I feel for you. I am so allergic. I know what the plant looks like, but my farm is literally a carpet of poison ivy in all but a small section of woods. I take every precaution I can, but I still get it 2-3 times/year. In fact, I have a pretty good case of it right now. I had my beagle out in the woods this past weekend and let her run a rabbit. I followed along until the rabbit went down a hole and then we went home. I thought I was being careful, but obviously I brushed up against the dog or something along the way or when I got home. I too swear by the Zanfel stuff. I love it. Went to get a new tube yesterday and the pharmacist (who I know) talked me into trying the generic store brand of zanfel. I'm using the off brand on one arm and the real Zanfel on the other. I'll let you know how it works out because the store brand is a LOT cheaper.