I had poison oak exposure on June 28, the first time this summer. I developed large blisters on my right forearm and looked really weird. I saw a doctor, got predisone in 42 tablet took them for 11 days. and then got reexposed going back to work on the job the following week. (Since that last day I have not worked on the job site, temp job now over)
I have what I think is poison oak right now. It is spreading quickly to new areas of my chest, abdomen, insides of my arms, legs, neck and back. I contracted it 10 days ago (for the second time in a row. (Making it 3 weeks I have had it) working in a yard among ivy and a tall bush. Some poison oak plants must have been mixed in with the ivy.
I am taking the predisone pills on the tapering off dosage of 42 tablets starting at 6 pills going down to 1 every 2 days. I had a minor rash on my right arm at that time. The pills are not working. I don't know why. I have considered the possibility
of being rexposed over and over again. I have wracked my brain over the past 2 days trying to track down every action that could have brought the poison oak oil into contact with my skin, and I have gone out of my way to wash or clean everything I could think of from washing all my clothes, sheets, towels, 7 loads last night alone, to cleaning my kitchen floor and counters with bleach, washing out the bathtub,sink, and bathroom floor with comet, wiping out the car seat, steering column, gear shift, car Seat belts (these could be saturated with soap and water), car floor with rubbing alcohol, throwing out contaminated leather gloves, old tennis shoes, not wearing the same tennis shoes I wore to work in, wiping door knobs and light switches in the house with rubbing alcohol, (I still need to wash the exterior of the car), and still think there is more I can do. I bought an air conditioner to cool the air in the den so I can escape the heat wave, which just makes my rash spread that much faster. real fast. I have 10 times the spots today that I had 2 days ago. while on Prednisone.
I saw a doctor last night and he said "have you considered the possibility that your rash might not be poison oak? We could refer you to a dermatologist." I was hoping for my predisone dosage to be increased to double or more the strength of 30mg I am taking but all I got was a .1% cortizone prescription cream.
I am convinced this will not take care of the problem. I had a breakout of poison oak 10 years ago that I got using a weed eater and it got worse just using the prescription cream. I waited 2 weeks trying technu, calamine lotion, and daily baths, It just made it worse. I was given prednisone and a prescription topical cream, plus 2 daily cold showers, and it took 2 weeks to get rid of it, and I developed a case of filiculitis (inflamation/infection of the hair follicles) as a secondary infection, which lasted for almost 2 months. needless to say after that experience I go nuts at the first sign of poison oak and want to avoid that repeat experience like that one.
I want to know how do I really get rid of this rash before it goes from a minor rash to a body covering rash over large areas of my body. I hate rashes like this. It drives me crazy.
the only think that has made it tolerable is Zanfel cream. It removes the itching nicely. My whole motivation has been to "hit it hard and fast while it is small thereby avoiding a major problem". When I get poison oak, I go to the doctor with the 2nd or 3rd day I notice an itchy spot. "Hey, that itches, it's red, and it looks like poison oak rash, better go to the doctor, get some pills, and avoid a major rash."
Does that sound unreasonable? I don't think so.
so my next question is, do I wait to finish my prednisone prescription before I call the doctor again, or do I go early and insist on that dermatologist? I need to do something. I feel like I am fighting a losing battle. Thanks for listening. |
