Scabies or something else - Freaking out

[Stein77]

I have read way too many horror stories about curing scabies and need to know what is true. Here is my issue. 2 weka ago on St Patty's weekend of course, I hs a random hook up with a dude one night and then another the next night. I already feel a lot of shame over my behavior that weekend, but it's already done. Anyway,no sex, just some oral (i gave) and running bodies together. About four days later, I noticed the left side of my scrotum started to itch immensely. Actually, my entire scrotum, but more noticeable on the left and the under carriage area.. I origin attributed this to perhaps my trimming down there that Saturday nigh improperly (used scissors, but then for a more close shave in some areas, the side burn clipper with no guard on parts). Well at a week later, the itching was still there.  NO visible rash.

Urgent care doc didn't see anything and assumed it was from the shaving. Went to my dermatologist and he said he didn't see a rash, but could see where I've been scratching. In general I don't scratch there unless while sleeping.  He said it was probate jock itch and prescribed a steroid cream and antifungal. I had a doc appt with my primary care physician coming up 2 days later, so I held off on using.  Went to the pop and just told him I ha hooked up recently and that I had a major itch going on down there. He looked at but and said "looks as if you maybe picked up a scabies mite." So he sent me home with permethrin. Of course I freaked out!  I cleaned my entire house top to bottom with gloves Ns did some laundry. I applied the cream and slept all night. Woke up and cleaned some more, showered and changed. Cleaned more with gloves and only wore used clean items. Even vacuumed and cleaned my car out the night before treatment. Left my house to visit my parents for the holiday. My anxiety about them catching it has me FREAKING out even more!!!

So, I just woke up and caught myself scratching that spot like crazy. Never happened until now. From what I recall. However, even before treatment, the itching was always worse at night. It actually didn't even present itself until after a workout or late at night or if I woke up in the middle of the night.  I know it's only one day after the meds, but why am I itching in the same spot more? I've had this before and the intense itching in the same spot subdued the next day, didn't e worse. So I am freakin out concerned about giving it to my parents. I clean up after everything untouched every 30 seconds. I am exhausted.

What could this be? Why are the Doctors giving me different diagnoses? I was content with either as long snit worked. Ha.  I just don't know why it got worse instead of better and late in the middle of the night. Shouldn't they be dead by ow?! I also am worried about my roommate who was out of town Friday before treatment. We are actually exes and very  close. For example durin this time his grandma passed and I woul hold him on the couch huggin him or laying with him. I also used the couch as my bed for that week. He claims to be fine, but will treat and clean Sunday/tonight before i get back Monday. He has an older script of a refill from 2 yes back. I'm concerned it's not potent anymore or is this nonsense?

Could this be something else? What else would cause one to wake up at 4 am itching though? I need good and truthful advice. I am going crazy, butler from how I am constantly cleaning an concerned about infecting my parents while visiting. Any advice would be helpful. PLEASE! I am reY scared and can't stop crying.

[Stein77]

It has now been 17 days since the 2nd treatment.  Like I said the initial spot, groin no longer feels to have symptoms.  Well, unless I am in tight clothing on  long walk (I gained some weight during this insanity afraid to eat in my house).  Anyway, for about 12 days, the tops of my feet and tops of my toes have been hurting.  All I can see is a little dry skin.  There are/were 3 hard spots on the toes.  I only paid attention to one at first as it started as maybe a little cut.  I attributed all this to my shoes shrinking in the wash/dryer and my constantly going on long 1 - 2 hour walks to get away from the house.  I am very exhausted.  Only other spot that itches is my shin a bit and when I look it's always from the sock being too tight (I can see the marsk from the tube sock).  

I thought the 3 hard spots on the toes were healing.  Wasn't 100% certain, but it looked as if for about the first 8 days of it nothing was spreading).  The itching was persistent though.  I went to the urgent care and she said it looked nothing like scbies and that I should try lotrimin spray.  I used it for two days before going to the dermatologist.  He saw NO signs there of scabies or anything fungal.  He gave me Clobex spray last Friday. I have been applying 2 x a day.  I had really tight shoes on again Saturday and I remember really trying to stuff my feet into them and was in them all day.  So the itch/burn was pretty intense that day.  It still is.

I wake up in the middle of the night (I am hoing it's just b/c I had to use the bathroom) and once I do, I start feeling the itching again.  I am concerned I got reinfested.  However. I don't want to retreat unless it's absolutely necessary.  PCP, UC doc and the derm all say there are no signs of it.  However. all of them have a different diagnosis.  I am just scared of spreading this to others (visting my elderly parents, my brother and his family, etc ...).  I want it to be OVER.  

Any suggestions on what I need to be looking for or into?  I cleaned my house, did laundry, vacuumed like crazy, cleaned my car etc .... I sprayed everything with the spray, sprinkled Borax everywhere, vacced that up. I wiped down my leather seats in the car daily, wiped down my matress cover and pillow cover daily and I still do. I live out of space bags. I iron my clothes and put them in the fridge overnight.  I am getting exhausted and scared.  Will the Clobex mask symptoms or if it really is a reinfetation, I would notice/see it regardless, right?  As you can guess, this is really taking it's toll on me.  I am running out of steam :(  

Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.  Also, since you are a doctor, I would love to hear your recommendation for cleaning and eradicating the situation.  I cleaned the entire house from top to bottom the day of treatment and had clean clothes dry in the dryer overnight (used gloves for the laundry).  I actually threw out the bedding the next morning from the treatment).  I then cleaned a little more, showered, changed and cleaned again with gloves and vacuumed. I had clean clothes in the dryer and a load in the wash ready to transfer. I used gloves for all that. Sat on trash bags in the car, etc ....  I just don't know what is necessary and what isn't. Like I said EXHAUSTED!  I would appreciate your advice on this!  Thanks!

[Stein77]

Well the roommate treated and did his cleaning. I was away for the weekend. I had to drive 2 hours in my car which freaked me out, but I did thoroughly clean and spray it the night before as well as rode sitting on garbage bags.  At least I was out of my house for 3 days.  Then on day 7 for me and 5 for the roommate, we recleaned EVERYTHING and had laundry prepped and going.  We did the retreatment and recleaned the next morning.  Washed everything.  I even washed pretty much every pair of shoes I have.  Then I avoided my house like no other. ha

2 days later my groin area, while out on a walk, started to get itchy.  This lasted about 3 more days and got progressively better.  Then finally about a week after that 2nd treatment, my feet started itching intensely.  The tops only and the tops of the toes.  There was a bump on my toe, but started out like a little cut that I think is hardening and going away.  My pcp and dermatologist both looked at it and do not think it is signs of scabies.  They think I am clear.  I don't know how I couldn't be after all the insane cleaning and washing/rewashing.  WHICH due to the itchy feet right now, I am still doing!!!!

Anyway, once the feet issue subsides and hopefully soon, I will start to get back to normal I think.  Washing my shoes shrunk them and I believe the rubbing against my feet in the more snug fit while constantly being out on walks or cleaning aggrevated them and caused the bump or callous. I can only hope that is the case.  

If one application of permetherin has a 92 - 95% healing rate and I cleaned like a mad person, then another with those same odds at 7 days and same cleaning habits means odds are definitely in my favor.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
One possibility for your symptoms can be scabies. It is characterized by intense itching, usually at night and by small insect-type bites lesions on the skin. Diagnosis of scabies is made by scraping the skin and viewing the material under a microscope to see the characteristic mite or eggs.

However the possibility of itch-scratch-itchy cycle should also be thought of which is usually psychological in nature.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.