Hello,
Let me first say that I am new to homeopathy and any help advice would be greatly appreciated. Here's the 'problem': My husband is hypersensitive to poison ivy and gets it many times each year. At least one of those times turns into a serious condition requiring prednisone to cure. Well... he has it again. It started 2 days ago and I gave him some Rhus Tox on the recommendation of a friend but I am really confused about dosages. Instinct told me stronger was better but the more I read the more I am unsure of that theory when it comes to homeopathy.

For 1 complete day, yesterday, he took 3 pillules of 200C twice and then 2 pillules of 200C once. Today, so far he has taken 2 pillules of 200C twice. His reactions has been that the poison ivy has not spread but it has gotten much redder and is weeping profusely. Also, his fingers are swollen to be about 50% larger than normal size.

Am I doing something wrong? Have I waited long enough for the Rhus tox to take affect? When he is done with this bout is there something I can do to help him build up his immunity to poison ivy?

Thanks for any help you can provide.
-Karen

When my son got poison ivy the doctor said, if he is better from hot water...give anacardium...if better from cold water...give rhus.

well, maybe I remembered it wrong.

maybe it was if he was worse from the hot water..to go with rhus.

Dosing with Rhus Tox when a person has contact dermatitis from poison ivy is known is Isopathy. People confuse isopathy with homeopathy all the time, but the difference is that you must base your practice on the law of similars in order for cure to take place. Similars means something different from "same"... so rhus (which is the poison ivy plant) is not that effective for treating poison ivy, but it can work well if it is administered immediately after contact with the plant or its oils. Treatment with a similar remedy, which can cause a similar reaction to the contact dermatitis of the poison ivy plant, is demonstrably more successful.

In this case, not only was rhus not the best remedy, it was administered 3 times in one day at a 200c potency....that is way too high, as we can see from the result.

Anacardium is clinically the best remedy to give for poison ivy contact dermatitis. I would give anacardium in a low dose at this point--12c or 30c as the highest potency, one dose to begin with and watch to see what happens. You may need to repeat again in a couple of hours, after the subsiding pain begins to make a return, then after that repeat as necessary. Try to refrain from using topical lotions on the lesions, such as calomine.

Hope this helps, as this sounds very painful.
Divina

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...and deliverance has many faces<br />but grace<br />is an aquaintance of mine

As previously stated stop with the rhus tox and try the anarc - ONE DOSE ONLY until you can report back any changes.

More importantly, your husband obviously needs constitutional care if he contracts this so often. Homeopathy can definately help him.

If you just treat this one outbreak - to paraphrase anothers description - you will be pulling the weeds from the soil but not treating the soil so that in time the weeds will grow back.

Good luck and keep posting to let us know how things are moving along - you may do well to give some modalities, ie. what makes the pain or itching worse or better, your hubbies mental state right now, etc.

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Man, do not pride yourself on your superiority to animals. For they are without sin and you in your greatness defile the earth by your appearance on it and leave traces of you foulness after you. Dostoyevsky

Thanks everyone for all of your great advice. Last night I went to the pharmacy that carries a homeopathic line and was unable to find anacardium. So at this point, my husband is not taking anything.

Here is his current condition. His finger has swollen to at least twice normal size and is weeping considerably. He must keep a paper towel against it to prevent dripping. He is not experiencing any pain or severe itching. Also, there is no burning sensation. Last night/today, another area broke out between another set of fingers on the same hand. Yesterday, he was quite frustrated, disgusted, fed up... Today he seems resigned to the fact that this is going to take awhile to go away. He is figuring that he will be on the downside by Saturday (3 days away).

Again thanks for all of you help.
-Karen

Thanks everyone for all of your great advice. Last night I went to the pharmacy that carries a homeopathic line and was unable to find anacardium. So at this point, my husband is not taking anything.

Here is his current condition. His finger has swollen to at least twice normal size and is weeping considerably. He must keep a paper towel against it to prevent dripping. He is not experiencing any pain or severe itching. Also, there is no burning sensation. Last night/today, another area broke out between another set of fingers on the same hand. Yesterday, he was quite frustrated, disgusted, fed up... Today he seems resigned to the fact that this is going to take awhile to go away. He is figuring that he will be on the downside by Saturday (3 days away).

Again thanks for all of you help.
-Karen

Karen, try Northeast Homeopathic Pharmacy at (800) 551-3611; they're in Acton, and they open after 10:00 AM. Ask for Ted, he's very helpful. They also do mail order, and you could have your remedy in as little as 2 days if you don't want to drive up there. Alternatively, if you work in or near Boston, there's a pharmacy at the lobby of the Park Plaza that also carries a wide variety of remedies. Good luck.

RF

Thanks RF! Unbenownst to you, I live in Westford, just 1 town over from Acton. I will certainly check them out!

Thanks again,
-Karen