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Scabies - I need help!

2 weeks ago I noticed I had some red spots on my arms they were itchy & I found it hard not to scratch them.They began to spread & I had some on my lower legs below my knee also.I looked this up & it seemed to suggest bed bugs.I'm a clean person & live with my gf & we were both disgusted.I looked at bed bugs online & saw pics of how they nest.I inspected our mattress & it was spotless.So I went to the chemist they didn't know what it was & told me to use Eucerin cream to relieve the itching.I put the cream all over but it didn't help.Bedtime is a nightmare feel itchy all over! I shower everyday & use soap to wash my body all over trying to clean my skin. After shower the red spots all over my arms forearms back of my hands & legs is like a rash of raised red spots.I went to the chemist for a 2nd opinion & the assistant gave me Eurax & Calamine lotion to help with the itching.These helped a bit but still the 'rash' or red spots spread to my shoulders & onto the back of my neck.My pubic area & torso my face ears soles of my feet & back of my thighs were the only places spot free. So I went to the doctorwho said it's not bed bug it's scabies!She prescribed Lyclear.This is now 1 week on.We kept washing our sheets & bed clothes & changing them regularly my gf hasn't had any signs of scabies yet. I applied the Lycream 2x30g tubes of Lyclear all over my body from the neck down.Now a day on from the Lyclear treatment there's no sign of improvement feels like it's getting worse! I haven't slept for a fortnight I suffer with insomnia also but this is ridiculous! The itching is worse at night I'm scratching my arms & legs I try not to but its impossible! I want to know if this is normal after the Lyclear (permethrin) treatment?I also have a slight dust allergy for which I take a daily anti-histamine tablet. Is it normal for the spots to continue to appear& the scabies rash to keep spreading on the body- is this maybe the body's reaction to the mites dying?

2014-12-10 03:55:05

Ben

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Hello Thanks for posting your query. I can understand your concern for the itchy red spots on the arms and legs. However the diagnosis of scabies cannot be made on this only. Moreover your girlfriend is not having any such symptoms when scabies is a highly contagious disease. The disease may be transmitted from objects but is most often transmitted by direct skin-to-skin contact with a higher risk with prolonged contact. It occurs in the area of the hands feet wrists elbows back buttocks and external genitals and intense itching at night is a common symptom. Diagnosis of scabies is made by scraping the skin and viewing the material under a microscope to see the characteristic mite or eggs. So you should get the investigation done to confirm the diagnosis of scabies and then only take the treatment. Permethrin and oral ivermectin are the best treatment options of scabies. Sometimes itching of scabies persists for a few days after completion of treatment also and sometimes there may be recurrent and chronic cases which may require oral treatment of ivermectin. There is a rule that all family members of the patient of scabies also need to be treated even if they do not have any itching or rashes. Hence please ensure that all your family members also get the topical treatment if the diagnosis of scabies is confirmed. Other than that atopic dermatitis and eczema can also present with symptoms like these. In such cases oral antihistaminics and topical application of calamine and steroids is very useful. Hence my suggestion would be to get investigated for scabies and if needed get a biopsy of the effected skin scrapings done to confirm the diagnosis. Permethrin does not cause itchy skin after its topical application but may cause slight skin irritation and rashes of scabies do not usually spread when the topical treatment of permethrin has been initiated. Hope that this information helps and hope that you get better soon. Wishing you good health.

2014-12-10 03:57:21

Amy

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