Actually urushiol is an extremely powerful immune modulator. The rash is the manifestation of a delated T cell reaction. Its a veritable immunological firestorm. Urushiol when combined with tumor antigens has been considered as potential, anti cancer immunotherapy as a cutaneous vaccine. Probably not a good idea to desensitize your immune system to urushiol.
Exactly, I concur and just adding in my own 2ยข as I think poison ivy is associated with too many “old wives’ tales.”
It is a complicated condition, not as simple an “allergy” as caused by many other substances, such as pollens.
The older poison ivy “immunization” shots made country doctors extra money every summer, but they barely worked if they worked at all. I suspect that is mainly why they are not available any more.
And although corticosteroids (strong creams for small areas aand pills for bigger ones) do help to reduce poison ivy/oak/sumac symptoms, the anti-histamines like the article mentioned do NOT work at all.
Steroid pills are better than steroid shots — it is a 3+ week reaction, and a steroid shot is long gone before that, and the itch and rash will flare back up. Pills (typically prednisone) also work just as fast and are just as strong. “Dose packs” taper too quickly and do not last long enough.