Hi jimzilla
IMPORTANT NOTE ADDED 5TH MAY: I have not killed a long term crusted mite infestation using herbal remedies or the protocols in this post. I have INHIBITED the mites, but I have not succeeded in killing them all,
Herbal remedies may work for a shorter period of infestation when the mites are not firmly established, but I have concluded, like many others on here, that herbal remedies are just not strong enough for an advanced case of crusted scabies. (The only reason I don't have a crust is that I keep removing it daily by gently exfoliating with DE and warm water.)
I have so many dead mites in my legs they are swollen to twice their size and I am in danger of bacterial sepsis. I've had to get
Antibiotics .
I am using the CDC.gov protocol for ivermectin. I got the ivermectin horse paste from a farm supply. I am still using my zinc oxide/peru balsam mix for topical skin application until Benzemul arrives that I bought from the internet. I may continue to use the zinc oxide/peru balsam mix topically as it is soothing and inhibits the mites.
I am still doggedly applying neen oil which they don't like and is supposed to disrupt their reproduction, altho every second day because I don't like the smell.
I am continuing to exfoliate with DE in the shower, followed by sulphur soap. I found DE. sulphur soap and peppermint shampoo with real peppermint worked well on my hair. The sulphur seems to slow their activity.
I will be faced with multiple doses of ivermectin due to the severity of my infection.
Thank you to everyone who read my posts. I sincerely wish I could have cured this with herbals as I tried very hard to. I really do not like drugs and take them only when I have to
I will post my experience with ivermectin/benzemul asap.
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NOTE ADDED 9TH APRIL: A protocol I'm trying is in this message. It's a work in progress-I have the permethrin resistant ones and needed an alternative treatment.
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Yes, I have a new understanding and respect for baby oil for babies...and lotions for adults. Not just any kind of lotions either. Once I get through this I'm going to be wearing some kind of protective lotion for the rest of my life. I read something that said once you've been infected, it's easier to pick scabies up again in the future. (Wish I could recall where I read that-I've read so much) Having scabies once is enough, if I ever get rid of it.
I appreciate your suggestion to return to the Docs but I really don't have the stamina to fight Docs who only see scratch marks, not scabies lesions; and either think I'm doing it to myself or that if I'm not, I must have psoriasis. I even said to the last one (big kahuna dept. head Doc that he was), "could it be scabies?" and he shook his head and said "no, it's psoriasis". I don't believe a Doc head of a dept. is going to reverse his diagnosis. Ego is on the line, I found that with most of them. I could keep going to Docs, it is socialized medicine here; I pay my annual fee and have coverage, but I pretty much know it's futile.
Even in the rare chance someone has studied scabies in textbooks, I don't think it would be this kind. I'm convinced this one is a hybrid or modern species that's developed strong resistance to drugs and most Docs are unaware. It even seems to develop resistance to essential oils or anything else pretty fast. It's also larger in size than the general description of scabies mites. Frankenscabies!!!
Notes on PROTOCOL I've been using:
I've been showering with
Bentonite clay soap, then sulphur soap; air dry off, followed by the application of a "dry skin" formula lotion used as carrier for Essential Oils I mix in it. Today I also scrubbed down with a palm-full of DE while using the soap.
I've tried 3 kinds of sulphur soap. A readily available US brand online, a Canadian one (Valeo) ordered through pharmacies, and a Mexican one (Grisi), online or stocked in some US groceries. I prefer Valeo but will use the US one, it's very reasonably priced if purchased in bulk.
I had an allergic reaction to something in the Mexican one (Grisi), possibly the cornstarch, so I can't use it. It may be less expensive than the other two but it has more ingredients.
When I first started making EO lotion for my skin I was also adding 10% sulphur powder (Humco) to it, but I've stopped. I think I was applying too much sulphur and it was aggravating my skin. Now I'm just using a sulphur soap. (I'm still adding 10% sulphur as well as EO to my shampoo-I finding treating scabies in hair even more difficult than on skin.)
Sulphur does seems to inhibit them, but I found using the soap alone doesn't kill them.
Precipitated sulphur (Milk of Sulphur) seems to work better than sublimed sulphur (Flowers of Sulphur).
CAUTION ON PRECIPITATED SULPHUR Added 10 April: I switched from sublimed to precipitated sulphur in my shampoo. It seems to me (I'm not a chemist) that precipitated sulphur is stronger and at 10% ratio to shampoo I had some problems with it...I would try 3% ratio not 10% ratio to shampoo and make sure it is well mixed. It seems to actually kill some mites while I found the sublimed didn't.
NOTE ADDED 12th April: Sulphur is very drying. I found it okay for the first few weeks while penetrating the surface layers of mites, but now that I'm getting down to my skin, sulphur is too harsh. Have stopped sulphur soap and shampoo. I did notice that the mites seem to bite less after using sulphur soap though..
There was info on that forum you sent me to (thanks jimzilla) about enzymes. So I tried that.
These scabies may eventually even develop resistance to enzymes added to the lotion, but for now either the enzymes are: dissolving their exoskeletons, and/or the top layer of my skin allowing the EO to penetrate to them, and/or the tunnels they build. In combo with EO it seems to be killing them! I got much better die-off since I started adding enzymes to my lotion mix.
I got fed up having to buy yet another thing (enzymes liquid) so I just used what I have; I break open one ordinary multi-enzyme cap and mix the powder into about SIX TABLESPOONS of the EO/lotion mix that I've previously made and measured into another container, which is more than enough for one body application.
NOTE ADDED 9th APRIL: I think the above is TOO MUCH ENZYME for twice daily application. I'm going to reduce it by 75% or more.
NOTE ADDED 12th APRIL: Enzyme use discontinued after approx.4 weeks. Probably useful at first to break down top layers of mites; skin is now too sensitive for application.
I guessed the amount of enzyme to use but it seems to be working. I also add the enzyme to the 6 TBSP lotion each time just before applying the lotion mix to my skin. (Maybe letting enzymes sit around mixed in lotion would stop them from being effective; I don't want to take the chance.)
After applying the enzyme/Eo/lotion, try to stay naked as long as possible, for at least 20 minutes, to let the lotion work rather than have it rub off on clothing. I try to keep a coating of the lotion on 24/7.
DON'T get the lotion in eyes...I have carefully used it on my face though, as I've had them in my hairline, on cheeks and elsewhere. Ears! The ones I have like to get on, in and behind my ears. It's simply not true with this kind of scabies that they are not above the neck. Mine are.
It may be a good idea to TEST A SMALL AREA before applying this lotion all over, in case of allergic reaction to the EO. It really is very unpleasant and may be too harsh for some. Unfortunately, it seems to have to be strong to work.
The Essential Oil ratio to lotion I'm using is
6% EO, 94% lotion. (A herbalist told me to use 10 drops EO per 100ml carrier but I did that for a while and found that that ratio impairs scabies but is not strong enough to kill them.) I do use the 10 drops EO/per100ml added to the saline solution to rinse my nose though.
I am using thyme, eucalyptus, peppermint and clove Essential oils.
Thyme-has thymol, antiseptic
Eucalyptus-has cineole, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic
Peppermint-has menthol and pulegone, natural pesticides
Clove-has eugenol, topical anesthetic
NOTED ADDED 9TH APRIL: These oils all seem to have some levels of cumulative toxicity at higher doses, so not good to use for extended periods. I am taking milk thistle to support my liver.
Clove is the one that feels incredibly "hot" and works well alone at a 6% ratio mixed into lotion but I find it highly unpleasant to apply at this ratio-has an unpleasant "burning" sensation.
NOTE ADDED 9TH APRIL: CAUTION, 6% Clove oil is excessively "hot" and really can irritate skin. Now using 3% clove with thyme, small amount peppermint (CAUTION, too much peppermint also "hot") peru balsam and neem, which I discovered I'm not allergic to after all.
Even when I cut clove to 4% and add thyme or one of the others, it's still quite unpleasant to apply. The trade off in cutting the clove too much is there seems to be less mite die-off, which worries me-it could make the survivors STRONG.
So what I'm using is a combination of mostly clove-probably 4% to 5% combined with one of the other oils to make 6%, mixed in carrier lotion. I rotate what I mix with clove weekly so (hopefully) they don't get a chance to become resistant. I hope the enzyme added to the lotion will be the bonus weapon that finally kills them.
UPDATE: 9TH APRIL 6% clove works if you can manage to apply it but it's terribly "hot"....I switched to 3% clove, thyme, small amount peppermint(also "hot" so not too much) and peru balsam, in total up to 6%. Also neem, which I just started using.
THIS IS IMPORTANT: if you are reading this and have not used essential oils before, remember NEVER APPLY ESSENTIAL OILS DIRECTLY ONTO SKIN! They can hurt you. They MUST be diluted, with a carrier (this time I'm using lotion), or an oil like VCO, almond oil, grapeseed, olive etc. (I tried using VCO for a while but I think the lotion smothers scabies better.)
Also I WOULD NOT USE THE 6% LOTION ON CHILDREN-it does have a very unpleasant "hot" sensation that lasts for a few minutes. It can make you gasp at first. I still wince with each application, but I've almost grown to appreciate the heat, because it seems to help with the itching and the die-off is worth it.
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WARNING NOTE ADDED 17 April; Clove EO does kill mites BUT unfortunately using it constantly especially on scratched or broken skin causes severe skin irritation. Too bad, it's one of the few things that works, but it's not worth skin damage. Back to
Bentonite soap/DE/sulphur soap and applications of zinc oxide cream (Beaudreaux's) mixed with Peru Balsam EO, and applications of Neem/VCO. I'm killing them, but it's a long slow grind.
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NOTE ADDED 12 APRIL: Used the bentonite/sulphur/EO Lotion with clove up to now but getting down to raw-looking skin where mites are coming off so had to stop and change protocols. The clove EO does kill the mites at 4% to 6% but can't risk putting it on broken skin at that strength.
New strategy:
Slice 'em....bentonite soap and DE shower scrub
Smother'em...Boudreaux's Butt Paste 16% zinc oxide
Poison 'em...neem oil and peru balsam, mixed into the paste.
The peru balsam EO I have is the dark colored one that looks like molasses. I didn't try the light colored one.
Started out at 10% neem, 3% peru balsam ratio mixed into paste. Got die-off, started at low ratio, may increase later.
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I was making my own base lotions for a while, but I found the "dry skin" house brand from a good pharmacy worked as well, if not better and did not separate like homemade. I think the "dry skin" lotion kind coats the skin with a layer and helps by smothering them maybe a little. Simply running out of time to make batches of homemade-just not enough hours in the day to do everything required to beat this, all the cleaning, laundry, etc. The pharmacy sometimes has their house brand of lotion on sale.
BTW I would be extremely careful using TEA TREE OIL, it has turpinolene in it which is also found in turpentine. I got pretty sick from applying it and it did not kill enough scabies for me. Of course it might work for someone else, but I found it was very hard on my skin.
I have a couple of built up scabies "nodules" on my body I don't know how I'll get rid of. Not even the enzyme/EO/lotion seems to affect the nodules. Will keep experimenting in hope of finding a solution.
Okay, something else. Scabies move around and they seemed to go to places that I didn't treat with the lotion to escape it...so if you don't already have them in your crotch, which is highly possible, they may move there. I couldn't bring myself to put the enzyme lotion on tender crotch areas so I went to Babies R US and bought Babyganics Protective Ointment and mixed it with EO to a ratio of 6%.
6% RECIPE:
TO 1 cup + 1/4 cup Babyganics Ointment, add 6 teaspoons EO mix well. Keep in clean jar with lid.
I also use the above recipe to mix the dry skin lotion with Essential Oils. Have also been adding about 1/4 tsp Vitamin E oil to the dry skin lotion mix.
I guess you could use petroleum jelly but I wanted something natural for those..um...tender areas. The Babyganics is a bit expensive but I like it. It cleans off well.
The thickness of the ointment seems to buffer the heat of the EO added to it. I put this mix on entire crotch/rectum areas using disposable gloves to apply. I do not add enzymes to this thicker mix and I apply it twice a day. It's hard to believe, but if you have a long-time infection like mine, the odds are high they are hiding there. You will know from the itch when they die.
I also dab a bit of the thicker, enzyme-free ointment mix inside each nostril after I've flushed my nose/sinuses with the saline/eucalyptus mix. The thicker ointment I use on my lips now, and any sensitive areas.
I had a huge problem with my lips. Palms of hands and lips are two of the very worse places I've had them so far. I had to resort to using the enzyme/EO/lotion blend on my lips, it was so bad. I kept applying the lotion blend and got more and more "layers" of them off. (I know, sounds unbelievable.) I drank through a straw, tried to keep the lotion on for as long as possible. I'm pleased to report that my lips are almost clear. Joy! Now I use the non-enzyme ointment on my lips; put some on at the same time as I apply some inside nostrils.
IMPORTANT: something I learned about using the enzymes is wearing disposable gloves to apply enzyme/EO/lotion to the body. Otherwise constantly getting too much lotion mix on hands seems to cause the enzyme to eat into the skin. Also the gloves help prevent spreading mites from the hands.
I bought some new manicure tools and keep cleaning under fingernails. Another place they like to hide. And toenails. I keep nails short.
I apply the enzyme/EO/lotion mix twice a day and spot treat some of the worse areas or areas where it might rub off (e.g. elbows) a few times more. I am getting improvement but it's not over yet.
I don't miss areas like inside and behind ears, under arms, belly button, backs of knees, inside elbows. Joints like elbows, knees, knuckles where the skin is wrinkly need a good coating. These scabies seem to like wrinkly places and skin-on-skin spots. Also palms of hands and soles of feet. Between fingers and toes.
I really got a lot of dead larvae out of my palms a few days ago. I put the lotion on and then wear disposable gloves for as long as possible.
Hair: I put the enzyme/EO/lotion on my head and wear a shower cap to bed. Also possible to mix EO into conditioner and do this.
I mixed EO and sulphur into my shampoo, apply to dry hair while in shower and let it sit while doing soap routine.
Sulphur (Humco)to shampoo at 10% ratio. Have ordered another kind of sulphur to try but don't have it yet.
I usually apply all the lotions and then flush my nose with saline/EO and do my eyes with eyewash.
Eyes. I had problems before but it got worse from them running from the lotion. I use Christopher's Herbal Eyebright FORMULA, mixed with distilled water as an eyewash. This takes some getting used to as cayenne is one of the ingredients. I do this eyewash routine up to twice a day.
I also use a plain sterile eyewash (boiled distilled water with 1 tsp
table salt to 1 cup distilled water, let cool.) Can use that as much as needed.
Anyway, that's what I'm doing and it seems to be helping. I will add to this protocol if and when I find improvement to it. This battle is a work in progress.
I had a horrible phone conversation with my BF last night. He still doesn't believe me about the scabies. I don't know what's going to happen but it is certainly hard not to be believed.
Sorry this post is so long, but I need to add I do have a lot of people to thank for the very many posts I've read here and on other sites, for all their experiences and ideas. I am thankful in my heart every day for all your help.
PS. DISCLAIMER: I have no medical background, the above are some things I'm doing that are working for me, in case they're useful to someone else struggling through this nightmare.
May we all become healed and healthy as soon as possible.