re: Best ways to get rid of poison ivy without having to get a shot.

The itching from poison ivy is caused by the skin's release of histamine. The heat from a scalding hot shower will actually promote the skins release of the histamine causing an increase in the itching. What will occur if your man enough to get through it is your body will exhaust it's current supply of histamine. The itching will temporarily go away until your body can produce more histamine. This time varies for different individuals. Thus the hot shower will actually provide some temporary relief.