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Prescription / Medical · Commercial Products · Water-based · From the Kitchen · From the Medicine Chest · From the Cleaning Supply Cabinet · Natural Remedies · Homeopathic · Care & Control of the Itch · Treatment Regimens · Miscellaneous Suggestions · WARNINGS!
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What a fantastic site. This site embodies all the potential that the internet
should achieve. You present a great website forum for the sharing of ideas
vis-a-vis urushiol. It has helped me...through the impartial presentation of
remedies: I have chosen to order Zanfel.
The most wonderful product I have ever found in terms of stopping the
poison ivy dead in its tracks is Zanfel. This stuff works better than
anything. The poison ivy simply goes away! You should recomend this to
everyone on your site.
I would like to thank you for the information on your website about
zanfel. I was completly in the worst pain that my body had ever been in. I had
what is called a systimic reaction(in my blood stream)my reaction was so
terrible that I was taken to the e.r. at 12:30 in the evening by a
friend. My
doctor said that he had never seen a poison oak reaction as bad as mine an
therefore I asumed that he wasn't sure how to treat it. I was given a shot of
cortizone and was sent on my way. This did nothing for me! by the next day it
had spreaded to new places on my body including my eye lids, it was like the
rash had a mind of its own. I was then prescirbed pills from my doctor which
than again did nothing for me. I had just about every remedy by my side, but
nothing and I mean nothing was working it was like the oak rash was taking over
my body. It wasn't until today when my zanfel came to my recue by over night
delivery. I feel like this stuff actually saved my life. It gave
me instant releif and now after being out of work for a week,I can go back and
continue on with my life.
I had a really bad case of poison ivy on my face. I tried aloe, calamine
lotion, and hydrocortisone. None of them were working. I felt like I had a
gooey mask on my face, and everywhere I went people looked at me like I was
a leper. I went on the internet and found Zanfel. I usually do not take
chances on these types of things, but I was a little desperate. I ordered it
despite the $49.00 price tag. Well, I must say that this is the best topical
treatment I have tried. It took 2 applications to get rid of it all but it
did the job, and exceeded my expectations. The next day I was myself again,
with no pain or itching. I would definitely recommend this product. Poison
Ivy is so horrible!
I am honestly astonished to find any product that does so thoroughly and
precisely what it claims to do as
Zanfel
does. My twelve-year-old son is
unusually patient for his age, which made it all the more difficult to watch
him suffer for a week with his second violent poison ivy reaction. He had
had a prednisone injection when we first determined that this was another
attack of poison ivy, but all that had done was to reduce the red-leather
effect on his face. Over the subsequent five days, the rash continued to
spread until it covered both arms, both legs, and his torso, as well as half
of his face. I was browsing through medical websites when I saw a link to
the
Zanfel
site. I read every testimonial on the page and wanted to try it
badly enough to risk what I believed to be an eighty-percent chance of being
ripped off, simply because there is so much chicanery on the web. I was
willing to do just about anything for my son at that point.
The
Zanfel
arrived on Monday, so immediately after school, we spent fifteen
minutes following the simple instructions. We were both amazed at the fact
that this product worked compeletely and instantly. We did re-do a few
spots on his hands on the two mornings following, but I'm not sure we really
need to do those. Yes, it's expensive, but we did his whole twelve-year-old
body with about a third of the jar. It even seemed to stop the spreading
that the prednisone should have stopped but apparently didn't. I can't
explain that, but I'm certainly happy about it!
Since then, I have told everyone I know with kids about this product. I
even had one of my son's teachers follow me home yesterday with her little
girl so I could take care of the rash that had just started to show on her
face! I've also informed the local cable company as well as the tree
service that does the trimming for our power company, since I know they
probably need it the most.
Having the other two-thirds of the jar of
Zanfel
in the house feels like an
insurance policy. It is very hard to watch one's child suffer. I thank you
deeply and enthusiastically for what you have done to eliminate that
suffering in our house!
I have extreme reactions to even minor brushes with poison ivy. This year so
far I have been on steroids 3 times. Normally, I am quite a healthy person who
avoids chemicals and medicine.
Zanfel arrived on Saturday and when I attended
my business meetings on Monday, the current case of poison ivy was almost gone!
I even forgot to finish taking the remainder of my steroid prescription as I
had nothing to remind me - no raised, red rash or insane itching. I can sleep
at night, don't ooze during the day and generally, can almost forget I have
poison ivy. There aren't enough words to express the freedom from itching,
pain, ugly looking skin and bad moods Zanfel has given me.
I would like to thank you for all your help with zanfel. One of my customers, Amy Grandaw, found Zanfel on the internet,so we ordered zanfel for her son. She and I both were amazed at the results. I have been a pharmacist for over 20 years, and I have always recommended washing the area as soon as possible. With Zanfel the area can be washed days later and the poison ivy reaction is arrested! Patients can now visit their local pharmacist and get an over-the- counter medication that can get immediate relief for them. The product is safe and effective , and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Construction workers, telephone workers, highway patrol, landscape workers, forestors and loggers have used this product with success. I have contacted local clinics and doctors and they are writing prescriptions to be used by their patients . Please have any pharmacies , doctors , or patients contact me if they have any doubts. Rick Smith Crivitz Pharmacy PO Box 488 Crivitz, WI 54114 Phone 715.854.7425 Fax 715.854.7326 Editor note: Thanks for the contact information and very nice letter.
I went to Carmel, California over labor day weekend for a college
friends wedding.I had heard it was incredibly beautiful and I was not
disappointed. So the morning of the wedding some friends and I thought
we would take advantage of the beautiful coastline and go for a run. A
couple of wrong turns later we found ourselves on the edge of Pebble
Beach Golf Course and shoulder high in greenery that I noted looked like
poison something or other. My good friend Mark assured us all it was
mint! The very next day two of my friends, including Mark, were itching
badly. On the third day, while they were suffering, I foolishly declared
myself "immune" since I had no symptoms and never had it before. It was
eight and half days later while back at work in NY that I first noticed
the itching. By day two the blisters had formed and I was in absolute
AGONY.The itching was unbearable. I could'nt sleep and I was spending at
least three hours a day nursing my legs.I literally wanted to jump out
of my skin. The very worst part of this was that I had spent the last
six months of my life training and fund raising for a marathon that was
only a week and a half away. I tried to test my legs by going for a
short run but ended up itching and crying by mile two. It was now five
days before the marathon and I thought for sure that I would have to
cancel. All my months of training and fundraising - to be sidelined by
poison oak. I just could'nt believe it.
In desperation I went on the internet to find something, even if just a
support group, to bring me comfort. I found
Zanfel.
I read the
testimonials with, admittedly, a bit of skepticism. But I decided I had
nothing to lose and ordered an overnight delivery. My co workers laughed
and said Id be receiving $65 worth of instructions on how to take an
Aveeno bath.
The first time I used it I noticed results right away. It felt funny to
be scrubbing my blisters with something grainy but after I washed it off
there was no more itching.I was amazed.
O.K, this next bit is for all of you with a REALLY bad case like the
one I had (I had someone ask me if I had gotten tangled in barbed wire).
My happiness was quickly replaced by panic when the itching returned
several hours later. It ended up taking about five treatments until I
was itch free. I write this so those of you with bad cases won't get
discouraged. It just takes a few more treatments and persistence. I now
believe that what I had was an extreamly bad localized systemic reaction
thus the need for the mutiple treatments.
If you're reading this and have poison ivy/oak please don't hesitate
to use
Zanfel. It cost's more than Calamine lotion for a reason - it
works! There's no reason to suffer or put your life on hold with this
stuff out there.
Erin A. Gensel
Social Work Graduate Student
My wife ask me to trim some branches off the oak tree in our front yard. I finally got around to it. There were several vines going up the tree--a couple were an inch in diameter. There were no leaves on the first 15 or so feet of these vines. I climbed up the tree with a bow saw, and cut several dead branches. I also cut down several of the vines, and of course, I rested several times in the leaves and vines. THEN, my wife and children took a couple of the sturdier vines, and made a swing out of it! They played on the "swing" on Saturday and Sunday. All of their hands were black with the "tar" from the vine.
Yes, it was all poison ivy--of course, we had no idea.
All four of us became extremely systemic. We all had
steroids from the doctor.
Here I am in Day 12 of a particularly severe poison ivy reaction, and want to
share a bit of this awful experience so that at least a few future sufferers
won't have to make all the same mistakes I did.
Third and biggest mistake - I should have gone to the Dr's office so he could see for himself how bad it was. He then could have given me a mega-dose injection of cortizone or steroids or both on the spot, followed up by the declining dosage of pills. So I was stuck with only pills, and had none of the benefit of the knock out punch from the injection to stop my immune response to the poison ivy oil that was circulating in my bloodstream and continuing to erupt through my skin.
Two tubes of Zanfel arrived on the afternoon of Day 6, by which time I was
nearly insane - and I used it immediately. Believe me, it worked much better
than the hair dryer I had been using to try to burn away the itching, and it
felt wonderful to rub those granules into my itching skin. From continued
reading of the internet literature and a conversation with Zanfel, I learned
that I had a systemic reaction, and a severe one. In my case I needed two
scrubs with Zanfel about every 4-5 hours to keep the itching under control as
blisters built and burst and made pinacles and skin dried and cracked and
many welts would not back off at all. I had numerous leather splotches and
acres of bumps and strips. I ran through the first two tubes in three days.
Zanfel got more to me overnight, as did a drugstore on the far side of the
state. Now at Day 12, I've got 5 or 6 tubes left and I may need them. Had to
get the prednisone pills renewed yesterday. The Dr. said that some people
exaggerate symptoms over the phone and he would have given me an injection
and a longer dose in the beginning had he seen me personally. At Day 12 I'm
still washing my arms, chest, groin, and legs with Zanfel every 4-5 hours.
I'm exhausted. My humor and my wife's patience are almost totally gone.
But the rash is slowly, steadily improving. I'm beginning to be able to get a
few hours sleep at a stretch. I wouldn't be able to get any sleep were it not
for the Zanfel, and my marriage would be in ruins, I'm sure. Zanfel is
certainly not a "cure" for my case, but it is saving my sanity, and maybe my
wife, and you can believe I'm going to keep several tubes in stock in this
house from now on. I've already turned on the Dr. and several neighbors and
friends to the product and am about to get the local druggist aboard.
Moral: If you've already got it, see the Doctor now and get Zanfel.
Second moral: When weeding through the vines - at least wear plastic gloves,
have a bucket of soapy water nearby to wash with - and use it before
touching your skin or clothing !!!
Good luck!
I tried all the over the counter products including Zanfel (which was
a big let down) I broke down and went to the doc and got Prednisone.
I hope it works. I'm into this rash for two weeks now and a couple of hundred
dollars. One thing I've learned is to be less judgemental of others who have
PI or another visible disorder. My children were calling me a monster last
week which then became a long discussion about accepting others for who they
are and not making them feel even more self conscious. Despite everyone
knowing that PI is not contagious, people still stay their distance and don't
like to be touched by you. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to have a
major deformity and deal with the constant looks from others. "Elephant Man"
Good luck everyone.
I recently contracted a severe case of poison ivy and I found your
site to be most helpful and informative. However I purchased Zanfel after
learning about it on your site, but it did not help me at all, and only
served to delay my seeing a doctor and getting steroids. Zanfel may work in
some cases, but it was useless for me.
I have been reading this page for days now mainly because I am
suffering from very bad case of poisonivy. Having tried everything under the
sun I decided to try Zanfel. I drove 2 hours to a pharmacy 'nearby' in order
to get my hands on this miracle cure all.
Well folks, do not get your hopes up. Having treated for 4 days I see no relief
in sight. The rash is spreading and shows no signs of slowing .
Today I got a prescription for Methylpred, and I hope it works.
I'll post the results after I'm done with that.
Zanfel may work on some people, and possibly on a few weak rash cases. Mine
seems to be pretty extensive, and frankly Zanfel was a big disappointment and
even bigger waste of money $38.99/1oz tube in a pharmacy. Buyer beware.
After a very nasty two week long battle with a poison ivy case
that was only getting worse (how nasty is it when you can poke your leg and it
squirts? Sorry - just had to explain how bad it was . . .), I ordered the
Zanfel product. It works.
Just wanted to thank whoever put this website together! My three year
old son
and I got poison ivy in July while picking blueberries in Michigan. I
had grown up across the road from a woods and had spent many summers playing
there, but had never contacted poison ivy. Apparently the bout with the
blueberries was the first time either of us was exposed, because it took 7
days for the rash to appear on both of us. To add to my misery, I was
seven months pregnant at the time.
I had been infected with poison ivy for 23 days before my first treatment
with Zanfel. I had used Calamine lotion which really dried my skin out making
it look like dry leather, soap and water, cortisone cream, and Aspercream, al
l giving me very little releif. I decided to search the web and I saw the
Zanfel name several times, so I ordered it. I used the Zanfel cream twice in
a row within 5 minutes and there was tremendous relief from the itching
immediately after use. I thought it was to good to be true. It lasted until
the following afternoon. I used the cream again. The blisters are shrinking
in size and itching as well. What a relief!! I've used it once a day now for
3 days and tommorrow will probably be the last day, because IT'S GONE!!! My
skin scars easily so I'm extremely thrilled with the healing. The
discoloration is gone, the hard spots are gone, and my skin has regained it's
proper color. With this being on the top of my elbow area and living
in the south with such a warm climate, my arms are exsposed most of the time.
I'm sooooooo happy, I can't help but post back to this page. The result
was much better than I ever expected.... I'm thrilled and will spead the word
willingly !! Thank you Zanfel !!!!
I want to confirm Ms. Carter's observation
(Deborah Carter ([email protected]) May/17/2000) that Zanfel didn't
work for me also. I've had a case of poison oak for the past couple of weeks
and repeated applications of Zanfel have had no noticable effect on it. This
is not to deny the general efficacy of the product, but simply to demonstrate
that as with any other medical product, our bodies react in different, and
often unique, ways. For myself, the only treatment thats been marginally
effective has been good ole Calamine lotion. Other than that, its up
to the body itself to take care of the healing.
I built a deck and a fence at my house. I was working shirtles
s, and too late did I realize that, rubbing up against our arch nemesis poison
ivy. I ran in and took a shower to wash it all away, but didn't get there in
time apparently. I basically got rashes all over my hands, on my face and
some on my legs. Bottom line, it sucked. Then I visited this website and
found all the testimonials for Zanfel. So I sucked it up and drove to a
pharmacy that was (fortunately) only 20 minutes away that had the stuff.
I shelled out the 40 bones for a 1oz tube and headed home to the shower.
After applying the gritty goo to my rashes as directed, I could only come up
with two words for you out there suffering from the dreaded P.I.....
"Buy it". It was worth every dollar I spent.
Admitedly I was nervous at first because when I stepped out of the shower,
I still itched. Well by the time I left the bathroom, I'd forgotten I even
had poison Ivy. Now it's been a day.!
The nasty blisters are still there... oozing all over and crusting up my poor
skin, but the annoying itch and burning associated with P.I. is history. If you
want to alleviate your pain right now, go buy some Zanfel. It rocks!!
I just want to say that Zanfel is NOT the answer. I am terribly, terrible
allergic to poison ivy, and I had a whopping case of it last summer while
pregnant. (I have it again now.) Last year, I found the Zanfel site and read
all the customer testimonials and ordered a jar of it for some inordinate sum
of money. It DID NOTHING FOR ME. In fact, I ended up having a systemic
reaction, either to the poison ivy itself or to one of the many products
I used in trying to relieve it. Bottom line for me: Zanfel was a big waste of
money. It feels great when you scrub with it because it's gritty, but the many
glowing customer letters and pictures did not represent my experience at all.
I wondered if the pictures were just faked, because they indicated such
drastic improvement in such a short time, and I didn't see that with my case
at all. I've tried Zanfel again this time around and had no improvement
whatsoever. Phooey on Zanfel.
I want to add my experience in here too. It was very helpful
finding this site while I was in agony with blisters scattered all over
my body. The very hot showers DO calm down the itching for at least 6
hours. As a child we had used very hot compresses with Epsom salts,
but the shower was much easier. And yes, I did go out and buy Zanfel. It seemed a expensive but I was
desparate. It took two applications for me, but the blisters dried up
quickly. I mean VERY quickly. The scattered spots were harder to
identify but once the big messes were history, they were obvious. Thanks for
everyone's helpful suggestions.
First, I must thank you for your very informative website. I happened to see
it listed in a magazine 2 days after I developed the worst case of poison ivy
I have ever had. It was all over the side of my face, my ear, chin and
throat. The swelling was so bad, I did not recognize myself in the mirror.
The rash appeared suddenly over about 2 hours and was immediately red, angry
and oozing.
I live in Florida and the poison ivy is in season year round. I get poison
ivy many times throughout the year. Today while surfing your site I found
many recommendations for Zanfel. I logged onto their site and found the
U.S Directory of local pharmacies that carry Zanfel. My local Publix store
was listed. I asked the pharmasist for Zanfel, she said that this was a
life-saver. She could not keep it on the shelf, it was selling like
crazy and everyone was raving about it.
I used the product this very afternoon and I am already impressed. The itching
stopped immediately and it looks like the rash is starting to dry up.
Thanks for the Zanfel recommendation.
Leave all those home remedies alone - Zanfel really works.
Heidi Aaron
Tallahassee, Florida
Here it is July 4th 2001... What a great country we live in! At 10:30
this morning I found this site with the suggestion for Zanfel...Boy what a
big help it has been. My poison ivy symptoms were very bad. My right forearm
looked like a horror movie prop with blisters that wept constantly! I was
using bandages to keep the fluid from running down my arm onto whatever was
in its way... and it itched very bad also. I hooked up to a site that gave
local stores to purchase Zanfel from and was in the shower scrubbing with
the Zanfel by 1:30 this afternoon. My arm has already begun to look less
swollen and the blisters are starting to abate as well. This product was
about $29.00 for a small tube... I bought two and will keep the second tube
for the future.. I am very pleased and thankful that I found this website;0)
Happy 4th of July everybody!
I had my poison ivy rash for a little of a week, resulting in blisters that
had already burst open,new blisters, a lot of leaking, swelling under and
around the rash and of course itching. Previously, I had tried Ivy Dry with
some success. However this time it seemed like the Ivy Dry was helping it to
spread. Every day it was a little worse than the day before. I had gone to
serveral different web pages looking for help, it seems all of the authors
were well meaning enough, they just didn't know what they were talking
about. Perhaps they have never had it before or were going by something they
had read or heard about. For the record, IF poison ivy rash won't spread,
and I put a bandaid on it to keep it from leaking on my clothes, why do I
have a new patch of poison ivy where the bandaid was, whose shape looks just
like the bandaid. Hmmmm? Out of desparation I bought some Zanfel cream. I am
a tight wad and did not like the price tag. The alternative was to go and
sit in some doctor's office for a couple of hours, have him give me a
steroid (that I definitely don't want in my body), a prescription that cost
just as much and in a couple of weeks might feel better. The Zanfel cream
worked and was amazing, (you must follow the instructions), and fast. I
treated myself a total of three times yesterday. After the first treatment I
knew it was going to help, but I had let it go too long and had to
administer two other applications. Today, the less severe places are dryed
up, still red but healing with none of the symptoms listed above. The more
severe places are dryed up as well, but these have sores that currently have
a scab that must heal, but it is going to get better. You can wait on
poison ivy, but it won't wait for you, the sooner you apply the Zanfel the
better off you will be. Good luck, I hope you are as please as I am with
this product.
I'm a 34 year old male in great shape. I live in N.H. on 3 poison ivy
filled
acres with 2 dogs and love to mountain bike through the same. I've
had poison ivy before and am very familiar with the problem. I
finally had my worst case ever and came to the web to see what others
had to say. I saw a product called Zanfel and was very skeptical as I
am a very conservative person and don't want to be caught in a scam.
I drove 15 miles to buy a 1oz. tube and followed the directions to a
tee. However, I suggest a more like 45 seconds of rubbing in the
product and a second application 24 hours later. I am familiar with
chemistry and I think I understand what this product is about but I
won't get into details that may detract from what is a safe and
wonderful accomplishment. I had pea size blisters on my hands and had
to quit after 15 holes of my favorite sport, golf, when I couldn't
bear the pain any longer. I had blisters on every part of my body and
the heat and sweat made it almost unbearable. It has been 30 hours
since my first treatmeant and the itching and swealing has gone
away. The itching left within an hour and I had my first good
nights sleep. There are still the red marks and occasional flare
ups from new areas but I attack them as they come and I couldn't be
happier with my $16.99 purchase. Yes, I took benadryl and all the
other remedies but this was out of control and growing, I think they
call it a systemic reaction. I don't own stock in the company I am
just an average Joe who saw the people who claimed it didn't help
them. They probably had something other than poison ivy, oak, or
sumac. It's not the wonder cure in 24 hours but it is the best
product out there. E-mail me if you have any questions.
I've got a really bad case of PI. Although I'm taking steriods, it didn't do
anything for my TERRIBLE itching and burning. Just thought I'd pass along
that thanks to your website I found and purchased Zanfel. Pricy but worth
it. Thanks so much for a great website. Just reading it made me feel better.
Keep up the great work!
I wish I could say that Zanfel worked for me, but it didn't. Your
website really saved me. I found this website on the second day I had poison
ivy. That little vine is amazingly powerful. Started off with just little
dots and the next morning I had it on my legs, face, arms and fingers. I
bought Zanfel (very expensive...I went through the whole cream in three days
and the itching was still present, they should at least give you more for the
money). It felt great rubbing it in the skin because of the granuals, but the
sores never shrank. The only thing that stopped the itching was the "hot water
treatment" Thats the key with this poison ivy. Once you stop itching, it does
not spread. I still noticed that the sores were still openned on the fourth
day. I have an aunt that was brought up on homeopathic remedies, and to be
quite honest, I really didn't believe in natural herbs but she told me to get
some goldenseal powder and make a past out of it using water!. I applied it to my sores
after the hot water treatment and went to bed. The next day, the sores began to
shrink. That remedy worked for me. I tried all others. I used caladryl,
hydrocortizone, anti-itch stuff. None worked. The conclusion is that maybe
some products work better on other people, you just have to find one that works
good on you, but boy, I can't stress enough about the hot water treatment. I
am on my eleventh day and the poison ivy is almost gone. I thought for sure I
was going to have to get on Prednisone. What a relief. I consider the itching
of poison ivy to be "maddening." This is the first time I got it and I don't
want it ever again. Hope this helps a bit.
Thought I might be the world's biggest sap to plunk down $31 for a
teeny tube of Zanfel...but the stuff is near miraculous! I
sprang for it because my daughter and myself both had extensive facial
blisters...nothing has ever felt as wonderful as the "kosher
scratching" with the gritty Zenfel paste...and then I went right into
healing, never needed a second wash. Now, I'm not sure I really care
'cause it works so great...but what's in this stuff? Is it at all
toxic? To people I mean--it's certainly toxic to poison ivy! Oh, and
I had never tried the hot water treatment for itch relief before, that
really works too!
I recently had the only case of poison ivy I've ever had in my
life. Normally, I'm not sensitive to poison ivy. The other weekend,
I was working with other volunteers cleaning up / restoring a Civil
War battlefield site, and because poison ivy doesn't usually bother
me, I volunteered to clear out a whole patch of it.The day after, I
just had a very small rash in one place on my arm, which then went
away. However, 5 days after the initial exposure, I woke up one day
with a ferocious attack of the stuff. Calamine lotion wasn't doing
the trick and I was desparate to learn more about what I could do.
I found your site through the Google search engine and wanted to
thank you for posting such a comprehensive information
resource. Based in the information here, I tried Zanfel
(had to go to a pharmacy several miles away as the chain stores
like CVS don't carry it yet). The Zanfel did a superb and immediate job
on the
topical outbreak - however, it turns out that my problem was that
the urushiol had gotten into my overall system and kept having new
outbreaks in areas that had never been exposed.My dermatologist
prescribed steroids (prednisone) plus Allegra to relieve the
itching and Ultravate cream and that did the trick. Meanwhile,
I continued to use the Zanfel on new outbreaks to remove the itching
and irritation.If your problem is just topical, Zanfel alone shoulddo the trick. However, its also handy in combination with
prescription drugs in fighting asystemic infection.It's been a week
now and it's almost gone and I no longer look like a refugee from a
leper colony.Thanks again for putting this very helpful site
together.--Kathryn Coombs, Alexandria VA
Tried Zanfel for a week-long case of poison something (got it
weeding in the garden but don't know what it is). Zanfel seems to
relieve itching better than the topicals that I tried: max strength
cortisone cream (1%) and clear caldryl. But I do not see a miracle
cure. I am still itching after 4 treatments and the dry up rate is
unremarkable. Perhaps I have a systemic infection, and I will go to
the dermatologist if this keeps up. But I am not impressed enough
to buy another $30 tube of Zanfel.
Zanfel works. I had poison ivy for 2 weeks. I had a steroid shot
and used bleach, along with Calagel and Caladryl, not within the
week of getting it. Going on the 3rd week, my eyes and face were
swelling and hurt like a second degree sunburn. I purchased zanfel
from the only drugstore that carried it. After the first
application, the swelling and burn left. I used it 2 times that
first day into the 3rd week and then 2 times the next day. My face
was normal and the rash was finally going away. I have most of the
tube left and will buy it again for the $35 that it cost me. It
does work!
I just wanted to tell everyone that after finding this site and
having the itchies for 4 days I went out to the drugstore today at
lunch and bought a tube of Zanfel. I put it on one area of my arm
(in the bathroom at work) at 2:00 pm and it is now 4:00 pm and it
is almost completely gone!!! Even though it is expensive it is
definately worth it. I recommend anyone who can't stand the itch to
spend the money. I can now leave for my vacation and not have to
worry about any discomfort. :)
This site is great, but you steered me wrong on Zanfel. I tried it
for my acute p.i. attack and found it worthless. Just a grainy soap
that felt good while applying (produces a mild scratching, so what
do you expect) but did zilch to abate or relieve the p.i. Waste of
money in my opinion.
The next day after pulling and digging out poison ivy and oak out
of my backyard, I started to see red itchy spots. I had never
gotten poison ivy before, so I thought this was it. On day 3 I went
to the dermatologist and was given two coritsone injections and was
told I'd feel much better in 2 days. It got worse. On day 7 I was
at my wits end. The swelling on my legs and arms was unbelievable.
On day 8 I went to the emergency room where they gave me a
prednisone pack of pills and told me to discontinue using the
steroid gel that the dermatologist prescribed. However, that night
I could not sleep. The itching and pain was intense. Ice packs on
my legs and arms and calamine lotion gave me some relief. Benadryl
tablets helped with sleep, but not with the itch. It wasn't until I
bought the Zanfel and washed with it that I can say I felt a great
deal of relief. The rash still looks bad, but I can function now
I feel as though I'll be able to sleep tonight.
Another Zanfel failure story. In fact, I think that it aided the
further spread of the blisters. After each treatment I seemed to
get more tiny blisters clustering around the existing big blisters.
Six weeks ago I contracted poison ivy and immediately used all the
traditional medical treatment methods. It took me a little over 4
weeks to recover and I itched for almost three of the four. Last
week I inadvertently put on my old garden gloves and it started all
over again in essentially the same spots. This time I decided to
try the Internet and read about Zanfel on your site. The first day
of my breakout I was able to get a supply and went to work on the
spots. True enough, the itching was controlled with thorough
scrubbing. On day three, I went to a dermatologist who gave me
three prescriptions and said he had no way of knowing about Zanfel
without clinical trials and journal reports and therefore was very
skeptical. I filled his prescriptions, but took none, and held my
breath for things to get worse. I was fully prepared to start the
Prednisone, the cream, etc. if I started breaking out more or
itching. Every time a spot hinted at an itch, I washed it !with
Zanfel. I ended up using it about twice a day for four days and now
I am fine! I may have gotten lucky that it didn't become systemic.
Who knows? Anyway, at the very least it stopped the itching for
hours.... Which never occurred previously, and from looking at the
same identical spots that I had before, I am recovering much
faster. I actually think I will be completely okay by tomorrow,
which will be 7 days. I think the Zanfel miracle claims are too
strong, but given my own single subject design, I think this
product is a very good one. I might add, that my academic friends
who watched me recover earlier this month are very impressed with
my progress this time. I hope this product stays on the market.
I found your site very useful - surfing the web is a great antidote
to scratching - but there's a discrepancy between the
manufacturer's claims and my experience with Zanfel. While it
reduces the appearance of the lesions, they itch just as badly
after three washings as they did before and I'm now more
swollen.Fact and opinion mix on the web in uneven proprtions. While
the salt of the ocean might easy the suffering, exposure to the sun
- or any heat - will definitely make it worse. I say, stick to the
doctors' advice.Take this as a cautionary tale. You may post my
comments, but please do not post my email address on your site.
Regards, Still Itchy
All I can say is thank heaven for zanfel!!!!!! My husband had
gotten into poison ivy and within a few hours was swollen and
rashy. We tried every remedy out there for two days until I came
upon your web-site. Thank you!! I drove 40 minutes to the only drug
store that carries Zanfel and am shocked at the results so far. We
are both looking forward to a night full of sleep! Very sincerely,
Joseph and Lisa DeVenuto
As far as Zanfel is concerned I have some personal experience. Last
summer I got some rashes on my legs from Poison Ivy. I tried Zanfel
according to the directions on the package. Nothing. When I called
their help line they suggested rubbing on the infected area for a
full minute instead. It worked. It did take longer than advertised
and I did still have some redness left, but it works better than
anything else I've ever tried. One possible reason that it took
longer for me is that my skin behaves differently than most people
in that it does not bruise. I'm just throwing this out for those
that don't have success the first time. Try rubbing it longer and
good luck.
I suffer from occasional outbreaks of Poison Oak, which I contract
from my dogs. I have tried a variety of remedies but have found
that Zanfel works the best and is well worth the $25. I was
skeptical about it's claims but when I tried it the itching went
away alomst instantly. The reaction I had to the Poisin Oak was
fairly severe so it took several uses over a 12 hour period but the
results were much better than I expected and a lot better than any
other remedy I have tried. I would highly recommend keeping a tube
of this on hand if you get Poison Oak.
Came to your site via Google and the words "poison ivy" You have a
great site. I was on my way to the doctor to get my arms treated
after 6 days of misery. Those that are sensitive will understand.
The information on Zanfel was great - went through the links
straight to a store a few miles from my house. Did Zanfel rather
than the doctor. It is great. Lam
I have aquired a pretty bad outbreak of poison ivy on my face and
upper arms. After two days I went ahead and purchased the Zanfel
and washed with it as directed. It really relieved my itching for
about 10 hours. Then I washed again and the following morning I had
cleared up some but not anything significant. It did seem to itch
with less intensity though. The abrasiveness did make my rash quite
red and conspicuous now and it didn't really reduce or aid like I
hoped it would. Just another perspective on a $40 buy.
Thanks for your site, I learned a lot that has helped me with my
current case of pi. However, after driving an hour both ways to get
the nearest Zanfel, I was disappointed with its results. It did
temporarily relieve the pain and itching however it has not stopped
the pi from spreading or the itching and pain from coming back.
However it did relieve the itch long enough to get 6 uninterupted
hours of sleep which was the most I'd had in days. But waking up to
the itching when it came back was not fun. I've used Zanfel 3 times
so far and have yet to completely stop the itching from coming
back. One area I used it on turned into those ugly red leathery
blisters. It wasn't what I expected but it is better than anything
else out there that I've found so far.
I have been infected with poison ivy for over a week now (I thought
it was a a scratch and bug bites at first). I've tried benedryl,
calomine lotion, cortisone 10 and zanfel. The zanfel gave me
temporary relief, but there wasn't enough for multiple applications
and I can't afford to keep buying tubes at $39.99 everyday. So, I'm
off to the doctor (I think my case is systemic now) to see if a
steroid shot or pills will give me some relief. Wish me luck!
Although I did leave the shower singing the praises of zanfel and
not itching....by day 6 (2 days after treatment) I was much worse,
with a diffuse rash. My dr. Prescribed the Medrol dose pak, and 48
hours after starting steroids (as the package suggests) I tried
again...with good result...but not as efficient as the first
treatment. By Day 10, the rash was spread across my chest, groin,
and back. I finally started breaking down the ingredients, and hope
you will include this info on your site...ZANFEL Contains the
ingredient nonoxynol-9....as in the contraceptive agent. As a
nurse, I am embarrassed to admit that I was so miserable with the
rash that I did not check the ingredients....but I would never have
expected a contraceptive agent to be in Poison Ivy cream!!
Nonoxynol-9 has contact dermatitis-like allergies/ membrane
irritation ALLErGIES associated with it! And I know from past
experience that I do react to it. This was good news...I Knew what
was wrong...and bad...the zanfel stopped the itch, and now I had to
discontinue use! I still think zanfel is a miracle...and talk it up
to EVERYONE...but I wanted to put the allergy risk out there!
Thanks so much.......Suzanne...nurse...NJ
I'm searching for a way to replace my Zanfel. I found it last
year after spending lots on Domboro, Technu, Benadryl and not
getting relief. I carry it with me now whenever I'm going
fishing and I am always thankful to have it with me. This year
I wore long sleeved shirts even in the heat to avoid poison oak
or whatever, but I ended up getting it on my face and neck. My
vacation would have been ruined if I'd forgotten my Zanfel.
Thanks for letting me share.
I just bought my first house and with new home owner enthusiasm
grabbed my clippers and headed out to clean up the backyard. I
found out the hard way my back fence is covered in poison ivy.
Needless to say, I am now covered in the rash. I headed to the
doctor's office Saturday morning when I woke up with my eyes just
about swollen shut. She prescribed prednisone and an
anti-histimine. By the next day I thought I was going to come out
of my skin the itching was so bad. I finally found this website and
the articles on Zanfel. I tracked down the only drugstore in my
city that carries it - they were sold out but expecting a shipment
the next day. I was there waiting for them to unpack it. That was
yesterday. I have washed twice using it. My skin still looks
terrible and since it is a systemic infection I am still breaking
out in new places but the itching has stopped! I am sold on Zanfel.
While my rash has not disappeared, at least I feel like I can get
through the course of this with my sanity intact. Zanfel will be
forever in my medicine cabinet.
I am very sensitive to poison ivy. The house I bought over the
winter was infested with poison ivy. Poison Ivy "owns" .3 acres
(out of 1.2) of the house I bought on Long Island. When I say owns,
I mean the some areas are thick with vines as big around as your
arm. This is the second house I have owned with this problem. Here
are the lessons I have learned reclaiming the yard.1. Get a 3 gal
sprayer tank and buy professional grade round up. The pro stuff is
about 5x stronger than the gallon jugs you can get at home depot.
What a difference. The first house I owned took me a year and a
half to kill off the poison ivy using the home depot stuff and a
bow saw to cut the vines (again some of the vines were about 4-6"
in diameter! The professional grade roundup took 1 application to
turn the poison ivy (and every other broad leaf plant in the area)
to a crispy brown. I have to replant some Pachysandra which was
also killed (an acceptable casualty). While pulling vines out of
the front yard and Pachysandra I got a wicked exposure despite my
precautions: protective clothing, gloves, boots, a cold shower with
technu. I had big leathery patches on my face, neck, and arms, my
belt line, and thighs. On recommendations from this site and others
and bought Zanfel and got some relief. I did not get the miracle
cure that others report, but It did reduce the rashes, swelling and
itching to something that is more tolerable. I'd say I had about a
50% improvement after 5 applications. Given the expence of the
stuff I would only buy and use it if you are suffering from a bad
exposure like I was otherwise it is just not worth the money.
I tried Zanfel based on numerous positive comments on this site, as
I had a pretty extensive case of poison oak. $40 and and empty tube
later, I can say it did not work for me. I followed directions
carefully, and continued with repeated treatments. The itching
slightly subsided, but only returned with equal fury 2 hours later.
Repeated treatments did not help. I later went to the doctor who
confirmed I had poison oak, and gave me the standard
Cortisone/Prednisone treatment. I had high hopes for this product
but I am disappointed. I will be asking the manufacturer for a
refund as I feel for $40 the product should deliver.
Zanfel: $40, two applications in last 12 hours, and still itchy
like mad! Spend your money on mind altering substances like beer,
and wait for time to heal all!
Just an fyi, I have had poison ivy for over 7 weeks now all over my
body. Of course I have tried everything. I took a 24 day course of
predensone and it almost went away. The minute I stopped the
steroid it came back. A hot shower really is the best anti-itch
treatment I have found. I have found absolutely no relief
whatsoever from Zanfel and was very disappointed because it is
quite expensive.
Zanfel was my savior!!! Enough said.
Henry Most Data/Business Analyst Names In The News, Inc.
(510) 302-4666 [email protected]
I have had poison ivy many times so I know the process. I
probably picked up my case of poison ivy this year from a
friend's dog. My poison ivy started to appear on the weekend and
the weeping, itchy blisters broke out visciously on a Monday. A
co-worker took pity and recommended Zanfel as it had helped her
immensly the previous summer. After applying Zanfel, the itching
stopped almost immediately and the skin appears to be healing
much faster than cases I have had in the past. Zanfel is
expensive, but well worth it.
I to purchased Zanfel and was quite leary of this be product
because of the price but I said to myself, if this works, it would
be well worth the price. I was amazed!!! I am going to tell
everyone and anyone that will listen about this product. There is
only one drug store in Montgomery, Alabama that sells this product.
Everyone should and would if they only knew how great it is.
Zanfel is a miracle!! I had a terrible case of poison ivy (arms,
legs, neck, back) and nothing stopped the itching more than a few
hours. One treatment with Zanfel and I've not itched again. This
stuff is expensive but it works!!! An absolute lifesaver.
Hi! I thought I'd add my story. I react very strongly to poison ivy. .
.I've always had to take shots or steroid pills to get rid of the
horrible rashes & itching. I got into a patch of it this year while
trimming a tree in front of the house (I finally got it into my head to
be very afraid of anything with "three leaves"), and after trying
topical steroid cream prescribed by my Dr. (with so-so effect), I heard
about Zanfel. I had a tough time finding a store with it in stock, and
hated paying 40$ for it. . .but it gave a lot of relief immediately,
and the welts are shrinking quickly. I did have to re apply & wish
I had another tube, but it worked far better than I would have thought.
And, I was VERY skepical. My husband, who got it all over his arms & neck, had a lot of relief from the itching as well.
That Zanfel stuff is expensive but worth every penny. I have been
breaking out for two weeks, tried everything - calamine, caladryl,
benadryl, witch hazel, aveeno, hydrocortizone, hair dryer,
everything I could think of. This morning it was spreading to my
torso and neck and arms - it started on my ankle! I tried the
zanfel, which is supposed to bind with the urishol- it took the
itch away within a minute. I talked to them on their toll free
number and the guy said if I was still breaking out for more than 3
days, it was systemic, and I would still need to see the doctor for
steroids because it is in my blood and will pop up anywhere. So I
did, but I still used the zanfel to get instant relief. I might
have a few more spots show up before the steroid shot takes effect,
and I intend to use the zanfel on it. I can't tell you how relieved
I am to be rid of the itch, it was horrible.
--"Robin Townsend" ([email protected]) submitted 6/May/2003
It's may in zone 5/6 and there aren't a whole lot of plants that
are fully leafed yet so in my case the poison ivy was not visible
(just twigs sticking out of the ground). I had cleared some leaves
from about 10 square yards of my father-in laws back yard. I wasn't
prepared for that type of work clothing-wise, but I helped him out
anyway. I was wearing sandals and shorts and a tshirt when I did
the work. Since there weren't any green leaves out yet I didn't
think that I was going to get exposed to anything bad, just the oak
leaves that I was raking. Well I was wrong. 48 hours later and
after 2 showers I broke out in the traditional poison ivy rash all
over my legs and feet. For 4 days I used caladryl gel and benedryl
gel to help alleviate the symptoms, but the rash continued to
spread even though I wasn't scratching etc. I seemed to get the
rash wherever I was sweating and got really bad leathery patches
behind my knees. I did an internet search for "poison ivy cure" and
found the zanfel site. I bought 2 1oz. Tubes of the stuff ($33
each) and applied it. It worked extremely well. While I would say
it's not a complete cure and personally I think I've got a systemic
case, it does clear up the itching and halts the progress of the
rash. The only thing that it really hasn't done for me is take care
of the pain associated with the open sores. They should include an
analgesic of some sort to help this problem. I don't itch now, but
I do have painful sores that hurt when I move. Applying the zanfel
on these sores will aggrivate them and increase the pain for a
short duration due to the abrasive nature of it. I plan to try an
aspracreme or other topical anagesic to help with the pain, but I
wanted people to know that zanfel is a lifesaver, but won't take
care of all the symptoms. Cheers, "Recovering in MA"
One word relief! Zanfel!! Worked as advertised. Worth the
high cost!
Zanfel is a gift from above!! I was so infested by poison ivy after
my trip to Virginia that I couldn't even stand still. I suffered
for about a week before I went searching online for an answer. I
tried Zanfel because everyone on your site was praising it. At
$35.00 per oz. I was a bit reluctant but after another afternoon of
itching and burning I was ready to pay anything for even a chance
at relief. Not only did Zanfel take away the itch, the application
was nearly orgasmic. The cream has a sandy texture so applying it
results in a full minute of the best guilt-free scratching you can
imagine. My poison ivy is already clearing up after only 24 hours!
Zanfel is worth it's weight in gold!
No matter how cautious I try to be, it seems that every other year
or so, I get Poison Ivy. Having tried all the home and otc remedies
over the years, the only product that I have found that actually
does what it says it will do is Zanfel.
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Zanfel -
Very effective cure and treatment