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Anyone else dealing with Demodex Mites? What helps?
Skin Health | Last Active: 2 days ago | Replies (161)Comment receiving replies
This group will keep you and us all sane! Re the water temp…. I was just thinking that a home’s water temp max is usually 120 for safety reasons. Perhaps you could check to see what yours is and maybe increase it. Great reminder about cetaphil…. I have some and will give it a try. Re oral ivermectin… I had no side effects
Nor to the topical. I think you can get topical ivermectin over the counter. It is used for head lice. I used it once on my head and it helped reduce but not eradicate. I have also done a couple of mayonnaise applications (an old pediatric trick for head lice) and it helped! The topical ivermectin stays on your head for only 10 minutes … not sure what happens after 10 mins… but they all emphasized it. The mayo you apply (half to 3/4 cup) liberally all over your scalp and hair, put on a shower cap and sleep on it overnight and then shampoo. And re your headband….I have had the same reaction when I take off my yoga pants and try to reassure myself it is dry skin. I believe I have read that the demos can live 7-10 days. The thought of it makes me crazy! I used to wash everything after one use but I would rotate my wool sweaters every two weeks, hoping that any demos on my sweater would be dead. It is quite amazing what this all takes. I have more symptoms again so I am thinking that a batch of eggs have hatched…. I called my ophthalmologists office to renew my Xdemvy in case I need it and his message to me through his tech was “TTO, TTO, TTO”….. might be time to buy stock!😉
Replies to "This group will keep you and us all sane! Re the water temp…. I was just..."
Thanks for referring to water heater settings; I moved it higher. I wanted to discuss ivermectin with a dermatologist yesterday, but he knew nothing about demodex mites, I mean it. I reminded him they were incredibly tiny, almost impossible to see, he checked my scalp and back (without aid of any magnification) and pronouned me "all clear". I didn't remain long in his office and had impression he thought I was quite balmy. Even my primary care doctor a couple weeks ago was somewhat skeptical when I told her about the mites. I'm not getting much help from doctors I've seen on these mites, and am grateful beyond words for your advice and sharing. Thank you a hundred times for these posts.
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Thank you for all the information you’ve shared. It’s really been helpful and I’m glad you’re seeing positive results after a year-long process. Sadly I know it requires ongoing maintenance.
After completing Xdemvy on 3/18/24 I’ve been taking prescription drops to get ready for tomorrow’s cataract surgery. I’ve also been taking the drops my ophthalmologist recommended for Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, Meibo (drops) and Tyrvaya ( a nasal spray). They’re both outrageously expensive and I learned that Meibo is OTC in Europe at around $18 USD in England and $13 USD in France. They’re $375 or more by prescription here!! I’ll be buying them next month when I’m in France. Meibo’s are the very, very best drops I’ve ever tried for dry eye/MGD. They’re soft, almost silky-like, and when I miss my eye and they go onto my cheek it’s like a lovely moisturizer.
If you’re from, or going to Europe, Meibo is known as Hylo-Lipid in France and Evo Tears or Nova Tears in the UK. They’ve been OTC there for several years.
For washing clothes, 120 is generally the hottest allowed, however the dryer is more important since it can get hotter to kill the Demodex. I’ve had an LG front loader for 5 years and since my recent Demodex problem I discovered the Antibacterial setting. Never noticed it before. However, I just googled to see how hot it was and learned that it only goes to 140. So as I was writing this, I stopped the load that was in there and switched to Steam Sanitary, which is 212 or higher. (Uggh! All those I lost with it not being hot enough!)
On another note, I’ve been doing research using AI and asked I asked Copilot where they live, asking specifically about the ear and below is how Copilot responded:
“Demodex mites, those tiny arachnids that inhabit human hair follicles, can indeed be found in various areas around the face and ears. Let's explore their preferred locations:
1. **Cheeks**: Demodex mites can be found on the cheeks.
2. **Eyelashes**: They often reside on the eyelashes.
3. **Forehead**: The forehead is another spot where these mites like to hang out.
4. **Outside of Ear Canals**: Yes, you guessed it right! Demodex mites can also be found outside the ear canals.
5. **Sides of the Nose**: The sides of the nose are yet another favorite location for these microscopic critters ¹²³.
So, if you ever wondered where these little face mites are hiding, now you know—they're quite the social creatures, popping up in various spots around our faces and ears! 🕷️👂”
Source: Conversation with Bing, 4/1/2024
(1) Demodex (Face Mites): Folliculorum, Brevis & Treatment - Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22775-demodex-face-mites.
(2) Demodex, demodicosis | DermNet. https://dermnetnz.org/topics/demodex.
(3) What Are Demodex Mites? - WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/what-are-demodex-mites.
(4) What are the manifestations of Demodex in ears? - iCliniq. https://www.icliniq.com/qa/demodex-mites/is-my-tinnitus-due-to-demodex-mites-inside-my-ears.
I personally don’t like WebMD or Cleveland Clinic for anything about Demodex but Dermnetnz.org was a new site for me and one I understand others already know about. I didn't realize they live on our foreheads, so I'm glad I put Vaseline there to keep them from coming to my eyes from my hair. (I put it on my forehead, between my eyes and eyebrows, down the sides of my temples and on either side of my nostrils.)
Hang in there!