Don't know where to post this, so please move wherever it might fit.

My wife has picked up a case of mites/lice that are giving us fits. Unfortunately, I have picked them up also, but to a lesser degree. We have tried everything from over the counter, to prescription strength Permethrin, and most everything we can find listed on the web. Nothing seems top work. After numerous tries, and too much money, we are still dealing with them. They not only are annoying, but actually bite and seem to dig into the skin, Does anybody have a remedy that will get rid of them? Even if we get the adults off our bodies, new hatchlings have reinfected us by the next day. They are driving my wife mad-literaly. Any information, ideas, whatever would be greatly appreciated.

I know that having lice is considered somewhat taboo, but hope somebody will offer up some advice.

If they're burrowing under your skin, then it is Scabies, not Lice.

Treatment for Lice won't touch Scabies. See your doctor and tell him/her that they're burrowing. He/she will prescribe treatment.

Also, follow the directions for the treatment to the letter.

Ken

Instead of a Crisco party have a Kwell party!

As mentioned, the best thing to do is see a physician.

Scabies and lice are treated with a cream that is left on overnight. Elimite (permethrin), Kwell (Lindane), and Eurax (crotamiton) are common creams. And, Stromectol (Ivermectin) is an oral tablet that is used for lice, scabies, and worms in humans and in veterinary medicine.

Sounds like maybe mange. By all means be persistant with the doctors!!! Most old home remidies for mange just like chiggers, is to cover the affected area with something that seals the entrance holes. For mange this is usually oil of some sort for chiggers the popular treatment is painting the holes with nail polish. The idea is to cut off their air supply and they die. A friend caught mange while skinning foxes years ago and it took the doctors months to cure him. Don't delay!

Thanks for the replies. We have dont the Dr. thing. Prescribed 5% Permethrin cream. Cover body, leave on 8-10 hours, and repeat in several days. Didn't work, so tried again. Still had/have the problem. They are mostly in my wifes hair, but migrate all over her body. Upon washing, we find small, black, smaller than pin head size creatures, along with smaller, almost transparent critters,eggs, or whatever they are. Can feel them wandering around on our bodies at times, and can actually hear the eggs popping open at night. If we could just get something to stop the hatching cycle, things should clear up. Dr. wont do Kwell any more. Haven't heard about Eurax, and will check into Stomectal. Appreciate the informatiion.

Sounds like a real nuisance. Any idea how she picked this up? The bugs always seem to stay one step ahead of the pharmacists. About a year ago I read several articles on problems with bedbugs in hotels.

All you need are two plane tickets to a tropical 3rd world country...and some cash.

Case-in-point: My wife lived in Brazil for 3 years. Treated her kids for all kinds of buggy stuff like you describe. Returned to the states--took excess buggy meds with her. She had a friend who adopted two kids from Haiti. Kids were buggy---so she donated her remaining meds to the friend. Friend went to her American Dr. and asked for refills. Docter said "whoa---yeah, that stuff really, really works BUT YOU CAN'T GET IT IN THE STATES.

Have a nice trip and good luck.

I can only tell you what worked for my daughters:
Stromectol and (from my grandmother) lye soap and kerosene. You wash all over in the lye soap, including the hair. When done spray the hair with kerosene at the scalp. Yup, it's going to burn. Wear a shower cap for a few hours. Do this twice. We also had to spray her room daily for a week for the ones that lived in the carpet.

It isn't pleasant, but it worked. Since my daughter is blond, I do not know if it will discolor her hair, don't think so.

quote:

Posted Jan 21, 9:58 PM Hide Post
Sounds like a real nuisance. Any idea how she picked this up? The bugs always seem to stay one step ahead of the pharmacists. About a year ago I read several articles on problems with bedbugs in hotels.

Liberals

Don't forget all the household and mechanical things like vacuuming and washing sheets, pillow cases, towlels, clothes, etc daily until all symptoms have been gone for a few days.

If your regular doc can't/wont help demand to see a dermitologist. Also the advise about housekeeping to pick-up any that are not on the body to avoid re-infection is VERY sound advise. Good luck and keep us posted! If all else fails call a vet and ask for advice. They deal with all sorts of insect parasites and might be able to make suggestions that evade people doctors.

Thanks again. We have more than doubled our water and electric bills cleaning. It is so frustrating. Used a soap that claims to be lye, but think it is more a name than an ingredient. May have to try the vet route, although from what I can find out, most use permethrin. Wish I could afford a trip to someplace that offers a little better choice of meds. We think she picked it up teaching in some of Dallas' lower socio-economicschools.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the concentration of permethrin needed to treat scabies a lot higher than that required just for lice???

I know I remember that from nursing school, at least I think I do.

Anyway, best of luck to you joe

From memory and without doing a currnt reference check - permethrin cream is available in a 5% concentration (Acticin and Elimite) as a scabicide and in a 1% cream (Nix) for lice. Acticin and Elimite are Rx only.

collect specimens in scotch tape, and go see a specialist. if the family doc aint cutting it, upgrade...

I talked to an outfit at the Houston safari club show called passport health - they specialize in vaccines for travel to Africa, etc. It might be worth calling them - if they can't cure it they might have a reference for a doctor specializing in tropical medicine. Their web site is passporthealthhouston.com. Houston is a lot closer than Johannesburg.

Hey Joe-

How are things going?

It does sound like a case of scabies from what you describe.

5% Permethrin cream seems to be the standard 1st line treatment here in the U.S.

After that, lindane might be a good choice. Kids and pregnant women get treated with sulfur in vasaline (believe it or not... same as they did 2,000 years ago).

If you don't have a history of liver problems, an oral medication might be an option. Ivermectin (Stomectol) would be the first choice.

I would also recommend taking an antihistamine if the little bastards are making you scratch yourself. You don't want to cause a secondary skin infection.

One thing that isn't usually discussed in the medical literature is treatment of the home/environment. I don't know this for sure, but I would suspect a couple of the bug bomb aerosols would put a hurting on them. Dairy supply stores have some really good stuff that is relatively safe and is used in their milk rooms.


You probably don't want to see this, but here is a hitchhiker burrowed in deep:



Skin lesions may appear like this:

oh, and if you feel like doing a little reading, you can check this out. It's several pages of boring reading (links to other sections at the bottom).

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/785873-overview

But PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE see a physician. You will, or already have, develop a type of hypersensitivity reaction after reinfection. The sooner you get treated, the better off you'll be.