Sorry to hear you're stricken with the dreaded Poison Ivy there, AFVetGal. That stuff is indeed bad news. The main thing to do right now is DON'T SCRATCH IT! Easier said than done, I'm afraid -- you may find yourself clawing at the affected areas without even thinking about it.
I did a quick google search on "poison ivy treatment" and came up with a nice site HERE, with a specific link for REMEDIES. We always used calamine lotion when I was in the USN (which gave mixed results, IMHO), but since that was a while ago, chances are good there is something better out there now. There is a med called Zanfel which appears to be very good.
Keep the affected areas clean, but be sure to cleanse them with COOL, not even warm, water. Heat releases histamines, and histamines are what cause itching. At night before going to bed, I would advise covering the affected areas in cotton gauze if they're not too extensive, and for good measure put on a pair of cotton gloves (like the "Jersey" gardening gloves you can get at Home Depot for $1.25 a pair). This will serve to prevent damage to the areas if you're scratching in your sleep, which is a very common problem with this sort of thing.
Hope this helps… Hang in there! It will all be over in a matter of days if you stay on the problem.
