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

Ivermecfin came yesterday, just as well as I came out with new spots this morning and what I think is a track mark on my foot about a 1 cm long :( I scrubbed it and put a dab of permethrin on it too. I feel so disheartened. It’s just never ending and I just don’t understand why the permethrin isn’t working after multiple doses. The cleaning is just too much for me also. I know how hard it was last time to get rid of and I can’t go through that again. Hopefully this ivermectin will help now but as I can’t give it to the the little one I worry that even if it does have some effect if he’s not clear then I will just get reinfected and it just continues the cycle of passing it back and forward. I’m trying to not get anxiety over it but it’s freaking endless. How have they not found a way to completely exterminate this disgusting mite effectively because it really destroys peoples lives. I could cope if it was a month or two long thing but after that it becomes ridiculous.

How are you lot doing? I hope better than me at the moment? X

Oh no I'm so sorry you may have found a burrow! I'm the same I don't understand why there aren't more treatments. It really is a vicious circle when you have kids to think about too. How long do you think you have had it?
It is such an overwhelming thing. Did you ever infact anyone else around you when having it for so long as that's one of my biggest worries.

My sons hands look better although I did see a new pustule this morning on his palm so that's really concerning me. We only washed the treatment off yesterday morning

So the first time around we didn’t infect anyone else. This time around I cannot say as we have only had it 1-2 mths. My son has been around both grandparents and nothing so far but they say it can take 4-6 wks to show symptoms and that’s from the point you get it.

So I took ivermectin yesterday and this morning a new bump popped up on my hand and my son one on his side. I had treated us both with prem and I also took ivermectin myself only so how on earth new bumps have popped up- a bit like your situation. This is what used to happen first time around with me and it was only until no new ones popped up was that I knew I was 100% free of it. I just don’t understand as I’ve been militant with the cleaning. Ive never had any spots on my hands till today. I’m sorry I don’t have the answer to all of this. Last time it just stopped. I have read that your more prone to it if your immune system isn’t great or your stressed which has an effect on your overall health of body. It’s why little ones and the elderly are more prone to it too. I read somewhere that they are able to breed better in these types of people. I may be wrong but it’s just something I’ve read. Luckily my sons spots none of them have blistered and nor have any of mine. He’s also had none on his hands yet although I can’t help but worry now I’ve got one. Do you get spots on your hands? Do you wear latex gloves when applying the medication to the little one? I have done as a precaution.

Im surprised I can’t find any info on a success storys where they said they said they continued to have spots come after treatment and then it disappeared. Everywhere I read says until spots stop producing your not clear. Post scavies says the itch can remain and the spots you already have may take a while to go. That’s fine but no one mentions that they continued to get spots after treatment. I have also noticed my face has come out in tiny little spots (only a few) whereas before my skin was perfect.

Im sorry your little one got another one this morning. I know very well how demoralising it is as I wasn’t expecting one pop up on my hand either this morning after blasting with prem and ivermectin yesterday.

Keep me posted on you all. I pray that we don’t have this for much longer and we can get back to our normal lives again. xx

That's give me hope, the guilt of passing something on is torture too.

Wow really. Its so hard not to be stressed in this situation though haha. Im sorry you have found more spots. Its very disheartening. Online says no new spots but also says if spots continue 2-4 weeks after treatment then to go back to the doctor so its a bit contradictory. Yes all of the medical sites say no new spots but alot of users on chat forums say they experienced spots and residual itching. When my son first got it it started as a rash all over his torso and there would be 1 burrow on his hands. Now his tummy is completely clear but loads of spots on hands. It doesn't make any sense.

My sons hands are healing well. Apart from 2 new blisters which I have spot treated. However today he has come up and about 20 spots and bumps on arm and ankle. I'm really struggling to believe how 2 days after treatment they can all be scabies and surely can't spread this quickly

Oh my goodness poor baba, How odd that so many have popped up like you said on his arms and legs this morning 2 days after treatment. This is what surprised me though after taking ivermectin and full body prem the other day to come up with a spot on my hand and a few others. Had new ones this morning too but I’d say in total I have about 7 on my body. None are itchy and none are really big.

Im really confused too about your son. Have you seen any new burrows? Are you going to see the Dr? At least you know one thing and that he definitely had scabies because you had the burrows. Now you need to figure out if it’s just resistant or it’s a reaction. I think however this is the answer we are both looking for although it’s concerning that so many popped up over one night. Does your son look itchy? Are you coming up with more spots than what you had before?

I’m sure it’s also to do with our immune system and if you have a weakened one then it’s harder to fight. It may be why your partner was cured pretty quickly?

I would speak to the Dr and see what they suggest now. Whether they suggest waiting it out to see if rash gets worse which means they are definitely active and resistant or to see is the rash goes. I do know that steroid cream definitely masks the issue as the first time around I had it really bad on my left hand and I thought it was atopic eczema so got steroid cream which I though cleared it but then I started getting spots and so did my son. It took me a while to connect the two. This time I got like an eczema patch on both wrists and again didn’t think anything of of it until I realised it’s unusual to have on both and then i got another patch on my arm and that’s when I realised. I tried an antifungal first which didn’t do anything and then prem which cleared it up in about 1.5 wks. By that point me and my son started to get spots and the spots came before I used prem on my body.

I hope you are ok and can remain calm while you figure out what’s going on. It WILL pass it’s just when. Have faith. Speak to the Dr and go from there.

I will pray that things get better for us both as soon as possible & will continue to let you know how things go our end. You’re not alone in this nightmare. As I said it will pass it’s just when. Xx

How are you doing? Has babies rash gone down a little from the other day? I hope so. My little one is virtually clear but keep getting the odd 1 or 2 that pop up now which is irritating and pretty much the same with me. It’s the last dregs I hope and I remember that was the most difficult bit ironically. Did you see the Doc? Do they think it could just be a reaction as so many popped up in one go? X

Sorry I've been MIA.
His hands have gone down although does seem to be developing the odd blister. I have started to spot treat just incase but have decided to give his skin a break as I do believe alot of the spots may just be irritation from all of the treatments. The spots seem to be around areas like his sock line and nappy line so I'm hoping it's just from warmth or irritation which is making him itch. I spoke to someone on another chat forum whose son had pretty much identical blisters on his feet after several rounds of permethrin and she said in the end she decided to stop the cream and they cleared eventually so I'm praying that is the case, if it spreads without going down though I will be straight at the doctors.
I'm glad you are both doing well and praying that it stays that way for you. Do you have to do any more treatments?

That sounds like good thinking and makes sense what you’re doing. Like you said it could be the treatment without realising it. Have the ones on his arm disappeared? The ones around his nappy line could be sweat related as you said and as you said if more and more are arriving you know it’s active but if some are going down and new ones popping up this could well be a reaction or the skin trying to heal itself. I’ve got my fingers tightly crossed for you. I think the lady you spoke to on another forum whose child had the same thing and she stopped treatment and it cleared really gives some hope! I’m spot treating now too and next round of ivermectin on Sunday so we shall see. Good luck over the weekend. Will keep in touch x

May I ask how the rash all over his torso looked when it first started? DS has broken out on a rash all over his torso and I am a bit concerned!

They were like tiny little pimples, almost like red raised goosebumps but they were very itchy for him. We went the docs 3 times and they all said his tummy looked like eczema, but he'd never suffered with spots or an itchy tummy before so I knew it was scabies. They only really agreed due to a burrows and spots on his hand and also that his dad had been diagnosed otherwise I think they would have palmed him off. What does your DS rash look like and is he itchy?

Ermm pretty much. The ones on his arm and sock lines have kind of scabbed over but he isn't itching them as much now. Quite a few people said that their itch lessened straight after treatment, then intensified after about a week and then by 3/4 weeks they were in the clear and have said they were very close to retreating but decided to wait to let skin heal so I'm really hoping that is what is happening. Thank you, How are you both doing in terms of spots?
Good luck to you too!x

Thank you for responding to me @Blanket26 no he doesn't seem itchy. It looks a bit like a post viral rash I suppose, just very uniform and all over. But it's more like red marks/pinpricks rather than spots, it is not raised. It's quite subtle, when I try to take a picture you can't really see it, but it is quite visible to the naked eye.

I think the tell tale sign is the itchiness at first. Also you are likely to have it also if your washing child, sleeping with them, general contact. I’ve not seen any burrows on my little one but had alt be symptoms myself and then he came out in spots. The sad thing is most people get misdiagnosed & scavies isn’t taken seriously at all while it destroys peoples life’s and causes depression in a lot of people. It’s a neglected tropical disease and known for it. It’s sounds positive that it’s possibly not scariest it child isn’t itching and the spots aren’t raised at all or pustular. Scabies also like certain areas of the body also rather than say just the torso. So for example the bum or unusual places you wouldn’t expect to see spots normally. If your or your partner have no symptoms at all I would prob say it’s not. Hope this helps. X

😩 Well little one went to his dads with one spot on his bum and came back with several behind the back of his thighs, front and back of torso near waistline and 2 on shoulders. Mine still keep popping up only a few at a time but I’ve been spot treating them every time. I noticed the ones on my torso (had about 2 tiny tiny pustular pinples. None have of them have been pustular previously. I honestly can’t work it out and it’s physically starting to drain me now. It’s the washing and bed changing everyday. I can’t keep up with it all and it’s really bringing me down. It’s wrong how so many people suffer with this- 300 million worldwide and you would think they would have cured a tiny mite that causes such distress to families. I’m not sure what to do. I’m in the same boat as you. How’s the non treatment going? Have they lessened over the weekend or increased?

How are your spots doing? Have they gone down? Does your partner get any spots now still or is he completely in the clear? I’ve got to take next ivermectin today but I didn’t feel the first round did anything at all. Fingers crossed this one makes a difference but saying that if little one still has it I’m only going to catch it back off him.

Oh no I'm so sorry! Are they bothering him at all?
It is incredibly draining. It's such a big work load on top of everything else. Yeah I keep reading posts about how the cream has been the treatment for years so surely there should be more options by now. It's a vicious cycle with kids. Are you going to get back in touch with your dermatologist?

Unfortunately he's come out in spots over his torso that seem to be bothering him. The spots that came out straight after treatment seem to have gone down apart from where he's scratched them and taking longer to heal. But the lady I spoke to said it got worse before it got better so I don't know. My partner is so relaxed about it all so honestly I don't know about him, I've been feeling itchier the last few days. I'm going to give him a few more days to see if baby improves if not then it'll be back to the doctors. Alot of what I read is so contradictory and confusing so it leaves you clueless with what to do. Part of me really wants to wait it out

I wouldn't worry just yet, especially if it is so widespread so quickly and not itchy. Fingers crossed for you it's just one of them unexplainable things kids appear with to make us worry haha x

I think your being really sensible and brave at the same time. If your feeling itchy they say that can be a post scabies thing but have you come out with any spots or an increase in them? The itching is a known fact that you can get this when the mites are dead also but new spots should be at least getting less, remaining the same or disappearing slowly I believe. How are we meant to know what’s a reaction to mites or the cream? It’s crazy.

Big hats off to you remaining calm while looking after a 1 yr old and 6 yr old and having to do all the excessive cleaning. It’s quite incredible. I’m really struggling with it now as I’m so worried that me and my 2 yr old will keep passing it back and forward and that’s not to forget the wider family who I have no idea yet if they have been infested as early days. Can only take one day as it comes but I’m finding it so draining and depressing and just want to be gone with it so I can get on with my life rather than worry about stupid mites making us all itchy and uncomfortable and spreading it like some nasty disease. I hate seeing my little one with these spots. I am thankful though from hearing from you and knowing I’m not alone. I truely hope things get better over the coming weeks for us and we can figure this out. I will let you know if the ivermectin has any effect on me this week.

x

Thank you so much for saying that.
I am getting some spots, but I also seem to come out in kind of hives spots after I've itched somewhere so I'm not really sure. Base of my scalp is itchy again and there's no way 9 treatments haven't worked there, plus considering I have absolutely no spots or itching on my hands or feet I think mines just skin damage. But I deffo had relief for a week then its creeping back. This evening my boys spots seem to have gone down on his tummy, but he has bright red patches on his hands again and I think theyre itchy.
Yes it's certainly scary not knowing. It makes you so isolated not wanting to see anyone. I know after treatments I've kept away from people in the hope of not catching it back inadvertently. I pray for the same and hope the ivermectin makes a difference for you and your boy doesnt come out in any more.
I'm really grateful being able to speak with you and going through the same thing together.

So took ivermectin yesterday and did full body prem and all last night in bed and this morning I’m itching like crazy and I’ve come out in even more spots, a lot more. It’s the tickling sensation all over my body and it’s horrible. Even in my hair! I feel totally upset and disheartened this morning plus feeling disgusting. I just want to scrub myself in the shower but I think I should leave the prem on for a few more hours as I put it on late last night. I’m at my wits end with it all. I was thinking of seeing the dermatologist but I know what he’s going to say which is it could be the mites dying and then no answer for the spots appearing. It’s the mental torture of not knowing if you are killing them or not. It’s beyond exhausting and truely depressing me now. I feel so isolated and it’s bringing back the traumatic experience I had with it the first time around where it took forever to get rid of.

Having to sit and wait this out while itching is hideous. Is it the treatment or is it the mites getting aggravated. I would have thought some have died at the very least with double dose of iver & prem.

All I want to know is after all these treatments are we still active? We are doing all the right steps and yet is there something or someone who is reinfecting us and the cycle continues. It only takes one mite. What I want to tell the derm is how am I not meant to get anxiety over this? It’s revolting.

I hope that you have more positive news today. Even if it’s that you and baby feel a bit more relieved. It’s remarkable how strong your keeping so keep it up, your doing one better than me right now. I’ve truely had enough. 😔

xx

Ps did you ask the doctor for ivermectin for yourself? Will they prescribe it or is it only through a dermatologist? The dermatologist I go to is £335 per appointment so so fricking expensive and the ivermectin was £195 for two doses.

Honestly after both oral and topical I'd remain hopeful! I keep reading how the cream does aggravate skin more the more you use it.
I completely understand how disheartening it is but you will get there. How is your boy doing? Eurax is good for the itch if you can get some after you wash the cream off. Not knowing is definitely the worst thing of all. Wow that is incredibly expensive and it's so bad it has to come to that. If you do go back to your derm could you demand a skin scrape?

Thank you so much for your kind words. There's good and terrible days. I just try to remind myself to keep waiting and to trust what others have experienced and that spots and itching can be normal. And how it will eventually go, There must be tonnes of people that get scabies and succeed in the treatments but we don't hear about those, as with anything in life you hear more worst case scenarios and we are just an unlucky few.
Part of me is already expecting this treatment to fail because when I took him the docs for his hands, it was between treatments where the GP said it was active but to only treat his hands, surely if it was still active it'll be across his body so I know the second treatment wouldn't have been enough. So I think I haven't got my hopes up this time and just expecting to go through it all again soon

Yes that’s crazy of the gp to say just treat the hands. They don’t stay in one place, they maybe concerntrated in a certain area but the spread all over so to say just treat his hands just shows her inexperience with this. If you treat you have to treat whole body. Unless she was saying spot treat but I’ve never heard a dermatologist say that or dr. I only spot treat for my sanity as it makes me feel better that I’m doing “something” as I don’t want to keep treating my whole body if I am in post scabies.

im sure it’s to do with our immune systems . Those that find it harder to get rid of have lower immune systems including elderly and babies. It’s why crusted scabies only affect those who have a severely weakened immune system.

I find it so weird how itchy I feel today and how more spots have come up than normal after the treatment and 2nd dose of ibermectin. You would think that would blast it for at least a few days. There’s just not enough info on this.

what website do you look at for peoples experiences. I try to avoid the horror ones as I read them the first time around and caused me mega anxiety which is not what I need & does not help at all. All these concoctions people try and they wonder why there skin is flaring up. I’m looking for experiences where people have had spots pop up after treatment and left it and it cleared. I can’t find much :( Only that itching persisted that’s all.

The only thing I have read that may help is diluted tea tree but even then it’s strong stuff and I think it’s an irritant so I’ve avoided that and too strong for baby anyway. I will try the Eurex. Did the Doc say you could use it on baby too? I’ve bought some aloe Vera as that is also cooling and def not an irritant but moisturises and helps heal.

Im just so confused by the many spots the morning after ivermectin. People say they took it and they got no more spots but had itching which would make sense right as the itching is just the dead mites or there poo. Do you think they tried to bury themselves when they got treated? I heard that the pustules can contain mites? Have you read this?

My son is still coming out with them. I’m going to spot treat with a cotton bud and see how it goes. 🤷🏼‍♀️ That way I’m not plastering prem all over us all the time and hopefully give the rest of the skin time to heal although I’ve had no scabs just spots and I’ve not felt super itchy till now so it can’t be that I’ve been invested with mites over night. The existing mites have either got angry or it’s the medication.

The sad thing is that now my skin looks pretty clear and even though I’m coming out with spots they are small so to anyone else they would think I’m being ridiculous. It’s hard to explain to someone that my skin was totally clear and so was my sons once. One dermatologist gave me e45 cream the first time around and if I showed you the spots on my then 5 yr old son you would be shocked! Also they confused mine for atopic eczema and I was riddled with it first time around. I look back as I still have the photos thanks to 10 yrs of iPhone and there is no way you could misdiagnose it. The prob I had was everyone was only looking for burrows and a certain type of burrow- the white type rather than red straight lines.

Anyway I won’t go on. It’s fricking frustrating though as i literally feel dirty at the moment and like I can’t even hug people which is totally not me as im a warm person plus how long do I have to ruin my clothes and wear the same old rubbish. I’m usually a classy lady.

Also Part of me wonders if I should have treated my head but it wasn’t itchy until last night.

How’s baby doing? How are your spots doing? Are they multiplying? Or staying the same number?

x

Is baby still getting spots in nappy area and arms also? Or have they gone now the ones that pooped up straight after treatment? It gives hope if they are only on his hands and not anywhere else at all on his body. Also if your are calming and not multiplying.

x

Yeah I understand why as she said she didn't want to do a full body 4 days after the first treatment as she was worried about the amount he'd absorb so close together but I'm annoyed with myself for not doing a third week.

I 100% agree there's a lack of information around it all. I haven't read that but it may be true. Hopefully yours will die down once the ivermectin sinks in. I think it may be the medication irritating your skin. I did read exfoliating is good after treatment and the moisturise.
Yes they tend to only diagnose with visible burrows I think. Gosh did you have to treat your 5 year old son at the time? How many treatments did you end up doing?

Yes they say as soon as the treatments completed washing can go back to normal but with all of these failed treatments I still haven't.

He seems to have very few new spots on his body today and no itching at all however he has had more spots come on his hands so I'm feeling very hopeless thinking it's failed again. You can't see his spots but you can feel them when you moisturize, the ones he got straight after treatment are still healing but there but dont look as red or angry

That’s so strange so his spots on his hands you can’t see as I’m presuming they are colourless but you can only feel them? This sounds pretty good no? Like perhaps it’s just part of the healing? I’d be worrying if they are red and itchy. The fact he is not itchy is a brilliant sign!! It must be healing.

Yes had to treat my 5 yr old so many times. I lost count how many times as it was over a 14 mth period. It was awful. His spots were far worse than my 2 yr olds as they were pustular at the time. It was misdiagnosed so many times so that gave me anxiety in itself as no one seemed to care. You would be shocked if I showed you photos and they would say yeah well kids can get spots- I said he’s not a teenager! He’s never had a single spot on his body. I paid for a top paediatric doctor- top of his game and he sent me away with E45 and said he could just be mirroring me! It angers me to this day. Mirroring spots! I will never forget it. He also got impetigo and they said “oh that’s what he got”. I said no he’s got impetigo as a secondary infection from an infected pustular scabies spot. I knew more than the doctors and most dermatologists at the time. The one thing I never worked out though was post scabies. There was very little info back then on it. There still is really now hence why I’m interested in people’s progress as it gives hope and hopefully a method.

x