Who gets poison ivy this time of year besides me? I look like I've rolled naked it the stuff. Actually I got it from the dogs when I put their walking collars on them. I need some advice on what you do. I take Benadryl at night, it keeps me awake. Bathe in oatmeal. Spray with Ivy Dry. Use Silver Salve, use some perscription DH got for me. Today I felt like a slob going to church. I wore boots, a very long skirt bc I couldn't wear pantyhose. Couldn't wait to get home and take everything off. I been in a sweatshirt and jammie bottoms. Once you come in contact with the stuff you can break out from 2 to 14 days. Saw my Dr SIL Friday, but I hate to bother him all the time. Now I wish I had let him give me a shot of something, anything. You guys are so good with advice I know someone can come up with a great suggestion.

My dh had the worst case I have ever seen last year~~~he picked it up in NC. So bad that he had to go to the Dr here only to find out that our doctor had never seen it!It's very unusual to get it West of the Rocky Mts (which, of course, he didn't, he just brought it back with him.) Dh HATES to take drugs, so filled the prescription but didn't use it. He did a bunch of research on the internet (he's a research scientist by trade so he loves to self diagnose) and found that many places recommend taking the hottest shower you can possibly stand. He started doing this and found that he could get relief for several hours. He got to the point he took 4-5 showers a day, but pretty much had no itching in between. Try it!

Go get that shot -- NOW!!

I am one of the few people who is not allergic to this stuff and as a kid I've been known to walk barefoot and even sit in it. But my mom was highly susceptible to it and suffered greatly if she even LOOKED at it!!

So take good care of yourself and call your SIL -- NOW!! :D

Wow!!! I never thought about getting it from animals this time of year...

Baking soda baths...used VERY liberally followed up with Calamine Lotion maybe?

better call the Dr SIL

I'm not allergic to it either. My DH will have me remove it from our yard (we have woods around us) when he finds it growing. He is very allergic. My oldest inhaled smoke from a fire that had poison ivy on the wood. We had to rush her to the ER, she swelled so bad she couldn't breathe. But she has never been allergic to it since. Weird.

Oh I hate poison ivy and because we typically don't get very cold here in the South, poison ivy is something you cant catch year round.

I have had it many times, growing up in the countryside. My mom would always make me take a bath as hot as I could stand it. Then she would rub me down with Calamine lotion. And it wouldnt itch hardly any.

Now if I come into contact with it I just use me some Aveeno anti-itch cream with the natural Colloidal oatmeal. ( it is a permanent part of my 1st aid kit) Works just as good as the Calamine lotion.

I have gotten in the middle of the winter also, from my cats. If it's not so bad, I can get away with Claritin and a cortisone anti-itch cream. If it's really bad, I need the steroid-type stuff (something called a Dosepak) from the doctor. Sounds like you need one of those Dosepak type things.

Good luck!

As a teacher I just cringed at this part of my post....

And it wouldnt itch hardly any.

Did not realize I wrote it that way. :shock: :oops: haha

You're from the south, it's OK :-D JUST KIDDING!!! I'm allowed to say that since I'm from the south too!!!