Our Scabies Misdiagnosed

[jenny]

My kids were diagnosed with scabies 3 weeks ago, they share the same room sleeping in bunk beds but often sleep togethor. After 2 Permethrin treatments with 7 days between, more read 'hive' like spots appeared. I took them to their pediatrician who said it looked like flea bites but since it could possibly be staph, he treated it as such. Another week passed and still there was a strange hive like rash increasing on both boys. I have spent hours researching and experimented with their sleeping arrangement to rule out bed bugs. Finally convinced it had something to to with their beds, I got out a magnifying glass a flash light and a set of tweezers to look over their beds centimeter by centimeter. I found the buggers tonight! They are very hard too see! If you are having reoccurant rash that seems untreatable look for bed bugs, they are ruthless and stay very well hidden! I am relieved that I finally know what it is but what I am gonna have to do to get rid of them really sucks!

[amybelle]

Are you sure they're bed bugs? The ones I've seen, in a Thai hotel, were big, the size of apple pips. Maybe bigger in tropics tho. I'm glad for you if it's 'only' bedbugs. Good luck with ousting them.

[jenny]

Yep they are definately bed bugs, took one to pest control and they let me look under the microscope. The little thing was full of blood. True they can be little like and apple seed or a little bigger or smaller depending on the stage they are in.

One thing that I wanted to mention is that when we were treating for scabies the boys were seeming to get better for a few days and then the welts and bites would start appearing again. It is because the bed bugs dont like permethrin so they werent trying to eat my kids for a few days after treatment.

The other thing I wanted to reemphasize is that they are very very very difficult to spot and you'll have better luck looking for them in cracks or under clutter near the bed as oppossed to in it.

Let me tell you the treatment for scabies pales in comparison to what I have to spend. Overall I am forking out about 1500 between professional extermination, storage containers, and items to replace what I threw away. If my kids wooden bunk beds are a loss it wil be more like $3500. So if you even suspect for a minute bed bugs I suggest getting a free inspection from a pest control company and catch it in the early stages.

Good luck to you all, I know scabies are also maddening!!!

[amybelle]

Hi again, didn't mean to make light of your bedbug problem. I guess, on the plus side, they at least don't burrow under your skin, but it seems both beasties cause huge problems for their human hosts.
The misdiagnosis was a shame = all those unnecessary chemical treatments for your boys. Guess you're not very happy about that.

[jenny]

I didnt take you wrong at all!:-) We can all agree that Scabies and Bedbugs and Lice are the evil gangsta's of bugs!