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Anyone else dealing with Demodex Mites? What helps?

Posted by medical1question @medical1question, Aug 10, 2022

Four years ago, with no history of any skin issues, I developed overnight red, pustules and papules on my eyebrows. Over the four years, I’ve gone to three dermatology groups known to be selected by other healthcare professionals, and have seen a total of seven practitioners. They have said it’s rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, or actinic keratosis. I’ve been prescribed expensive new topicals, two different antibiotic courses, etc. Each visit I hear, “Well, you can try this.”

I’m an RN, and I know my body. I keep telling each dermatologist that I believe it could be an infestation or overpopulation of demodex; demodex reproduce at night on your skin (they live in hair follicles) and most evenings my eyebrows begin to itch about the time it’s getting dark. With needle-tipped tweezers, I can pull white cyndrically-shaped mucous-type material attached to a hair follicle. None of the practitioners have followed guidance from an article on the NIH website for ensuring there is a skin scraping or other method to obtain a demodex count. None has acknowledged the damaging effects on self image that abound in the literature for rosacea, with which demodex is associated. This post is in no way to disparage dermatologists in general, but I clearly don’t fit the mold of the repetitive frequently seen five minute visits to which they may be accustomed. Has anyone experienced an overpopulation of demodex? How was it diagnosed and treated? Thank you.

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cmcg | @cmcg | Apr 25 11:52am
In reply to @gottab "Every time I search this entire site for info on demodex mite help, I get grover's..." + (show)
@gottab

Every time I search this entire site for info on demodex mite help, I get grover's disease. They are not the same. So will you please create a demodex mite group under Skin Health?

Jump to this post

Me again…..

So, Inhave set up a zoom for Saturday 4/27 at 11AM ET. The invite is:
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76192969812?pwd=dVr4d8hbV5jgbkec6elT5X3t
I put in Nancyjg and aljiu. Zoom asks for emails, but let’s try w Mayo initials and see if you can get in w the invite. Anyone is welcome. Our time will be limited to 40 minutes. We can decide if we need more time and or periodic meetings. Let me know if this will work and if you are game for trying it!

REPLY
3 replies
alju | @alju | Apr 25 8:08pm
In reply to @cmcg "Hi…oh dear, sorry to hear this. I have had those red bumps on my chest and..." + (show)
@cmcg

Hi…oh dear, sorry to hear this. I have had those red bumps on my chest and back of neck and might have one or two of them on my back. I currently have one on my chest so out of frustration, I dabbed it this AM w 100% TTO. I showed this one to my dermatologist earlier in the week and she didn’t know what to make of it. When I first had the demos ( or little fekers as I call them!), I am pretty sure I had them all over. As I have learned more, my sense is that Inhad both foliculorum and brevis. Interestingly, when I took oral ivermectin early on in my fight, it seemed that it wipes out the brevis… as my total body symptoms seemed to disappear. And subsequently, my crawling, itching and stinging symptoms are on my scalp, face, eyes, nose and ears. I am feeling optimistic again w adding Vaseline to my night time ritual of washing with the TTO shampoo, applying the TTO leave in condition/body lotion ( all over above areas except scalp) and then covering all those areas w Vaseline. I sleep on a towel covered pillow case so that I don’t ruin my pillow cases. I find the scalp tricky…. I do the shampoo, use the TTO hair conditioner, rinse that out and then apply the leave in conditioner daily. But find by the end of the day, I am feeling the symptoms on my scalp, so I apply the TTO scalp treatment from OGX ( photo below). Again, nothing making them go away completely… but feeling more under control and manageable. I haven’t increased the concentration of TTO in this product yet, but will when I buy a new bottle. Hope this helps!

Jump to this post

I met with a new opthalmologist today and in the discussion, he said demodex mites do NOT cause itching on the skin, only in the eyes. I replied "of course they cause itching" , I'm not sure he appreciated that. . He suggested it could be another kind of mite. I understand that TTO can cause itching and allergic reactions so that might be cause of some itching, but not all.

REPLY
alju | @alju | Apr 25 9:39pm
In reply to @scouse "Hiya. I dong know what I’ve been dealing with as the doctors, specialists and dermatologist hadn’t..." + (show)
@scouse

Hiya. I dong know what I’ve been dealing with as the doctors, specialists and dermatologist hadn’t a clue. It was some sort of mite that was really hardy and nothing killed it completely. Then I used 100 per cent alcohol hand sanitizer- I put it in a spray bottle. Wow what a difference. After a week of using it is almost gone. I had tried all the creams,pemetherin etc but this was what actually worked. Good luck.

Jump to this post

Did you ever find out what kind of mite it was? I'm wondering if I have something other than demodex as well .

REPLY
1 reply
aliceblt | @aliceblt | Apr 26 11:34am
In reply to @cmcg "Hi…oh dear, sorry to hear this. I have had those red bumps on my chest and..." + (show)
@cmcg

Hi…oh dear, sorry to hear this. I have had those red bumps on my chest and back of neck and might have one or two of them on my back. I currently have one on my chest so out of frustration, I dabbed it this AM w 100% TTO. I showed this one to my dermatologist earlier in the week and she didn’t know what to make of it. When I first had the demos ( or little fekers as I call them!), I am pretty sure I had them all over. As I have learned more, my sense is that Inhad both foliculorum and brevis. Interestingly, when I took oral ivermectin early on in my fight, it seemed that it wipes out the brevis… as my total body symptoms seemed to disappear. And subsequently, my crawling, itching and stinging symptoms are on my scalp, face, eyes, nose and ears. I am feeling optimistic again w adding Vaseline to my night time ritual of washing with the TTO shampoo, applying the TTO leave in condition/body lotion ( all over above areas except scalp) and then covering all those areas w Vaseline. I sleep on a towel covered pillow case so that I don’t ruin my pillow cases. I find the scalp tricky…. I do the shampoo, use the TTO hair conditioner, rinse that out and then apply the leave in conditioner daily. But find by the end of the day, I am feeling the symptoms on my scalp, so I apply the TTO scalp treatment from OGX ( photo below). Again, nothing making them go away completely… but feeling more under control and manageable. I haven’t increased the concentration of TTO in this product yet, but will when I buy a new bottle. Hope this helps!

Jump to this post

try Oust Demodex wipes from Amazon

REPLY
irishk | @irishk | Apr 26 6:58pm
In reply to @cmcg "Me again….. So, Inhave set up a zoom for Saturday 4/27 at 11AM ET. The invite..." + (show)
@cmcg

Me again…..

So, Inhave set up a zoom for Saturday 4/27 at 11AM ET. The invite is:
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76192969812?pwd=dVr4d8hbV5jgbkec6elT5X3t
I put in Nancyjg and aljiu. Zoom asks for emails, but let’s try w Mayo initials and see if you can get in w the invite. Anyone is welcome. Our time will be limited to 40 minutes. We can decide if we need more time and or periodic meetings. Let me know if this will work and if you are game for trying it!

Jump to this post

Do I need to give you my initials to get on Zoom call ?

Initials are KMC.

TY.

Kathleen

REPLY
1 reply
nancyjg | @nancyjg | Apr 26 9:55pm
In reply to @cmcg "Me again….. So, Inhave set up a zoom for Saturday 4/27 at 11AM ET. The invite..." + (show)
@cmcg

Me again…..

So, Inhave set up a zoom for Saturday 4/27 at 11AM ET. The invite is:
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76192969812?pwd=dVr4d8hbV5jgbkec6elT5X3t
I put in Nancyjg and aljiu. Zoom asks for emails, but let’s try w Mayo initials and see if you can get in w the invite. Anyone is welcome. Our time will be limited to 40 minutes. We can decide if we need more time and or periodic meetings. Let me know if this will work and if you are game for trying it!

Jump to this post

I'll be on it and my husband might join us. He's been using 100% Lemongrass oil.

REPLY
scouse | @scouse | Apr 27 9:06am
In reply to @alju "Did you ever find out what kind of mite it was? I'm wondering if I have..." + (show)
@alju

Did you ever find out what kind of mite it was? I'm wondering if I have something other than demodex as well .

Jump to this post

I think it was some sort of garden bug. I couldn’t shift it and the dermatologists had no idea what it was. It started a few years ago when I got bit by mosquitoes on holiday. They left what looked like bumps on my arms. They didn’t really bother me at first but looking back I think they had burrowed into my skin. A few years later I was really itchy and had a crawling sensation on my skin. Anyway, I know the answer to get rid of them now. It is Hydrex which is Chlorahexadine - basically Hibiscrub which is a surgical scrub. I’ve been using Hydrex and all of these sensations have gone and the bumps are disappearing on my arms. I discovered this after researching intensively on the Internet. The scientists recommended Chlorehexadine for unknown mites on your skin. Also buy Dermol cream on the Internet to use once or twice during the day. It’s a really good cream. If you have bumps on your arms mix ground cinnamon powder, garlic powder and olive oil together and exfoliate the bumps. It was also a great way to get rid of these bumps. Good luck. It’s a nightmare but I know have the answer and relief. X

REPLY
1 reply
scouse | @scouse | Apr 27 9:10am
In reply to @gottab "Every time I search this entire site for info on demodex mite help, I get grover's..." + (show)
@gottab

Every time I search this entire site for info on demodex mite help, I get grover's disease. They are not the same. So will you please create a demodex mite group under Skin Health?

Jump to this post

Try Hydrex which is Chlorehexadine basically Hibiscrub. Get Dermol cream from Internet and rub garlic powder, cinnamon powder and olive oil together and exfoliate regularly, leave on body for 10 minutes and wash off. You won’t have any problems after a while.

REPLY
cmcg | @cmcg | Apr 27 9:51am
In reply to @irishk "Do I need to give you my initials to get on Zoom call ? Initials are..." + (show)
@irishk

Do I need to give you my initials to get on Zoom call ?

Initials are KMC.

TY.

Kathleen

Jump to this post

Just use the link!

REPLY
cmcg | @cmcg | Apr 27 9:57am
In reply to @gottab "Every time I search this entire site for info on demodex mite help, I get grover's..." + (show)
@gottab

Every time I search this entire site for info on demodex mite help, I get grover's disease. They are not the same. So will you please create a demodex mite group under Skin Health?

Jump to this post

Thought I set it up without a pw, but if prompted:

PW: 8L5G2

REPLY
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