Though I've never heard of it with this plant I have heard of it with others so it is possible. Plenty of people think they are immune to poison ivy (from past experiences just like yours) only to find themselves scratching up a storm the next time they go outside. Be careful what you claim - the vines are listening.

yes, it is possible. about 10% of people are allergic to the english & boston ivies. i'd never heard it before i went to a poison ivy website looking for some advice a few yrs back, but appareently it's one of those little known facts. since i have a reaction to PO, i always am super careful when pulling the english ivy we have around now. i don't remember the name of that site, but if you google poison ivy, it's bound to pop up near the top. it has remedies, forums, i'd. help, and lots of other stuff- the most comprehensive site i found. go get the steriods and/or shot from the dr. if you have it that bad. it's worth it!! you don't want scarring on your face. and in some people (me, without treatment) the rash can last 6 weeks.

oh, and you CAN not have a reaction to PO all your life & suddenly develop it- happened to both my mom & my hub's mom the same summer. don't ever take it for granted, and go pulling barehanded or anything (or bragging!). my mom esp, was very humbled after that happened to her- she looked like someone had taken a scourge to her legs and arms. she'd pulled the stuff all her life prior and never had a problem. some think the sensitivity builds over a lifetime of exposure. the roots have the most urishiol, and you may get a horrible surprise one day.

good luck!! tammy

Definitely possible. I'm allergic to wild grapevine and Virginia creeper.

Thanks John, Tammy and Brenda. Yes, I definately think I'm allergic to the english ivy so it's got to go. I've been thinking of replacing it with ajuga anyway. much prettier. Gotta go itch some now. bye. Jennifer

I would encourage you all to go to the drugstore and get Oak-n-Ivy brand
IvyArmor - pre-exposure lotion,
tecnu - outdoor skin cleanser, and
CalaGel - medicated anti-itch gel.

I too laughed at PO then got it in January!!!!! from the edge of a jacket I wore in October!!!!! after having pulled the stuff along with the weeds willy-nilly. 'I've never been allergic to PO!', I said. Doc said, 'You are now.' This tecnu stuff neutralizes the urushiol that is the poison that makes you itch, swell, and could be fatal. You use the tecnu when you think you have been exposed (washing it over you like a skim and not like a soap to be scrubbed), the CalaGel clears it up in days if it blisters, and, most importantly by using the IvyArmor when you suspect you are going to be in the midst of it . It is given gratis to State highway workers before they go out clearing the edges of the roadways so it must be of worth. I know that it has kept me out of the emergency room from searing painful PO rash since the first episode.

Nancy the nancedar

Here is a link that might be useful: tecnu ID of Poison Ivy

Thanks for the advice Nancy. I've been wondering how well the blocking products on the market work and which one to buy. I have a budding PI problem here I need to address ASAP. Unfortunately the source is in a neighbor's yard- fenced in- and I doubt they will do anything about it anytime soon.

another med i have found really useful is zanafel. it's a scrub that you use after the rash has started- at that point technu is of no use. it doesn't work for me as well as claimed, but it does cut my rash's duration down to about a week from my typical 6. it also keeps the blisters from getting to the point of breaking & oozing- the really gross part- if i start using it asap once the rash shows. it has microbeads in it, and you are supposed to scrub with it until there's no itch. and boy, does it feel good to use it! then when it starts itching again (more urishiol surfacing) you scrub again. i typically scrub a few x a day the first day or 2, then once a day or less for about a week before it's all gone. it IS expensive- about $40 for a tube, not on sale, but you can catch it on sale sometimes for 25 or 30. about the same as a prescription, is my rationale. and it goes along ways.

another thing is, there ARE prescription creams out there, that for some reason go untold about that work wonders. one is triamcinolone 1% and another is: lidex aka fluocinonide 0.05% (this one is stronger- they won't prescrib for kids). ask your doc to give you a prescript to have on hand when you get it. i found out when someone loaned me theirs. i don't usually get it enough to justify the shot or steroids, but it sure makes me miserable. since my daughter gets it too, i got the less strong cream (the triam).

the blocking prduct that technu sells works ok, but i don't like the gerasy feel or smell. i never tried the other one.

a home remedy that works ok if you can't wash up quickly is jewelweed. crush the juicy stems up and rub them on the affected/exposed area. the american indians treated their PI this way. fortunately, they often grow in close proximity.

shari, i emphasize. my butthead neighbor lets his grow deliberately next to our line. i round it up when i can if i know he isn't home. you have to use the brush strength roundup- the reg isn't strong enough to kill. so far he hasn't complained, but then we aren't on speaking terms, either. oh well- no loss, believe me. good luck with your problem! tammy

I always have poison ivy rash. Somewhere on my body at any given point in the year I have it. It thrives in my yard and there is no way I can get rid of all of it without bulldozing down every tree in the woods and turning this place into a wasteland. My dog gets it also (she of little hair and not enough sense to stay out of the brush) and she gives it to me. In the winter she gets it on her foot pads and gives it to my arm when she climbs into my lap (I know what your thinking - a 60lbs dog gets in your lap??? what can I say, I spoil her). During the summer it sprouts up everywhere, the lawn, the flower beds, in flower pots...
I get poison ivy so often that I don't react that strongly when I do and it goes away in about 10 days. I can even feel a tingling when I've just brushed against the leaves.

The treatment that works wonders for me is to soak the area with extremely hot water. The high heat makes your tissues dump all their hystamines at one time (feels like a really strong itch/scratch sensation). It takes about 8 hours for the hystamine levels to build back up and so you get about that long with itching.

They have a whole bunch of new info on how it all works and what works one time may not work the second time and what works for one person may not work for you.