Hi Cheri -
Has your doctor discussed this with you in detail? Is he/she concerned? If you feel that this course of treatment isn't working and the communication isn't as it should be, you should consider seeing another doctor or go to a specialist / dermatologist. It shouldn't take this long to clear the rash so clearly something else is involved here. Here are a list of questions I would take to my doctor if I were in your situation:
- What are the side effects of the medication you have prescribed for me, and could this be a factor in the recurring rash?
- Why has this rash reoccured? There has been no additional contact with poison ivy. Are there environmental factors that may be involved?
- Is this normal for a rash to reoccur for a period of weeks?
- Could this be a rash caused by something other than poison ivy? If so, what? And should the course of treatment then be different?
- should I consult a specialist?
I am not a doctor but these are just a few of the questions I, myself, would ask my doctor if I were "in your shoes".
Also, you need to make sure that you are not recontaminating yourself. Have you cleaned everything which might have come in contact with the oil in poison ivy? Washed your shoes? Cleaned under your fingernails? Washed clothes, gloves, etc.?
It's tough having a rash for so long. You feel helpless and frustrated. Now's a good time to do some research, ask questions of your doctor, and get proactive in the treatment of the rash. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out - we care.
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