[pct-l] Poison oak

["Hikertrash" <hikertrash@earthlink.net>]

During two months on a Los Padres N.F. (CA) trail crew, I had the unenviable job of clearing poison oak infested trails.  Since I knew from previous experience I reacted badly to the stuff, I decided to try something my Dad used to give me as a kid:  poison ivy/poison oak extract tablets.  There are tablets made by Hyland's (800-624-9659) which are fairly widely available.

 

I'm sure there are some out there who will scoff at the notion, but the idea is that the minute quantities of poison oak/poison ivy extract in the tabs builds a sort of resistance to the outbreaks caused by exposure to urishiol.  It is also certainly possible that taking these tablets has a placebo effect.  At any rate, I took them prophylactically and despite daily exposure to chopping, lopping and uprooting poison oak, I suffered no outbreaks.  Now, obviously, I took other precautions to minimize direct contact with the plants, like wearing gloves and trying not to touch bare skin to the outside of my clothing, but some urishiol contact with my skin had to have taken place.

 

So at the start of my thru-hike, I decided to start taking the tabs again, as a precaution against the oak along the trail (for those of you who don't know -- it is practically unavoidable in a few spots).  I knew I'd be hiking in shorts and would have limited opportunities to completely remove urishiol from my skin.  Again, I suffered no outbreaks.

 

Is it all in my head?  Possibly.  But at 1 oz. for 50 tablets, would I do it again?  Absolutely.

 

Chris.

 

P.S.  In the spirit of full disclosure, the label on the tablets indicates they are for treatment of outbreaks, not for prophylactic use to prevent outbreaks.