my 5 year old has had threadworm again! Third time in a year!

[chocoholic05]

Yes its true! It's so yukky! What am I doing wrong? And how can I stop him from getting it again? I always ensure he washes his hands after he's gone toilet and before mealtimes obviously I don't know for certain about school. What else cam I do? :(

[loler]

I share your pain - feel like worming DS1 every month like I do with the dog!

I scrub the house, wash all the towels/bedding/soft toys every time (have 3 dc so massive job!) - but don't seem to be getting rid of the little wigglers.

I have even been into school (assume that is the only place they can be coming from) - they have given a talk to all the dc about hand washing. I don't think it made the blindest bit of difference. Just had a mothers day assembly with cakes made in class - I politely refused being handed one by an unclean child!

Hope someone can give you an answer....

[chocoholic05]

Its horrible isn't it? And he gets so very distressed aswell

[Nolda]

Have you asked about handwashing at school. I discovered that at my DD's school they all washed their hands before lunch in a communal bowl of water!!!!! When I complained their only concession was that DD was allowed to go first .

[chocoholic05]

No I haven't thought of that. I think they wash in the toilets before lunch. He's in reception. It's the first time its happened since he started school. I know they don't supervise whether they are doing it properly or even at all.because they are supposed to encourage independence

[Silvertop]

Apart from all the obvious like vacuuming, wet dusting room, washing bedding daily, scrubbing under nails and washing bottom first thing in the morning etc always give a second dose of tablet, 2 weeks after first. Otherwise they tend to reappear about 6-8 weeks later. Plus treat the whole family. Good luck.

[chocoholic05]

Thanks for that silvertop. Also he is complaining of an itchy bottom just four days after he took the tablet. Could I give him another one? I can't see anything unlike last weekend. He keeps saying he's still got them and asks me to look. I look but I can't see anything there

[betterwhenthesunshines]

The pack should give you instructions on the repeat dose. I think it's usually 5 days after the first pill.

My tops tips:

• double up with pants under PJs when you have an infestation - it helps stop so much inadvertant scratching at night
  
• very boring, but wash all PJs and bed linen, towels daily
  
• does he have a muzzy / special teddie? that needs washing too
  
• treat whole family - only DD seems to suffer, but I always give pills to DS at the same time
  
• cooler than normal bath at bedtime helps a little
  

At least it is a pill / single dose medicine. I remember the medicine we used to have as children. It was the most vile, gut wrenching pink stuff you had to take daily for an entire week. It used to make me gag. Thankful for small mercies - at least the new stuff isn't so revolting!

[chocoholic05]

The pack said to take another tablet after two weeks but he is still itchy.

[chocoholic05]

We did treat all four of us last Saturday btw! And washed everything Hoover everywhere etc etc!

[Franup]

Takes a few days for the tablets to work. Sorry to be graphic but it could be the worms dying and getting slower. There is often another itchy patch a few days after first treatment. Then they are dead and you need to get the next dose in before any eggs hatch.

The joys...

[Wolfiefan]

Cut fingernails too!

[FannyFifer]

I found the tablet did not kill them, Prispen sachet was the business, paralysed them so no itching then works as a laxative so all gone.

[chocoholic05]

Yes we did that at the weekend. He's a.thumb sucker too unfortunately!

[chocoholic05]

What's prispen sachet? The chemist recommended the tablet

[Silvertop]

Small amount of of Epaderm Ointment (similar to Vaseline) around the bottom was recommend by our GP. Can help stop the wigglers itching so much. It does take a few days for them to die. You generally see a lot of very slow or dead worms in the poo about 3/4 days after treatment. Keep up with the cleaning and treat again in 2 weeks with the tablet. We have a thumb sucker too!!! :-)

[defineme]

I gave mine ant bac gel for their book bags, cut nails really short, discouraged mud play in garden. 1 tablet has worked sometimes, but my dd (who is usually the one who gets them) has often had to have 2. I do pants under pyjamas, wash bottoms every morning, hot wash bedding and towels.
I hate hate worms.
On the other hand I've got 3 kids and none of them have ever had nits

[Mandy21]

Sorry if this is TMI but DS has had it once, and DD had it - each time neither passed it to the other fortunately. Each time I saw a worm on their bottoms when I checked at bedtime, but I've never seen anything in their actual poo (even when I know they've had it and before they've taken the medicine). Are they easy to spot or am I missing something?

[Fairylea]

It's horrible isn't it :(

Dd had it lots last year.. she is 9.

The only way we could stop them returning was to repeat the dose of ovex every 2 weeks for a bit and I also took to washing all the bed linen, towels, pjs and underwear at at least 60 degrees - I continue to do this now and she hasn't had another bout of worms since.

[FannyFifer]

Prispen
www.chemistdirect.co.uk/pripsen_v_135.html

[Atwitsend1234]

Hello Fairylea,

I know this is an old tread now but hopefully you'll pick this up. I am currently going through this threadworm nightmare with my 7 year daughter. She's had them 5 times in the last 12 months and it's driving me crazy! I know she's not being reinfected at home as the bouts are 2-3 months apart. So am thinking it must be school. I'm doing all the right things with regard hand/house hygiene (we are meticulous about it, always), I use Ovex which works at the time and I always do the 2nd dose 2 weeks later. I've spoken to the school who tell me I'm the only one who has the problem! However they have advised me they've spoken to all children about hand hygiene. Nothing I do seems to do any good, which is the really frustrating thing. I am even considering changing her school.

You mentioned that you gave your daughter a dose every 2 weeks - how long did you do this for, are there any dangers of doing this, and most importantly, did it work?!

Any help/advise greatly appreciated!