Is my itching condition scabies or just a normal case of allergic reactions?

Hi,

I recently felt an itch starting from my inner thighs and gential (genital) area at night. Normally they only happen intensely at night. I feel there are things crawling around my thighs and area. When they suddenly stop I feel a sudden neddle like pain on my thighs and a new red bite appears. In the morning I saw that there had been red mosquito-bite like pimples that appeared. This itch has been going on for about a week now and I do not know what to do. I have tried going to a doctor and they told me to try applying some antibiotic cream and taking benedryl allergy pills to help me sleep. But to no avail. The itch is still there and the amount of red bites are increasing. What could this be? I have read information on Scabies and was thinking if that might be it. I was reluctant about scabies because I do not have any itch between the webs of my fingers. Is it possible to have scabies only around the inner thigh, and genital public hair area? I am 18 year old male.

Any input would be appreciated :)

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms the possibilities of bug bites and scabies bites need to be ruled out. It is an infestation of the skin with the Sarcoptes scabiei mite. It is characterized by intense itching, usually at night and by small insect-type bites lesions on the skin. Diagnosis of scabies is made by scraping the skin and viewing the material under a microscope to see the characteristic mite or eggs.

To confirm the diagnosis please get it examined from a dermatologist.

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.