Steve -
You and me both on that chemical off switch. Here's a weird one for you - I've spent the evening answering questions here on this board and doing a fair amount of reading on dermatitis, poison ivy, etc. Now I can't stop scratching! Granted this doesn't match the grief you are going through as I know the itch will stop in a few hours but it just shows how the mind / body can play tricks on you.
The longest rash I've personally suffered in one bout took about 4 weeks to heal. That one was a doozy (and oh so lovely to have dripping blisters on the end of the nose :-( ). As for off and on rashes, I've had several summers (like 3 or 4) of rashes popping up in a near non-stop fashion. End up scratching most of the summer until the poison ivy drops its leaves. Took me a few years to realize that my dog was leaving pi love for me. Took me about 2 years now to get a handle on my body's reaction to poison ivy and how to deal with it. I've never been on steroids to treat the rash (even the really bad one) - my mother taught me well. If I still have all appendages and there is breath in the body, I don't need a doctor :-). (Of course, I take my daughter for just about every sniffle...).
You might consider going to a specialist. Perhaps a respected dermatologist in your area can help you get a handle on what's happening. If you know you aren't recontaminating yourself, perhaps there is something else affecting you. Sometimes, treatments can cause problems (some topical creams can be an issue as well as other treatments). Talk to a knowledgeable doctor to get at the root of the problem.
I wish you a speedy recovery. Stay cool. Stay calm. Watch many reruns for us :-). |
