What can I do to relieve a reaction to poison ivy?

Question

I think my son rubbed some poison ivy, he got a graffiti that has been blistering since yesterday and it keeps getting bigger. He says it burns and stings. It doesn't seem to be spreading, but the graffiti is swelling and blistering. It's gotten a little bigger since last night. It looks healthy..it's pink..

Jean-Sébastien Lecompte · Accepted Answer

Hello, In order to find the best possible option, I need to validate some things. Is it very itchy? Is the skin at the site of the lesion relatively healthy or is it raw? Is it very extensive? Thanks for the clarification. Since the skin is healthy, you could apply a 1% hydrocortisone cream available over the counter. I would suggest application twice a day morning and night. You could apply moisturizer in addition to this to promote better healing of the lesion. Also, the use of Reactin can help reduce symptoms. Often, reactions to poison ivy are allergic-type reactions and anti-histamines can be effective in reducing the itching. I hope this advice can help. Jean-Sébastien Lecompte, pharmacist