5 Early Signs & First Symptoms of a Scabies Infestation

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So you think you might have scabies, huh?

For your sake, I hope you are wrong! But, it’s good that you are here investigating.

Because if you do in fact have scabies it is important that you detect it and treat it as fast as possible. Yes, ASAP!

The longer it goes untreated the worse you will feel and the more likely you’ll be to spread it to other people.

Below you will find first indicators that the scabies mites could be present.

Related: How to Get Rid of Scabies at Home Fast

Table of Contents

Sign #1: An uncontrollable itchy feeling that’s spreading

You might think you had a good idea what feeling super itchy was like before ever picking up scabies.

But after awhile, there’s no way to lie to yourself any longer.

The itchy feeling we get as sufferers from these mites is horrendous.

A few telltale signs of an early stage scabies infestation:

  • You have a spot or two, maybe a broad area of your body, that will not stop feeling itchy no matter how hard or how often you scratch it.?Yes, it doesn’t matter if you spent all night digging your fingernails into your skin. It just won’t. Go. Away.
  • While the itching doesn’t go away completely, if you feel way more itchy at night, then that’s a telltale sign. During the day you are active and distracted. Because of the activity, the mites don’t move as much. And even if they do, you won’t notice them as much. But at night time, that’s when they’re the most active. If it’s terribly itchy and keeping you up at night, it’s probably scabies.
  • It is spreading. For me, it started around my crotch and between my thighs. I thought it was just an allergic reaction or something. Maybe from the clothes, i tried on at the mall. But then, it just kept spreading, in all of its?terribleness, all over my body (except my face and scalp.) By a few weeks into it, I was consumed in itchiness all over.?Don’t wait that long before getting treated.

Sign #2: Rashes. Bumps. Zigzag marks. Oh No!

At first, you were just itchy.?Incredibly, excruciatingly and uncomfortably itchy. But just itchy nonetheless.

Then, while you were indulgently digging into your thighs with your nails, you noticed something.

Red bumps? Red lines?

No, not just the redness from your far too intense scratching. A different kind. Like something you unearthed that was there all along beneath your skin.

My friend, this is their marks.

  • Those bumps. Those are their little homes, where they lay their little eggs.
  • Those lines. They are their burrows, where they dig and dig too move around and find greener pastures, ahem – tasty dead skin – to feed on.

If you’ve started to see red marks appear and you are still hesitant to diagnose them as scabies, take a look at where they’re located.

In the beginning, those raised little bumps and ridges are likely to appear on parts of your body where the skin folds over itself or touches itself on creases.

Think between your legs, your toes, and your fingers. Inside your elbows and wrists. Genital areas and under your breasts, if you’ve any.

Scabies mites prefer these areas to breed in and call home.

Sign #3: “Wait, am I not the only one around who’s scratching themselves?”

Since you’ve been paying so much attention to your itchy body, you maybe?haven’t spent much time looking around at your friends and family.

Or if you have been looking at them, it’s in fear that they might see you acting oddly with all your fidgety, itchy maladies.

But take a closer look.

If you do have scabies, they didn’t fall out of the sky.

Someone gave them to you.?And chances are that it could be someone close to you. And they are probably showing first signs of an infestation as well.

So take a look around.

Look at your family, at your co-workers, your friends; anyone who comes in close contact with you from day to day.

Are they mindlessly digging into their skin? Are they complaining of a strange itch? Are they expressing lost sleep due to staying up all night scratching? Are they meticulously peering at their skin?

Are they showing early symptoms?

If you encounter others with these symptoms, well, take that as an early sign.

Better yet though, ask them. And tell them what you know about scabies and the early signs we’ve discussed already.

It’s easier to keep quiet and avoid potentially embarrassing subject matter, but if it’s really an infestation happening around you, everyone needs to know.

Everyone needs to get treated or they will likely just re-infest one another.

Sign #4: In the past few months have those in your family traveled or frequented new places?

This isn’t something that can give you insurmountable evidence of an infestation, but it’s a thought-provoking question which could give you clues and a stronger conviction that it is in fact scabies that’s bothering you.

Think of all the places you’ve gone lately.

Out of country trips? Out of state trips? Out of home Trips?

All of them.

New gym membership? New daycare for the kids? New animal care clinic? New doctors office visits?

These are all heavily trafficked areas that often are host to scabies. For more ideas of places that you might have picked up mites from, check out this post on our How do you get Scabies page.

If there’s one or many potential places that pop into your mind, do some investigating and see there have been known issues with scabies there.

Sign #5: There are confirmed cases of scabies in your community

So we’ve examined quite a few early signs of a scabies infestation.

If you’re still reading then you probably have a good hunch that this is?what’s been ailing you.

At this point, if your still worried that it might be all in your head, it’s a good idea to visit or, better yet, make some phone calls to places in your community that you’ve visited in the last 2 or 3 months.

You’re gym maybe, or your child’s daycare.

Just call and ask there have?been any reported cases of scabies recently.

If they say yes, well, that’s probably a clear sign that your itchy scratchy nights as of late are a sign that you’ve recently picked up our dreaded friends the scabies mite. Your early symptoms will surely turn into a full-blown unbearable infestation if you don’t act soon.

For more information on treating scabies, check out some of our other posts below.

And best of luck to you.

Further Reading: 100 Tips for Scabies Treatment

Further Reading: A Simple 3 Step Guide to Treating Scabies

Further Reading: How to Buy Over The Counter Permethrin Cream Online

Further Reading: A Guidebook to Handling the Itch

60 thoughts on “5 Early Signs & First Symptoms of a Scabies Infestation”

  1. Hi
    Is there any way to not get scabies while travelling? Any help will be appreciated.
    Thanks

    1. You can try using 10% sulfur soap. Wash down as normal, then turn off water lather up your body from neck/chin down to your feet with the Sulfur Soap, wait two minutes for the soap to start drying, then gently pat dry. You will then have a thin layer of sulfur to help protect you. I’ve just started seeing one Sulfur Soap company advertise their soap for travel as a precaution. I don’t know how if their claim is correct in that they say new (to you) scabies take around a day and a half to dig in?!. Where as established scabies burry much more quickly into the skin.

      1. Hi all. My experience was that the natural remedies don’t do the job because they don’t get deep enough to kill the eggs as well as the mites. I would strongly recommend following the usual doctor’s prescription of Permethrin BUT in addition get hold of IVERMECTIN. This is an oral prescription that you take in two (if i remember) doses. I combined with permethrin cream and finally got rid of them after almost 2 months of hell

        1. I had the same experience with scabies. Home remedies did not work at all and I tried almost every thing. Neem oil only seemed to make the mites angry. I finally went to my dermatologist where they diagnosed the condition as scabies. My doctor gave me a prescription of permethrin cream and Ivermectin oral tablets. The treament had to be repeated in 7 days after the initial treatment. Please seek medical help if you think you have a scabies infestation. The so called home cures did not work for me, they only prolonged my agony

  2. Hey,

    I’m based in the UK. My housemate got scabies last year and so I was treated at the same time as him to ensure that we didn’t keep spreading it (I actually had no signs but he had proper bites and tracks all over his arms.)
    We were given the permethrin cream, used twice, then had a few weeks of tea tree oiling our pillows/washing regularly and it seemed to go away! (We must have been the lucky ones… )

    I moved back to London 3 weeks ago and a few nights after being back in the city I helped out a homeless man who needed to get to a shelter before it closed. I wasn’t really thinking and took his blanket and held his arm as we walked as he wasn’t very stable on his feet. The next day I remember itching on my arms but I thought it unlikely to be scabies as I didn’t think it would show so soon…

    Then in the last few weeks I have found myself becoming more and more itchy.
    Having no physical signs and assuming it could be a number of things in my new environment affecting it, I went to a walk in dr last week here.
    I told him about the homeless person and said about my fear of scabies to which he pretty much snorted and even took my hand ( he didn’t have gloves!) and said I would know! He gave me a steroid cream and advised antihistamines.
    He told me that if the steroid cream didn’t work to buy the scabies cream afterwards. Which to me just seemed like a cop out! My skin is already in hell and the idea of two lots of chemicals in quick succession did not appeal…

    A week later, no amount of anti histamines or steroid cream had made a difference. I washed all my sheets, cleaned my windows of mould, cleaned the washing machine of mould, switched to non-bio, stopped using all fragranced soaps but the nagging suspicion has always been that I may have scabies.

    The temperature has recently soared here in London too so it has become unbearable at work. I still have no signs that look anything like scabies online, but instead have groups of raised tiny bumps (pores that look infected) in very sparse places. It looks more like dermatitis but now I have started to come to terms with the itching all over to be a big give away that this may be scabies. Until yesterday I was kidding myself with the fact that as my face/neck was itching this meant that it couldn’t be scabies but have since found sites such as this which confirm that this too is a myth and you can get them everywhere!

    If anyone has any further details, I’m seeing a DR tomorrow morning but I do feel there is very little knowledge here. I’m loathed to use anything in the case that I don’t have scabies, however anxious that in not doing so could just be putting it off for longer so will most likely suck it up and buy the cream they sell here OTC for my whole household & will follow the cleaning instructions as best I can.

    I found this online which seems worth sharing as it’s a Doctor talking about some general myths on the subject!

    http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/parasite/1997-March/002068.html

    I hope everyone gets there soon with their own struggles! One thing I will say is I wish I had just listened to my instincts 2 weeks ago and bought the cream as if I had I may have been able to deal with the problem before being at risk of having shared it. Now I’m so many weeks down the line of denial and it is a problem that has most likely (and very literally) multiplied…

    I know it’s depressing but in the grand scheme of things you just have to keep reminding yourself that there is a way out and be grateful that wonderful people like the creator of this site has been kind enough to share their tips/misery to help us other depressed folks not feel alone and know that there is a light!

    THANK YOU!

    1. Hey, I have had a very similar experience as you have, as after a first infestation years back it took me only sitting next to an potentially positive person to get all the symptoms of scabies again. It was less than a week ago, and the strange thing is that it doesn’t activate at night necessarily, but sometimes in the day or evening. So not being sure, I am still using natural treatment… Did your Dr confirm it was scabies ?

      1. Hi Manu.

        Agreed, it’s not just night time that you can feel itchy. I felt it all day long with my infestation. Night time is just more noticeable for most people.

        My doctor claimed I did not have scabies. He didn’t even seem to consider it actually, even with my mentions of it. He believed it was eczema or psoriasis. I knew for sure that it was scabies when other close friends had doctors visits that confirmed scabies.

        I recommend against using a purely natural form of treatment. For most ailments I am a huge proponent of home remedy style treatment but these bugs are notoriously difficult to treat and permethrin / ivermectin treatments were what ended my infestation in the end.

        1. I have all the symptoms that your describing the only problem is that I think all the apartment around me have them and I don’t have money or help I don’t have insurance or anything I don’t know what else to do

          1. Buy dog dip (generally 17%) and dilute it down to a five percent solution. Then treat yourself from the neck down completely and leave on overnight before showering off. Wash the sheets daily and vacuum everywhere! Repeat the treatment 4 to 5 days later. You will still itch for a couple weeks but it should feel less intense. If not, treat a third time. It took three for me. Worst thing I have ever gone thru physically. Messes with your head.

          2. Valencia

            Vaseline
            Boric acid
            Crushed aspirin
            Mixed together apply on skin After Showering and Dry. You will see the mites that has burrowed into the skin come to the surface. Treat your scalp too. Repeat again until your satisfied but i wouldn’t over do it. REMEMBER WASH CLOTHING AND BEDDING AND CLEAN OR VACUUM FLOORS. BLEACH AND ARM AND HAMMER IS OUR ALLIES!

      2. How to wash shoulder length hair with scabies on scalp? Immunocomprimised elderly roommates… she’s chair-bound and unconfirmed (as we are), but showing signs… will this work for Crusted scabies as well?

  3. It seems to be very catchy, and everyone in the household must be treated. It takes up to 6 days to get rid of it.

  4. I got the Durvet Ivermectin paste 1/87%. It says that this is enough for a 1250 pound horse. I weight about 130 pounds. 1250/130=9.6. So basically I need to take 1/9th? The container is .21 oz. So I need to take .023 oz? My food scale can’t go that low. So do I measure 0ut 9 even lines on the syringe dispenser and take that small amount?

  5. Thanks for this site ? I am not selling a thing, only trying to enlighten and hoping to find someone else that has had a problem with WIGS and scabies. . . WIGS manufactured by Aderans Hair Products ? Hair Club For Men ?
    LUX HAIR NOW WIGS for Sherrie Shepherd or any other of Aderans products purchased from QVC or elsewhere!

    Perhaps I can jog someone?s memory that thinks they got their scabies somewhere else, thinking that they couldn?t have gotten them from THIS on-line shopping channel and/or these products!

    In my opinion, I damn sure did!
    The entire story is here. . .
    FEONAMARXX.COM

    I surely can not be an isolated case!

    Scabies Suck! Anyone else out there having this same issue?

    Thanks for your time! FM

    1. I think I got scabies from older wigs I have kept , but I don’t wear them often.

      1. Valencia

        This make perfect sense seeing you can contract head lice from human extension not treated… Hmmmm

  6. I’m desperate. Have you done any research on the treatment they use for bedbugs where they heat up your house to 140 degrees for a few hours? Any idea if that would kill scabes?

    1. It’s a mite. You need the premetherin cream. It’s under your skin. You need to kill them on you not in your house. You can wash your sheets on hot and bag up pillows for 72 hours and get rid of scabies. Bed bugs are different.

  7. Duck pond

    My entire body is covered in unbearably itchy red spots – started a year ago when I was in hospital

  8. Samuel Kemson

    Admin Ave got a skin disease but I don’t know if it is scabies,it does itch when am less busy as in maybe am having 1-2hr rest at this time it itches me severely and also at nights…this disease. has affected me since 2008 and am still battling with it,my normal skin has turn something else,it has even reduce the hair growing on my skin,the affected at areas Is from my buttocks to my ankle,my back and my arms. I used to be chocolate in color but now now I can’t even tell u my complexion.

  9. I started this new dsw job an every since I’ve sat on this this sofa I’ve been feeling itchy on my ankles lower back I’m scared don’t wanna bring this back to my house

  10. Elina Martin

    Bites: Since the symptoms are a result of an allergic reaction, it is not surprising that the rash caused by scabies is similar to that produced by poison ivy. The bites will be pink, raised bumps that resemble blisters and have a clear top that may be filled with fluid. The bites sometimes appear in a row formation and are exceptionally itchy, especially at night.
    Burrow tracks: As the mites burrow and lay their eggs, thin tracks can sometimes be seen in the skin. These irregular tracks will be raised and about as thin as the lead from a mechanical pencil. Unfortunately, track marks only appear in around 25% of all scabies cases. This is regrettable, since the track marks plus bites are a handy way of recognizing the condition.

    Crusts: It is rare, but the elderly or those with weakened immune systems can develop what is known as ?crusted scabies?. This when the mites are able to spread over the body with gusto. Although crusted scabies does not itch as much, it can result in scaly rashes and thick crusts of skin over the entire body as the mites revel in the abundant, fertile ground.

    1. Cynthia

      Sounds like sarcopies i have used straight tea trea oil on myself. Seems to stop them

    2. Grateful in States

      My Father-in law had a horrible case of crusted scanies, otherwise known as Norwegian Scabies, a virulent form. It took approx one year of all kinds of treatments and physician visits for me, a nurse, to see it at its worst to diagnose the overall body rash based on the subjective symptoms of severe insane itching and the crusts in between his toes and his fingers. The only treatment that worked was 2 weeks of Permethrin cream and 4 weeks of Ivermectin treatment orally. Then it was 8 weeks until the rash fully went away. By this time his overall health declined too. We had to get him a new mattress, wash all clothes, threw his shoes away, three linen out and sprayed furniture with Rid after having professionally steam cleaned. It was a miserable month for sure!! But, the Ivermectin was the real trick!!!

  11. unknown

    so i went to the doc about some bumps that came up on my penis after unprotected sex and she said i have scabies but i dont itch any at all just still have these bumps on there is it really scabies?

  12. I cleaned out some old papers in a filing cabinet….20 years old…within 4 days was itching. At first I thought I had a yeast infection. But later realized the itch was spreading to hand webs and elbow …then behind my knees and then knee caps. It has spread so fast. I’ve been to the doctor…got the cream by the 4th day. Washed everything…but these things are still purging from by body daily. And my skin is flared…swollen….and I am reacting to the excrement the scabies left behind. I’m using lotrimin…it is working. I continue my treatment the elimite, kleen free, selsen blue medicated sulfer shampoo and tea tree oil. We had scabies 9 years ago from a friend’s pet…but I just don’t remember it being that bad. It was bad…I mean…but not as itchy as now. We are hiring a professional to treat our home this time. Bagging and washing everything is punishment enough along with multiple baths and picking these things off our body one by one as they die and our body purges them (mostly hands and arms). I can’t worry about spraying too. It is just too much. It is consuming my whole life.

    1. You cannot get scabies from dogs or cats.

  13. If it doesn’t spread is it Scabbies? My son has had a rash on his bottom for months I rarely see him scratch it yet he is very active! My daughter doesn’t have a rash we don’t have a rash just him. When I look at pics on Google the closest thing that looks like is on his bottom is the mites… But it doesn’t go around his thighs only stays rite there on his butt. I’ve tried everything I could find to put on it and it won’t go away! I have a doc apt set up but it’s not for another week. I would have had him seen sooner but the stupid doctors office said they wouldn’t be taking new patients for a hole 3 months ugh can someone please help me!

    1. Try using Monistat on the rash. My 10-month-old little girl had a rash on her bottom which ended up being a yeast infection,that looked very angry and i use the cream Monistat for itching. it cleared it up instantly it won’t hurt anything if it doesn’t work.

    2. Have you tried cream to treat a yeast infection?

  14. Have anyone else heard of MORGELLONS? Most of these symptoms are characteristics of morgellons especially the failure to get a diagnosis or the treatment given not seeming to work? Don’t expect much help or to be taken seriously asking the doctor about it though, big cover up going on and it involves chemtrails and genetic engineering, insect genes being implanted via vaccinations and all that stuff they don’t want you to believe is taking place! Research Morgellons and see for yourself.. But be warned, it is not for the squeemish!

  15. I think my household has scabies, 3 week’s ago one of my kids (adult) her baby and boyfriend moved in after finding themselves suddenly homeless and all had a rashes from neck to toes that itches furiously. At first I thought it was from there laundry being washed in mean green degreaser but after a week of it not getting better when everything had been rewashed a few times I realized something was amiss and to the doctor they went. Upon their return we were informed that she had a highly contagious bug called scabies(She was given pills for that), her baby has skin allergy symptoms though not scabies (She has the worst rash) and her boyfriend was not seen by a doctor. I turned to the internet to find out what this scabies was that the 9 other people in the home have been exposed to and how contagious it was. Was freaked out that the CDC information was the first page of sites and learned about scabies then called the doctor immediately seeking help and advice which turned out to be aggravating to say the least, we will not be given treatment until there symptoms and proof of scabies(2-4 weeks after infection). This poor miserable 10 month old baby will not be given treatment because she has a skin allergy. If you tell more than six doctors they are being ridiculously idiotic and irresponsible to the community all the doctors in town will be unavailable for 3 months. I will not have money to buy medicine for a month and two of the people in the home cannot take the pills or cream. I already use several of the recommend essential oils around the home and on myself as it is and as much as I love my homeopathic way of life I know it has limitations and risks. It has been 3 week’s and I am highly exposed daily caring for this little one, while doing their laundry ect. I also care for my 2 small grandchildren, my elderly father and do the housekeeping that includes all laundry. I have no symptoms (yet) neither does anyone else so far but I worry that I am spreading the mites to everyone while hoping that I am keeping them contained. I just don’t know what else to do and find myself wondering if it’s possible to be unappealing to the bugs or perhaps preventing them from infecting the rest of us while they are still infected.

    1. It has now been 7 week’s and I have no symptoms though I am pretty sure I have to be infected since all the children I care for have the symptoms and of all the doctors that have been seen only one would prescribe anything and the darn insurance company won’t cover it but had the pharmacist switch it for nix lice creme rinse with instructions to apply at bedtime. The doctors can’t or won’t help get the children treated but they are giving the adults ivermecton pills like they are candy Except to me because I have no symptoms.

      1. Not necessarily. I had a vicious case and slept in the same bed as my husband. He never got a single bump. I did make him do a treatment at the end just to be safe but they just did not bother with him

  16. I had scabies and i got it again… But i think i almost got rid of them. It doesnt itch at night but today i noticed that my leg iches i looked at it i see nothing then it stoped itching and i think litle pimple like bump apeared but i can almost see it its not red or anything but just one little bump there…

  17. Once I went into a public jaquzzi at my apartment complex after that I got itchy read bumps all over almost looked like little pimples… It took me 3 different doctor visits to find out what it was and it turned out to be excuse my spelling but faliculitis if that’s spelt right. They have me medicine and it cleared but it was so hard to get correctly diagnosed. Hope that might help.

  18. Hi guys,
    Here’s what you do:
    1. Buy 2 packs of sea salt in a supermarket
    2. Have a hot bath with 1 pack of salt. (20 minutes). Submerge yourself in water up to your head. Water doesn’t need to be boiling! Just as hot as you can possibly withstand without burning yourself. You can add some hot water from the kettle.
    3. Rest, drink some tea or juice after the bath as you’ll feel tired.
    4. Repeat after a few days.

    1. interesting. not what i’d recommend.

  19. I went to the dermatologist, this has been a rash that has waxed and waned but then the last week months so itchy I have to carry a back scratcher. She saididn’t it could be scabies and gave me some pills just in case it was, and she biopsies my rash. I didn’t think it could be scabies as I don’t have much ntact with others, just my family on Sundays and none of them have a rash. So I can’t imagine where I’d have got them and wasnt crazy about taking what is essentially a pesticide. But I just looked scabies up and to my horror the common places for scabies are exactly where my itching is. It started on my knees and they still itch. Also crotch area,i had assumed that was from diabetes and sugar in my urine causing a yeast infection.

    So I just now took the first 7 pills, and am to repeat in 14 days. My question is when to do the deep cleaning , like washing all bedding and whate very else I need to do. I want to do it now but if I still have the scabies they will remain in my bedding, towels, etc. I don’t want to get reinvested. Any advice?

  20. Hello in need of some help… I’ve had all the symptoms that could be scabies but not the rash. I have a four month old baby.. that I do not want to suffer with it. I have not notice any marks or bumps on him except for one little one and took him to the pediatrician they said it would be in his feet and figure usually.. I went to the health department a few days later and only saw a nurse that wasn’t sure because like a said I don’t have a rash.. it’s just single little bumps spread throughout my body by there selves she did give me the medication cream for scabies and I did it but what if my baby has it? And we’re just spreading it back and forth and also my family members that I live with. I just want to know if it’s scabies or not? Help please?

  21. deepshee

    hii … my doctor says that i have scabies and recommended to use 5 % permethrin which i did.. Now 3 days after after the treatment, i notice that the itch has grown more severe and the red bumps have spread all throughout my body .. The itch continues throughout the day… Hep please!!!

  22. Because

    Is it possible for scabies to not spread all over your body? I’ve had a very itchy shin for months. It’s only recently that the top of my foot and my other shin are beginning to itch.

  23. Thank you for this scabies blog! I’ve been reading so much crap on here as I sit and itch and freak out in my head, but yours, by far helps me to realize I’m not alone! I had scabies about 20 yrs ago (living in a communal ski village) It was, by far, the worst thing I’ve ever experienced! And now, I think I may have it again. I have all the itching in all the same areas! The only thing I can think of as to how I contracted it this time around is by trying on clothes at a thrift store. I also bought two items, that were “hand wash in cold water”, which I did but I don’t think cold water woukd kill. So I’ve gone in to see two different doctors, with a $30 copay each, for them to do a quick once over on my arms and hands, and since seeing no rash, say “Nope, you don’t have scabies. Take Benadryl and oatmeal baths”. So, I had peace-of-mind for about 30 mins, after the first visit, and 30 seconds after the second one, because I’m pretty damn sure it’s scabies! I asked for a skin test at the second appointment, and was refused as I didn’t have a rash to scrape. I wish I would’ve demanded a script for the cream! Now I’m sitting here with nothing as they’re probably multiplying! I’m just so upset and my biggest fear is going in to work, and passing it around to coworkers, or worse, patients that come in to the health care facility I works at!!!

    1. buy Martins Permethrin on Amazon and ivermectin Gel for Horses and take that. The Permethrin is 10% and the Dr. scrip is 5%. Dilute it with body lostion and put it everywhere from scalp to bottom of feet.

  24. Rodney B

    We have a situation here. We just returned from a 5 year stay in the Philippines. Retired and moved to Panama City Beach, FL this past July. My poor wife has caught scabies in August and again last week, being treated now, both of us. I am not affected. We have not purchased a home yet. We are contemplating leaving here for a place where the climate, (if this matters) is not conducive to the scabies mite…Don’t know what else to do…Any ideas out there. We’re getting very frustrated here…! Where can we love without catching these monsters…? Thanks

  25. curious

    hi, how do you treat scabies on your scalp if u feel tingling sensations and you have hair

    1. Scabies SUCK

      Take the permethrin snd rub it into your scalp all over, ears , behind the ears, and I put it on my face, eyelashes, eyebrows and a little upnthe nostrils too. Otherwise you?re screwed. Trust me

  26. Scabies SUCK

    This has been a nightmare from the start. I am not sure WHERE I got this nasty mite and WHY no one around me seems to suffer but I?m on my FOURTH round of permetherin 5% cream at 1 and 7 days, and finally this time I got the ivermectin pill, one on day one and one day 7 (tonight). SO, I do well the first treatment , and then the second treatment – bag everything, wash repeatedly my bedding , the couche covers, sweep and mop and bleach everything, used borax in carpets and vaccum those daily, and all the mattresses are covered with industrial strength covers and lysoled and vacuumed … I?ve probanly done 100 loads at least since mid October when I realized I had this. SO, questions: I have had them in my ears, my head, my nose hairs, and all over my torso, front back and sides, buttox area and in armpits and arms and ankles but not feet or hands or private parts in front. I CAN see them. They seem to be either cream color or little black dots and they fall off my clothing, when I take off bra, or scratch my head. Usually more so right after treatememt. I also can FEEL them crawling on me. And when I scratch one like under my a , it like tickle pulls another area where they?re at- like their connected. Am I just tripped out at this point? Also I was advised by doctor , which I?m going to do now, to sit in a hot hot BLEACH bath for at least 20-30 minutes and then treat with permethrin for final treatment. Now I just washed and vacuumed everything, and I know I have to wash bedding and revacuum tomorrow and bag any clothing and wash it after 3 days being bagged, in hot water and high heat to dry. Is THERE ANYTHING else I can do? To ensure these little bastards don?t come back? Or am I screwed because I?m separated and I think my ex hasn?t treated himself and the kids come back and forth and I always get them back within 1-3 days of them being with me again. This is a horrendous scourge. Just tell me I?m not crazy and has anyone else tried this bleach bath? Thanks

    1. Lastwit

      The black dots I find those! I thought they were not black so I tried to put it out of my head. But everything you mention I have dealt with I have sprayed diluted bleach in my skin, used tea tree, neem, peppermint, clove oil and more. I have had it for years if this is the case under my stomach, underarm area and adjavemt torso area but just recently got bumps on my chest. I thought they were pimples I asked all my girlfriends if hey experienced sudden chest break outs, no we assumed the it was acne. Went to pop them with a pimple extractor and it was horrible! Did I’m not pop, instead they became huge, angry, and redder. I did more research and somehow convinced myself it wasn’t Scabies because of 1) how LONG I must have had the for (there is even a deep pocket in a few pores on the bottom of my stomach , progressed from tracks if I remember accurately) 2) the itching had subsided for months at a time (always came back off and on for years) 3) for years it was only in one area 4) when it spread i was also intensely itching and feeling graveling on my head, neck and jaw. I even went to a lice clinic to check for lice twice, as my daughter had just began kinder this year. But the ladies that work there found none, and now probably think I’m a bit nuts. I have read many many posts that have made me worry, convince myself I did or did not have them, etc. but until your post I still felt I was suffering from something else (I had no idea what) But now I am hoping to finally hear these things I have bought the recommended horse medicine from thisn but now I am hopeful to finally hear these things I have bought the recommended horse medicine mentioned here on the site, and will begin serious treatment when it arrives, starting with cleaning tonight . I am overwhelmed because whenever I try to fight and intense outbreak I know that it can soon as all of my energy, time, thoughts, and I feel sorry for my daughter who doesn’t understand why I cannot play with her or hold her when this is going on and I am constantly in a frenzy running around washing, sanitizing, essential oil(ing) mess. Wish he luck, and I to you.

      On the bright side, since my Dave has also had the same itching bouts and I have suffered from adult acne for slightly longer than scabies symptoms ( had clear skins all throughout teens until 18, itching started around 22 years old maybe? Now I am 26) but pimples of most of them don’t pop like regular ones do with extractor and be one nary itch especially ones close to jaw and on my right cheek. I am hoping this will also work to clear up my poor, sad, red facial skin too

  27. Hi, I was wondering if my child has scabies she has lines on her hands by they go away if she rubs them. she has only got a few spots but they are not clustered together.

  28. I spent 6 hours on a flight 4 days ago sitting next to someone whose arm was touching my arm the entire time. Next day I started feeling little itchy and crawly feeling all over. It’s not constant but sometimes my legs, sometimes my arms, my chest, scalp, etc. I don’t see any burrow and fingers and toes webs are not extra itchy.

    My question is whether this could be scabies – can I get crawly feeling and little itchiness within 24 hours. I thought it usually takes 2-4-6 weeks for symptoms to develop if it’s first infestation.

    While I have been able to sleep at night, this thing is driving me nuts…havent been able to work…all I am doing is asking Dr Google all about Scabies.

  29. Samapti Chattaraj

    I’m from India, works in a juvenile justice home, so that i have to make myself familiar with the home inmates, 2 nos. of inmate having scabies.I’M WORKING HERE FROM April 2017 and probably from may, 2017, my skin becomes too much itchy like hell., unable to sleep at night because of my itchy skin and skin becomes red. I consult with a doctor just 3 weeks ago and he prescribed me “OTADIN TABLET’ , ‘LIVOSIZ TABLET’ , SCABIPED LOTION AND DK GEL. Now my skin irritation is a littile bit of , but I have irritation on my cheeks and having small red rashes on cheeks. Worried about it.

  30. Hello there! So 3 days ago I was chillin on my gaming chair and I noticed my right hand hair moving! After one day my upper scalp hair was doing that to when I was touching my hair! I don’t see any rash or not scratching at all! All tho I shortly after that I had some redish small areas on my right hand above my fingers! I am continually checking my self in the mirror for symptoms but nothing our of myour usual skin colour and hair! Also on my back is have an area that causes me pain when I lift my shoulder! Idk what to think or maybe I’m just paranoid! Hope to God I’m not infested and hope I don’t have even more serious problem as crusted scabies! If someone knows or suspects something please tell me ASAP! I’m one of the top models in London and this could end my career and even worse!

  31. HADI housh

    Hello, ive travelled to china for some business, during my stay i met lots of people on my last day i started feeling with an itch at night( i settled in the same hotel the whole stay but itching happened on the last night), its been like 4 days and am still itching(moderate itching),still no rash no red lines but I noticed some kind of large pimples( first time to see in my life) and there’s like 3 to 4 growing on my body, am very concerned, I hope my symptoms aren’t something related to scabies, plz reply

  32. I’m wondering if any of you have noticed conditions that are similar to scabies but aren’t. I’m a bit stumped right now. Around a year ago I had a very itchy rash. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with scabies. After two treatments with permethin, sulfur soap, and crazy amounts of cleaning I got rid of the scabies. My husband never got scabies and was never treated. At that time he was experiencing very bad back pain and sleeping sitting up so we weren’t sharing a bed but of course we had frequent physical contact. I also had swelling of my lymphnodes during this time which my doctor attributed to a side effect of the scabies. I was never sure where I got it, but I do work with children, people with developmental issues, share office space and chairs with others, and do go to thrift stores on occasion. I had also stayed at a hotel recently.

    Two days ago I started itching and had a rash that looked similar to the scabies rash. Once again I had swelling in my neck. Luckily I filled an RX for an extra tube of permethin and kept it on hand and plan on using it after a full clean sweep of my house (bummer is I moved and no longer have my own washer and dryer). Once again I have no idea where I could have gotten this. My husband does not appear to be impacted. I did recently clean out a utility room at my new rental and there were both rat and bird nests in there. Unfortunately I had been cleaning it for awhile before I realized it was that dirty (the nests were in the back behind the water heater) and hadn’t worn gloves or a mask.

    Anyone have something similar and find it wasn’t scabies?

    1. cat brought bird mites or mites from a mangy cat in the neighborhood. 7 people in the family at the time. it took 3 months of intense cleaning, vacuuming, sanitizing, washing clothes, sheets nightly ( it was summer no blankets needed at the time) mix of prescription and OTC home remedies. for scabies, borax, mix with a bit of water and hydrogen peroxide, bathed with that a lot near daily and chemical every week or so. perborate earth clinic remedy. thank you Ted from Bangkok

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