Oh, no!

[LindseyKaufman]

As many of you know, I live in the mountain Pueblo of Jamao. I always say the the true heart of the DR is in Jamao. Everybody knows everybody. We hug as we pass on the street.

Making matters more complicated- or wonderful- depending on how you look at it, I give every child a hug when they arrive at school each day. And if something goes wrong, I give a hug to make it better. Usually works.

To make a long story short, I had a rash that I thought was caused by an allergic reaction to the filtration in our little school. My teachers had it too.

But eventually it was intolerable and I went to a dermatologist. Turns out I have scabies! Where I come from only the poor, dirty people get scabies.

I have since learned it is endemic in this country.

I am telling you the treatment is as difficult as the itching. I must change my sheets daily. Wash them and dry them on high heat. Iron them. Do the same with towels and all clothes.

The doc has me using an insecticide lotion three times a week. But the scabies keep cropping up in new places. The itching makes me crazy.

I am in my third week of treatment and still, they are there.

Just a warning to you all to be careful of who you choose to touch or hug or be
Intimate with.

This is not pleasant.

 

[Fulano2]

Lindsey, we have had it to.
Ivermectin…one now and the other pil after two weeks.
Wash everything on 60 degrees Celsius and you will be fine.

 

[miles408]

Ivermectin 200 mcg/kg once; repeat dose in 7 to 14 days. May need more if the crusted scabies variety.

Look into Neem soap…

 

[LindseyKaufman]

Lindsey, we have had it to.
Ivermectin…one now and the other pil after two weeks.
Wash everything on 60 degrees Celsius and you will be fine.

The doc didn’t prescribe invermectin but when I saw I wasn’t improving I bought it and took it. Won’t tell the doc, though. Glad to know someone else has been through this.

 

[Fulano2]

We had it for more than a year, we don’t know it we got it in Greece or Cabarete.
It’s a hell.
Finally a specialist here who worked in Surinam saw what it was and prescribed as I wrote.
Within a week or two it stops itching.

 

[LindseyKaufman]

We had it for more than a year, we don’t know it we got it in Greece or Cabarete.
It’s a hell.
Finally a specialist here who worked in Surinam saw what it was and prescribed as I wrote.
Within a week or two it stops itching.

I hope so! I also have a friend who got it while traveling to Italy.

Everything I read says that it may take a months before it is gone. I also had it for a couple of months before I realized something was wrong and it was not an allergic reaction.

 

[FF1]

I had it years ago, was prescribed some 5% cream don't remember the name. Basically you shower and put the cream all over you body from neck down, then you sleep, I slept naked, next morning you shower and change the bed sheets, then in the evening you repeat with the cream and sleep in fresh bed sheets, you don't use the same clothes without washing them. You repeat 2-3 times and that's it, it's very easy to get rid of, the cream kills them.

 

[LindseyKaufman]

I had it years ago, was prescribed some 5% cream don't remember the name. Basically you shower and put the cream all over you body from neck down, then you sleep, I slept naked, next morning you shower and change the bed sheets, then in the evening you repeat with the cream and sleep in fresh bed sheets, you don't use the same clothes without washing them. You repeat 2-3 times and that's it, it's very easy to get rid of, the cream kills them.

Am on the cream. It is permethrin. Feels like paste when I apply it and not at all comfortable to sleep with. But I have been through two weeks of using it three times each week. When I didn’t see results my US contacts said to also take invermectin. Which I did.

Maybe I am not being patient enough. But so far not much relief.

 

[FF1]

Then you got some Chuck Norris scabies 😁, in my case the cream killed them after only 2-3 uses.

 

[FF1]

Am on the cream. It is permethrin... I have been through two weeks of using it three times each week.

Maybe try using the cream 3 days in a row, don't give them time to mutate? If I remember correctly that's how I did it. Also very important to change the bed sheets and your clothes, they can survive without human body for a few days.

 

[cavok]

Am on the cream. It is permethrin. Feels like paste when I apply it and not at all comfortable to sleep with. But I have been through two weeks of using it three times each week. When I didn’t see results my US contacts said to also take invermectin. Which I did.

Maybe I am not being patient enough. But so far not much relief.

I had what sounds similar and the doc said I had scabies. He gave me the same cream you're using along with zinc oxide cream. It didn't do anything. I went to another doc and he prescribed Menaderm cream. The itching stopped in about 15 minutes. The rash started going away, also. Had to apply it a couple times a day. The itching will drive you crazy! I think in about a week it was gone.

The rash looked a lot like scabies from pics I saw on the internet but my girlfriend never got it so, it was a bad diagnosis by the first doc. It occasionally comes back but nowhere near as bad as before. In fact, I have it right now. I'm using Calox Betametasona cream now(450 pesos) which is similar and about 1/2 the price of Menaderm. Itching goes away in 5-10 minutes and I only need to apply it once or twice a day.

In my case, it's definitely an allergy to something - maybe the Saraha dust in the air(?).

 

[Trainman33]

Scabies or something like it can come off tree leaves in the DR also.

 

[Buffness]

All of the above. Scabies is a nightmare, but fortunately, you can get remedies over the counter in the DR. There was an outbreak in our gym some years ago—long story—but permethrin, the 5% lotion and shampoo, works best. Don’t waste your money on the 1% permethrin; DR scabies is too strong for that😬😁. Also, Ivermectin, Calox worked.

The good news is that once you’ve been through the nightmare of trying to beat scabies in the DR, with the lack of sleep, you learn that prevention is way better than cure. You become a zero-tolerance no-hugger🙂😬, ....and with young kids like we have, it’s even worse😩.

 

[Fulano2]

Why would you try with creams lotions etc?
Ivermectin has been developed for this kind of parasites. When started with creams, lotions and all the mentioned before but finally got rid of it with this medicine.

 

[chico bill]

Am on the cream. It is permethrin. Feels like paste when I apply it and not at all comfortable to sleep with. But I have been through two weeks of using it three times each week. When I didn’t see results my US contacts said to also take invermectin. Which I did.

Maybe I am not being patient enough. But so far not much relief.

That is a very vile chemical to put on the skin, yes it works but the long term effects are possibly cancer. Ivermectin gets them, start with 2 pills the first two days then 1 a day for the next 5. That should do it.
All this while laundering in bleach and while showering use a wash cloth with a strong sulfur soap scrubbing the areas very good so the lather penetrates

 

[LindseyKaufman]

I had what sounds similar and the doc said I had scabies. He gave me the same cream you're using along with zinc oxide cream. It didn't do anything. I went to another doc and he prescribed Menaderm cream. The itching stopped in about 15 minutes. The rash started going away, also. Had to apply it a couple times a day. The itching will drive you crazy! I think in about a week it was gone.

The rash looked a lot like scabies from pics I saw on the internet but my girlfriend never got it so, it was a bad diagnosis by the first doc. It occasionally comes back but nowhere near as bad as before. In fact, I have it right now. I'm using Calox Betametasona cream now(450 pesos) which is similar and about 1/2 the price of Menaderm. Itching goes away in 5-10 minutes and I only need to apply it once or twice a day.

In my case, it's definitely an allergy to something - maybe the Saraha dust in the air(?).

We had severe filtration in our learning center. There was a broken pipe between our ceiling and the second floor that rained in on us for about a year. The owner insisted that there was no problem. The ceiling was black with mold and a fine powder of snow fell continually. I assumed my rash was an allergic reaction. (We have since moved out.) in fact the dermatologist said I had both an allergic rash and scabies.

Since I thought it was an allergic rash I let it go on for months. I can’t imagine how
many people I might have given scabies to. My teachers also had the rash but as soon as we moved out their rash went away.

The doc only prescribed Permethrin and steroid creams, but when I couldn’t take it anymore and at the urging of friends, I self medicated with invermectin.

I think I am slowly improving but as soon as the scabies clears up in one area of my body, it shows up in another.

This week is my third weekly appointment with the dermatologist. I just wish she had a magic wand…

 

[cavok]

The doc only prescribed Permethrin and steroid creams, but when I couldn’t take it anymore and at the urging of friends, I self medicated with invermectin.

I think I am slowly improving but as soon as the scabies clears up in one area of my body, it shows up in another.

This week is my third weekly appointment with the dermatologist. I just wish she had a magic wand…

I've never had any rashes prior to this. The first time was during covid. Like you, it would clear up in one area, then break out in another. It's come back 4-5 times but not as bad. You might want to give the Calox betametasona cream a try just for the itching. Worked wonders for me. The rash went away also.

 

[CristoRey]

Scabies is very common in this country especially in homes/ shacks with poor ventilation as they seem to thrive in dirty/ damp linens.

A drop of bleach in every load of laundry colors and whites helps to prevent them from spreading. Although I've never been exposed to scabies, i remember they sold Permethrin at the colmado while I was living in La Joya here in Santaigo because they were quite prevalent.

 

[NALs]

Get better, Lindsey.

 

[jd_mine]

I got this on my second trip to DR, in 2003 I guess.
Went to the doctor at home who sent me to a dermatologist at the hospital.
He didn't know what it was and prescribed Prednison cream.
Didn't help.
Back to hospital. They did a biopsy. Still didn't find what it was and got more potent Prednison cream.
Didn't help.
Then after over half a year I read about scabies online and saw some photos.
Looked exactly like what I had.
I ordered a lotion called Eurax online and covered myself head to toe and washed all bed linnens and used clothes at high temp.
It then disappeared.
I lost some confidence in our health providers here.
Neither the doctor, dermatologist or hospital could figure out what is was, even though I had told them I'd been to DR.