Antihistamines, like loratadine (Claritin) or cetirizine (Zyrtec) can help make you more comfortable. If your itching is severe, your doctor might prescribe a steroid cream or oral glucocorticoids.

However, topical permethrin and oral ivermectin have similar efficacy for cure of scabies. If used for classic scabies, two doses of oral ivermectin (200µg/kg/dose) should be taken with food, each 7 to 14 days apart. The safety of ivermectin in children weighing less than 15 kg and in pregnant women has not been established.

Scabies medications usually are applied from neck to toe after bathing, allowed to remain on the skin for 8 to 14 hours, and then washed off. In some cases, a second application is necessary, depending on the type of medication used and your symptoms. Ivermectin (Stromectol) is an oral medication that also treats scabies effectively.

Oral ivermectin is an effective and cost-comparable alternative to topical agents in the treatment of scabies infection. It may be particularly useful in the treatment of severely crusted scabies lesions in immunocompromised patients or when topical therapy has failed.