How are Scabies Treated?

Question: How are Scabies Treated?

Answer: Scabies are usually treated with topical pesticides. Any sexual partners you had within a month of showing symptoms should also be examined and treated, as should the people you live with.

The drug regimens below are taken from the the Centers for Disease Control 2006 STD treatment guidelines. Remember that only your doctor can say which treatment is right for you.

Recommended Regimens

Permethrin cream (5%) applied to all areas of the body from the neck down and washed off after 8–14 hours
OR
Ivermectin 200ug/kg orally, repeated in 2 weeks

Alternative Regimens

Lindane (1%) 1 oz. of lotion or 30 g of cream applied in a thin layer to all areas of the body from the neck down and thoroughly washed off after 8 hours. It should not be used during pregnancy.

You should decontaminate your clothes and bed sheets by washing them on hot or dry cleaning. Alternatively, no one should touch them for 72 hours. You don’t need to fumigate your house.