Re: My story and what helped...thanks for sharing

[Guest guest]

Thank you for sharing your horror story with us, most of us here can say 'amen' reading your post. Who would think something so small could be soooo tormenting to people??!!

Although the doctors know about scabies from seeing the symptoms, even though they never see the mite, it is hard for most of them to get their head around this.....especially dermatologists. Thankfully, things are slowly changing as people and health care professionals have a wider frame of reference for research and information.

Continued success,

Tim

>> I got birdmites 4 years ago when I covered over a unfinished chimney with brick. Birds had been nesting in the chimney fire-brick and we swept away what nests and debris we found. It was fall with cool temperatures (Colorado) when we did this work. As spring brought warmer temps, I began to feel little bites although no lesions or welts appeared. Just pinprick-like sensations. I bought a magnifying glass to see if I could see anything on my skin but I never did. I researched this throughly and was not able to find anything that seemed to fit what I was experiencing (until finally later - Birdmites.org).> My solution to this (not knowing better) was to clean, vacuum and launder everything on a daily basis. It became my routine and it was exhausting. I was self-employed working at home and become obsessed with "cleaning away" what was infesting my home (and later my car) in hopes of ridding this problem from my life. > > My family and friends thought I was going crazy - and I was. Later I read a quote on the birdmites.org website that said "If someone told me they had this problem I wouldn't believe them but it happened to me." Boy can I relate to that.> > Once I found Birdmites.org I felt I finally diagnosed the issue at hand. I thought back that when I covered over the chimney the birds lost their nesting place and the mites had lost their hosts so when the weather warmed up the mites came out of dormancy and came into the house looking for a blood meal (me and my pets).> > I spoke with exterminators who really didn't know anything about this although they certainly wanted me to utilize their services ($$$). I paid a visit to the CSU entomology department but without "samples" they were unable to determine anything.> > Eventually I was able to get a "sample" through instructions on birdmites.org and the diagnosis from the Department of Agriculture was some kind of birdmite.> > I still don't totally understand this whole problem and I could fill volumes detailing this experience and what I went through but what ultimately helped was dusting my home and floors with Diamatrious Earth and Boric Acid. Also sulphur candles helped in the house and car (my brother made them) but this can be very dangerous and deadly - use with extreme caution. I risked my car catching fire but I took my chances. I also used Cedarcide several times but I'm not certain that's an end all. I've heard the heat machines do wonders too but at a very high cost.> > What helped my skin was olive oil used daily after showering (I think the mites burrow in the skin and the oil helps kill them). My pets were treated with a sulphur dip and Frontline. Cleaning products that helped were Dawn, Windex, Borax, Arm and Hammer, Ammonia.> > Sadly, I also know I wasn't helped by exterminators, doctors, dermatologists or entomologists.> > I left my house and moved to an apartment taking only new bedding, towels, furniture and items which could be wiped down with windex. I put everything else I wanted to keep in storage for one year. I dusted my apartment with DE and boric acid and continued to use olive oil on my skin for about 2 months.> > Those two years were hell and I'm still emotionally recovering from the nightmare but I am living mite free, AT & #8200;LAST. I'm certain I suffer with PTSD but I'm trying to get back on track.> > I hope this helps. I understand your agony. > God bless you all.>

[Guest guest]

And ditto from me jceiam. Your story is a little different than mine, but the element of working outdoors is the same for me. I worked outdoors the day before we started to get biting to really clean up for a relative to come visit (my sister who just passed away) to make a good impression. It was a very hot summer/spring, over 100 degrees F during that time and a hot spell. I worked most of the day outside and most likely tracked into the house things from the yard on my shoes. I did a lot of pulling weeds and leaf litter. For some of us the story is complicated by other factors, and it could have happened working in the yard that week-end or another week-end... and we don't know for sure, but your story sounds like it absolutely was what brought the mites to you. All I can say is they sure are fast at attaching themselves to us. I never found a mite either, even though I sure tried with 3 visits to the County Vector to identify things with no luck.

There is a PSTD that goes along with this experience for most people I've read about. We just keep trying to make our lives work because this is all out war in a sense, but the enemy is not clear. We are stabbing in the dark and following recommendations from people who have been before us and were getting help. Birdmites has been the biggest help to me over the last almost 3 years. I don't know if I have birdmites any more, but other things began to manifest later, fibers, etc. I'm not looking forward to the really hot weather in No. California because I've had a reprieve this winter, with only just a few sensations now and then. I still have some things in storage out in our shed. We didn't use boric acid with the DE in the house and were bothered (breathing) by the DE in the house so I'd have to vacuum it up, try to recover from the lung and eye irritations and then try it again at a later time. If you have children or pets that stir up the DE or put the DE too close to your face it becomes a problem. I'm not minimizing your solutions though and I know how valuable it is. I've been using the DE orally for several weeks now. The olive oil probably helped enormously, especially since you were consistent in applying it. We found out bodies did better with less drying of skin where they could hide. Aquaphor really helped us too and fibers would come off when we applied the Aquaphor and wiped with paper towels. Who know what those are.

We did end up with Lyme disease out of this and co-infections, so whatever these mites are, they can and do to some of us bring lots of other infections. Sounds like you did not end up with those. GOOD!

If you are inclined EFT really helps with PTSD. It is called Emotional Freedom Technique. It does work; it short circuits fear thoughts, even if the thoughts are not conscious. You can buy over the internet DVDs to help learn this technique. Craig I believe was the first to put the sequence together and he is retired, but you can still buy his DVDs. I have 9 DVDs of his and he has helped so many people when the brain is stuck - including Vietnam Vets in hospitals. It helped me with a many year phobia crossing bridges and I can easily cross bridges now, and enjoy the scenery as I cross. So this PTSD can be changed. It is all in the mind.

Re: My story and what helped...thanks for sharing

Thank you for sharing your horror story with us, most of us here can say 'amen' reading your post. Who would think something so small could be soooo tormenting to people??!!

Although the doctors know about scabies from seeing the symptoms, even though they never see the mite, it is hard for most of them to get their head around this.....especially dermatologists. Thankfully, things are slowly changing as people and health care professionals have a wider frame of reference for research and information.

Continued success,

Tim

>> I got birdmites 4 years ago when I covered over a unfinished chimney with brick. Birds had been nesting in the chimney fire-brick and we swept away what nests and debris we found. It was fall with cool temperatures (Colorado) when we did this work. As spring brought warmer temps, I began to feel little bites although no lesions or welts appeared. Just pinprick-like sensations. I bought a magnifying glass to see if I could see anything on my skin but I never did. I researched this throughly and was not able to find anything that seemed to fit what I was experiencing (until finally later - Birdmites.org).> My solution to this (not knowing better) was to clean, vacuum and launder everything on a daily basis. It became my routine and it was exhausting. I was self-employed working at home and become obsessed with "cleaning away" what was infesting my home (and later my car) in hopes of ridding this problem from my life. > > My family and friends thought I was going crazy - and I was. Later I read a quote on the birdmites.org website that said "If someone told me they had this problem I wouldn't believe them but it happened to me." Boy can I relate to that.> > Once I found Birdmites.org I felt I finally diagnosed the issue at hand. I thought back that when I covered over the chimney the birds lost their nesting place and the mites had lost their hosts so when the weather warmed up the mites came out of dormancy and came into the house looking for a blood meal (me and my pets).> > I spoke with exterminators who really didn't know anything about this although they certainly wanted me to utilize their services ($$$). I paid a visit to the CSU entomology department but without "samples" they were unable to determine anything.> > Eventually I was able to get a "sample" through instructions on birdmites.org and the diagnosis from the Department of Agriculture was some kind of birdmite.> > I still don't totally understand this whole problem and I could fill volumes detailing this experience and what I went through but what ultimately helped was dusting my home and floors with Diamatrious Earth and Boric Acid. Also sulphur candles helped in the house and car (my brother made them) but this can be very dangerous and deadly - use with extreme caution. I risked my car catching fire but I took my chances. I also used Cedarcide several times but I'm not certain that's an end all. I've heard the heat machines do wonders too but at a very high cost.> > What helped my skin was olive oil used daily after showering (I think the mites burrow in the skin and the oil helps kill them). My pets were treated with a sulphur dip and Frontline. Cleaning products that helped were Dawn, Windex, Borax, Arm and Hammer, Ammonia.> > Sadly, I also know I wasn't helped by exterminators, doctors, dermatologists or entomologists.> > I left my house and moved to an apartment taking only new bedding, towels, furniture and items which could be wiped down with windex. I put everything else I wanted to keep in storage for one year. I dusted my apartment with DE and boric acid and continued to use olive oil on my skin for about 2 months.> > Those two years were hell and I'm still emotionally recovering from the nightmare but I am living mite free, AT & #8200;LAST. I'm certain I suffer with PTSD but I'm trying to get back on track.> > I hope this helps. I understand your agony. > God bless you all.>