My family and i have been diagnosed as having scabies after 3 weeks of a dr telling me it was flea bites?

Question

I finally broke down and went to another dr since they were only getting worse and he gave us the permethrin 5% cream to use on the whole family which we did yesterday. My question is, how long does the minor itching and bumps take before they go away? We have washed all the linens , pillows , vaccuumed everything including beds and furniture. Is there any chance that we can become reinfected after cleaning everything and we even dipped the puppy in a solution to get rid of the scabies since he is the one that brought them into the house in the first place i know for fact since they started all over our bodies within 2 days of him being brought here. Is there anything else i should do to prevent reinfestation? And how long will this itching last now that the scabies are gone? Thanks!

Answer 1

It can take two weeks or more for the itching and rash to go away. The important thing is that it shouldn't spread after you used the permethrin. If after two weeks you still have the rash, you can use the cream again. If two weeks after that, any of you still have the symptoms, you will need to go back to the doctor.

Meanwhile, another thing for you to do is buy the OTC lice spray (RID or NIX) for your furniture and carpet. Unfortunately, scabies is a parasite and the only way to get rid of it is by treating every place the bugs like to live, ie. upholstered furniture, mattresses, carpet, linens, pillows, stuffed animals, etc. To kill the bugs on stuffed animals and pillows, simply throw them in the dryer on it's hottest setting for a full cycle.

And to soothe the itch..... Aveeno oatmeal bath works really well.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Sorry about that. Well first..you have to clean up your house (especially the beddings) because some fleas are still present. Have you tried the Kwell lotion, these should applied to ALL family members.For as long as their is one person harboring the flea..anyone else who has none will get (will transfer through beddings or carpet,pillows).This lotion should be applied before bedtime. Itchiness will be there for a week or two but still continue the medication. Hope this helps. God bless!

Answer 3

Scabies is a contagious (catching) disorder of the skin caused by very small, wingless insects or mites called the Human Itch mite or Scabies itch mite Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis (Hering). The female insect burrows into the skin where she lays 1 - 3 eggs daily. A very small, hard to see, zigzag blister usually marks the trail of the insect as she lays her eggs. Other more obvious symptoms are an intense itching (especially at night) and a red rash that can occur at the area that has been scratched. The most common locations for scabies are on the sides of fingers, between the fingers, on the backs of the hands, on the wrists, heels, elbows, armpits, inner thighs and around the waist (belt line). If untreated, the female will continue to lay eggs for about five weeks. The eggs hatch and the new mites begin the cycle all over again. The mites themselves are too small to be seen without magnification. One of the great problems with scabies always has been misdiagnosis. Scabies is spread by personal contact, e.g., by shaking hands or sleeping together or by close contact with infected articles such as clothing, bedding or towels. It is usually found where people are crowded together or have frequent contact, and is most common among school children, families, roommates, and sexual partners. Scabies can be spread by the insect itself or by the egg. Prompt action is required to rid a person of the insects and eggs. Sulfur has been used (6 - 10% in lotion or cream) since Roman times as a scabicide, but you might be allergic.

If you think your child or someone else in the family has scabies - Try a sauna and/or try bathing, washing or soaking in diluted Lice R Gone® Shampoo, Safe Solutions, Inc. Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint, or sulfur and/or borax - then call your medical provider to be sure you are no longer infected.

If you are still infected, your medical provider or doctor may prescribe a pesticide (poison) lotion - use the prescribed (poison) lotion on the body (from the neck down) of the affected person(s). Follow the instruction on the bottle - very carefully. Try Lice R Gone® shampoo and/or Safe Solutions, Inc.'s Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint and borax or a sauna first, if your doctor will allow it.

Examine all other family members carefully for the presence of scabies - use a magnifying glass.

To avoid reinfestation, all clothing, towels and bedding should be thoroughly laundered once all those with scabies begin their treatment. Use hot water over 120o F. (equal to hot tap water in most homes). Try washing in Safe Solutions, Inc.'s Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint and borax.

Combs, brushes, barrettes and anything with which your child has had contact should be soaked in hot water (over 120o F.) and Safe Solutions, Inc.'s Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint or borax for at least 15 minutes.

Periodically check your child for symptoms which may indicate reinfection. Expect the rash to clear up in about two weeks.

In most cases your child can return to school after the first treatment and after all clothing, towels and bedding have been washed.

Prevention

Try routinely using a sauna - try bathing, soaking or washing in diluted Safe Solution's Enzyme Cleaner enzyme cleaners and/or borax and/or sulfur. Try Lice R Gone® shampoo.

Regularly change and wash all clothing, bedding, towels and under wear.

When laundering towels, clothing and bedding use hot water and enzymes or borax.

Children should not share clothing or other personal articles such as hair brushes, combs or towels with one another.

When an outbreak of scabies is reported be alert for symptoms in member of your family.

If your child has scabies, please notify the school authorities so the school will be alerted to check for any outbreak.

The above measures are suggested to help prevent reinfestation. However, even the medicated (poison) lotion treatment for scabies does not provide long-term protection and reinfestation is always possible. So watch and practice proper prevention - Remember to try to avoid the use of poison on your person or child at all costs.

Testing - According to the American Academy of Dermatology the most common test involves applying a drop of sterile mineral oil to the suspected lesion. The site is then scraped with a scalpel and the scrapings are transferred to a slide. Under a microscope, the doctor should be able to find scabies mites, their eggs and/or feces. Another option is an ink test, in which the doctor applies a blue or black felt-tipped pen to the suspected areas. Then the skin is cleaned. Mite burrows can be revealed if the ink sinks into them.

Answer 4

can itch for weeks or months after treatment however not as bad as before the treatment. Usually one treatment is enough if EVERYONE in the house has been treated. Someone left out of treatment will be the place they will go...

Answer 5

heidie . . . forgot to cite hir source, so I thought I'd help out, since I'm sure he or she didn't mean to plagiarize:

http://www.safe2use.com/pests/scabies/scabies.htm