[pct-l] Poison Oak Immunization

[jeff.singewald at comcast.net]

George,

In the late 70s / early 80s there was actually a product sold over the counter called Immun-Oak.  Basically it was in liquid form and consisted of the active chemical in PO.  The product by design was taken over the course of 1 month.  Basically 1 drop in 8 ounces of water once per day for 3 consecutive days and than 2 drops in 8 ounces of water once per day for 3 days and so on.

Having been hospitalized twice for serioius PO (I had it everywhere and I mean everywhere - eyes were swollen shut and throat was swollen causing breathing difficulties and the pee and poop shoots were not functional), I decided to give this stuff a try once I was fully healed from the incident mentioned above.

The manuafacturer indicated that the immunization would last 3-4 years at which time a repeat may be necessary.  After 3 years I found that the product had been pulled from distribution, but with that said, I did not encounter another incident for nearly 18 years.  I hunt and fish frequently and know full well that this medicine worked VERY well!

My guess is that it was pulled from distribution due to the risk of causing problems if not taken properly. The dosage was critical as was taking it when you had absolutely no contact or outbreak of PO.

With that said, I am still not certain I would be up to this alternative strategy.  I have seen that in the past 3-4 years, my immune system has a deficiency again though as I have had several outbreaks following hunting/hiking trips in which I have been exposed to PO.

This may just work, but I will leave it to others to give it a try.

Elevator

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "George Wysup" <georwy at charter.net> 

> > - - - and poison oak leaves. Start with a very small leaf. Using the tweezers, 
> carefully pluck it from the branch and looking in the mirror, carefully place it 
> in the middle of your tongue. Immediately swallow it with two glasses of water. 
> Whatever you do don't chew it or allow it to mix with your saliva. You could get 
> P.O. blisters on your lips. I had a little of this the first time. Now wait 
> three days and see if you have any reaction. If not,( I did'nt ) then do it with 
> a larger leaf and wait three days again. If still no reaction continue this 
> until you have swallowed five leaves. By then you will, most likely be immune to 
> P.O.< 
> 
> Is anyone actually going to try this? When I was growing up in So Cal, 
> around 1949, some MDs actually made money trying to immunize PO sufferers using 
> a technique similar to the above (only more controlled). They don't do this any 
> more. Guess why not. IT DOESN'T WORK! Most folks understand that repeated 
> exposure to an allergen actually increases the sensitivity. Think about it. Have 
> you ever heard of bee sting immunization? Peanut butter immunization? Hives? 
> Psoriasis? Celiac disease? I suspect you have not - and for good reason. Your 
> body's immune system does not build antibodies for PO allergen. 
> It may not be harmful to try this. Id guess that the digestive fluids 
> actually digest the rhus oil before it can cause a reaction. [Maybe what you 
> need on the PCT is a gallon of stomach acid.] If this trick seems to work, it's 
> likely because the "experimenter" has, by now, learned to recognize and avoid 
> the PO. Better you try using Skunk brush as a placebo instead of the real thing. 
> Maybe accupuncture or chiropractic will do the job. 
> Yep; the dead-looking branches can be as deadly as the leaves, and they are 
> harder to ID as poison oak. Helpful hint for the guys: after possible contact 
> with PO, clean your hands before peeing. I learned this the hard way. 
> George 
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