MD Cause:  Exposure to an irritating oil contained in the poison ivy plant called Urushiol.

MD Rx:  Steroid creams.

ND Cause: Exposure to an irritating oil contained in the poison ivy plant called Urushiol.

Discussion: My father was extremely susceptible to poison ivy. I am extremely susceptible to poison ivy. This predisposition to having a severe reaction to poison ivy must be inherited because I know many people that are not susceptible at all to poison ivy. The bane of my existence is the warrior plant “Rhus toxicodendron” - otherwise known as poison ivy. When I attain cosmic consciousness, I will eradicate all poison ivy from the face of planet Earth. The poison ivy rash is two weeks of hell. In my quest to combat poison ivy I have tried virtually everything and have experienced very limited success. Being a classical homeopath, I have tried many different homeopathic remedies and they have all failed me. After my last bout with poison ivy, a friend of a friend told me that an oil infusion of the plant “Jewel Weed” is very effective at knocking down the symptoms of the poison ivy rash and shortening its duration. This advice came to me too late, so I have not tried it personally - and I hope to never have to resort to any poison ivy remedies in the future, as I avoid the nasty little plant like the plague. In one of my life’s greatest ironies, I live on an acre of land a good 40% of which is covered by poison ivy of many different varieties… Go figure.  

I have recently come across two strategies for dealing with poison ivy. I will share them with you now because a poison ivy rash it is such a nasty two-week long ordeal to those of us who are susceptible to it. I saw an interesting video on YouTube where a gentleman poured motor oil on his arm. He then attempted to wipe it off with a towel. It was impossible for him to get all of it off. It’s the nature of the oil to adhere to the skin. He then took Dawn dishwashing soap, mixed it with water, and used a towel soaked in the solution to wipe the oil off of his arm. It did the job nicely. Impressive. The poison ivy rash is caused by an oil called Urishiol that’s in the plant. It’s an oil – just like motor oil. If you can remove it from your skin before it sets in and causes all kinds of nasty inflammatory reactions, you will effectively dodge the poison ivy bullet. The problem with Urushiol-oil is that it is invisible. So, it comes down to this:  if you are exposed to poison ivy, then be aware of the part of your body that has come into contact with the plant. As soon as is humanly possible, mix Dawn dishwashing detergent with warm water, put a face cloth in it and aggressively wash your skin where the contact with the plant was made. Then discard the face cloth. I would also wear rubber gloves while I was doing this, and then discard them as well once the washing is complete. This strategy if done correctly will effectively remove the oil from the skin before it has a chance to cause any irritation. Nobody knows what the timeframe is here. I would not wait any longer than five hours to do the wash.

I was reading in a homeopathic text just the other day that squid-ink was a historical treatment for poison ivy. The homeopathic medicine “Sepia” is made from squid-ink. I have no earthly idea where someone would go to collect or to purchase squid ink, but it would be an interesting thing to keep in your medicine cabinet in case the warrior plant gains a foothold on your body. Nasty, Nasty, Nasty plant! Good luck and let me know via my online Self-Help Health Recovery Program what your experience is with the successful treatment of poison ivy.