For those who have had scabies…

[Snoopypie]

My husband thinks it’s just me overreacting, but it’s 7 weeks now and treatments have not worked after the initial one as he isn’t doing all the protocol . Pretty sure the dog has it too and he says I’m imagining it, ffs she’s scratching and shaking her ears so much (I’ve made an apt with her at dermo vet this week). Husband in denial that he has it, luckily dermo wants to see us both when I go in 2 weeks.
I’m so down, genuinely depressed and avoiding people , really worried about returning to work too next week ….am I over reacting or can people relate? Is it possible to live a normal life and be happy with scabies?

Wish I could quarantine, husband won’t do much , infact he’s told me he’s had enough today and I’m just a miserable cash cow.This is because of all the anxiety I’ve been having over the scabies and that he can’t ever short me emotionally.

DS1 brought scabies home from uni in 2024.

You can still itch for a long time after having scabies.

You can damage your skin a lot by scratching and produce marks which look like scabies, even though you don't have it any more.

We got it and like you were hugely anxious that the treatment hadn't worked. Treated multiple times using derbac. Eventually got ivermectin via gp (although should be prescribed via consultant dermatologist).

Later saw consultant dermatologist privately who said it was all gone (looked with a giant magnifying glass). Gave us industrial strength cream to stop the itching (which actually worked, umlike everything else). Still took weeks tho.

My sympathies, it's utterly hideous - particularly the way it occupies your headspace.

Me and DH had it for over 6 months. Tried the creams numerous times, even went on holiday after application so we could leave the house for a week hoping they would all die in that time. Nothing worked. We were broken - it affected every aspect of our lives. Eventually went to our GP and both broke down in tears over how it was affecting us. She prescribed the oral medication for it which worked thank god! Apparently they are becoming immune to the creams now.

So glad you finally managed to get rid of it, I was hoping Ivemectin would be the answer for me, but 3 days after the 2nd dose (given 2 lots of 5 tablets) I started coming out in really itchy spots again - think my husband has it, and 99%sure the dog does.
Husband has had enough of me and wants to end the marriage, tomorrow is the day to “ talk about the logistics “ which means when he tells me how awful I am and leaves, I have no way of getting rid of the scabies, poor dog and I will reinfect each other.

GP won’t give me any more Ivemectin as he doesn’t know about the effect on the liver , I’ve got to wait 2 weeks to see dermatologist whilst coping with end of marriage.
I can’t go anywhere to stay with people for support due to the scabies and the poor dog.

Sorry for long reply.

Did your DH take the tablets too? I don’t know about animals having scabies and how that works but I know that if 1 member of the household doesn’t do the treatment or follow the guidelines then they will reinfect the whole house.

@rusholmeruffians No he didn’t , he only did 2 treatments ( and not well or thoroughly) it seemed I was clear, GP thought I was clearing up too despite me going back with a few bumps to show him.
As we were with family over Xmas I did an extra treatment Xmas eve and asked for the ivermectin as a precaution. First round was done week before Xmas day then second round 10 days later which was only 3 days after the Lyclear cream.
I’m so low.

Unfortunately then he may have given them back to you. They are sooooo contagious! If you read the NHS guidelines, the whole house has to be treated and hot wash all the bedding/towels etc. It won’t work if just one of you is doing it. You HAVE to get your DH on board. The itching will drive you insane eventually. As I said, it messed with our heads - we were so low.

Sorry to everyone who has suffered with scabies but there is a LOT of misinformation and melodrama on this thread.

Scabies are only transmitted via surfaces or footwear etc in the most extreme cases where the skin has become crusted and comes off in flakes that have live mites in. This is basically only seen in immunocompromised people and trust me you'd know if you had crusted scabies. Generally it is only transmitted via direct skin contact and it needs to be more than a passing brush, we are talking holding hands not eg touching when paying for something.

@Snoopypie you've been posting about this for weeks and have mentioned on other threads that you have health anxiety. If you've been treated with several different treatments including a hefty dose of ivermectin, you probably do not still have active scabies. If your DH has no symptoms and has also had multiple treatments he probably doesn't have it either and isn't going to reinfect you. It can itch for weeks and if you have a reaction to the treatment (not uncommon) that can make it even worse. But that doesn't mean you still have an active infection.

Can I check, as unless I've missed it you haven't said, has the diagnosis actually been confirmed by a skin scrape test?

Have you consulted a vet about the dog? You could just give it a mange shampoo if you must but it almost certainly does not have scabies either.

My adult son, along with his girlfriend, caught it from her sister (who works in a nursery). None of them live with us. My son visits regularly but we definitely don’t have skin to skin contact with him - he is a 22yr old, non touchy lad, who hasn’t hugged his mum in years 😑The only way we can think that we caught it is off of a towel he used when he was here one day.

@VanilleFraise Yep, the headspace it takes up is making me ill. So glad you are better.

Just a cream to treat everyone in the house and then it was repeated a week later. Sorted. Is your husband refusing to do this ?

I gave it to my boyfriend (now DH) many years ago and to all of his family too - luckily I got rid of it quickly with no spread but he had it for 12 months and it was a nightmare.

Boiling sheets and towels for all the family and continuous treatment with ointment and cream was the only way to get rid unfortunately

@BoobsOnTheMoon Sadly for many scabies does go on for weeks, this was my arm again last week and it was so itchy. Other spots are appearing everywhere, my husband does have some suspicious spots but refuses to discuss them or get them checked.

My gp has since shown me the photo of a burrow on my hand he took the day I was diagnosed.

I do have health anxiety, but scabies makes many people anxious, it’s still very real , not just in my head. I’ve made an appointment to get a referral to a psychiatrist or psychologist to help me , especially as my husband has hardly spoken to me because of my anxiety about scabies and has told me our marriage is over. My gp was hoping a referral to a dermatologist may have encouraged him to take it more seriously.

Taken dog to see one junior vet and as you may be aware it’s hard to see scabies , so after she’s been itching madly the last week I’ve got an appointment for her at the dermo vet, especially as dogs can catch the human scabies parasite , which whilst it doesn’t live a full life cycle on a dog will keep causing reinfection, it’s a viscous circle and many people have experienced it on specific scabies support groups.
I keep posting because I live on the other side of the world to most of my friends, am admittedly going out of my mind with worry and feel hopeless. The feedback I’ve had on here has largely validated my feelings, given me some much needed glimmers and allowed me to ‘talk’ about it as I’m not allowed to at home.

He’s done it twice at the beginning and once after reinfection, but not a full tube and he’s a big guy. Not taking it seriously and not willing to read up or follow guidance on shoes, cushions etc.

@lovemelongtime yes, I’m going to keep up with the cream n clean routine before I go to the dermatologist and feel it’s going to be a weekly if not more frequent ritual .
Thank you for understanding.

@rusholmeruffiansI hear you about the lack of hugs! I’m glad DS isn’t a hugger now though!

@Snoopypie one of the things yhe consultant told me was that nothing survives iverectin.

He also said that if you have none on your hands and feet then you do not have it.

Id be very surprised if you still have it any more. It will still be itchy as it takes a while to calm down and the scratching that you are doing will be causing the new bumps and the damage.

I'm not saying scabies isn't real. I've had it. I know how real it is!

However one of the main causes of "scabies treatment not working" is that scabies was never present in the first place... Hence asking how the diagnosis was made.

The scabies rash is actually a generalised allergic reaction to the mites, and isn't just present where mites are located on your body. Unless you get the extreme crusted scabies, you've probably got less than a dozen mites present over your whole body - each spot doesn't equal a mite location. So looking at spots isn't a reliable way to diagnose at all, as the vast majority of spots won't have anything to see in/under them. Have actual burrows been found in the key locations like between fingers?

Human scabies and pet scabies are different species. Whilst it's not impossible for them to pass from pet to owner and cause temporary itching, a) its uncommon and b) it cannot lead to true infection as they can't reproduce in a different species. So you and your dog are going to pass it back and forth and reinfect each other. That's not possible.

I cannot reiterate strongly enough how real I know scabies to be, I am not for one minute suggesting it isn't real - but the "specific scabies support groups" you mention are almost certainly absolutely full of people with uncontrolled health anxiety feeding each others irrational fears. I've been in some of them and had to leave because of the absolute batshittery going on. Imaginary scabies infections are verging on becoming the next incarnation of Morgellons tbh.

Being in those groups is not going to help you. Seeking real life medical advice for both your health anxiety and your skin complaint are the only things that will help you.

This should say you and your dog ARE NOT going to pass it back and forth. That is NOT POSSIBLE.

I have just done 2 rounds of ivermectin, and i am still itchy and have red lumps in new places. Esp my arms..But this is common after treatment as the body rids itself of dead mites slowly via skin shedding. I think a lot of people think treatment has failed when actually it has worked, and the itching is a result of the treatment having worked. I am waiting 2 plus weeks to see if it subsides, before re treating..and warching for new burrow sites.

We all treated but my DH doesnt seem to have ever caught it, despite sharing my bed! (Alth we have deliberately not had skin to skin contact).

@Namechangedasouting987
Good luck, really hope you are now in recovery.
When you say 2 rounds do you mean 2 rounds each of 2 doses or 2 lots of single doses( if that makes sense)?

I have taken 2 doses, 7 days apart, once. Will not be repeating, as it cost us a fortune. It is supposed to be the gold standard. Did permethrin cream on the same days too. As advised by private GP.

Re: fabrics like bedding & clothing etc, It would’ve been so much easier to all have left the house for 72 hours (hotel?) as scabies mites cannot live more than 72 hours off a body!

This is probably going to cause some angry replies but in my experience the best (temporary) relief from the between-finger itching, whilst waiting for proper treatment, was very hot water! It kills the itching for a couple of hours.