I've been dealing with this infestation for almost 7 months. Like most of you, nobody would believe me when I said that I knew it was mites. I was told by everyone it was psychological (even though I had strangers ask me if I had the chickenpox bc I was in such bad shape). I was eventually in the ER and diagnosed with scabies but the cream was no match for these monsters. I then went to a dermatologist and was prescribed ivermectin. I'm immunocompromised so I can't fight anything off. The first dose was a miracle. They were dying by the hundreds. My skin has been peeling bad! I started to notice new bites popping up but nothing in my sheets or blankets. I went ahead and took a second dose 5 days ago and its like I woke them up. The itching and awful stinging are torture again. I don't understand why it's happening when I took another dose of ivermectin. Anybody experience this before and if so, what was the outcome? I pray that they haven't re-populated.
Ivermectin - Is it normal to still feel crawling and stinging on 2nd dose over 2 weeks after the 1s?
Question posted by Ally76 on 19 Feb 2021
Last updated on 20 February 2021 by SBHarris
Answers
Remember that all your symptoms (save maybe the crawling feeling) are due to allergies from mite proteins, and will be worse when mites die, as they fall apart and activate the allergic response again. You never know when they're all dead, as the allergy to their bodies continues days or even a week after that. You can take ivermectin as long as a month in seven doses.
So: you can safely taken an ivermectin dose every so often (at the recommended limit) until you're completely symptom-free. Hopefully your dermatologist will be considerate and give you several more doses. The CDC recommends 5 doses of 200 ug/kg on days (approximately days 1, 2, 8, 9, and 15), with consideration of two additional doses (approximately days 22 and 29) for severe infestations. That's seven doses.
They also recommend a topical scabicide. Eurax creme is soothing to the skin as well as a mite killer. You probably have some permethrin cream left over. An alternative you probably have not tried for the skin part is sulfur ointment online, and it's non-toxic for skin. It kills mites and has only a mild odor. But you'll need the ivermectin too.
The treatment for the histaminic itch is antihistamine (something like cetirizine/Zyrtec.) A Medrol dose-pack might be necessary if things get very bad and you have no contraindications (so long as you're under active treatment, short doses of steroids should be okay).
Related topics
scabies, ivermectin, dosage, stinging
Further information
- Ivermectin uses and safety info
- Ivermectin prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Ivermectin (detailed)
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