or prednisone tablets. I went with the prednisone(40 bucks cheeper) BEST DECISION I EVER MADE. It was like dropping an atomic bomb on the rash. It stopped itching after a couple days and the rash was gone in about a weeks time. Not to mention, the stuff was wicked cheep.($2 for the 8 day cycle)

More recently I have been wearing high socks like the ones Kovo mentioned. Havn't gotten it through the socks, although i have gotten it on my knees, which leads me to believe i should just rock those super light pants. I'll have to try the alcohal swabs for my arms because I still get it around my wrists/forearms.

So if you dont react fast enough to get the oils off and you end up with a bad rash, I highly reccomend inquiring with your doctor about prednisone...

[Preston Parish]

Oh man... bad [bleep]. Just pay it forward and rip it out with thick work gloves and bag it up. Throw the gloves out. And anything that's touched it (except plastic ;D)

[Matt Grayum]

Good trick I learned is that after playing a round (within an hour or sooner) use dish washing detergent (palmolive or the like) anything with "de-greaser" in it. Before rinsing with water (this prevents spreading the poison oils and opening our pores) apply the soap all over any exposed area and "scrub". After applying it then rinse with cool water. I have yet to get it since starting this (I am allergic to all poison plants). I am no doctor but take it for what it's worth. Ha

[Jeff Wiechowski]

The reaction you(or anyone) gets is totally dependent on that specific persons' sensitivity to the oil. We have a couple guys here that can rummage around in the vines and not be affected at all. Me personally, I've had no issues with it until this year. I used this for a mild breakout and the rash was gone in a few days.



Since the oil does not evaporate, you can recontaminate yourself from tools, gloves, clothing, etc., you need to clean these items also.
Technu makes a cleanser that works on skin as well as tools & clothing.
http://www.teclabsinc.com/tips-advice/g ... t-and-more

[johnny betts]

Jewel weed (Impatiens capensis) is the only real cure for poison ivy rash, bug bites, stinging nettles ect. It is an amazing plant. Check it out in a wetland area near you.

Poison ivy oil can linger on clothes, discs and pets for a long time. Once the oil seeps through your skin, it enters your bloodstream and can cause a reaction anywhere on or in your body. Thank god we don't have any of it up north.

Amusing, creative post about ivy Jason. You should make it into a poem.