I've had a nasty case of sytemic poison ivy for 10 days. I've had 2 steroid shots (I'm allergic to prednisone) but still continue to break out, although not as severe.
I've tried:
Avenno showers 2 x a day
hydrocortisone cream from dr.
tried vinegar one night- think the poison ivy said yummy and was worse than ever.
Now using lye soap. It seems to calm my hands the best.
I have it:
both sides of neck- started at sides and met in the middle, right ear and side of face and around eye
left side of face at hairline
left shoulder
inside my left arm (where I draped the shirt I was wearing over my arm to take to laundry room) which is now up to my shoulder and I have stripes (like a cat scratched- 3 stripes) inside my left wrist
left hand- ring finger and middle finger, knuckle of thumb.
right hand- all over the back of the hand, index finger and middle finger are so swollen I can't close my hand, ring finger and the tops of all 4 fingers are stripes. It all started on the side of my right hand with a strip about 1/2" wide by 3" long. There was a scratch there and the poison ivy probably used that to get into my blood stream.
I also have it under the bra, around the front of my waist, at my left hip and across my fat roll about 1 inch wide by 6 inches long.
This morning I have 4 dots on the top of my right leg each about 3 inches apart. I am sure they will play connect the dots soon.
Any more ideas? I don't like to take drugs but I'm thinking I may need another shot.
(I am left handed but you don't realize how much you use the opposite hand for everything- no gardening, no dishes, hurts to handle fabric. All I did all week end was put together an adirondack rocking chair.)
Thanks!
Barb