Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) emphasizes that a healthy, allergy-free body often depends on a balanced liver. The liver, a yin organ, controls tendons, keeps qi moving throughout the body, and stores blood. Its yang partner is the gallbladder, which stores and excretes bile, protects the nervous system from overreactions, and helps stabilize emotions. When the liver is congested (produces more yang) from eating yang (heating) foods or overloading the body with toxins, gallbladder function is also impaired and allergy symptoms may develop.

One day on a hike, Stan, a 39-year-old computer engineer, accidentally came into contact with poison ivy. He was not aware of the fact until, two days later, he developed a rash, accompanied by an uncomfortable itch (allergic contact dermatitis).

Stan tried to alleviate the symptoms by taking an over-the-counter antihistamine, Beneadryl. This lessened the itching, but the rash continued to get worse. When she saw acupuncturist Ira J. Golchehreh, L.Ac., OMD, of San Rafael, California, six days after exposure, she had large, red, raised blisters all over her body, particularly on her abdomen, thighs, and muzzle. .

Dr. Golchehreh discovered that Stan had a history of severe allergies, as well as signs of a liver imbalance, manifesting itself emotionally as occasional outbursts of anger. According to traditional Chinese medicine, this indicates an “overactive yang of the liver,” explains Dr. Golchehreh, or liver whose energy, or “fire”, is so reactive (yang) that it creates problems throughout the body and mind. Poison ivy is also a manifestation of too much heat, says Dr. Golchehreh, “and boils are considered a poison infection in the organs.”

The first order of business was to remove heat from Stan’s system to eliminate the toxic manifestation. Dr. Golchehreh used acupuncture to redirect qi imbalances and allow poisons to drain out of his system. Additionally, he gave Stan the Chinese herbs Bupleurum schizonepeta (commonly used to treat hives) and Gypsum fibrosum (calcium sulfate) to help disperse heat and flush toxins from his system. Stan also moistened the fibrous plaster powder with water to make a paste and applied it topically to cool the lesions. Another TCM remedy that rebalances the liver is a combination of the herbs Tang-Kuei and Gardenia (3 g, three times a day, between meals).

“I recommended that Stan drink refreshing drinks and eat ice cream to cool down his body temperature,” says Dr. Golchehreh. “When you have blisters that have become inflamed, it indicates too much heat on the surface of the body and it is best to cool the system with something cold.” Applying ice to the skin can also be beneficial for poison ivy symptoms.

Since poison ivy often lingers for weeks, Stan was greatly relieved to find that 48 hours after his visit to Dr. Golchehreh, all traces of his allergic contact dermatitis had disappeared.