Q: For the last 17 months my partner and I have a terrible itch all over. Initially we thought we had been infected with scabies so we applied Derbac M over and over again during this time but to no avail. We would get relief for a while perhaps a couple of weeks after application and then back to square one. We carried out all the necessary precautions etc. changing clothes, bedclothes, avoiding wearing shoes which might be infected, etc. However, I am extremely concerned as I have also developed white oval patches on the back of my hands, torso/abdomen and a little on arms and other parts of body. I am very afraid that this is vitiligo. However we still have the itch and this is not a bit of a coincidence. I went to a dermatologist who briefly looked at my patches and diagnosed it as vitiligo. However she then went on to prescribe an anti fungal shampoo to apply for a couple of weeks to the patches. I have now visited a homeopath who, on hearing all the facts was inclined to think that perhaps the white patches were caused by something else connected to either whatever was causing the itch or the cream I used to treat what I thought was scabies. Can you please advise what you think? The homeopath has given me an anti fungal spray to use for a number of weeks and also a herbal medicine containing Vitamin E to take orally 3 times a day. I don't know what I will do if this is Vitiligo after all but what about the itch?

A:One need not panic whether it is vitiligo or not. The present technical world guarantees good medication that can be given to any disease and cured. As you are having itching with white patches, it may be fungal or rarely something else for which you need not worry. Therefore a careful skin examination and a simple lab procedure like KOH test will be able to detect the fungus and suitable anti fungal cream like Clotrimazole can be used. To relieve your itching anti histamine tablets like Cetrizine, Loratadine will be useful. Qualified Dermatologist nearby your area can do this. With this treatment fungus gets destroyed. The white patches still remain after the treatment, and it will take few weeks for re pigmentation to appear.