What is the treatment for poisoning from these plants?

he best approach to poison ivy dermatitis is prevention. Washing with soap and water can help reduce the severity of the rash, but this is often impractical because it has to be done at once. (After 10 minutes, only 50% of the resin is removable, and by 30 minutes only 10%.)

Once it begins, the rash will usually clear on its own by 14-21 days. Treatment is directed at controlling the itching. Oral antihistamines (like diphenhydramine [Benadryl]) may help the itch somewhat, but often they do no more than make people drowsy. Cortisone creams, whether over-the-counter or by prescription, are only helpful if applied right away, before blisters appear, or much later, when the blisters have dried up. Compresses with cool water or Burow's solution (available without prescription) can help dry the ooze faster.

When the rash is severe, such as when it affects the face or causes extensive blistering, oral steroids (for example, prednisone) can help produce rapid improvement. This course of therapy should be maintained, often in decreasing doses, for 10-14 days or even longer in some cases, to prevent having the rash rebound and become severe again. Patients who are given a six-day pack of cortisone pills often get worse again when they complete it, because the dose was too low and administered for too short a time.

Folklore, medical and otherwise, endorses many other agents, from aloe leaves to tea bags to meat tenderizer as treatments for poison ivy and related plant poisonings. Though these remedies are generally harmless, they are of questionable value.