My Battle with the Norwegian Scabies....

[rockin'robin]

Many people aren't familiar with "Scabies"....those who are, most likely associate Scabies with someone being filthy or nasty...or having sex with an affected partner....

Anyone can get infected with Scabies...just by touching, hugging someone that has them....(children get them in Schools)...and usually it's about 2 weeks before you know you have them...and if you live in a big house with family members/children...they all get them!

I allowed a down-on-her-luck relative to stay at my home for about 2 weeks...not really knowing where she had been or too much about her....Never even Dreaming what she did to my Home!..She had left an unzippered back pack in the top of my son's closet..(all of his clothes were in there on hangers)....it was about 2 weeks before I noticed it up there...and reached to bring it down...and something bit the hell out of my hand....

I thought it might have been a Spider...it really hurt and itched!..So I put alcohol on it...and a few days later, I did have an appt. with my Doctor for a check up and I pointed out to the red bite....she looked at it and said..."you've got a Scabie bite"....and sent in a prescription for Permethrin...told me to use it on my body from head to the soles of my feet....This was the 1st time I had ever heard of "Scabies"...

2 days later, one of my son's came home from a camping trip..and said he was "itching" all over!....and said his friend told him he had Scabies....He used a tube of the cream the doctor ordered for me...but not thinking, he put his dirty clothes into the Laundry Basket, towels, wash cloth too...

I used the last tube of cream...and felt OK....then about 2-3 days later...I felt the itching and the "crawling" on my skin...could not see anything!...Called the Exterminator...and he told me it was Scabies, not any other bug...and the only way to get rid of them was to treat yourself with Meds....I told him that I had...and he asked me if I had re-washed everything that was "Cloth"...and I said..."No"...the doctor did not tell me anything like that...

I had to research on the Internet about "Scabies"....to find that it affects the elderly (and I am 66 years old) much worse than the young....as my son, with just 1 treatment, was fine....(He moved out a few days later with a roommate)...but had to re-wash and dry all his clothes...

My whole House was infested!...In and out of the Hospital also...spent 3 days in a Motel room (leaving the house for 72 Hours is supposed to "starve" the Scabies)...came back, re-cleaned and re-washed everything...had to throw out so many, many things!....Then I felt "the crawlings" again...called the Exterminator and he told me another method was to set the thermostat on 80 to 90 degrees, and stay out of the House for 24-36 hours...(Scabies don't like hot air)...so I did so...came back...and I was OK for about 1-2 weeks....

Then again 2 days ago, I felt that "all too familiar crawling" on my skin...went back to the Hospital and they confirmed the Scabies were back....Contagious and my house was contagious....so again...had to use the Meds...and re-clean...re-wash everything!...

After talking with my Doctor, she has referred me to an OBGN for skin scraping...I am still using the Meds...have all my furniture covered in plastic...have to Vacuum 2 times a day, under the furniture also...My youngest son had to go stay with a friend of mine because I did not want him getting these Scabies again...and he cannot come back until I get the Doctor's clearance and that could take time...

The elderly are more prone to Scabies if their Immune system is low...which mine is....Scabies are rampant in Nursing Homes, even Hospitals and Orphanages....The "crawling" is enough to drive anyone actually "crazy"...

I may have to throw away all my furniture because of this...but it's better than suffering with this time and time again...

Thanks for listening and reading my post!...If anyone has any input that is positive. I'd be happy to hear/read it.....
rockin'robin

 

[whatdidyousay!]

I got scabies 40 years ago when a friend asked me to scratch her back. Two days later I asked my friend what the HELL does have?? It was scabies and I did not feel it bite me or did my friend. I never heard of anyone saying they bite so hard you can feel it. If people could feel scabies biting them they be able to treat it right away , you don't know you have them
until you show signs of them and itch like hell.

 

[SneakerNet]

Many people aren't familiar with "Scabies"....those who are, most likely associate Scabies with someone being filthy or nasty...or having sex with an affected partner....

Anyone can get infected with Scabies...just by touching, hugging someone that has them....(children get them in Schools)...and usually it's about 2 weeks before you know you have them...and if you live in a big house with family members/children...they all get them!

I allowed a down-on-her-luck relative to stay at my home for about 2 weeks...not really knowing where she had been or too much about her....Never even Dreaming what she did to my Home!..She had left an unzippered back pack in the top of my son's closet..(all of his clothes were in there on hangers)....it was about 2 weeks before I noticed it up there...and reached to bring it down...and something bit the hell out of my hand....

I thought it might have been a Spider...it really hurt and itched!..So I put alcohol on it...and a few days later, I did have an appt. with my Doctor for a check up and I pointed out to the red bite....she looked at it and said..."you've got a Scabie bite"....and sent in a prescription for Permethrin...told me to use it on my body from head to the soles of my feet....This was the 1st time I had ever heard of "Scabies"...

2 days later, one of my son's came home from a camping trip..and said he was "itching" all over!....and said his friend told him he had Scabies....He used a tube of the cream the doctor ordered for me...but not thinking, he put his dirty clothes into the Laundry Basket, towels, wash cloth too...

I used the last tube of cream...and felt OK....then about 2-3 days later...I felt the itching and the "crawling" on my skin...could not see anything!...Called the Exterminator...and he told me it was Scabies, not any other bug...and the only way to get rid of them was to treat yourself with Meds....I told him that I had...and he asked me if I had re-washed everything that was "Cloth"...and I said..."No"...the doctor did not tell me anything like that...

I had to research on the Internet about "Scabies"....to find that it affects the elderly (and I am 66 years old) much worse than the young....as my son, with just 1 treatment, was fine....(He moved out a few days later with a roommate)...but had to re-wash and dry all his clothes...

My whole House was infested!...In and out of the Hospital also...spent 3 days in a Motel room (leaving the house for 72 Hours is supposed to "starve" the Scabies)...came back, re-cleaned and re-washed everything...had to throw out so many, many things!....Then I felt "the crawlings" again...called the Exterminator and he told me another method was to set the thermostat on 80 to 90 degrees, and stay out of the House for 24-36 hours...(Scabies don't like hot air)...so I did so...came back...and I was OK for about 1-2 weeks....

Then again 2 days ago, I felt that "all too familiar crawling" on my skin...went back to the Hospital and they confirmed the Scabies were back....Contagious and my house was contagious....so again...had to use the Meds...and re-clean...re-wash everything!...

After talking with my Doctor, she has referred me to an OBGN for skin scraping...I am still using the Meds...have all my furniture covered in plastic...have to Vacuum 2 times a day, under the furniture also...My youngest son had to go stay with a friend of mine because I did not want him getting these Scabies again...and he cannot come back until I get the Doctor's clearance and that could take time...

The elderly are more prone to Scabies if their Immune system is low...which mine is....Scabies are rampant in Nursing Homes, even Hospitals and Orphanages....The "crawling" is enough to drive anyone actually "crazy"...

I may have to throw away all my furniture because of this...but it's better than suffering with this time and time again...

Thanks for listening and reading my post!...If anyone has any input that is positive. I'd be happy to hear/read it.....
rockin'robin

I'm really sorry to hear about that!! But I'm sure you will win over the battle with Scabies. It's no fun for the elders and I heard about it, if untreated the skin can turn into what more of crusty skin, like a dry cardboard that break apart easily.

Man, it's unbelievable what you have to go through this.

 

[Frisky Feline]

oh no I am so sorry to hear about your situation. I know about it. I learned from my girlfriend. I was scared about it. thank you for sharing here to educate all of us. its horrible. I pray that your house is all gone for real..

 

[Reba]

Oh, no, I'm so sorry for your experience. No fun at all, and very expensive.

 

[Bottesini]

I am really sorry to hear it, and hope you can get them eliminated soon.

 

[rockin'robin]

Thanks all!...Today was another "wash and dry" day...later this evening, it will be vacuuming and moving furniture and swabbing down again with bleach and water...

So today. just a little crawling on my leg...took care of that with peroxide and Borax....Cannot use the Cream again until 2 weeks....Some people have said that you can dilute Bleach with water and swab your skin...it's not recommended!...But it does the job on wood furniture and beds and floors....

And yes, Reba...it's expensive!...Ace Hardware talked me into using some of their products, and they were expensive...and it did not work!...We used them several times...The sales lady was telling me and my son that she had them before...(she has 3 kids and a husband)..Even the Nurse at the ER...told me when she was in College, her entire Dorm got them...and she suffered for 2 months!.....and it took them almost forever to completely to get rid of them)........And all the clothes and things with or made with cloth are all gone!....Just never know...have plastic over the hangers on the clothes that I wear

Have to cut back on my sugar intake also (as per the Internet).... If I don't win the battle....guessing it doesn't mean I've lost the war...

Thanks again for the support!

 

[LoveBlue]

 

[SCBassist]

Sorry you have to experience it RR. BTW, oral medications deal with parasitic infections more directly than external creams. Has your doctor given you the option to take them in pill form?

 

[LDNanna]

That seems miserable. So sorry to know this. Did you sprinkle diatomaceous earth? It is supposed to damage their exoskeleton. Also, I read about a person so desperate to stop this bug. The writer claims to have washed their person and the belongings in dog flea and tick shampoo. This does not seem healthy though.
Just hope you are better soon. I feel itchy just reading this!

 

[sonocativo]

Oh Great... lol
Last weekend I was digging in the crawlspace for 2 days, but on the last day I also cut some small trees and bushes, I ended up with a lot of bites on my forearms and my belt line.... itches like crazy, red and rashy... turns out its Chiggers... argggghhhh !

 

[soulchill]

Yeah, been there, done that, unfortunately. My kids picked it up where they used to live so we all had to do the cream, wash everything. Fortunately didn't get to the level of your place! <*sorry*> Had to do the cream, wait a week, then do it again just to make sure. That cream is a nasty pesticide.

 

[dogmom]

sorry to read about thus, RR! seems very frustrating and stressful! I hope it will all be resolved as quickly as possible!

 

[rockin'robin]

That seems miserable. So sorry to know this. Did you sprinkle diatomaceous earth? It is supposed to damage their exoskeleton. Also, I read about a person so desperate to stop this bug. The writer claims to have washed their person and the belongings in dog flea and tick shampoo. This does not seem healthy though.
Just hope you are better soon. I feel itchy just reading this!

Haven't tried that yet...I was just advised to clean everything with bleach and water..every day....vacuum 2x a day...Wash and dry all clothing, anything cloth...towels, etc....Have the furniture covered in plastic....

Oh my!...I'm tired!...Have an emergency appt. with the doctor tomorrow, and the ER told me to set an appt. with an OBGN for skin scraping....I will be asking to be admitted into the hospital (isolated) and see if they can get rid of these things....as my Immune System is very low...and feel that's why I have not been able to shake all this mess!

Am about at my wits end on all of this tho'...and many people have just thrown out all their furniture...and bought new....I'm about to that stage!...But will talk to the doctor tomorrow...

Some people become suicidal also...it's a horrific feeling with the "crawlings" and you cannot see them...

Dunno about the Dog shampoo!....that's a new one for me...do you know if it worked?.......if it does, then I'm game for it!

 

[rockin'robin]

Oh Great... lol
Last weekend I was digging in the crawlspace for 2 days, but on the last day I also cut some small trees and bushes, I ended up with a lot of bites on my forearms and my belt line.... itches like crazy, red and rashy... turns out its Chiggers... argggghhhh !

I;ll trade your chiggers for my scabies anyday!...

 

[dogmom]

RR

 

[Reba]

Hang in there!

 

[rockin'robin]

Yeah, been there, done that, unfortunately. My kids picked it up where they used to live so we all had to do the cream, wash everything. Fortunately didn't get to the level of your place! <*sorry*> Had to do the cream, wait a week, then do it again just to make sure. That cream is a nasty pesticide.

/well...basically, anyone with a low immune system and the elderly have a harder time than someone who is younger with a good immune system...

That's my problem...with only 64% oxygen intake...I'm very careful about catching any virus, even colds...Plus, the Norwegian Scabies are a lot harder to get rid of then the normal Scabies....the elderly get this.

I've used the cream so many times...feel it's not too safe to continue it...but the doctor keeps prescribing it!....at $109.00 a tube that's expensive...but my insurance covers it...

 

[rockin'robin]

Hang in there!

am trying...still a lot of fight in me I'm guessing...but if things don't change by this Sunday...my boys said they will throw out all the furniture for me....(Lazy-Boy)...even consider moving.......Pretty drastic I know...but I cannot deal with Insects/parasites at all....

 

[Reba]

am trying...still a lot of fight in me I'm guessing...but if things don't change by this Sunday...my boys said they will throw out all the furniture for me....(Lazy-Boy)...even consider moving.......Pretty drastic I know...but I cannot deal with Insects/parasites at all....

Do you rent or own? Will insurance cover any damages?