Poison Ivy - No Problem

[Old Goat]

I have been camping and stomping around in the woods for over sixty years now and have come in contact with poison ivy countless times and have never been affected by it. I grew up in southern Florida in a rural area that had plenty of ivy. I have mowed it, handled it while clearing brush and  walked in it bare footed but have never had a case of it. My sister was not immune to it. Dad was immune to it and my son and  his daughter are also immune.
Anybody else immune?...

[Cheryl]

Although I haven't exposed myself to poison ivy as much as Old Goat has, my DH is EXTREMELY allergic to it and has had numerous EXTREME cases of it during our 27 years together. He has had it literally from head to toe. Other than normal hygene (SP?) precautions I have not gone out of my way to "Avoid" him during these episodes and I have never had a case of poison ivy. Probably just "Dumb luck" but I prefer to hope that I am immune.
Cheryl

[AustinBoston]

I was not immune as a child, but as a teen and younger adult, I certanly was.  To prove it to someone, I once took a few poison ivy leaves, rubbed them between my hands, then rubbed the leaves and my hands on my arms.  I did not wash for several hours.  Another time, I cut a 1-1/2" poison ivy vine and allowed the sap to drip in my hand, then spread that on my arms.

But I avoid the stuff now.  It's too easy to give it to someone else who is not immune just by touching a door knob, a light switch, sitting in a chair, etc. that someone else uses afterwards.

Austin

[fritz_monroe]

Don't get cocky folks.  I've been camping for a long time in tents.  I've woke up laying in the middle of a huge patch and never gotten a case of poison ivy.  Two years ago, I had 3 cases through the year.  Just because you have never had it does not mean you will never get it.  You can develop a sensity to it, just like you can lose your sensity to it.

Here's a paragraph from the Poison Ivy FAQ

Some people appear to be immune, others become immune. HOWEVER, you can gain or lose immunity, so to assume you can't get it if you never have before is foolish. People change as they age. I would never assume that I was immune at any time no matter what my past experience was.

And another one from the Poison Oak, Ivy, and Sumac Information Page

Upwards of 90% of people are allergic to urushiol oil, it's a matter of time and exposure. The more times you are exposed to urushiol, the more likely it is that you will break out with an allergic rash. For the first time sufferer, it generally takes longer for the rash to show up - generally in 7 to 10 days.

[CampDirt]

The only case of poison ivy I've ever had was many years ago when my parent's and I lived in NJ.  I was about 8, and my mom rushed me to the hospital not knowing what to do, thinking my skin was falling off.  Everyone in the reception room kinda chuckled and said to give me some kind of lotion (can't remember name).  Mom insisted on seeing doctor, who prescribed same lotion.  Seems lots of people in NJ had it at one time or another.  A year later we moved to the desert in sunny El Paso, TX where nobody even heard of poison ivy.  Haven't run into any since and hope not to anytime soon.  But thanks for that long lost memory, almost forgot about it...

[tlhdoc]

The only times I have had it were when I had an open cut and ended up in the poison ivy, ex: bicycle wreck into a poison ivy patch.  

[wynot]

Don't get cocky folks. I've been camping for a long time in tents. I've woke up laying in the middle of a huge patch and never gotten a case of poison ivy. Two years ago, I had 3 cases through the year. Just because you have never had it does not mean you will never get it. You can develop a sensity to it, just like you can lose your sensity to it.
 
Here's a paragraph from the Poison Ivy FAQ
 
 
 
And another one from the Poison Oak, Ivy, and Sumac Information Page

Amen to that.  My DW never got a case of Poison Ivy until a few years ago, and that was a big suprise to her, so like was noted here, it can suddenly affect you.