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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffIf over-the-counter lotions or shampoos (Nix, Rid, others) don't kill your pubic lice, your doctor may prescribe stronger treatments, such as:
- Malathion (Ovide). You apply this prescription lotion to the affected area and wash it off after eight to 12 hours.
- Ivermectin (Stromectol). This medication is taken as a single dose of two pills, with an option to take another dose in 10 days if the treatment isn't initially successful.
- Lindane. Because of its toxicity, lindane is usually prescribed only when other treatments fail. You apply lindane to the affected area and wash it off after four minutes. It's not recommend for women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, or for children younger than age 2.
- Eye treatments. If pubic lice are found in eyelashes, they can be treated by applying petroleum jelly to the eyelid and lashes three times a day for several days. In addition, or as an alternative, the lice and nits can be manually removed from eyelashes using tweezers. Your doctor may also prescribe a medicine to apply to the eyelids.
References
- Goldstein AO, et al. Pediculosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 9, 2010.
- Pubic "crab" lice: Fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/lice/pubic/factsheet.html. Accessed April 9, 2010.
- Diaz JH. Crab lice (Pediculosis pubis). In: Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00293-9--s0015&uniq=194092956&isbn=978-0-443-06839-3&sid=980699335#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00293-9--s0035%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-0-443-06839-3. Accessed April 9, 2010.
- Habif TP. Pediculosis: Clinical manifestations. In: Clinical Dermatology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00024-9--s0235&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00024-9--s0240&uniq=194092956&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&sid=980720410. Accessed April 9, 2010.
- Pubic "crab" lice: Treatment. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://cdc.gov/lice/pubic/treatment.html. Accessed April 9, 2010.
- Pubic "crab" lice: Prevention and control. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://cdc.gov/lice/pubic/prevent.html. Accessed April 9, 2010.
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