Scabies wwyd

[Bridget]

Last week Savana came home with a note from school saying one of her classmates has scabies. I talked with Savana more and she basically told me this was her good buddy and she has a really itchy rash that she has shown Savana before. And...now Savana has a mysterious rash on her arms. We've gone in and the dr wants us to treat is as scabies because it looks like it could be and because she's been exposed to it.

The medicine is a pesticide that you cover your body in from the neck down and leave on for 8-12 hours. Obviously I don't want to spread poison all over our bodies but I also really want this gone. I will likely treat myself if I see any signs and chances are good that I'll get it since I lay in Savana's bed with her all the time.

We've been taking tea tree baths and slathering ourselves in tea tree/coconut oil mixture. There is tons of info out there claiming that tea tree is even more effective than the prescription cream.

I'm so torn, and freaking out here. What would you do?

[i.<3.cheesysmiles]

That is so tough!! What does the info say about how long it takes for the TTO to work? I don't know much about scabies, but how is it spread? Does it spread through linens that are dirty or just skin to skin? I guess I would be concerned that Sawyer would get it. So, I would want it treated ASAP before anyone else gets it.

I am sorry you are dealing with this!

[Bridget]

I know, Lisa. I am sick about it. I have bagged and laundered everything I can and have cleaned and sanitized my house. I'm continuing to wash everyone's bedding every day. I really don't want it to spread but I'm so fearful that it's going to happen or already has. It is from prolonged contact and from sharing bedding, towels, etc. All of which we do! The dr actually suggested I treat myself right along with Savana but then I can't breastfeed Sawyer for 8 hours which would be nearly impossible not to mention there is no information on how much of this pesticide will get into my milk. I'm seriously sick about this.
Thanks for responding!
ETA: The info on tea tree said it should be nearly gone after 7 days. I believe the toxic stuff works right away.

[MomOfAnOnly]

What about neem oil? I know it's supposed to be a natural pesticide......

[MomOfAnOnly]

Google it Bridget!! I just did and there's a ton of links that come up. Apparently neem oil does work for scabies.

[Bridget]

Thank you, Carrie! I have to find some. I want it...NOW.

[MomOfAnOnly]

Seriously! #1 thing on your list for today-- find Neem oil!! Hopefully it helps the itchiness too

[Windy]

I know they sell neem oil at the garden stores, I'm not sure if there's a 'health food' option. Good luck! I've only seen scabies in animals while working, I was always terrified of catching it or bringing it home to one of my animals. I'm so sorry you have to go through this, but please share your results with us in the end.

[Bridget]

Thanks for the tip, Windy. I just called all the lawn and garden stores around me and no one has it. The closest store that has it is 40 miles away at the co-op where I grocery shop and i was just there yesterday!! How annoying. I ordered it off amazon.

[NHKate]

I hope the TTO and neem oils take care of it for you guys. If not, I would do the pesticide stuff (Permethrin, right?). I had scabies once before, and it was MISERABLE! I wanted to tear my skin off, seriously. At first I just thought I had some bug bites that were super itchy, but after a few days it spread and turned into a really horrible, awful rash over much of my body that just itched severely nonstop. Worse, when it got really bad it was a holiday weekend (4th of July), so I either had to go to the emergency room or wait until the regular doctor's office was open. I waited, but I got so desperate that I even tried taking a bath in a diluted bleach solution that someone suggested. It did nothing to the scabies. The Permethrin worked and I felt better pretty quickly, as I recall.

[macksmom]

So sorry this happened

I would be careful with the Neem oil as well. Did you ask your doc about it?

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supple...dientName=NEEM

Can you use the script just in small amounts on the actual rashes instead of everywhere? Such a bad situation

[Bridget]

Ok. So I am pretty sure Savana does not have it. Her bites looked really different than mine and they are gone while mine are spreading. Hers looked like mosquito bites and there are not "trails" like I have where the female moves along and lays her eggs. (GAG)
So I have decided that I will treat myself tonight all except my left breast and I will wear a long sleeve shirt and cut a hole for my nipple so I can still nurse Sawyer without any chance of him ingesting the medicine. I have covered all of the living room furniture and my bed and Sawyers crib mattress (side carred to my bed) with plastic. I'm washing all articles of clothing and then putting them into plastic bags where they will remain until thursday. We each have 2 outfits that will go directly into the washing machine at the end of the day. In the meantime I am vacuuming and cleaning with a bleach solution several times a day. Luckily we have no carpet in the upstairs.

I might even hire a professional cleaning company. I'll see how I feel when I finish cleaning today.

I will continue all the natural remedies as well. I am totally freaked out by going on line and reading about people who have dealt with this for months. Eff that. I want it gone.
What a fun holiday.

[macksmom]

Ugh that is awful I am so sorry. I hope it all clears up really soon. I would be horrified....

But how can you have it if Savana doesn't though? Do you think she did but it went away? I thought she was the only one exposed to the original infected person.

[Bridget]

I don't know dude, but I have it for sure. She has not rash at all anymore. These little effers could have come home in her backpack or something i suppose and then jumped to me. I am dumbfounded that the others in the house don't have it but I'm not getting too excited about that quite yet since it can take weeks I guess. I'm totally mortified and cannot remember the last time I felt this stressed out. I can't think of anything else or do anything else. My poor kids, I have not played with them or read to them at all. Everytime I stop I think of something else I need to clean. I woke up in the middle of the night to vacuum the steps going down to the daycare. I don't want to sit on any of our furniture. It's all on my legs. It's 80 some degrees and I'm in pants.

[macksmom]

Ugh I am so sorry. I hope it's short lived. Maybe the TTO helped Savana and maybe it will help you too. I would just use the script and try to tackle it as quickly as possible which is what it sounds like you are doing!

[i.<3.cheesysmiles]

I am so sorry you are dealing with this. Don't worry about not playing with your kids for a a few days. They won't be affected by it. It's more important that you get this dealt with, and you are doing everything you can.

[Bridget]

I think Sawyer has a spot on his back. But I'm not sure. I'm so paranoid. On second thought, I think I will see if the tube is enough to treat us all tonight and be done with it.

[Bridget]

Sawyer and I just had a tea tree bath and then i applied the cream. I am so sad and was crying as it spread it on his body. All the time and effort I've put into keeping pesticides out of our lives and now I am literally spreading on our bodies. If this doesn't work I will be ill.

[MomOfAnOnly]

I remember how upset I was when I was trying to get pregnant- I was doing every detox under the sun, avoiding every offending thing possible.... and then the city drove all through our neighborhood spraying for Mosquitos. Literally drove that dam truck right in front of our house. I was pissed!!

There are some things we just can't avoid, and having to use the cream doesn't mean all your constant effort is null and void I think your bodies will be able to handle this single dose better than someone who is already overloaded with pesticides.

[Windy]

Big I hope it works!

[NHKate]

Hope it works for you all. I hate scabies. When I had it, it turns out that my husband brought it home on his clothes from someone he worked with - but the stupid things just didn't like him and all went over to me. He didn't get any rash at all, and I was covered. So I think some people are just lucky that way, they must taste bad to the mites.

[Cosmosmom]

Bridget You have still done a great job avoiding....there is a big difference between applying on the skin once or twice and ingesting it all the time on foods.

[Bridget]

Thanks for the support, everyone. I applied the cream to all of us last night and then we all slept together in my bed which is covered in a plastic mattress cover. Our bedding got put in the wash right when we woke up and I have someone coming over to steam clean the daycare carpet today. I cleared out all the toys and saturated all surfaces in bleach solution. I was up all night and I am freaking exhausted!

[Jai]

I'm sorry Bridget! We had scabies when Jayden was about 8 months old. We have no idea where we got it from, I Just know one night I was sitting at the computer and all of a sudden the backs of my knees were itching horribly and my stomach. Thought whatever. But then it got worse. I did research online and dx'd myself with scabies. I just knew what it was. I went to the dr and she told me it wasn't and gave me steroids. I gave it two days I think and went back. SHe said I needed to give it more time and I flat out told her no. DH and I had symptoms and Marissa and Peyton each had a patch but wasn't sure if that's what it was. She finally agreed to let me "try" the cream. I treated me, DH, and the girls. I did two treatments for me and DH because I read that new bugs could hatch after the initial treatment so instaed of letting them grow and hatch more eggs I did two treatments on us (although I cant remember when you're supposed to, 48 hours?). Thankfully it went away for all of us and luckily J never got it.

Anyways, I'm sorry. It was HORRIBLE. I wanted to go crazy. I did go crazy. And I hated rubbing that all over us, but I couldn't deal with waiting out other tries at different stuff when I knew that stuff would work.

You should feel ok with the fact that you are so diligent with everything you put into you and your childrens bodies that this one time will not cause any damage. That because you are so careful with everything else and this didn't leave you another option.

HUGS

[Bridget]

Thanks for sharing, Jai. I have found that I am humiliated by this and it had been really difficult for me to make the calls to my daycare families.
How hard was it to clean your house of it? I'm feeling really obsessive. I can't stop thinking that thing aren't clean enough. This is from someone who never uses chemicals to clean and I cannot stop spraying my bleach solution everywhere.

[Jai]

Thanks for sharing, Jai. I have found that I am humiliated by this and it had been really difficult for me to make the calls to my daycare families.
How hard was it to clean your house of it? I'm feeling really obsessive. I can't stop thinking that thing aren't clean enough. This is from someone who never uses chemicals to clean and I cannot stop spraying my bleach solution everywhere.

I was extremely humiliated, too. It was very hard to talk about with others. I just felt SO dirty! I cleaned everything but I didn't go too overboard because I had read like April said below that they need blood to live, meaning they need to live on a hosts body and they don't survive that long without it. I can't remember exactly what I did now, I think I mentally blocked a lot of that time out.

[April78]

I had scabies when I was pg with my very first. It was awful. All over my 8 month pg belly. My roommate got them and then passed them on to me and our other roommate we think by al of us laying/sitting on the couch. Anyways, I believe that they can only live a max of 36 hours off a host body

[proudmommaof5]

How horrible. I'm so sorry Bridget. I hope they are wiped-out

[byknski]

Hey Bridget--I'm curious how you're all doing now. I think my husband has scabies, and I may have a patch on my belly. We thought it was poison ivy because he spends all of his free time in our woods clearing brush, but it is spreading all over his body. If it wasn't for your post on here I never would have considered scabies, so you may have saved the rest of us some serious suffering. He is headed to the doctor first-thing in the morning.

[Bridget]

Honestly, it has been a complete nightmare. I am going into week 3 of no daycare. After I thought I had it kicked, I found a definite rash on Kai's ankle. This was the very day I finally took all the plastic off my furniture and started putting the clothes back into the dressers. After I treated us all again we packed up and went on a roadtrip, staying out of the house for 72 hours so any surviviving mites would die. Now we are home and so far I think we're in the clear although it's hard to tell because Kai is having a pretty horrible reaction to the peremethrin cream in the form of rashy itchiness. But I'm pretty positive he doesn't have new bites. It's just been him and I that showed symptoms but I treated everyone (except dbf who hasn't had any symtoms and was out of town when the whole thing started). We also bathe nightly in tea tree/clove oil/neem oil and then apply a neem oil/aloe vera gel all over our bodies. Also I am continuing to wash all bedding and towels after one use.
I had the daycare professionally cleaned since it is carpeted and they used an insecticide beforehand as well. I am considering opening may daycare doors wed assuming no one has any new rashes. I'm terrified to spread this to any of my families.

I really hope you guys don't have it.