Just wanted to let you folks know, the VERY HOT water trick really does work. I speak from first hand recent experience.
I have poison ivy on both arms, stood outside of my shower started with hot water, then kept turning up the hot water little by little until I got to the point that it almost hurt. While doing this the itching was crazy, I mean it itched like crazy. I let the VERY HOT water soak one arm at a time for about 1-2 minutes. As soon as I took the arm out of the VERY HOT water the itching stopped. I mean it stopped within seconds.
It's been a couple of hours now and no itching. I'll let you know of any progress.
Oh and by the way, I have the hydrocortizon cream standing by just in case.

Just do it! Stuff works like magic with very little medical risk. Why go through the agony? You might feel extra hungry for a couple of days -- maybe not a downside.

Prednisone is also one of the worst-tasting pills I’ve ever had. It matters not what you try to dissolve it in, the flavor will break through like a SWAT team on a drug raid. The only technique for saving yourself with Prednisone is to fill your mouth with some liquid like orange juice, tip your head back like your going to gargle, drop the pill in the orange juice pool, and quickly swallow before any pill particles hit your tongue.

Forget the whole breathing thing… Prednisone was the worst part of severe asthma.

That is the trick. Anyone else I have told this to stops too early and does not get the same relief. If you stay under the hot water long enough the itching will go away as well, but getting to that point is pure torture.

Try Fels Naptha Soap. My wife used it last year and it was the only thing that helped her.

She got it at a local grocery for .99 a bar.

Have you ever tried Orangina (the French(?) citrus soda)? Something about the bitter aftertaste of Orangina works even better than OJ to mask prednisone's taste.

No, I have never tried it, or even heard of it. I will keep it in mind for future use, though! Thanks!

when i was but a wee-rummy i used to get poison ivy all the time. as i wore glasses and was fat, i couldnt stand the stigma of coming to school pink from calamine lotion. as this was before the advent of calamine clear, i was forced to come up with my own home remedy. while most home remedies could very well be hit or miss and alot carry the placebo effect amongst them, this may or may not work for you...

mix aspirin and peroxide until you get a little pastey substance...apply, let dry and re-apply.

theoretically, the peroxide will help open the pores, allowing the salisylic acid (eats oil; see Clearsil) in the aspirin to eat the oil up...

ive also run the poison ivy under really hot water (as hot as you can stand) and then cut the nodules off with a sharp knife. i finish it off by pouring bleach on the area...yea, it hurts, and yea it could leave scars (though ive never had any), but dammit if it doesnt work.

oh, and oatmeal baths...looooooong oatmeal baths.



for prevention, ive found that Technu makes a soapy substance that you can use after being in contact with it. there is alsosupposedly a anti-poison ivy wipe out there as well that comes in individual packs for use in the field...im very excited about that.

This stuff works very well infact if you were to use it right away on new P.Ivy it you would never get it. Well never say never but mostly never.
http://altnature.com/order.htm

I have tried jewelweed a couple of times and I cannot say whether it worked or not.