I read with horror the numerous suggestions to use bleach on a poison ivy blister. I took this advice from someone and boy was I sorry. I used a Q-tip and rubbed clorox bleach on the itchy little bump on my wrist. The next morning I woke up to a wrist full of huge, oozing, blisters. Those blisters grew and thousands of tiny blisters joined the gang and soon I had blisters on my chest, stomach, and thighs. After seeing the dermatologist, he told me it had gotten into my blood stream and spread. It took many weeks of medications and soaking the affected areas before my blisters cleared up. I would not recommend using bleach.
--"C. Gallant" (gallant1@NOSPAMpeoplepc.com) submitted 6/Jul/2003
I was thinking about some of the chemicals & salves for poison ivy.... like paint thinner, var sol, chlorine, alcohol, gasoline, toluene, benzine, phosgene, DDT & Alar, liquid nitrogen, Sarin, sulfuric acid, borane, T&Z-Stoff, uranium 232...and duct tape etc.
and who knows what else people "have on hand" in their backyard Los Alamos shed to conjure up. You can hear the stories at the Los Ojos Bar.
ME163 Komet Fuel would work too!!: T-Stoff "The volatile fuel could dissolve the flesh of pilots & ground crew in a matter of seconds. The pilot's flight suit, boots, underwear and gloves are made of a non-organic, nylon-like material. Clothing made of organic material like cotton would burst into flames on contact with the fuel."
Back to debbie-downer reality tho, what can be happening is that these aggressive substances simply temporarily scorch nerve endings....
and therefore anecdotal relief is "miraculous".
Opening up the blisters must be done with great care, if at all as blood poisoning is possible.
I used to get PI but long since decided a safe regimen: immediately remove any contaminated garment, immediately rinse/wash from a cooler or hose, dive in a lake or stream, or take the coldest showers soon as possible to close off skin pores from vulnerability.