Medication can kill scabies mites. However, some people react to the debris left over after scabies mites die. This is called post-scabies syndrome.

This article reviews post-scabies syndrome, including symptoms, length, treatment, and when to seek care.

When Does Post-Scabies Syndrome Typically Occur?

If you have scabies, it can take about four weeks for medications called scabicides to kill the mites. You may need another series of treatments if you are still itching from mites.

If you are still itching after successful treatment, you may have post-scabies syndrome. It can take weeks or even several months for this reaction to go away. However, you are not contagious to others during this time.

Post-Scabies Syndrome Causes

Post-scabies syndrome is an immune system reaction, or allergy, to the debris from the dead mites, including feces. It is more likely to occur in people 55 and older and children.

How Common Is Post Scabies Syndrome?

Estimates vary widely, but one small study found that 34% of participants who had scabies developed post-scabies itch. Scabies is more commonly seen in people in close contact with each other, such as in the military, nursing homes, sexually active adults, and children and their caretakers.

Post-Scabies Syndrome Symptoms

The symptoms of post-scabies syndrome, which appear following successful treatment for scabies, include:

  • Darkish red lumps up to 3/4 inches in diameter that tend to develop on the scrotum or genitalsSevere itch that can be worse at nightItchiness that persists for weeks or months

Treatment

When your healthcare provider has confirmed that you no longer have scabies mites but you are still itching, they can recommend treatment for post-scabies syndrome. Treatments include:

  • Over-the-counter (OTC) steroid creams
  • OTC antihistamines
  • Prescription steroid creams or pills
  • UV light therapy

You can also soak in a warm bath and closely but gently wash the itchy areas of your skin to help remove mite debris.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

The intense itch of post-scabies syndrome can make it almost irresistible to scratch, but scratching can damage or tear the skin. In addition, it can open the skin to bacterial infections like impetigo or cellulitis, which can be serious. You can also scar your skin by scratching.

If you’ve been successfully treated for scabies, but are still itching, call your healthcare provider, who can help you manage the itch until it subsides.

Summary

Post-scabies syndrome is when you continue to experience a severe itch after you have been treated for scabies infestation. Post-scabies syndrome is due to an allergic reaction to the debris from the dead mites. Unfortunately, it can last for several months.

Some treatments—both over-the-counter and prescription—can help alleviate the itching of post-scabies syndrome until it goes away.

A Word From Verywell

Scabies mites are unpleasant, but scabies treatments are very effective. If the itch lingers long after the mites are gone, seek help from a healthcare provider. Remember that prevention is the best strategy for scabies, which means avoiding skin-to-skin contact around someone who has or may have scabies.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What are the long-term effects of scabies?
  • Scabies can make people scratch so intensely that they create sores on their skin, which can become infected. Rarely, scabies can lead to a kind of kidney inflammation called post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis.
  • How do I know if my scabies are gone?
  • Medication is effective at killing scabies, but it may take several weeks for all the mites to die. A healthcare provider can examine you to see if any mites remain. Sometimes it takes more than one course of treatment to get rid of the mites.
  • Can scabies come back?
  • You can get reinfected with scabies if you are exposed again after treatment. Scabies is caused by microscopic mites on people’s skin or on their clothing or bedding, so anytime you are very near the mites, it’s possible you can be infected. If you don’t treat scabies, it can last for months.

Scabies can make people scratch so intensely that they create sores on their skin, which can become infected. Rarely, scabies can lead to a kind of kidney inflammation called post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis.

Medication is effective at killing scabies, but it may take several weeks for all the mites to die. A healthcare provider can examine you to see if any mites remain. Sometimes it takes more than one course of treatment to get rid of the mites.

You can get reinfected with scabies if you are exposed again after treatment. Scabies is caused by microscopic mites on people’s skin or on their clothing or bedding, so anytime you are very near the mites, it’s possible you can be infected. If you don’t treat scabies, it can last for months.