DEAR DR GOTT: Three years go my wife had poison ivy and was treated, but it returns each June. The doctor said it is in her system and he annually prescribes prednisone to resolve it. Is there anything she can do or take to get it out of her system? Thanks for helping.

DEAR READER: No, there isn’t. Poison ivy is a vine or shrub from the cashew family that grows in abundance in the United States and southern Canada. It often creeps along the ground or twists around tree trunks. The plant contains a poisonous oil that resembles carbolic acid which is extremely irritating to some individuals. The leaves are red in the early spring, turn green and shiny during the summer months and transform to yellow, red and orange in the fall. There are three leaflets with slightly notched edges, thus the saying “leaves of three, let it be”.
[Read more...]

DEAR DR. GOTT: Living in a wooded area, I often get repeated bouts of poison ivy — either from walking in overgrown areas or perhaps from my dog, who always accompanies me. Well, this year is a particularly bad one for me, and I would like your recommendations for how to treat it. I feel my only help at this point is to see my doctor for a prednisone prescription.

DEAR READER: I am not prone to poison ivy, oak or sumac, but I have two members of my office staff who are. One has had the problem for years and was treated as a child with pink calamine lotion smeared all over her. The other who was convinced she had no problems and prided herself on cleaning flowerbeds where poison ivy was known to grow.
[Read more...]