Getting treatment for scabies means nothing if you don’t use your prescription properly. 

That’s according to Dr Sumi Dunne in this week’s 'Ask the GP' on Lunchtime Live. 

One mother texted in to say her son was diagnosed with scabies eight weeks ago, and despite being prescribed treatment, it hasn’t gone away. 

“Everybody in the house has got the treatment, none of us have it, he lives in Dublin and his fellow housemates also have it,” she said. 

“He can’t seem to shift it, he’s done about eight different scabies treatment.” 

Scabies in Ireland

Dr Dunne said Ireland is actually seeing a “few cases of scabies” in Ireland at the moment. 

“The key is adherence to treatment,” she said. “The cream that is prescribed is prescribed from the neck down. 

“That means you apply it from the neck down under all the skin folds. 

“You need to repeat that one week later, or you won’t break the cycle.” 

Dr Dunne also advised making sure everything around the house is scabies-free. 

“Sometimes you get residue on your clothes and sheets,” she said. 

“They really need to be washed at 90 degrees, which ruins a lot of clothes, but it’s the hottest setting.” 

High cholesterol

Another woman texted in to say her cholesterol was 6.3, despite eating a healthy diet and going to the gym five days a week. 

The GP said the woman should “look a bit more critically at the breakdown of your cholesterol”. 

“Have a look at the LDL, the level we associate with cardiovascular disease and the HDL, which we associate with the cardio protractive cholesterol,” she said. 

“You want the LDL to be sitting at 2.5 or ideally below two. 

“If it’s not, there could be a little bit of work you could do.” 

She also pointed out that cholesterol is determined by genetics in many cases. 

The GP on leg pain

Another person texted in to say they had leg pain since Friday, which has spread from their upper thigh to their toes, which has not got better despite a visit to the GP. 

“Should I go to the hospital? I don’t want to waste their time,” they asked. 

Dr Dunne said it would be worth going back to GP one more time “given that the nature and the site of the pain has changed”. 

“They'll also ask you a few more questions to make sure nothing sinister is going on,” she said. 

She said a visit to the hospital is only advisable if nothing comes out of the GP visit and the pain continues.