Stromectol
3 · 6 · 12mg
Ivermectin 3mg, 6mg and 12mg tablets, used for strongyloidiasis, scabies and onchocerciasis. It binds chloride channels found only in invertebrates.
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Scabies
Scabies is a skin infestation caused by Sarcoptes scabiei, a tiny mite that burrows into the outer layer of skin to lay eggs. The result is persistent, often severe itching and a pimple-like rash. It spreads easily through prolonged skin-to-skin contact, making it common in households, care homes, and crowded living situations.
Key points
- A tiny mite burrows into the skin’s outer layer to lay eggs, causing intense itching alongside a rash of small, pimple-like bumps.
- Itching typically worsens at night, with burrow lines or small red bumps most common in finger webs, wrists and elsewhere.
- Oral ivermectin treats cases where topical options are impractical or in severe crusted infestations, alongside treating household contacts together.
What the infestation looks like
The signature symptom is intense itching that tends to worsen at night. The rash typically appears as small red bumps or thin, wavy burrow lines in the skin. Common sites are the finger webs, wrists, elbows, armpits, waist, and genitals; in young children the face, scalp, and palms can also be affected. Symptoms usually take two to six weeks to appear after first exposure, though someone who has had scabies before may react within days of re-exposure.
Treating scabies
Treatment targets both the mites and their eggs. Ivermectin is an oral antiparasitic used when topical treatment is impractical or in cases of crusted (Norwegian) scabies, a more severe form that carries a high mite burden. All household members and close contacts are usually treated at the same time to prevent re-infestation, and clothing, bedding, and towels should be washed in hot water on the day of treatment.
Itching can persist for two to four weeks after successful treatment as the skin reacts to dead mites and eggs, this does not mean treatment has failed.