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Bug Bites?

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For over a year now, my boyfriend and I (living together) have been getting bug bites in various places on our bodies. When it started, I was getting bites on my legs and I went to the doctor. They thought it was bed bugs, so we had our apartment professionally fumigated and the bites continued to come. The more I read about bed bugs, the more I thought that's NOT what we've been getting, mostly because I've never ever seen a bug this whole time, or any blood spots on our sheets, and my boyfriend says he can feel when he's getting "bitten" during the day, not just when we sleep. We've tried fumigation, as I said. We moved to a different apartment and in that process threw out pretty much everything we owned--mattress, chairs, sofa, all furniture with fabric on it, washed all our clothes in hot water and dried them on hot before bringing them to the new apartment, and deep cleaned all of our other furniture (dressers, tables, etc). At our new apartment, we're STILL getting bites. My boyfriend has at least 15-20 bites on his body at all times, while I usually have 3-4 and sometimes no bites at all. We've tried enzyme cleaners on ourselves and our furniture, anti-fungal creams, and lice killing shampoos. Nothing has worked. I think it would help if I could identify what's biting us, but I've NEVER seen a bug. We keep our apartment really clean, too.

The bites are red and sometimes look like pimples where there's white at the head. They're itchy and hang around for at least a week, sometimes two. I usually get them on my arms, butt, groin, or chest, and my boyfriend gets them on his chest and thighs. Any help or advice would be appreciated, thank you.
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replied February 4th, 2009
Same problem
I created a post with the same problem here but no one replied, I even put up pics.
http://ehealthforum.com/health/itching-bum ps-t166052.html

Since then this is what has been happening.
Not saying to try this but it helped a little.
Last week i couldnt stand it anymore. Im not sure if its scabies but i do feel like something is crawling all over me, im convinced its some kind of mite. I can look at the spot where its crawling but there is never anything there.
So i used vinegar mixed 50/50 with water and i poured it over my body and left it for about 10 minutes then rinsed in the shower. It was interesting to see that certain parts of by body got red reacting to the vinegar and those were the itching parts..

I did that for 3 days and it helped a little. But the problem now was that they were moving now lower. So i triend the lice shampoo but read that you need 5% permathrin but the lice shampoos only had 1% so the smell just made me feel sick. I did buy the spray and sprayed my chairs and bedding. not sure if it helped since ive not seen one bug in my bedroom but it couldnt hurt.

So now its moved to my groin area and my face and scalp itches and my eyelashes itch. I still feel like something is crawling on me even as i type this...when im less preoccupied i feel them more. I even spent the nite at my friends house and i still had the crawling feeling all nite.

So i bought some tea tree oil 100% and used a small cotton rag and have been applying it once a day to my body. it seems like it is helping , but dont put it on your eyelashes, i learnt the hardway..eyebrows are fine. It smells a little like lemon and kerosene mixed. I will let you know in a few days if its helping.

I have a strong feeling its scabies or some kind of mite...i did house site about 2 weeks before i got symptoms so thats the only thing i can blame..

good luck and update me if you can
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replied April 28th, 2009
same problem
I too have bites all over ankles to neck, finally went to a Dr. yesterday, no help he gave 3 prescriptions to kill anything from worms, bed bugs, red ant bites, scabies, fleas! I told him before I put all this poison in my body I want it narrowed down. I put a cream for 12 hours on hopefully it helps. I am going out of my mind! A few months back I had similar bites they went away.
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replied May 1st, 2009
Finally an answer ...itching
As me and others posted, we have been suffering on and off for months itching and bites everywhere well hope this helps somebody... I sleep on my couch, it is by a very large older window. I wake to beautiful sounds of windchimes and birds...very pleasant! Well the pleasant chirps of many birds is what is being blammed for my itching. Many birds (mostly wild) but also pet birds carry mites (fowl mites), they often look for a human host that is why 1 person generally suffers in a home with others. This makes so much sense thats why they are almost impossible to see. Thats why you can go through all kinds of treatments but if the birds are still there so are the mites. Also if you get rid of the birds treat that outside area or your problems will get worse you'll have all your mites plus that of the now missing birds! Hope this helps.
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replied July 27th, 2009
Scabes.. crawling, ichy all over, red marks
You guys who are suffering. Here is your answer. My son had the same ichy problem. A visit to his doctor of 17yrs... determined it to be "scabes". The doctor prescribed a cream..(forgot the name..but started with "R" that my son used for scabes.. and it worked within 3days. You have to make sure you clean your clothes and bed sheets. You can get scabes from being around a house that is really dirty.. or sleeping with a person with scabes. Scabes is very catchy. So if your at a person's house that is kept dirty... I would avoid them.
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replied July 27th, 2009
Extremely eHealthy
Yeah invisible mites that leave small red pips around the area of the crotch, inner arms and thighs sounds a lot like scabies. We had three rounds of it when I was living with roomates before we figured out that it was being shuttled back to our house by a houseguest who lived in a filthy communal home. Once you quarantine your home and disinfect be cautious of visiting homes with poor hygene or having guests over who were scratching last time they were by. You could find that you wipe out the infestation only bring it right back.
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replied August 3rd, 2009
Don't be fooled and think you can only get these things in filth, in rare instances 5 star hotels have had bouts with this stuff. Again I got bird mite bites from outside birds by my window.
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