OK, what's going on here?

I posted a message yesterday about one of my cats possibly having mange,
and infecting me with it. No one has said a peep. I appreciate that maybe
some of you don't have an answer, but I was looking for similar stories,
some ideas and suggestions.

Has anyone here had a cat with mange (scabies)? Anybody gotten sudden,
extreme itchiness in areas that have been in contact with cats? Does
anyone know anything about this? I need help.

Thanks,
Joyce

wrote:
I posted a message yesterday about one of my cats possibly having mange,
and infecting me with it. No one has said a peep. I appreciate that maybe
some of you don't have an answer, but I was looking for similar stories,
some ideas and suggestions.

Has anyone here had a cat with mange (scabies)? Anybody gotten sudden,
extreme itchiness in areas that have been in contact with cats? Does
anyone know anything about this? I need help.

Thanks,
Joyce

Hi Joyce,

You've probably already thought of this but I'll give you my .02 worth.
Keep in mind that I am not a medical professional and am only basing
this on my own experience.

I have no experience myself with "mange" but I do know that it is
possible to a) get "mange" from an animal and b) an animal can have
"mange" and have no symptoms. All of this depends on what kind of mites
are causing the outbreak. On the other hand it sounds to me like you
have contact dermatitis. Now that I have had experience with. Given
that you get it and then it goes away quickly and it is almost always in
the same place I'd start investigating that if your cats all look and
feel healthy. Do you always use the same brand of dish soap and hand
soap all the time or do you switch brands? Do you wear certain jewelery
sometimes and not others? Does it show up after you wash your hands in
a public place? Use something on the cats for fleas? I was getting a
mysterious itchy rash on my face. Turned out I was allergic to the
shampoo that I was using on the animals and when they lay next to me and
their fur would touch me I'd break out. It didn't bother my hands so
much because I washed them more frequently and would wash the shampoo
residue off, I guess. I also get contact dermatitis i on my hands from
creams and lotions that contain coconut oil. I almost never wash my
hands in a public restroom anymore but use a wipe that I know doesn't
irritate me because coconut oil is used a lot in soap.

Next time you get itchy try some benedryl cream or even a benedryl
tablet (if you can take stuff like that) and see if that helps any and
note what you had done in the previous 24 hours and see if a pattern
emerges.

Like I said, you probably already thought of all of this but it took me
a long time to figure out why I was getting that rash on my face.
--
Margaret Fine

wrote:
I posted a message yesterday about one of my cats possibly having mange,
and infecting me with it. No one has said a peep. I appreciate that maybe
some of you don't have an answer, but I was looking for similar stories,
some ideas and suggestions.

Has anyone here had a cat with mange (scabies)? Anybody gotten sudden,
extreme itchiness in areas that have been in contact with cats? Does
anyone know anything about this? I need help.

Thanks,
Joyce

Hi Joyce,

You've probably already thought of this but I'll give you my .02 worth.
Keep in mind that I am not a medical professional and am only basing
this on my own experience.

I have no experience myself with "mange" but I do know that it is
possible to a) get "mange" from an animal and b) an animal can have
"mange" and have no symptoms. All of this depends on what kind of mites
are causing the outbreak. On the other hand it sounds to me like you
have contact dermatitis. Now that I have had experience with. Given
that you get it and then it goes away quickly and it is almost always in
the same place I'd start investigating that if your cats all look and
feel healthy. Do you always use the same brand of dish soap and hand
soap all the time or do you switch brands? Do you wear certain jewelery
sometimes and not others? Does it show up after you wash your hands in
a public place? Use something on the cats for fleas? I was getting a
mysterious itchy rash on my face. Turned out I was allergic to the
shampoo that I was using on the animals and when they lay next to me and
their fur would touch me I'd break out. It didn't bother my hands so
much because I washed them more frequently and would wash the shampoo
residue off, I guess. I also get contact dermatitis i on my hands from
creams and lotions that contain coconut oil. I almost never wash my
hands in a public restroom anymore but use a wipe that I know doesn't
irritate me because coconut oil is used a lot in soap.

Next time you get itchy try some benedryl cream or even a benedryl
tablet (if you can take stuff like that) and see if that helps any and
note what you had done in the previous 24 hours and see if a pattern
emerges.

Like I said, you probably already thought of all of this but it took me
a long time to figure out why I was getting that rash on my face.
--
Margaret Fine

Margaret Fine wrote:

wrote:

I posted a message yesterday about one of my cats possibly having mange,
and infecting me with it. No one has said a peep. I appreciate that maybe
some of you don't have an answer, but I was looking for similar stories,
some ideas and suggestions.

Has anyone here had a cat with mange (scabies)? Anybody gotten sudden,
extreme itchiness in areas that have been in contact with cats? Does
anyone know anything about this? I need help.

Thanks,
Joyce


Hi Joyce,

You've probably already thought of this but I'll give you my .02 worth.
Keep in mind that I am not a medical professional and am only basing
this on my own experience.

I have no experience myself with "mange" but I do know that it is
possible to a) get "mange" from an animal and b) an animal can have
"mange" and have no symptoms. All of this depends on what kind of mites
are causing the outbreak. On the other hand it sounds to me like you
have contact dermatitis. Now that I have had experience with. Given
that you get it and then it goes away quickly and it is almost always in
the same place I'd start investigating that if your cats all look and
feel healthy. Do you always use the same brand of dish soap and hand
soap all the time or do you switch brands? Do you wear certain jewelery
sometimes and not others? Does it show up after you wash your hands in
a public place? Use something on the cats for fleas? I was getting a
mysterious itchy rash on my face. Turned out I was allergic to the
shampoo that I was using on the animals and when they lay next to me and
their fur would touch me I'd break out. It didn't bother my hands so
much because I washed them more frequently and would wash the shampoo
residue off, I guess. I also get contact dermatitis i on my hands from
creams and lotions that contain coconut oil. I almost never wash my
hands in a public restroom anymore but use a wipe that I know doesn't
irritate me because coconut oil is used a lot in soap.

Next time you get itchy try some benedryl cream or even a benedryl
tablet (if you can take stuff like that) and see if that helps any and
note what you had done in the previous 24 hours and see if a pattern
emerges.

Like I said, you probably already thought of all of this but it took me
a long time to figure out why I was getting that rash on my face.

PS: I never used to be allergic to anything and now all of the sudden I
get contact dermatitis from a variety of things plus have developed food
allergies to codeine, coconut, and walnuts. So it could be something
you've used for a while and then suddenly your body says "NO WAY"

It is HELL getting old(er)!

Margaret
--
Margaret Fine

Margaret Fine wrote:

wrote:

I posted a message yesterday about one of my cats possibly having mange,
and infecting me with it. No one has said a peep. I appreciate that maybe
some of you don't have an answer, but I was looking for similar stories,
some ideas and suggestions.

Has anyone here had a cat with mange (scabies)? Anybody gotten sudden,
extreme itchiness in areas that have been in contact with cats? Does
anyone know anything about this? I need help.

Thanks,
Joyce


Hi Joyce,

You've probably already thought of this but I'll give you my .02 worth.
Keep in mind that I am not a medical professional and am only basing
this on my own experience.

I have no experience myself with "mange" but I do know that it is
possible to a) get "mange" from an animal and b) an animal can have
"mange" and have no symptoms. All of this depends on what kind of mites
are causing the outbreak. On the other hand it sounds to me like you
have contact dermatitis. Now that I have had experience with. Given
that you get it and then it goes away quickly and it is almost always in
the same place I'd start investigating that if your cats all look and
feel healthy. Do you always use the same brand of dish soap and hand
soap all the time or do you switch brands? Do you wear certain jewelery
sometimes and not others? Does it show up after you wash your hands in
a public place? Use something on the cats for fleas? I was getting a
mysterious itchy rash on my face. Turned out I was allergic to the
shampoo that I was using on the animals and when they lay next to me and
their fur would touch me I'd break out. It didn't bother my hands so
much because I washed them more frequently and would wash the shampoo
residue off, I guess. I also get contact dermatitis i on my hands from
creams and lotions that contain coconut oil. I almost never wash my
hands in a public restroom anymore but use a wipe that I know doesn't
irritate me because coconut oil is used a lot in soap.

Next time you get itchy try some benedryl cream or even a benedryl
tablet (if you can take stuff like that) and see if that helps any and
note what you had done in the previous 24 hours and see if a pattern
emerges.

Like I said, you probably already thought of all of this but it took me
a long time to figure out why I was getting that rash on my face.

PS: I never used to be allergic to anything and now all of the sudden I
get contact dermatitis from a variety of things plus have developed food
allergies to codeine, coconut, and walnuts. So it could be something
you've used for a while and then suddenly your body says "NO WAY"

It is HELL getting old(er)!

Margaret
--
Margaret Fine

On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 23:26:37 +0000, jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt wrote:

I posted a message yesterday about one of my cats possibly having mange,
and infecting me with it. No one has said a peep. I appreciate that maybe
some of you don't have an answer, but I was looking for similar stories,
some ideas and suggestions.

Has anyone here had a cat with mange (scabies)? Anybody gotten sudden,
extreme itchiness in areas that have been in contact with cats? Does
anyone know anything about this? I need help.

Thanks,
Joyce
Your original message apparently did not come through.
FYI It is probably best to ask a Vet for the cat and a Dermatologist
for yourself. MLB

On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 23:26:37 +0000, jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt wrote:

I posted a message yesterday about one of my cats possibly having mange,
and infecting me with it. No one has said a peep. I appreciate that maybe
some of you don't have an answer, but I was looking for similar stories,
some ideas and suggestions.

Has anyone here had a cat with mange (scabies)? Anybody gotten sudden,
extreme itchiness in areas that have been in contact with cats? Does
anyone know anything about this? I need help.

Thanks,
Joyce
Your original message apparently did not come through.
FYI It is probably best to ask a Vet for the cat and a Dermatologist
for yourself. MLB

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 00:32:55 +0000, Margaret Fine wrote:

Margaret Fine wrote:

wrote:

I posted a message yesterday about one of my cats possibly having mange,
and infecting me with it. No one has said a peep. I appreciate that maybe
some of you don't have an answer, but I was looking for similar stories,
some ideas and suggestions.

Has anyone here had a cat with mange (scabies)? Anybody gotten sudden,
extreme itchiness in areas that have been in contact with cats? Does
anyone know anything about this? I need help.

Thanks,
Joyce


Hi Joyce,

You've probably already thought of this but I'll give you my .02 worth.
Keep in mind that I am not a medical professional and am only basing
this on my own experience.

I have no experience myself with "mange" but I do know that it is
possible to a) get "mange" from an animal and b) an animal can have
"mange" and have no symptoms. All of this depends on what kind of mites
are causing the outbreak. On the other hand it sounds to me like you
have contact dermatitis. Now that I have had experience with. Given
that you get it and then it goes away quickly and it is almost always in
the same place I'd start investigating that if your cats all look and
feel healthy. Do you always use the same brand of dish soap and hand
soap all the time or do you switch brands? Do you wear certain jewelery
sometimes and not others? Does it show up after you wash your hands in
a public place? Use something on the cats for fleas? I was getting a
mysterious itchy rash on my face. Turned out I was allergic to the
shampoo that I was using on the animals and when they lay next to me and
their fur would touch me I'd break out. It didn't bother my hands so
much because I washed them more frequently and would wash the shampoo
residue off, I guess. I also get contact dermatitis i on my hands from
creams and lotions that contain coconut oil. I almost never wash my
hands in a public restroom anymore but use a wipe that I know doesn't
irritate me because coconut oil is used a lot in soap.

Next time you get itchy try some benedryl cream or even a benedryl
tablet (if you can take stuff like that) and see if that helps any and
note what you had done in the previous 24 hours and see if a pattern
emerges.

Like I said, you probably already thought of all of this but it took me
a long time to figure out why I was getting that rash on my face.

PS: I never used to be allergic to anything and now all of the sudden I
get contact dermatitis from a variety of things plus have developed food
allergies to codeine, coconut, and walnuts. So it could be something
you've used for a while and then suddenly your body says "NO WAY"

It is HELL getting old(er)!

Margaret

But you still give good advice. MLB

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 00:32:55 +0000, Margaret Fine wrote:

Margaret Fine wrote:

wrote:

I posted a message yesterday about one of my cats possibly having mange,
and infecting me with it. No one has said a peep. I appreciate that maybe
some of you don't have an answer, but I was looking for similar stories,
some ideas and suggestions.

Has anyone here had a cat with mange (scabies)? Anybody gotten sudden,
extreme itchiness in areas that have been in contact with cats? Does
anyone know anything about this? I need help.

Thanks,
Joyce


Hi Joyce,

You've probably already thought of this but I'll give you my .02 worth.
Keep in mind that I am not a medical professional and am only basing
this on my own experience.

I have no experience myself with "mange" but I do know that it is
possible to a) get "mange" from an animal and b) an animal can have
"mange" and have no symptoms. All of this depends on what kind of mites
are causing the outbreak. On the other hand it sounds to me like you
have contact dermatitis. Now that I have had experience with. Given
that you get it and then it goes away quickly and it is almost always in
the same place I'd start investigating that if your cats all look and
feel healthy. Do you always use the same brand of dish soap and hand
soap all the time or do you switch brands? Do you wear certain jewelery
sometimes and not others? Does it show up after you wash your hands in
a public place? Use something on the cats for fleas? I was getting a
mysterious itchy rash on my face. Turned out I was allergic to the
shampoo that I was using on the animals and when they lay next to me and
their fur would touch me I'd break out. It didn't bother my hands so
much because I washed them more frequently and would wash the shampoo
residue off, I guess. I also get contact dermatitis i on my hands from
creams and lotions that contain coconut oil. I almost never wash my
hands in a public restroom anymore but use a wipe that I know doesn't
irritate me because coconut oil is used a lot in soap.

Next time you get itchy try some benedryl cream or even a benedryl
tablet (if you can take stuff like that) and see if that helps any and
note what you had done in the previous 24 hours and see if a pattern
emerges.

Like I said, you probably already thought of all of this but it took me
a long time to figure out why I was getting that rash on my face.

PS: I never used to be allergic to anything and now all of the sudden I
get contact dermatitis from a variety of things plus have developed food
allergies to codeine, coconut, and walnuts. So it could be something
you've used for a while and then suddenly your body says "NO WAY"

It is HELL getting old(er)!

Margaret

But you still give good advice. MLB

Margaret Fine wrote:

I have no experience myself with "mange" but I do know that it is
possible to a) get "mange" from an animal and b) an animal can have
"mange" and have no symptoms. All of this depends on what kind of mites
are causing the outbreak.

Interesting. And if some of the mites got on my arm, I might have a short
reaction to them, until they die.

How would I find out if they do have it, if there are no symptoms? Is
there a test they could get at the vet?

Do you always use the same brand of dish soap and hand
soap all the time or do you switch brands? Do you wear certain jewelery
sometimes and not others? Does it show up after you wash your hands in
a public place? Use something on the cats for fleas?

Now this part I have thought about. But there doesn't seem to be any
correlation between soaps or creams, and my outbreaks. I did change my
hand cream within the last year, and that's when I started getting the
outbreaks, so yes, I did suspect that. So I stopped using that cream,
but still got the outbreaks. I haven't changed soap brands in years.
Also, I use the same soap over my whole body, and yet the only place I
get outbreaks is on my forearms, wrists, and backs of hands. So that
also rules out laundry detergent - I tend to run hot and I hardly ever
wear long sleeves. The outbreaks are on the part of my body that my
clothing almost never touches.

This does make me wonder if Smudge is rolling in some plant that I might
be allergic to. She goes out on a leash, and likes to hang out at the
bottom of the stairs under some bushes. Then she'll come in and curl up
in my arms while I'm on the computer. I've never noticed a correlation
between that and outbreaks, but I haven't tried to observe it carefully.

Next time you get itchy try some benedryl cream

Yes! The last time I had an itch attack, I happened to be at a friend's
house. At first, I asked for hydrocortisone cream, as that can stop itching.
Didn't help. Then I sat there all evening with a damp facecloth over the
itchy area. Finally, the host asked if I wanted to try benedryl cream, so
I did, and that seemed to quiet the itch. Or else it was a coincidence, but
now that you're mentioning it, perhaps it wasn't a coincidence.

Thanks for the brainstorming!

Joyce