Did you use any tools or gloves that had been in contact with the PI when you had it a few months ago?

I am sure it's possible but we did a pretty thorough job of methodically isolating and cleaning. The worst case is between my fingers which tells me it was direct contact with some plant I grabbed onto. I think I am going to check the debris pile again. This is making me a little nuts. Thanks for your idea!

With all the rain lately, maybe something "new" has invaded your yard, that you haven't notice when you've been working out there -- something that you are allergic to. So many plants have some toxic aspect that most people are not sensitive to - but those gardeners who are can really suffer. Sorry!

Tropidale, there are other plants that could have given you a rash. I am extremely sensitive to poison ivy also but I get the same kind of rash if I touch Oyster Plant or Wild Grape Vine. And there are other plants that can give you a rash. You may want to soak your hands in a solution of Domboro powder, find it at the drug store with other itchy rash products.

Linda Leaf

Tropidale, I am not allergic to anything that I know of but that can change any day since the body is always changing.:)

I am in the garden every day and always wear gloves, the plastic for some jobs and the cloth ones for others. And after finishing the jobs I wash my hands really good.

There is a lot of zap in plants and anyone can be allergic to anything, some people are more sensitive than others.

Just be careful and take your precautions.

Silvia

It could be mites (plant lice), especially because they love to hide between your fingers. Does it itch worse at night? Mites are more active at night.

One year, we made a scarecrow costume for my son and stuff dead grass up around his ankles and wrists. The next day, he was covered with a horrible rash halfway up his arms and legs. The doctor took a scraping and said it was plant lice, that they overwinter on dead grass. He gave us some permethrin cream and it cleared it right up, but we never did THAT again.

Put some vaseline all over the rash in case it is mites. It will smother them. You can get RID for lice and rub that on those spots. Also, virgin coconut oil is very good at killing them, if you want to stay natural. I had a horrible itch on my arms once that was so painful at night that I had to put icepacks on my arms to get to sleep. I started rubbing coconut oil on my arms every night, and within a week, it was gone and has never come back.

I had forgotten about Virginia Creeper! The oxylate crystals in it can certainly cause a reaction in some people, but it isn't related to poison oak or poison ivy (It's a common misconception.) Here is some info on it.

http://www.dailylocal.com/lifestyle/20140613/from-the-ground-up-maybe-that-rash-isnt-poison-ivy

If it is Virginia Creeper, apple cider vinegar will dissolve the oxylate crystals in your skin.

Thanks, everybody. I am on the hunt to find everything I touched and do a thorough cleaning. I expect it would be easier to just burn the place down but then the smoke would carry the noxious oils, I may just stay on the sidewalk from now on.... sigh.... It would probably be the safest route to take. I'm going to look up Oyster plant. That is the only one I am not familiar with. I am quite sure that it is plant based, just which one?? Thanks for all the tips on relief. I took benadryl yesterday but I don't think it helped a lot. So maybe I will try some of the ideas posted. Ironically itching seems to be worst in the morning before I can put anything on it. Once I get coated in cortisone cream, it usually subsides for most of the day. It certainly seems to be better with some kind of moisturizer on my hands as well. Thanks again.