Scabies Treatment with Elimite

• Take a cleansing bath or shower, washing with a good antibacterial soap, such as Dial, Lifebouy, or Zest. Make sure to trim fingernails and toenails and scrub underneath as well.

• Wait one hour after bathing skin, to allow skin to return to normal room temperature.

• Thoroughly massage Elimite into the skin everywhere from the neck to the toes, including folds and creases. For infants and geriatric age patients (70 years and older), also include the scalp, hairline, neck, temples and forehead. Infants' hands and feet should also be covered with mittens and socks (or by closing the arm holes of a footed sleep by stitching), in order to prevent them from sucking fingers, hands, toes and feet. The medication should not be taken in orally; also, all attempts should be made to avoid contact with the eyes. A 30 gram tube is sufficient for an average adult, less is required for a child or infant.

• The cream should be removed by a cleansing bath or a shower after 8 to 12 hours. One application is curative, if done correctly.

• Itching, mild burning and/or stinging may occur after application of Elimite. Patients may experience persistent pruritus after treatment which represents the allergic response of the skin to the presence of the mite. This is rarely a sign of treatment failure and is not an indication for retreatments. The pruritus gradually improves over the course of three to four weeks and is usually gone by the fourth or fifth week after treatment.

• The morning following treatment, all clothing, nightclothes and bed linen worn or used in the last week should be laundered; hot water is preferable. For clothing that requires dry cleaning, send them to the cleaners. The alternative to laundering is to hang an item in a dry place for at least one week or longer. The human mite cannot live outside of the human body for this period of time and will die.

• For the itching, over-the-counter preparations may be used for symptomatic relief, such as Calamine or Sarna lotion. If itching is severe and curtailing sleep, your physician may also prescribe an oral antihistamine to be taken at night and a prescription lotion for symptomatic relief during the day and night