Ewww scabies

I recently went to a beach suite and after two days I had itchy white bumps on the back of my hand. I sprayed them with aloe and they went away, but the next morning my forearm was covered in little itchy red bumps. The next day, my other forearm was covered in red bumps and then the back of my wrist. I had only gone in the pool and walked on the sand (did not swim in the oil water), but I sat on the couch and used the room comforter.

I asked a doctor in passing and he said it could be scabies. He gave me a prescription for Elimite and I put it on as directed and now I have nothing.

Does Elimite treat anything other than scabies? Is this something I could have picked up in two days at the beach? Did I really have (ewwwww!) scabies?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms it looks like some insect bites or scabies. Elimite is basically permethrin which is the treatment for scabies. So if you have benefitted from this drug, then it could have been scabies.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.