How to Treat Poison Ivy Rashes With Oral Steroids

Oral steroids, such as corticosteroids, are often used to treat more severe cases of poison ivy rashes, such as when the rash covers a large percentage of the body, or when the blisters become infected or broken. In most cases, oral steroids can bring fast relief from the symptoms of a poison ivy rash when used under the close supervision of your doctor.

Things You'll Need

• Physician or healthcare professional
• Prescription for oral steroids

Instructions

1. Treat poison ivy rashes with oral steroids in unusually severe cases. If the poison ivy rashes cover a large portion of your body, if parts of the rash become infected, or if the rashes do not respond to conventional treatment such as oatmeal baths, calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream, you should see your doctor. Severe rashes may even cause blood poisoning if medical treatment is not sought promptly.

2. Visit your doctor or health care professional to determine whether oral steroids should be used to treat your poison ivy rash. Your doctor may choose to prescribe oral steroids if you are currently being treated for another medical condition that may aggravate the rash, such as eczema, psoriasis, food allergies and many others. Oral steroids can quickly reduce the rash and itching, and promote healing more effectively.

3. Get a prescription from your doctor or health care professional for oral steroids to treat poison ivy rashes. (Prednisone is the most common medication for this type of treatment.) Generally, the prescription will last for about 12 days, with the dosages tapering down toward the end of the treatment.

4. Take the oral steroids as directed, making sure to take the proper amount of pills each day. Do not stop taking the oral steroids until you are finished with the prescription, even if the poison ivy rashes have completely disappeared. Failure to complete the oral steroid treatment may cause the rash to return, possibly even worse than before.

5. Report any serious side effects to your doctor while taking the oral steroids. Common side effects include insomnia, weight gain, facial swelling, fatigue, abdominal pain and even an outbreak of acne. In addition, taking oral steroids may cause complications for diabetics, since blood glucose levels can be raised.

6. Schedule a follow-up visit with your doctor if poison ivy rashes persist beyond 14 days after being exposed to the plant.

Tips & Warnings

• You may want to try more conventional remedies to treat poison ivy rashes, such as calamine lotion and cold compresses, before you spend the money on potentially costly treatment with oral steroids.