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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffPoison ivy treatments are usually limited to self-care methods, and the rash typically goes away on its own within two or three weeks.
If the rash is widespread or results in a large number of blisters, your doctor may prescribe an oral corticosteroid, such as prednisone, for poison ivy treatment. If a bacterial infection has developed at the rash site, your doctor will likely give you a prescription for an oral antibiotic.
References
- Auerbach PS. Wilderness Medicine. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa. Elsevier Mosby: 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-1678-8..00063-5--s0055&isbn=978-1-4377-1678-8&uniqId=343851441-3#4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-1678-8..00063-5--s0055. Accessed July 3, 2012.
- Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 5th ed. Edinburgh, U.K.; New York, N.Y.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..X0001-6--TOP&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed July 3, 2012.
- Prok L, et al. Poison ivy (Toxicodendron) dermatitis. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed July 3, 2012.
- Poisonous plants. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/plants. Accessed July 3, 2012.
- Outsmarting poison ivy and other poisonous plants. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm049342.htm. Accessed July 3, 2012.
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