I've read many recent articles describing how scabies are becoming resistant to medicines. It's my personal belief that it's not the medicines which aren't working, but the lack of knowledge of how a mite cycle works and the wrong prescribing of the medication. Why it's important to repeat the treatment in 1 week. (on the package they write "1 treatment is usually sufficient" & most doctors recommend only 1 usage) The medicines are a "miticide", or a "scabicide" which only kill the living mites on the body. They are not an "Ovicide". (They do not kill the eggs.) (Lindane states it is both) Now, it doesn't take a genius to know what this means is: The eggs which were laid by the living mites will hatch in 7-10 days becoming adult mites, beginning the reproductive cycle over again. Let's say you repeat the treatment in 7 days, but some of the eggs hatched 3 or 4 days ago...Those mites will have had time to lay eggs again, and so on.. Sometimes even a 3rd or 4th treatment has been necessary in persons who had been infected for a long period of time.
You may be still itchy for a week after the first 2 treatments, this is normal. But if you notice new, tiny blister-type bumps, you probably have new mites. Ideally, if this was a non-toxic cream; the medicine would be used each day, for 10 days straight. That way there would be no chance for a mite to lay more eggs, and reproduce. However, this is NOT recommended, because the Permethrin has a level of toxicity to it, and there are dangers to over-use of the medication. (Permethrin is a synthetic derivative of pyrethrin, which is a naturally occurring insecticide from the flowers of the chrysanthemum plant.) Lindane Lotion USP 1% (one Brand name is Kwell) states that it is an ectoparasiticide, AND ovicide. (Kills scabies mites AND the eggs with 1 application, which makes the most sense to me!!) However, unfortunately Lindane is no longer prescribed in the USA because of it's toxicity, reported health risks with infants, and individuals with known uncontrolled seizure disorders, Lindane should not be used on children. (We all used Lindane in college, and I don't remember anyone ever having a problem with it.) They do still precribe this as a Scabies treatment in Canada & Mexico when other methods fail. This leads me to question whether I think multiple applications of Permethrin or just ONE application of Lindane is more toxic? I just want something that actually works!
www.swedish.org/125502.cfm (Seattle Clinic Info on Lindane) http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2003/006309lotionlbl.pdf (FDA Lindane info)
Let's try to rid of this mite once and for all, and have beautiful healthy skin again! Please forward this information to everyone in your social circle, regardless of where they live. People travel, they sleep in hotels & at friends places & we may be able to prevent an infestation in another country/state from coming back to us full circle. There have been recent reports all across the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, England, France, Spain, Japan, India, Hungary, Czech Rep., Israel, Russia, Denmark, Australia & New Zealand. This is not a reportable disease, so most doctors are not required to notify the health departments. (which I think they should, maybe then more doctor's would be aware of a new, proper diagnosis?)
Here are some news articles, and from the Los Angeles And New York Health Department.
http://lapublichealth.org/wwwfiles/ph/media/media/TPHJUNE2007.pdf
(article from the Los Angles Health Department Website which gives details of misdiagnosis and increase of outbreaks)
(Recent TV station reports children's store closures because of scabies caught from clothing)
www.ivygateblog.com/blog/2007/10/scabies_infestation_at_harvard_traced_to_horny_frosh.html (Recent Scabies outbreak at Harvard University)
http://www.topix.com/forum/health/scabies/T66EFB67SRDCL15FF
(Scabies Blog FAQ from other sufferers)
http://www.newschannel9.com/articles/says_963578___article.html/scabies_employees.html Channel 9 News
I am required to add this disclaimer:
The following information was intended as an educational aid only. It was not intended as a medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Please speak to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.