[pct-l] Poison Oak/Ivy & Poodle-Dog Bush on the PCT

Wed Mar 20 00:39:35 CDT 2013

MendoRider, I had heard that people could immunize themselves by eating PO
leaves, but never had precise directions before. THANK YOU!!

Moonbeam

-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
On Behalf Of Melissa Cappetti
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 9:11 AM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Poison Oak/Ivy & Poodle-Dog Bush on the PCT

Thanks for the entertaining reply MendoRider-Hiker!  Are you totally immune
to Poison Oak oils now?  I don't think I can ingest Poison Oak leaves quite
yet...I'm still healing from my exposure on March 3rd and I'm terrified! LOL

You are brave for sure :)

On Thu, Mar 14, 2013 at 3:17 PM, Edward Anderson
<mendoridered at yahoo.com>wrote:

> Hi Lindsey,
>
> I notice that you grew up in Mendocino County, and are possibly from the
> coast - from which town? We might have mutual friends.  I lived on the
> coast for nearly 35 years, two miles north of Mendocino village. We
> bordered what is now the Point Cabrillo Nature Preserve. The next
structure
> north of our house was the P. C. lighthouse - one-half mile north. We also
> had a ranch in Comptche.
>
> Yes, we had plenty of poison oak on the coast. We also had it on our ranch
> in Comptche. Our dogs and horses wandered through it and I have sometimes
> observed the horses eating it. Of course, anyone allergic to it, could not
> avoid getting it, if not directly from the plant, then from the animals. I
> had had several severe cases beginning when I was a kid, growing up in
L.A.
> County. I got a really bad case when I was in the Army, stationed at Fort
> Ord. Then, my wife and I would get it every year when we lived on the
> Mendocino coast. Those cases became less and less severe - but we still
got
> it. Like yourself, we could identify it and knew to wash off with soap and
> water after exposure. But, we couldn't avoid daily contact with our
> animals. We had neighbors, the Shandel brothers, who also owned, and had
> grown up on, a ranch in Comptche. Their family had homesteaded there
during
> the late 1800's. They raised cattle and did logging. The brothers were
> immune to
>  poison oak. Norm Shandel marched in the Paul Bunion days parade every
> year dressed as, and playing the part of, Paul Bunyon, Norm was a big guy,
> standing at six-foot six.
>
>
> One day I talked to my doctor about poison oak, I asked about the
> over-the-counter pills and drops that I had heard about and were then
> available to self immunize against poison oak. I couldn't find them at
> pharmacies on the coast.  Doctor Hal Robinson, a well respected, country
> doctor who lived in Mendocino, was also very aware of the possibilities of
> Holistic Medicine. He told me how to do the same thing as the pills, and
> immunize myself by carefully ingesting the leaves, starting with just one
> small leaf the size of a dime. (Pluck the leaf from the plant using
> tweezers).  The leaf must be placed (carefully, using the tweezers), in
the
> middle of your tongue (on a pool of saliva) and then swallowed with two
> glasses of water. He told me not to chew so as not to allow it to mix with
> saliva. The first time I goofed and got a little on my lips, resulting in
a
> very mild rash there. (You can get it on dry, exterior skin.)  After the
> first leaf, I was
>  instructed to wait four days, and see it there was a reaction. If no
> reaction, swallow a slightly larger leaf (quarter size) and, again wait
> three or four days. If no reaction, continue, swallowing a little larger
> leaf each time, for about three weeks. At the end of that I was immune to
> poison oak. I repeated the program in the spring of the following year and
> have never had poison oak since. That was in the late 1980's, and was my
> personal experience de-sensitizing my body to P.O. by ingesting P.O.
> leaves. Using this approach, you don't get poison oak on your tongue,
> throat, stomach or in your intestines. (It is important that you wash your
> rectum with soap and water after making a bowel movement - Dr. R.
cautioned
> me). You can, however, I have been told, get poison oak in your lungs if
> you inhale the smoke from the burning plants.  This can be lethal, and
> firefighters can be at risk.
>
> For those PCT hikers who would like to know about an over-the-counter
> product to effectively remove the P.O. oil from your skin, check out
> Zanfel  at  www.zanfel.com.  This product is available from REI and from
> Walmart, etc..
>
> Have a great hike.
>
> MendoRider-Hiker
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>  From: Lindsey Sommer <lgsommer at gmail.com>
> To: pct-l <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2013 6:48 PM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Poison Oak/Ivy & Poodle-Dog Bush on the PCT
>
> Oh boy, reminds me of growing up in Mendocino county on the north coast of
> CA. My friends and I ALWAYS had PO because it grows everywhere up there. I
> assume it's something to do with moist redwood forests that probably
> provide an ideal home :)
>
> Oddly I haven't had it since childhood and I think this is partially
> related to the fact that I'm VERY good at identifying it. I'm also
slightly
> allergic, so being able to recognize it during different seasons is
> important (though, this is rough when there aren't any leaves). I'm sure
> there are going to be spots where it's unavoidable, but I suggest doing a
> good review of identifying it throughout the west?
>
> (This might be a myth that I've allowed myself to believe since childhood,
> but doesn't PO look slightly different depending on what type/region? This
> might be entirely untrue and if so I should probably look that up!).
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 13, 2013 at 9:26
>  PM, Ken Murray <kmurray at dr.com> wrote:
>
> > Melissa,
> >
> > I'm a volunteer wilderness ranger and trail crew leader, mainly in the
> > Sierra.... in fact, I'm going to spend a week working the PCT for the 7
> > miles north of the Kennedy Meadows Campground in just over a week.
> >
> > One reason I like working in the Sierra is the LACK of Poison Oak (we
> have
> > no Poison Ivy in the western states, only the east) up there above 4,000
> > feet. There is a lot on the west side of the range, in the lower
regions.
> > the PCT pretty much doesn't go there. I saw my first poodle brush plant
> > last year 5 miles north of Kennedy meadows (I removed it). That's in 50+
> > years of backpacking up there.
> >
> > Poison oak also likes and prefers a lot of water. Very often, it is
where
> > there is a stream crossing where you
>  will see it at lower elevations. I
> > doubt if you'd encounter it in the desert, but semi-desert is prime
> > territory.
> >
> > I have used all the prevention products for my winter activities on the
> > westside, and they work to some degree, but are a hassle. If you wash
> with
> > soap ASAP after a known exposure, you may prevent the outbreak.
> >
> > Long clothing is a good idea, but of course, you are getting the oil on
> > your clothing, instead of your skin, and it is sitting there ready to
get
> > you.
> >
> > You CAN wear different clothing at different stages of your hike, and
> > should think of doing so, just like some prefer different footwear.
> >
> > As for removing the oil, soap and water works well, also rubbing
alcohol.
> >
> > Hope you feel well soon. The coast range is FILLED with PO!
> >
> > Ken Murray, MD
> >
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>
>
> --
> Lindsey Sommer
> MLIS Candidate 2014 -- University of California, Los Angeles
> lgsommer at gmail.com
> M: (808) 298-1116
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