Korean Job Discussion Forums

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

I can't seem to stop scratching lately. I go to bed and it feels like I am being eaten alive by little bugs, only thing is there are none. I am suffering from some kind of reaction to whatever is in the water.... I think anyhow. I am wondering if anyone else has had this problem, and what they have done.

Will this pass or should I be concerned. It's been about 2 weeks since I've had a decent nights sleep.

I don't know if it's the water, but it seems that after I take a shower, the itch gets worse. What should I do?

Thanks in advance. Confused

Butterfly · Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Location: Kuwait

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

I got what started with some weird pin pricks on my knees and developed into a full on rash that came and went from different parts of my body including the palms of my hands and alll over my feet.

Turned out to be hives. I got a jab from the doc and alll is good again. Though I never found out what I was allergic too.

Go to the doc,
But also wash all your bedding throughly and give your mattress an air out.

gomurr · Joined: 04 Feb 2003

It could be prickly heat. That leaves a rash and at times becomes itchy. baby Powder works good on it.

chronicpride · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Wash the crap out of your clothes and bedsheets and see getting something to sanitize your mattress. Sounds like scabies.

Or, try to get some moisturizer and apply in the affected areas. I had some wicked itching attacks, that was remedied by some moisturizer I got from Body Shop. Might have just been dry skin, but sure as hell didn't feel like it.

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Thanks for your replies. I don't know much about scabies, I don't have any pimples or rash. Just an itch. At night, it feels like I am being bitten by insects, only I can't find any insects.

I will see a doctor. Thanks

sistersarah · Joined: 03 Jan 2004 Location: hiding out

i had that about a year and a half ago and never found out what it was.....i couldn't sleep at night too....it was almost unbearable.
how's your apartment? mine was an old building and it was growing some mould. i read up on it and found out that there are all kinds of things that can cause itching like that. i think what it was was some kind of "mite" caused by the mould or poor air quality. you can't see the little buggers, but they'll give you a hard time. luckily, i was near the end of my contract, and i got out of there.

ersatzprofessor · Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 10:37 pm Post subject:

Yeah, it could be a lot of things. It could even be fleas for that matter. You don't have a pet do you? Or who knows, roaches might be crawling all over you and biting you while you sleep - that's a nice thought, isn't it? But the likely culprit from what you say - mosquitos. There seems to be some kind of stealth mosquito in this country that doesn't make that high pitched whine. Try getting one of those little insecticide heating machines.

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

thanks again for your helpful replies. I do have one of those machines for the mosqies but whatever these things are, the machine has no effect on them.

I have talked to some of my Korean students about this, and they seem to think it is a kind of mite, as one poster above has mentioned. They told me that there is a special kind of spray that I should use on my bedding. I'm not sure how comfortable I feel about spaying pesticides on my bed, but if that's what it takes.

Incidently, I have no idea what to look for or even what to ask for.

I suppose a lot of washing with bleach-water is in order. Confused

Anyway, thanks again

ersatzprofessor · Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2004 6:08 am Post subject:

Go to a drug store - that's the best place to find that kind of thing. If the pharmacist can't speak English, you can probably mime what you want well enough. And good luck!

royjones · Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Location: post count: 512

AndersonKrause111 · Joined: 24 Aug 2004 Location: Lost in the pages

You can usually see scavies (or scabies) after they start itching that bad. You will get 'tracks' up and down your limbs, or wherever they have decided to infest you. Although it might itch like hell, it's really not that big of a deal otherwise. I have a lady-friend that contracted scavies a couple years back, so I got to see the marks firsthand. And yeah, scavies are an actual bug too small to see with the naked eye. Just because you can't see any bugs doesn't mean you don't have scavies.

It it's hives, you will definitely see the hives breaking the skin at this point. Do a google on hives pics, and compare. I once had a case of hives that was so bad I was out of school (university, mind you) for two weeks. That shit sucks real bad. Again, besides the itching and pain, it doesn't really do anything else.

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

I had scabies once...the treatment is to rub a burning lotion/oil over every inch of your body, and thoroughly wash all clothes, sheets etc at a high temperature. About 3 days later, you peel, and the problem is solved.

Pyongshin Sangja · Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Location: I love baby!

Too much time slowing your metabolism with the mugwumps.

Vision · Joined: 26 Aug 2004

When one has a itch, it often means they are itching to get away. Is there anything you want to leave?