[at-l] poison oak, Zanfel wash

[wb4pan@mindspring.com (Charles Davidson)]

HI Gang,

=09I have the opportunity to try out a new poison oak wash product called Z=
anfel. At $32. for a one ounce tube it is expensive. I will be using this s=
tuff again! I scanned the info provided to share with you.

http://www.zanfel.com

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Questions &
Answers
=95Why should I use this
product?
ZANFEL is an amazing product that
effectively relieves the symptoms of
poison ivy, oak, and sumac. Unlike other
products, Zanfel usually requires only
one wash to achieve complete relief.
=95 Is it safe for the face and
genitals?
Yes!
=95 Can I use Zanfel on the
eyelids?
Yes. As with other strong soaps, Zanfel
should be applied carefully, avoiding
direct contact with the eye. If contact
occurs, rinse the eye with cold water
until the irritation subsides.
=95What if I swallow it?
If swallowed, Zanfel usually causes
gagging and possibly vomiting. Once
Zanfel enters the digestive tract, it
seeks out and kills bacteria, good and
bad. Good bacteria aid in digestion, so
you may experience mild diarrhea for
several hours until your body
regenerates the good bacteria.
IF ANY PROBLEM BECOMES SEVERE OR IF IT
PERSISTS, SEE YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY.
=95 Is Zanfel safe to use during
pregnancy?
Yes.
=95Are there any side effects?
Yes.A good night's sleep without
itching.
=95When I wash with Zanfel,
how long will it be before I
actually feel better?
The itch and pain are usually gone in 30
seconds!
=95What is an "application"?
Poison ivy, oak, and sumac secrete a
toxin called urushiol o=BB/.When human
skin comes in contact with this oil, it
sets up an allergic reaction that causes
itchy rashes, blisters, and lesions.An
application of Zanfel involves washing
the area until no itching remains. Some
spots may contain more urushiol than
others and, therefore, require additional
washings with Zanfel. If you feel any
itching whatsoever, you have not
properly completed the first application.
(See directions on box).
After completing the first application,
you should remain itch-free. People 40
and under can expect to see 75-80 of
their rash disappear within 18-24 hours.
Those people 65 and older can expect
to see the same results in 5-7 days. For
most people, further washes are not
required.
When urushiol oil is so deep that      ~
Zanfel can't reach it all the first time,
itching can return within 2-4 hours and
may require additional washes,
depending on the severity. This is more
common with poison oak than with ivy.
Note: Additional applications will be
needed on areas of severe reaction that
typically have a thick, leathery texture.
A rule of thumb: only rewash if and
when itching returns.
=95Zanfel feels rough.Will it
damage my skin?
Even though Zanfel is safe on damaged
skin, excessive scrubbing with this or
any product is not recommended.
Remember, the goal is to remove the
urushiol, and this usuaHju-equires no
more than I minute of washing. In fact,
Zanfel also deep cleans the skin,
promoting fast healing of the wound at
the same time it is removing the toxin.
Zanfel feels good when you scrub with
it, even on cuts.
8" Must I apply Zanfel soon
after I get the rash? Can
Zanfel prevent me from
getting poison ivy?
If you know within the first hour that
you contacted poison ivy, oak, or
sumac, some experts believe that
complete bonding has not occurred
and, therefore, plain soap and water will
wash it off the skin.They suggest that
washing is effective if you catch it within
the first 2-4 hours after exposure;
others believe that unless you wash
within the first 10 minutes, the oil will
completely bind to the skin. Zanfel
Laboratories believes that although you
can wash off a major portion of
urushiol up to 2 hours after contact,
some urushiol will bind within the first
10 minutes. Zanfel will completely
remove this bonded urushiol.
Zanfel cannot prevent you from getting
poison ivy, but some simple precautions
will minimize your risk. It is always a
good idea to keep Zanfel on hand, even
if you use^i-eventive creams. These r
creams may not always be effective and
they do not shield your clothing. Oil on
your clothing may contaminate you
when you undress. Also, you can spread
the toxin by touching contaminated
clothing to other surfaces such as
sleeping bags, bedding, upholstery, or
carpeting (it may be on your shoes and
shoestrings).
I How can I prevent
reinfecting myself?
Urushiol is pervasive. Although it can
only bind to humans, it can get on your
pets, tools, gloves, clothing, shoes, and
bedding =97 and infect you upon contact.
Any soap and water will wash urushiol
away from non-human surfaces. Clean
any outdoor tools that may have
contacted the plants.Wash the clothes
and gloves that you wore when
exposed. If you sat down or went to
Bed without washing yourself or your~
clothes beforehand, clean all bedding
and upholstery that you may have had
contact with prior to washing. Wash
your pets. Remember that urushiol can
remain toxic for I year or more.
I I've used Zanfel for a
couple of days and I'm
getting new breakouts!
Why isn't it working?
If your itch was halted by the use of
Zanfel, it did work! One of two things
may be happening: I) You may simply be
reinfecting yourself. 2) Zanfel works
topically (at the skin level).The urushiol
may have penetrated the skin and
entered the lymphatic or blood system,
causing a systemic reaction. For mild to
moderate cases, it is normal to break
 out with new spots for about 3-4 days.
 Although Zanfel may not prevent these
 spots from occurring, it will relieve each
  spot as it occurs. If you are breaking
  out with new spots after the fourth day,
  it may be systemic.
  If you appear to be systemic, see your
  doctor immediately!
 Zanfel used by itself is usually sufficient
 for most bouts of poison ivy, oak, and
 sumac. If, however, you contacted roots
 or cut vines, the problem is more
 severe and a systemic reaction will
 almost certainly develop. Although you
 can achieve instant relief by applying
  Zanfel to each spot as it occurs, only
  prescription steroids can stop new
  reactions from surfacing.Without
 steroids, new spots may appear for 2 or
  3 weeks rather than the usual 3 days.
  Steroids may not offer relief from the
  way you feel, but can protect you from
 additional breakouts and will lessen the
 severity of the reaction. Zanfel will
 remove the urushiol from the skin,
 which will stop the itching until the
  steroids take effect-Within 12 to 48
  hours, as the steroids begin working,
  you should no longer need Zanfel
 because the steroids halt the urushiol
 from moving up to the skin surface and
  mask its presence from your body.
I How do I know if I'm
  having a systemic
  reaction?
 Your doctor will look for the following
 symptoms:
  =95 The rash appears in new areas after
   Day 4.      ~
 =95 There are breakouts on more than
   15% of your body. (30% most certainly
   indicates a systemic reaction.)
 =95 Your joints are swelling.
 Your doctor may determine that your
 reaction is systemic and may prescribe
 steroid injections and/or pills. Steroids
 halt the systemic reaction but generally
 have little effect on existing topical
 reactions. If you treat the topical
 reaction with Zanfel and the systemic
 reaction with steroids, you will usually
 experience complete and permanent
 relief. If you begin steroids and Zanfel
 on the same day, Zanfel will relieve the
 current and new breakouts until the
 steroids begin preventing new
 breakouts. Steroids and Zanfel make a
 great team!
 Important: If you treat a systemic
 reaction only with Zanfel (which we do
 not recommend), your itch and pain will
 go away, but not permanently as it will
 with normal poison ivy. Within 2-8
 hours, depending on severity, new oil
 will resurface, and the rewashing cycle
 may go on for weeks. In severe cases,
 permanent scarring may result. It is
 important that you see your doctor to
 halt further breakouts.
I How can I prevent getting
 a systemic reaction?
 Systemic reactions can result from
 several things:
 =95 Handling the plant's cut stems, vines,
   or roots. There is enough oil on some
   vines and roots to infect more than
   10,000 people! When it is
   concentrated that much in one spot,
   the oil tends to be absorbed by your
   body more readily.
 =95 Touching, with bare skin, tools used to
   cut poison ivy.
 =95 Exposing an open wound, even a
   mosquito bite, to the plant. This allows
   the oil direct access to your blood
   system.
 =95 Inhaling the smoke and ash from
   burning plants.
 =95 Other causes that still remain
   unexplained.
 You can help prevent systemic reactions
 by taking the following precautions:
 =95 Learn to identify the poison ivy, oak,
   and sumac plants so that you can
   avoid contacting them.
 =95 Don't handle the plants unless you
   wear protective gloves. Avoid touching
   cut or mown plants. Don't directly
   pull on the stems or try to remove
   vines with bare hands.
 =95 If you must handle the plants directly,
   purchase heavy-duty protective gloves
   (such as neoprene, PVC, or nitrol)
   from a hardware or lumber store.
   Urushiol cannot penetrate these
   gloves. Cloth, leather, and rubber
   gloves afford little protection. Make
   sure you wash the gloves with any
   type of soap and water prior to
   removing them and before touching
  yourself. Because systemic reactions
  tend to enter the body via forearms,
  wear long gloves that come up to
  your elbow. Wear protective clothing,
   such as long pants and sleeves, that
   cover your skin. Remember, however,
    that cloth absorbs the oil and your
    protection is minimal and brief.
   =95 Don't burn the plants.
   =95 Remember that the oil can remain on
    gloves, weeders, mowers, clippers, and
    other tools for a year, and in dry
    climates, for as long as 5 years! Wash
    all utensils with soap and water while
    wearing protective gloves.Wash the
    gloves, too!
   =95 Remove the clothing you wore when
    exposed and put it directly into the
    wash while still wearing protective
    gloves.Take the gloves off last!
9 Myths vs. Facts
 -Mytht Scratching will spread the oil.
   Fact: Once bonded, neither scratching
   nor skin-to-skin contact can spread the
   oil. However, for 1-3 hours after
   contact and before complete bonding
  occurs, some can possibly be spread.
  Once you begin to show symptoms
   (usually 12-48 hours after skin contact),
  you are no longer at risk of spreading
  it.
  Myth: Poison ivy is "catching."
  Fact: Once bonded, poison ivy is not
  contagious nor can it be transmitted via
  fluid oozing from blisters on the skin.
  The only way you can catch it via the
  air is by breathing smoke and ash from
  burning plants.
  Myth: After the first time, I can't get
  poison ivy again.
  Fact: Although not everyone reacts to
  poison ivy upon first or subsequent
  exposures, you become more sensitized
  to poison ivy each time you encounter
   it. After the first reaction, every time
  you touch it, you typically will react
   more severely, and the reaction may last
   longer.
Zanfel Laboratories Inc.
     P.O. Box 349
   Morton,IL61550
  For information call
    1-800-401-4002
or visit www.zanfel.com
Zanfel and the Zanfel logo are trademarks
        of Zanfel Laboratories, Inc.
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