Scabies advice - help!

[grace11]

Hi everyone - not the post I wanted to write but here we are. After rounds of misdiagnosis starting in Nov last year, we finally worked out the bad skin rash on my daughter was scabies after it started spreading through the family. Even the consultant dermatologist missed it - not surprised actually as they used an iPhone torch initially to examine spots!! So now we all have it and after 4 doses of pemethrin the spots come back one week later - first on my younger daughter and now it’s my older daughter. So we are reinfecting ourselves. I was so vigilant with the cream - nails short, no crevice missed, left on for 12 hours in clean sheets. So we have started ivermectin. I will say pemethrin helped a lot and it confirmed diagnosis (funny that no one will do a skin swab but is happy to book in for wasted sessions with a consultant) because we improved but it is not getting rid of it fully. Anyway I’d loved to hear what other people have done - clearly we are missing something. I found a great fact sheet with a checklist on what to do but something is not working in either the treatment or cleaning. We have a whippet who I’m wondering is a factor in this - her fur could be a nice vehicle for the little shits. We are washing her the day of treatment and day after and quarantining her bedding. We dust sheets over the sofa. Help!

Wash absolutely all your clothes on the highest wash setting they can tolerate without wrecking them. If they can't be washed they need to be vaccum sealed (use a bin bag and suck air out with vaccum) for min. 3 days. The same with soft toys. All towels and bedding needs to be washed on 60 degrees. Get yourself some neem soap, (like this Pure And Natural Neem Soap | Rigel | Pak Cosmetic Centre |), and everyone should be using this in the shower and to wash their hands as opposed to regular body wash until it has cleared. Is your dog itching? If so, I'd take her to the vet to check if she has scabies also, so that you can get cream for her. Disinfect everything (bed frames, hand rails, door handles, if you can get a hold of a carpet cleaner we did this also with antibac cleaner).

Thank you! I’ll get that soap. Been washing and drying all clothes and ironing. Also freezing things in sealed bags. She itch a bit but nothing that makes me thing she has scabies - but her fur could carry them maybe? I remember this with threadworm eggs. Gross. Did not think to do doorhandles and bed frames and I will see if I can borrow a steam cleaner. What a nightmare!! Think we’ll take ivermectin weekly whilst we sort this.

@xmasdealhunter did you wash your duvets? And what about pillows? Did you struggle to get rid of it at first? I’m curious about it - it seems pretty hard to get rid of - what do families do who can’t do all of these things? We got it from the girls’ grandad who was in and out of hospital last autumn and again a failure to diagnose meant he didn’t know his very itchy rash was scabies. It was diagnosed months later. I find it astonishing really. If in doubt, treat it!! None of us presented as typical scabies. I see photos on here with people asking if it’s scabies. It really can look like so many things. They used to do skin tests but that’s been cut but if that happened then all these rounds of treatment and misdiagnosis would save money surely? Urgh so sick of it.

It really is a pain! We got it years and years ago. I didn't wash the duvets and pillows but I did steam disinfect them and leave them outside for the rest of the day. Dry cleaning would be the other option. We did struggle, especially before we got the soap, that seemed to really help. Best advise is, if in doubt, steam clean everything since it disinfects. Do the mattresses too. I'm not sure about the dog carrying them, but personally I'd play it safe and get her a vets appointment, just in case. Vaccum all sofas, and then steam clean them too if the covers can't go into the washer.

Okay great thank you. I’ll borrow a steam cleaner!

Thank you @xmasdealhunter. We don’t have a steam cleaner but have ironed and vacuumed mattresses and will borrow a carpet cleaner tomorrow. I’ve got the dog pyjamas and have told everyone to stop petting her for a bit - I mean she’s a whippet and actually doesn’t like being touched much so happy days for her! Got another round of ivermectin to do this weekend so really hoping this increased cleaning, better drug and not touching the dog will break the cycle. Seems it’s still quite unusual to get this - don’t know anyone else who has had it

No worries! It seems to be common with uni students unfortunately, my DD is at uni currently and whilst she hasn't had it, a good few of her friends have 😣

DD is at uni and is treating this right now - it is absolutely rife in the student population, she has known so many people get it.

Unfortunately at uni you are less able to spend lots of money on laundry, products etc so I'm worried she'll keep re-infecting. At least it was diagnosed rapidly by the pharmacist within a few days of the itching starting. She's home for Easter in 3 weeks so I'm praying it'll all be over by then. Super difficult when an entire family has it though - all my best thoughts to you.

Hi, we've been through this too, your best bet and what worked for us was 4 rounds of ivermectin, it only kills the mites not the eggs so you need to know their life cycle in order to eradicate them. One of the worse things I've ever had to deal with it felt like a curse or something!! It massively affected my mental health too. I am wishing you all the luck there is because it really is a nightmare and we also got misdiagnosed multiple times I had to literally beg for treatment but it did finally work. Their reasoning for saying it wasn't scabies was purely down to them saying they couldn't see burrow lines, therefore it couldn't be, despite having EVERY other symptom and my kids and partner getting it to. Good luck!

I had a nightmare with this a few years ago. I used a Neem cream, slathering it on. Then I read it's carcinogenic!! Does anyone know about that?
Anyway after failed treatment what finally cured it was 2 rounds of Derbac lotion/emulsion for the whole family. Good luck

Thanks everyone. Round two of ivermectin tomorrow. Been vacuuming every day and disinfecting the floor. I’m feeling itchy so it’s definitely not gone. Gp said he won’t prescribe anymore after two rounds. I’m thinking we need to be taking this for a month every week at least. @TealPoster they said the same to us - no burrow lines. Then the consultant looked properly and said she could see them ffs - after I told her I thought it was scabies. They need to really rethink diagnosis. Really feel for students. People can be asymptomatic so if your house mates don’t see any signs then why do the treatment. And how can you persuade people to wash everything.

@TealPoster did you take ivermectin weekly? Did the gp prescribe? What did you do around the home re cleaning? Thank you!

Did the 2 doses of ivermectin work in the end for you all?

We got rid of it after 2 rounds of Derbac also and we've also been using a sulphur soap ever since which is meant to help also and seem to have conquered the beasties!

Yes it did - but I also levelled up with the hygiene and pretty much lived under a dust sheet. I used a combo of pemethrin and ivermectin. We have dogs and I made sure not to stroke them too - really hard. Pet fur is a carrier.

We used neem soap and neem cream but it was the ivermectin that did it. Think the problem with pemethrin is you can’t use it in your scalp - without getting a special lotion. It baffled me as they were definitely on my scalp so of course you won’t get rid unless it’s a complete treatment- ivermectin is.