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Avatar universal

Tell me I am paranoid???

About 8-9 wks ago, had an encounter that involved intimate contact - enough to potentially to transmit pubic lice.

A bit concerned at the time so 7 days later I applied:
1. Malathion
2 Permethin 5%
3. isopropyl alcohol/silicon (less resistance I've read?)

I didn't do a follow-up treatment.

Been vigilant for last 8 weeks + never saw anything suspicious. Just idd piece of dirt, lint, sweatballs,. Have not felt persistent itching - occasionally I'd get a bit of itchiness that would last a minute or so - when I checked, nothing there. All in my mind? Never found moving lice or eggs attached to a hair.

But yesterday, I notice 5-7 crusty whiteish/yellowish/blueish things attached to individual pubic hairs. They were not there that morning when I took shower 3 hours earlier. About mid-way up my pubic hairs (I'd guess mostly arnd 1 cm from the base). Cemented very securely to the hairs.

They didn't look like the smooth pearly oval shaped "opalescent" shapes that you see on the internet. Seemed rough and crusty. I am now paranoid again. I don't know what these would be - I showered 3 hours earlier, had not ejactulated so no dried semen, etc.

Checked my current partner - can't see lice/eggs and no symptoyms.

Reasons to believe I am lice free
A I've had no real symtoyms for 8 weeks or so? (unless lotions could repress these) Does "almost everyone" end up itching? CDC says yes - others no. How long?
B. Have not seen moving lice? (Do they mice when you pick them up?) Or anything that like eggs? Are lice/nits unmistakeable for a vigilant person looking for them?
C.  Eggs don't suddenly appear 5 at a time mid-way up hair, 8 wks later?
D.  My current partner has no signs - last had sex a week ago and fairly often over last 6 weeks or so.
E. The person I had contact with was shaved? Making lice unlikely?
F. The treatment I took would have killed lice? (more effective for pubic lice)
G. Crabs are actually rare?

But what could the phantom crusts be?
3 Responses
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300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Yes, pubic lice and, in particular their eggs are easily seen.  The time to appearance is variable and depends on things like re-exposure, etc.  In your case, knowing that you are looking for them, if you had lice you would likely become aware rather quickly and certainly in less than two weeks.  As I've noted above however, having beeen treated as you have been, there is little reason for concern and I would urge you not to worry.  Try to move forward. EWH
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Many thanks for posting this reply. Its very helpful.

As a matter of interest, as a practising doctor who has actually sees this stuff:
- Are they generally visible and easily spotted? For someone looking for them?
- Generally, how long do symptoyms usually take to show up?

Unlike with other stuff, there's a mass of contradictory info out there (from 5 days to several months!!!, nearly invisible to readily apparent etc) - even from usually reliable sources like UK NHS, NYC Dept of Health, CDC!!

Again, my head tells me the chances of anything are remote (almost non-existent). (After finding these crusts, I ran a comb through the areas and found absolutely NOTHING) - but I can't shake this stupid paranoia :-)

I won't post again - as I don't want to get into an OCD cycle of the type I see here a lot :-)
Helpful - 0
300980 tn?1194929400
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to our forum.  There are two issues in play here. the first is, do you have pubic lice and the second is if not what might the things you saw be.  I'll try to help with the first but cannot say much regarding the second question.  .  First, it is most unlikely that you have lice at this time.   Not all exposures to lice lead to transmission, you have never been found to be infected (i.e. your treatment has been preventative) and you have been treated on more than one occasion. Putting all of this together, there is very little chance that you have lice.

As to what you might have seen, this is difficult to say. What you describe certainly does not sound like lice but as to what these might be, I cannot say- sorry.

That said, my impression from reading your post is that you are looking VERY hard for lice or louse eggs.  It is time to try to relax and move forward.  I am sure that if you look long and hard enough you might see things that might resemble lice but there is really little reason for concern. EWH
Helpful - 0

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