How do you take care of itchy and annoying mosquito bites?

My boyfriend has strange bug bites, but I do not?

• Is there an entomologist or dermatologist in the house that could provide a bit of help, please?! I have a TERRIBLE phobia of parasites, so some peace of mind would be very much appreciated. The bites are dotted in some places around his body (neck/shoulders, feet, hands, fingers, arms, belly - areas where bedbugs like to bite). He has been to his doctor once about them, and was (1.) told him they in fact do /not/ appear to be bedbugs nor scabies (2.) was prescribed an anti-itch cream to help. The anti-itch cream only works for a few hours, and he is back to itching, waking up multiple times at night and so fourth. He says the bites tingle when he itches them (need to put some socks on his hands...) They appear in groups of 1-3 small bites that appear on larger, extremely itchy 1/2 inch lumps on his skin, then they go down after a few days. There are no center punctures on the bites themselves, and the bites do not weep. To me, the bites really look like sandfly (no-see-um) bites, but since they're on his feet too, his doctor nor I have any clue what sort of bugs are biting him. I have SCOURED the couches, carpet, bedsheets, mattress, pillows, even dirty AND clean clothing seams every day since he has started itching just to make absolutely sure there are no bedbugs, fleas, or scabies...I have found no evidence of blood spots, specks, bugs, nothing. We live in a 1 bedroom apartment and share a bed, so I simply have no clue why he is miserably itchy while I don't have a single bite at all. This has been going on for 2 weeks, his itching as a whole for a month or more, and I still have not had a single bite. I know he is doing the smart thing by going back to the doctor ASAP, but we would both appreciate some idea of what is going on so we can both finally get some sleep. It's not like an exterminator couldn't take care of the problem, but what is there to exterminate if you don't know what's infesting the home?

• Answer:

  I'm not a dermatologist, but I can tell you that scabies tends to be an elusive diagnosis. In fact, it has been called the "7 year itch" because people are misdiagnosed for long periods of time. If the bites are sparing your boyfriend's face, then I would actually lean toward the diagnosis of scabies. It is a bit odd that you do not have them if that is the case, but it does happen. My suggestion is this. Ask the doctor for Permethrin 5% cream. Your boyfriend would apply it from the neck down once and then a week or two later he would do it again. After applying the cream that night, wash all of the sheets, towels and clothes in hot water. Repeat again after the next application. If it is scabies, that will take care of it. If not, then it will not hurt. You might be able to get the permethrin 5% cream over the counter, but I'm not positive. The concentration might be less if you get it over the counter. Another option is a diffuse folliculitis which is usually a staph infection of the areas around hair cells. Sometimes it occurs from a bacteria known as "pseuomonas" after being in a hot tub, but most often it is caused by a staph infection. It is another idea to bring up to the doctor as a simple round of antibiotics could take care of it. Hope that helps.