Has anyone ever had scabies??? Is my 9 month old in danger?

[Beene]

Hi y'all,

Has anyone ever had scabies? I have what I thought was just a bug bite on my lower stomach in a place that would be covered by underwear...
I have only been sexually active with DH, who doesn't have any itchiness.
We stayed at a B&B last week, but I had my underwear on when we slept on their sheets...

I have no idea what it could be, but if it is scabies, I am terrified of giving it to my 9 month old.

It is a series of bumps, all in a red line, and they are beginning to get itchy and slightly painful when I press on them. The best way I can describe them is a line of mosquito bites. They are on my hipbone, down where my underwear covers.

I don't have close contact with anyone but DH and he has no symptoms. Also co-sleep with my son and BF. It's not bedbugs because it's just in one spot and my son has no bites.

I am also (conveniently ) out of town for another 4 days and have no health coverage here out of state. Is there something homeopathic I could try?

TIA!

[Bea]

Your bites sound more like bed bugs than scabies, espescially the bites being in a line.

WIKI BED BUGS

[Beene]

Originally Posted by Bea

Your bites sound more like bed bugs than scabies, espescially the bites being in a line.

WIKI BED BUGS

I thought that too at first, but they're still pretty itchy after 3 nights and no new bites...If it was bed bugs, wouldn't I have new bites and wouldn't they be all over and my son as well?

[Bea]

You probably got the bites at the B&B (If it is bed bugs) and according to the Wiki info. it can take up to 9 days for the marks to appear and not everyone is allergic to the bites. Others at the B&B with you, wouldn't necessarily get the itchy marks.

[GreenGranolaMama]

My DH is a teacher and got it when the school year began... it kind of circulated around his classroom. He had what looked like a rash/ severely irritated skin on his back and forearms. DH went to the doctors and had it checked out and it was scabies (and then the next day found out from the school nurse that half of his classroom had it too!) He got a medicated cream and had to put it on overnight.

DS and I had no symptoms, but our doctor advised us to do the treatment just in case...DS was 6mo at the time and I did not want to put the cream on him or my (breastfeeding) self if I didn't absolutely have to (although the doctor told me it is completely safe for infants and nursing mothers. He gave me some journal articles and a personal account from working over a long period of time with patients and pregnant women with scabies in Africa)

I got Neem oil http://www.discoverneem.com/neem-scabies.html from the healthfood store and used that on myself instead, just in case. I ended up not putting anything on DS.

I also washed all of the bedding in our home and vacuumed the beds and couch, although the Doctor also said this was unnecessary since their lifespan is so sort/needs you to survive, I felt better doing it.

That being said, I would probably wait and get checked out or at least call before starting or trying any treatments... Really hope this is helpful. I learned that scabies are totally common and really no biggie, but can potentially be a little tough to get rid of, although we had no problem.

ETA: Really hope this helps some, if you want more info or anything and would rather talk via PM let me know

[Beene]

Originally Posted by Bea

You probably got the bites at the B&B (If it is bed bugs) and according to the Wiki info. it can take up to 9 days for the marks to appear and not everyone is allergic to the bites. Others at the B&B with you, wouldn't necessarily get the itchy marks.

Oh man.....I hope no bed bugs traveled with me in our suitcase. Ewwww.
I hope it's not bed bugs.....

[Beene]

Originally Posted by GreenGranolaMama

My DH is a teacher and got it when the school year began... it kind of circulated around his classroom. He had what looked like a rash/ severely irritated skin on his back and forearms. DH went to the doctors and had it checked out and it was scabies (and then the next day found out from the school nurse that half of his classroom had it too!) He got a medicated cream and had to put it on overnight.

Thanks so much for all the info. Classroom eh? They say skin to skin contact spreads it, but it seems like you can get it just by being in close quarters...

Did his rash have bite-like bumps? Mine definitely is a line of bumps...I'll get the neem oil just in case. I wonder if Whole Foods has it...

[treegardner]

My sister had scabies. Hers kind of moved in an S shape, not a line. It was pretty hard to get rid of. She had to wash all her bedding, clothes she had worn, her carpeting, etc. She got a cream from her doctor.

[Beene]

Originally Posted by treegardner

My sister had scabies. Hers kind of moved in an S shape, not a line. It was pretty hard to get rid of. She had to wash all her bedding, clothes she had worn, her carpeting, etc. She got a cream from her doctor.

I just can't think of how I would have gotten it. I only spend time with DH and DS and it seems like it's almost impossible to get it from sheets...

[jessaroo]

I have had scabies. They usually get in between your fingers because it is warm and moist. Mine were small bumps- smaller than a bug bite and if you looked close you could see the bugger in the bump ( gross I know). I used neem oil to kick 'em to the curb and it worked.

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by Beene

I have only been sexually active with DH, who doesn't have any itchiness.
Is there something homeopathic I could try?

TIA!

it's not an STD and you don't need to have been sexually active to catch it. You don't even *need* contact.

Yes, homeopathy excels here, but I'd want to see someone. Two remedies to look at are sulphur and psorinum.

[Beene]

Originally Posted by jessaroo

I have had scabies. They usually get in between your fingers because it is warm and moist. Mine were small bumps- smaller than a bug bite and if you looked close you could see the bugger in the bump ( gross I know). I used neem oil to kick 'em to the curb and it worked.

Thanks! So far only on my lower stomach/hip. Maybe they don't like my fingers because tey're so cold and dry these days...Just went out and got some neem oil and neem soap. Hope this works!

[GreenGranolaMama]

Originally Posted by Beene

Thanks! So far only on my lower stomach/hip. Maybe they don't like my fingers because tey're so cold and dry these days...Just went out and got some neem oil and neem soap. Hope this works!

Good luck Mama, hope it clears up soon.

[Beene]

Originally Posted by Panserbjørne

it's not an STD and you don't need to have been sexually active to catch it. You don't even *need* contact.

Yes, homeopathy excels here, but I'd want to see someone. Two remedies to look at are sulphur and psorinum.

It isn't exclusively an STD, but is most often spread by bed sharing and close contact. The mites can't survive too long off the body, so people rarely get it from the environment. Yes, I read some about sulphur. Apparently, they make a sulphur soap. Will go see someone once I get back home. For now, I'll try the neem. Thank you!

[MeepyCat]

I've had scabies, and I've gotta say, it doesn't sound like you have them. For one, scabies itch like the devil - the itching was so bad I couldn't keep from scratching, so bad I couldn't sleep.

It is totally possible to get them from sheets, although I would hope that a B&B would be washing the linens between guests so that this would not be an issue.

I don't know what you have, mama, but it really does not sound like scabies at all.

[Beene]

Originally Posted by MeepyCat

I've had scabies, and I've gotta say, it doesn't sound like you have them. For one, scabies itch like the devil - the itching was so bad I couldn't keep from scratching, so bad I couldn't sleep.

It is totally possible to get them from sheets, although I would hope that a B&B would be washing the linens between guests so that this would not be an issue.

I don't know what you have, mama, but it really does not sound like scabies at all.

Hmmm. Yeah. I don't know. I've had this line of bites (which is kind of a line with a hook at the end like the little bastard changed direction) for 4 days now. It still itches (although I can sleep) and there isn't really a rash from it. Just the string of bites. I don't know if bed bug bits can itch so bad and I don't think their bites ae this small. I just figured the scabies mite dug in and burrowed in a line/hook? Maybe the rash is still to come? I am at a loss. Using the neem, but I have to say that my whole hip itches, not just that line of bites. Maybe there is another bug that does this? We'll see what happens...

[calebsmommy25]

Sorry to hear you are having this problem. Our whole family struggled with scabies for quite a while, due to continuous misdiagnoses at the doctors office...they apparantly couldn't tell the difference between scabies and eczema. It went through me, dp, ds, and both sets of grandparents. We are always together, it was really awful. We had to put on the cream 3 times... I hated it. I was crying putting it on me and ds, and to make it worse I couldn't nurse him for a day each time we did it. Thankfully, it is all gone. Still NO IDEA where we got it. Speaking from experience, if you do go to the doc and really think it is (which doesn't really sound like it) request to get the skin test to def. rule it out. I hope it isn't. I hope you don't need to go through that, and get the nasty cream. Good luck Mama...good wishes for getting your problem cleared up quickly.

[treegardner]

Originally Posted by Beene

I just can't think of how I would have gotten it. I only spend time with DH and DS and it seems like it's almost impossible to get it from sheets...

My sister got it while on a camping trip.

[ttcintexas]

I had a strange line of bites on the inside of my forearm. It became one big red rashy line, the skin became sort of scaley and rough, and it itched terribly. A nurse friend of mine looked at it and thought it was a burn. Anyway I didn't do anything to it, except maybe put some Callendula cream on it when it was really bothering me. It finally went away. No one else in the family had any strange bites at that time. Hope you get some relief soon.

[balancedmama]

Sorry I'm so late to post, but wanted to see if these have gotten better. What you describe also sounds like it could possibly be shingles.