How long is the poison ivy contagious?

i got poison ivy on monday but it showed up on tuesday

i have a little near my ankle and some on my face corner of my mouth, thigh and a lot on my arm ..... iv been taking showers with this oatmeal thing i got from the last time i got poison ivy that helped a lot or at least stopped the itching iv also been putting S.T 37 which also helps with the itching but the one that is useless is Calagel and at the bottom it says SATISFACTION GUARANTEED i need something that will work please help me my pool opens tomorrow

How long is the poison ivy contagious?
Rubbing the rashes won't spread poison ivy to other parts of your body (or to another person). You spread the rash only if urushiol oil -- the sticky, resinlike substance that causes the rash -- has been left on your hands.



It's NOT contagious at all.



edit: YOU CANNOT SPREAD IT WITHOUT THE OIL, ITS A MYTH! READ MY LINK!
Reply:Poison Ivy is not contagious...I work in a Dr's office and I touch ppl with it all the time and I have never gotten poison ivy.



If you have it on your face you should prob go to the doctor. At our office we will prescribe prednizone for ppl when they have a really bad case of it or it is on the face.
Reply:I'm pretty sure as long as there is liquid coming out of the sores it is still contagious. There are plenty of over the counter med. that will dry that up in about 2 to 3 days
Reply:I'm fairly sure poison ivy isn't contagious i know that the rash is just a common allergic reaction that many people have
Reply:First it depends on how someone is allergic to the poison ivy. As a child I could swim in poison ivy and get nothing on me, but if my dog brushed up against poison ivy and i touched him right after then i would get the rash. it is extremely contagious to some people, even if the rash is nearly gone. Some people are very sensitive to the oils. I would wait till at least the boils or pimples are all dried up, before getting too close in contact with other people. Also try not to itch (easier than said, believe me I know) but try to resist it, that will make it spread more on your body and to others. Good Luck, Hope you feel better soon!



p.s. have you tried benedril gel yet? it may help with the inflammation. oh and after putting the gel on, i would sit in front of a fan. the coolness helped a lot with the pain and itching.