Date:   1/17/2009 5:31:28 PM ( 15 y ago)
Hits:   33,201
URL:   https://www.curezone.org/forums/fm.asp?i=1337826

Alright. So here's a long history of my epic battle with the scabies mite. Please read and give me some advice if you can...I'm going crazy.

At the end of July, my boyfriend who was visiting his home out of town contracted scabies. He never got treated for it because he thought he had poison ivy, and just treated himself for that, and it didn't work (of course). I kept urging him to go to the doctor, but he never did. Anyway, when he came back to town in the middle of August, he gave it to me, and I developed symptoms pretty quickly, but didn't really think much of it because I have chronic eczema, dry skin, and allergies. My boyfriend FINALLY went to the doctor, and was diagnosed with scabies. By this time I was so itchy I couldn't stand it. We screwed up and treated ourselves a day apart, and it came back. So this time, I went and got my own tube of Permethrin, and we both used it at the same time.

About a week later, it was once again back. This process repeats itself again. Take note that we both washed everything each time we treated ourselves. I even vacuumed my room and my mattress. Yes, my mattress. Every time, the treatment seemed to fail for me, but my boyfriend, after a treatment at the beginning of November, stopped itching. I didn't. I even ignored it for awhile in November, and attributed it to paranoia and eczema. However, by mid-December, I was developing more and more itchy rashes. My boyfriend still isn't exhibiting any symptoms at this point, until I told him I was treating myself yet again and he needed to, then he started itching (paranoia on his part?).

This time around, I got my dad to write me another perscription for Permethrin (he's a doctor-thank god for him). I used it, and in the morning, I washed my bedding, all clothes (everything was in the dryer for over a half hour as instructed by dad and a dermatologist), and sprayed some Rid (it's for lice but it has Permethrin in it) inside of my shoes (I thought that may be where I kept getting it from). I packed up, and went home for the Holidays. I had very minimal itching for a week, and then, on Christmas, I started getting the lovely rashes again. I visited the derm. immediately and she did a scraping, found nothing, but gave me Eurax (crotamiton), since the Permethrin seemed to be failing. I treated myself with that, washed everything, vacuumed my room, cried a bit, and was fine. She didn't say anything about treating my family.

Unfortunately, I think I have it again. I'm itchy, but not at night. A little in the morning, evening, and randomly during the day, but never while I'm trying to sleep anymore. I can't tell if it's getting worse or not. I look very closely at my skin now every time I have any little itch, and don't really have rashes like I did, but I do have some scabby dots that dry out and clear up pretty fast. My hands are very dry from washing them at work all the time and also from doing dishes at work, so it may be that...my hands don't really itch at all, but I got a random lesion inbetween my left ring and middle finger, but it never itched even though I kept picking at it and constantly thought about it. I also got a very similar one on my knee, but it doesn't look like scabies. I picked the scab off (gross, I know, but god I'm so paranoid about it I just want it to go away). I itch around it a little bit, but don't have a rash. I also itch on my lower abdomen, and occasionally get spots, but they don't last like they used to. I do have some itching on my upper back and upper chest above the breasts, and I do develop hives there, but for some reason that seems familiar, like it happened last winter or something. Also, my boyfriend doesn't itch at all, and my family has yet to exhibit any symptoms, which I find strange with my mom and my brother's history of eczema, dry skin, and allergies (my mom is very sensitive to household mites, as is my dad). I also do use Aveeno lotion every morning after I shower. Hot water doesn't usually seem to irritate the itch, though sometimes it does but only while the hot water touches it, never really after my shower. I also use Aveeno lotion after I shower every morning.

Whew...ok. Sorry, I know it's long. Now I have a question for you. Is it possible that my boyfriend is immune to the allergic reaction of the mite, but is still a carrier (my derm. said it was possible)? His roommate and her boyfriend got it before, but they haven't gotten it since October. Am I losing my mind? Do I need a shrink? Is it just a bad reaction of my extremely sensitive skin to all the chemicals I've been smothering it with? Also, my derm. told me that the crawling feeling was in my head...after that, I didn't feel it anymore. Hmm...

If you read this far, THANK YOU. I appreciate your time.
 

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