Scabies!

[Blanket26]

We've been struggling with scabies for weeks. Several rounds of cream and it keeps coming back on my 1 year old!
I've bought some Derbac M to try. Has anyone had more success with this?
And if so how do I keep it on my 1 year old for 24 hours as he eats with his hands and puts them in his mouth. Can I use derbac m on his body and cream on his hands overnight.

Please help! I'm desperate and this is really getting me down now. Dr's are useless

Forgot to say are yours just red spots or are they scabby. I think scabby would prob mean they are def still there but the spots I get confused about as to whether it’s the skin healing if they come and go. Are the ones on your son’s hand really pustular or just a little red rash spot?

Tinydancer1234

Yeah im at the point I'm not even bothered about me or my partner just want my boys skin to clear.
During your first time did your spots come and go or did they stick around and spread? Completely agree with the anxiety but like you try and calm myself that there svtjallt isn't that many mites. I agree you want your skin to heal from overtreating but don't want to make a mistake of letting it get out of control if you are reinfected. I've read a few people have said they'd have random flare ups after treatment, good few days and bad few days and it was just from treatment. Yeah it could be the eggs hatching, I've also read that it can take upto a month for skin to regenerate so sometimes new spots can be dead mites themselves, or their poo, just being pushed further to the surface.
Did you ever try sulfur cream? I've read that's safe for children so tempted to ask docs about that.
Mine are just red spots that just come up and itch a little, then stop itching and disappear quite quickly.
some of my sons are really pustular like blisters, do you think that's active? He does have some redness with dry skin on top which I think are just healing from previous infestations.
He did have a burrow on his foot from weeks ago that turned into blisters after treatment and the docs said they looked fine and it took weeks to heal but wasn't active.
Good luck with everything and the dermatologist x

It sounds like your skin could just be healing as you said they come up and disappear. I think as long as the go and you dont start getting more than you already have then it may be your skin healing and it may be worth leaving to see? My skin is pretty good and my sons was but today notices two oustular ones on his arms. I’m wary about these ones but like you I’m not 100%. You also need to be careful they don’t get infected as scabies can cause staphylococcus infection which my son got last time- impetigo. If you look up the two they are linked.

The first time I had it the spots came and went and more ones came but got less and less biut never stopped. That’s when the dermatologist gave me and my ex partner ivermectin but we had to continue with the cream on my son. I also moved house and had new furniture, beds the lot. It seemed strange that it completely went when I moved but that was prob a coincidence of timing. It then cleared. I tried sulfur soap back then but it really dried out my skin so badly and I didn’t see any improvement but that was the soap so perhaps the docs have something more moisturising with it in? It’s worth a try, I just wouldn’t recommend the soap.

my son and I have no burrow marks this time but I did read that the mites can burrow into your hair follicle and that’s what causes the blister but who knows 🤷🏼‍♀️

I hate that the permethrin is so harsh on your skin. Does your son seem to be getting more and more without treating? Or do ones come up and go away by themselves? It’s so frustrating as just when you think there skin in clear the next morning 2 just randomly pop up and you think here we go again. I’ve dabbed a tiny bit of prem on the spots to see if that helps reduce rhe pustular bit and if there is a mite inside and then I’m going to sit and wait to see if anymore come up. I don’t want to keep treating my whole body or my sons with prem and I remember spot treating myself last time but that’s not a recommendation.

How many prem treatments have you done?

On his hands yes more have come up.
When he first got it it was a rash that spread across his tummy and he only had 2 spots on his hands. But this time his body is practically clear but his hands are awful. And his hands are the hardest to treat. He's getting some spots on his belly that are disappearing quickly.
We have done 3 rounds of treatment, gp said to just keep going last time but he was very relaxed and dismissive about it and said its common that it takes multiple treatments.
Are they like clear pustulars or kind of puss colour?

It's so hard knowing what to do! Feel like this will never end haha

My sons spots that have popped up on his arm and bum I treated again just the area again last night and they have gone down a bit. It seems so strange your sons keep popping up on the hands when you’re treating those and they are coming up with even more.. my son seems to get them on his arms, bum and face and the odd one on his body now and then. At no he has about 3 spots on him and none on his hands fingers crossed. Maybe ask the doc if you can do derbac m in between prem treatment? Maybe a diff product will help? It’s difficult to know if he’s reacting to the prem and this is my conundrum. I’m pretty clear now just have 4 spots and not itchy. My skin looks completely clear other than that. It’s just the moment the few spots disappear a few new ones pop up. It’s like the game whacka mole.The strange thing is me or my little one haven’t had any track marks this time just spots and no lesions. I think there should be more tests on permethrin on skin tested on people without scabies to see if they come up with this rash or whether it is solely connected with the mite. The mites are known to bury into follicles which causes folliculitis and can cause blisters I believe which can turn infected and cause impetigo. We will end up with a degree in dermatology by the end of all of this! Stay positive, we will get rid of this! I’m praying to god every night for healing ❤️

Tinydancer1234

Glad yours seem to be doing okay and hopefully you're both in the clear.
I have read a few people say that they've treated as a precaution and become rashy afterwards so I definitely think the cream can cause a reaction. It's just hard knowing which is a reaction, healing or active haha.
We have a doctors appointment tomorrow as his hands are really spotty and pustular so I'm hoping they will give more permethrin and maybe even an antibiotic cream for his hands and feet because I have no idea why it is spreading so quickly or how to heal it any quicker. I did go check on him last night and his hands were really sweaty even though he wasn't hot or flushed. So I'm thinking maybe when we treat him his hands are sweating the permethrin off under his mittens! Might explain why his hands and feet get worse but body keeps clearing up. Im taking comfort knowing the treatment clearly works as my we are all completely clear and my partner was so bad before he got diagnosed so atleast i know im cleaning enough. However it also scares me that there are no other treatment options for children and im struggling to get rid of it. So true! I feel a master at identifying burrows but no clue on the spots haha. Have everything crossed for you!xx

Sorry, hadn't been back on. No, straight to the tablets. But we're in Australia and they're not as stingy with medication here.

Do you think his hands are sweating because of the mittens and the moisture of the cream, creating a warm environment to create infection? I think you may be right an antibiotic cream may help to stop infection? You said you are completely clear yourself, do you get the odd red spot pop up at all on your skin?

Tinydancer1234

Yes I think maybe this. Or maybe he is sweating the permethrin off making the cream ineffective so they're continuing to lay. I'm going to ask doc today about increasing treatments and doing it every few days rather than seven days apart. His hands aren't as red today but who knows.
Yes I still get red spots that itch at first but go down quickly and disappear so I do think it's just treatment as I have had no burrows in weeks.

Also did your track marks look like tiny paper cuts or squiggly lines? I’ve just seen two tiny looking paper cuts I little ones bottom. Is this what your sons looks loke?

Not really paper cuts its more like lines of white raised skin. This is what his burrows tend to look like. This was from a few weeks ago just in the crease of his palm but the skin underneath got redder after this

Update I spoke to dermatologist today and he’s prescribing me ivermectin but cannot prescribe little one this (which I knew). I will let you know how it goes once’s I’ve received and taken the medication and whether the red bumps start to disappear.

Gosh you did so well spotting these! Could have been so easily missed as only half a cm in size by the looks. I’ve not seen any raised white ones on us. The ones you had were they larger or are they all this kind of size?

Ahhh I'm happy for you! Did he say to just continue cream on your little one?
It's made me so paranoid so I'm forever checking his skin, feel like I can identify burrows anywhere now haha.
Ermm pretty much the same size but can be slightly longer. We saw GP today and she found it strange that he hasn't got a rash this time but his hands do look active so got to do another treatment. She said if it comes back again then she'll contact people for help as there's no other options for children. She didnt want me to increase treatment amounts though in the week. I did end up crying at the appointment and she reassured me that I've done everything right and it can just be very difficult to get rid of.
Fingers crossed for you that its an easy treatment!

Why are you using a tumble dryer???
just wash clothes, bedding and towels on a 60c + wash!

You can get more done by using a tumble dryer. Hot washes take a lot longer and I can't get through the washing quick enough plus my son can touch the hot door. With blankets, cushion covers, towels, bedding, clothes, teddies etc, I tumble dry first to kill them and then normal wash. It's a quicker process that does the job

where I’m working we’ve had someone come back from hospital with scabies and now got a breakout 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ obviously we’ve had to get PHE involved and they don’t recommend tumble drying to kill anything as they are a temperature of around 60c, so it’s better to wash the clothes, bedding ect, ect
Every morning I get up I strip my bed and have a shower, because the weather is mild I don’t have a duvet I put a fleecy throw in a duvet cover, so it all goes in the wash as well as the towel I use and what ever I wear to bed!
After work as soon as I get home I shower and put my work clothes in the wash and then the towel o use, I then shower again before I go to bed and smother myself with sudocrem so that’s another towel in the wash, in the morning I repeat it all over again 🤣🤣🤣
My poor washing machine as I’m not the only person living in my house,

it was a zoom call appointment so he couldnt diagnose little one as he has to see him in person and my eldest. I’m just exhausted. Absolutely shattered. I feel like I live and breath this and it’s really getting me down. I told him this and said I don’t want to go through this again as it mentally tortured me last time and I can feel it’s starting to wear me down now. It’s constant worry and when it’s so resistant and contagious it’s very stressful.

will it be the 4th treatment on little one? How old is he? Do you have any other children with it? Stay strong, I’m sure I will have a melt down to the dermatologist if it doesn’t work. One good thing is at least your doctor believes you some don’t and fob you off and that’s what I had first time around and I literally thought I was going insane. It was absolute torture and when they said it could be they didn’t take it seriously until I saw the dermatologist that knew all about them.

The prob is there is only permethrin for kids so what can you do? If they are resistant which clearly they seem to be otherwise they wouldn’t keep coming back then why isn’t there anything else? Why are some resistant and others not? Why do some people have success stories straight off and others they have it for ages? Mine took forever until we took ivermectin and then had to persist with premethrin.

When your feeling low just remember there’s another person here that’s going through the same so your not alone. We will get rid of it!
At least your doctor is taking it seriously and said will have to look at other options if it doesn’t clear up. It will be interesting to see what other route they go down.

Sending love to you and little one. Let’s hope this next treatment has some effect xx

Glad you got something and managed to speak to them. It's very overwhelming and exhausting. Online makes it sound so easy to get rid of.
He is 1. My 6 year old eldest has never caught it but still having treatments. This is our 4th round. Yes my gp was absolutely lovely. She was so understanding and reassuring. Bless you I couldn't deal with that torture of them not believing and just fobbing you off.

I keep reading things on resistance and then studies refuting that. Frustratingly we did clear it for a few weeks and permethrin has worked completely on my partner even though he wasnt as thorough as i was so I have a bit of faith that it does work.

His hands have cleared up alot. So I have everything crossed. How are you doing?

Thank you so much for this I cant tell you how helpful you have been just experiencing the same thing

It must give you some hope that your partner is clear and your 6 yr old never caught it. Im still waiting for my ivermectin to arrive by post. I came up with another 3 spots today 😩 I’m not itchy at all but I don’t know how to take these spots. Little one was completely clear for 1 day and then one popped up on his arm this morning. Other than that he’s clear. Everywhere says your only clear when no more spots come up. Do you think this is the case? I can’t work out why it works for some and not others 😩 Like you I’m super thorough. It must have been so frustrating when you were all free for a few weeks for it to come back :(( I have to also say it’s been good to speak to you about this too. Like you said it’s just knowing there is another mum out there going through the same thing so you don’t feel like you’re completely loosing your marbles. I will continue to report back and let you know how things go. Good to hear baby’s hands are clearing ❤️

Can I ask did you wash your little ones things they played with eg plastic toys? Did you hoover everyday and re the sofas would you wash the blankets on the sofa everyday? At the moment I just have a sheet over the sofa but not sure how often I should wash everything? I’m obviously washing clothes everyday on high heat and tumble then iron. What is your routine?

It does but also makes it more frustrating I cant clear it from 1. I wouldn't mind if it was me but hate that it's my baby affected.
If they aren't itchy I'd take that as a really good sign. You probably wouldn't have noticed them if you weren't looking and it's really had not to look. I'd honestly ignore the 'no spots means your clear'. I read it takes about a month for your skin to shed so new spots are fine. As long as the itching doesn't increase and they don't spread rapidly. Perm does also say it can worsen eczema and eczema can appear as spots so don't forget it could just be your skin is irritated.
Very frustrating. Many tears have been shed over the last few weeks haha.
I hoover everyday and change between 2 blankets on the sofa. I tumble dry one everyday and change them over. I haven't done the plastic toys or everything mainly because I do not have the time. I strip all of the beds and tumble dry or wash, hoover the mattresses, tumble dry hand towels, tea towels, bath towels, clothes, favourite teddies/comforters, blankets after every sleep or nap. I pour boiling water over our hair brushes, change out my make up brush after a treatment, swap between coats as they can't be hot washed etc mainly use crocs where I can as I can wipe them down

Similar routine to me. Do you change your bed covers everyday. I have been and it’s truely exhausting on top of everything else. I’ve put 2 king size flat sheets on the sofa which I change everyday but I’m not sure if that’s enough to protect the sofa as I e read these little beasts can get through the finest of holes and I’m wondering if that’s why we have to hoover mattress. I have to say I haven’t been hoovering my mattress but I put a mattress protector on the other day. I really think this is all too much for someone. I read it something like 3 per 100,000 people get scabies and I’m wondering how the hell have I managed to get it twice. It’s like winning the lottery of hell. The chances :(( My little one came out in more spots on his arm this morning and 3 in a row on his stomach so I think it’s still active. My ivermectin still hasn’t come, hopefully tomorrow however the little one sleeps in bed with me so even if I do take it if he is still active then he may just pass ot back and ot go back and forward.

I think if I left my skin it would just get worse and the itching would start again. I remember it was only until my spots went did I know I was in the clear. When you were clear for 3 weeks did the spots stop for that time?

Pretty much. Only doing it between treatments and for a little bit after then probably go down to every few days after the final one.
I have read some people have bought big plastic sheets from amazon for mattresses and sofas which you could always put underneath your throws but I don't think it's necessary.
Really feel for you having this twice. Although I do think the numbers will be higher than that now with the UK suffering an outbreak.
Ermm the spots didn't stop for me but definitely slowed and they disappeared quickly but they did stop for my son, yet he's the only one that came back with burrows