Scabies, Crabs, and Other Blood Sucking Critters

[peepboothslut]

Looking for other's experiences with these unwelcome critters. Which have you had, where did you get it, and how long did it take to eradicate?

Crabs: 4 times in life - cure in 3 days. Now shave pubes to reduce chance of acquiring

Body Louse: Once - Cure in 3 days.

Scabies: Current issue for last 1.5 years with much concern since critters are too big to be scabies for humans.

Was told it was delusional parasiitosis after picking at them for 2 hours when twisted. I thought I was hallucinating when I watched one on fingernail move to dissapear underneath and embed in the soft tissue beneath. When I was sober, I found the paper plate with the bloody mess. I noticed a consitency in the debris from different lesions finding four distinct types and consistent items differring in size shape and color. I also found that the smallest hard shelled ones that had fallen on my hand while scrapping would quickly attach to my skin, eventually burrowing under. Inspection of fingernails revealed many critters (I believe males) firmly attached.

I can't seem to identify the subspecies, No one else in family, or sexual partners have contracted, and, it will take years for the scars to vanish. Itching at night keeps me awake. Each nodual contains between 3 and 5 black spots, each containing three of the four types of critters and a mass of fecal matter. The burrows will bleed after the first mite is removed, taking two to tries to dislodge, moving it as quickly as possible out of the lesion so it doesn't reattach. Scrapping will then produce many of the smallest critters and fecal pellets with no trouble, a few larger ones, along with serum. The males will fall out, attach to surrounding hairs, and be found on hand when cleaning the needle. Lesions will heal within 48 hours after all debris, mites, and eggs are removed . Cycle seems to repeat every 3 to 4 weeks with fresh outbreak.

These were removed from nodular lesion with 20 gauge needle tip. The last critter in every burrow is always a translucent, blood covered chunk of goo that resShown on white at 5x magnification on digital camera.

[PhoenixGeoff]

Personally, I've had crabs once, way back when I was living in Toronto in the early '90s. Easily gotten rid of with a drug store treatment.

One of the nice things about living in a dry climate like Denver (or Phoenix where I lived before) is that most critters like this can't tolerate it.

Here's what I'm hearing:

• You party (I'm assuming with meth)
  
• No-one in your environment, including sexual partners, is experiencing this problem
  
• Your pictures are a bit unclear, but basically look like nothing but bits of scab to me
  

So, based on what you've told me, I'm leaning towards meth psychosis. I'd even be willing to guess that the 3-4 week outbreak pattern you've noticed probably conforms to your partying habits. This would be my advice:

1) Lay off the partying. The hallucination that causes the picking and the visual and tactile "bug" delusions ("formication"---not to be confused with "fornication", which is much more fun) generally goes away after you stop using meth. However, in some people, particularly heavy users and/or those prone to mental diseases, meth psychosis can last for several days after stopping. In a few cases, people never fully recover.

It's important to note that simply tapering off your meth use is insufficient, as even a relatively small amount would likely be enough to retrigger this effect.

2) On the off chance that this is some kind of parasite, you need to cease sexual activity until you get this figured out and treated. If you are carrying a parasite, it's basically an STD, which you would be spreading to others you were having sex with.

3) You've said nothing whatsoever about seeking medical treatment. Whether this is what it appears to be or is psychosis, you need professional help. There are prescription treatments for skin parasites that work very well. And if it is some kind of longer-term psychosis, there is treatment for that as well.

4) Seriously, lay off the T.

[peepboothslut]

Found the microscope. It is the mange mite, pig version. Contracted while working with livestock for a friend. Repeated exposure on schedule with outbreaks. Treated the herd yesterday and I got cream from the paracide.