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General health

Threadworms - getting rid for good?

40 replies

Wormie · 01/10/2006 18:36

Have changed my name for this post as a little . I am fairly new to MN but have posted a bit to people so would appreciate some help.

I have threadworms (or am sure I have). Really itchy/wriggly bum Mon night so went to chemist on Tues and got Ovex pill for us all. DH says he doesn't have any symptoms and DD doesn't seem to have any either (she is still in nappies at 17 mo) but treated us all.

I have changed bedding and towels endlessly since Tues - vaccumed, disinfected, handwashed, undies in bed, the lot. Felt much better during the week but last night and today bum itchy again so think they are still around/back. Interestingly enough chemist said no need to change beds every day, only once on first does and then 7-10 days later but have done it more often for peace of mind!

I know I can retreat us all in 2 wks from original dose but how the hell do I get rid of these bloody things for good?

Should I be having itching again now? Does that mean the first dose has not worked or new eggs hatching etc? How long after the first dose should you start to feel better/clear?

Have just ordered some papaya herbal thing which is meant to help but DD can't have it.

Help please! I am at my wits end and feel too embarrased to discuss with anyone else. PS have read other threads on this too.

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Frizbe · 01/10/2006 18:38

Not had them personally, waiting for that pleasure, but reckon the 2nd dose should kill them off for good, that's why you have two doses!!

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twinsetandpearls · 01/10/2006 18:39

Did you wash your bedding at a high enough temperature.

Oves also does not kill the eggs which may ahve hatched, you can take a second dosage when re infected due to eggs hatching.

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Wormie · 01/10/2006 18:47

WAshed bedding at 60 then hung outside to air dry. Chemist said it should only really take one dose but can take two if needed. Obviously I am not clean enough for the first dose - don't know what else I can do really

Also does anyone know of anything I can give to DD to help prevent future infestations - assuming we get rid of it! As I said we are getting this papaya stuff but it's for 6 yo and over.

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Callmemadam · 01/10/2006 18:47

I am not an expert, but you may not have TW if dd doesn't have them, as unless you work with small children it is very very unlikely that you would have picked them up in the normal course of events. The fact that you have dosed yourself but are still itching suggests that something else is causing the problem. This happens to me if I eat something I am allergic to. Are you pregnant - also happened to me a lot then. Soap can also cause it, and so can things like pantyliners. It is also possible to get a fungal infection there which will develop into dry skin itching in the end - that can be easily treated with an antifungal cream from the doctors (not Canestan as that makes it worse). HTH

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Piffle · 01/10/2006 18:52

they often reinfest at 7-10 days
Do you damp dust as well?
Rememebr that you can inhale the eggs as you clear bedding
This really grossed me out too, I held my breath

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Elibean · 01/10/2006 19:06

There is something else you and/or dd can take, which is homeopathic - meant to treat TW, rather than prevent them, so don't think you can use it indefinitely. But it works by making the 'environment' (!) unhospitable, rather than killing them - so you could use it between doses of Ovex, or after the second one, if you wanted to.

I've had a very similar experience, although it only took 2-3 days for me to feel itchy again - and as I am pregnant, and have chronic and pretty bad piles its difficult to know whats causing it. I have checked myself (and dd, whose occasional bath-time itch got me wondernig in the first place) and stared at endless toilet contents and not seen anything white or wriggly, but. Who knows - so I'm changing the bedding every few days, towels daily, washing mine and dd's bits every morning and night, etc.

But have to admit, I spend half my time wondering if I'm barking up the wrong tree - not taking any chances though! Would it be worth seeing GP/buying an antifungal cream to see if it helps?

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Elibean · 01/10/2006 19:06

Sorry, meant to say - homeopathic thing is Cina 30, which I take two of twice a day. Got this from another MN thread.

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Elibean · 01/10/2006 19:09

And - are you sure you don't have a mild case of haemorrhoids? Internal ones, for example? Because take it from me, they can make your bum feel itchy and wriggly too, PITA that they are

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Wormie · 01/10/2006 19:57

It may not be TW but I think it is! Self diagnosis isn't always the best so I may make an appt at the GP. I also have piles from having DD so it could be that I suppose. Am sure I am not pregnant.

Piffle it really makes me feel sick too - I didn't hold my breath re bedding though which was prob a bit silly! Although I vaccumed the mattress (!) and the floors throughly and damp dusted.

CMM - I go to a lot of toddler groups with DD, so presumed I caught it there. Possible I think.

I am just surprised to be feeling itchy again after just a couple of days if it takes 7-10 days to reinfest??? Psycho semantic perhaps?

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foxinsocks · 01/10/2006 20:01

I/we have always had to take the second dose - it is suspicious that you have them and no-one else does though - have you seen any dead worms in dd's poo?

piles can be itchy - otherwise, if it was worms, they can cause a nasty itchy rash around your vagina (as they like to crawl in that direction) so it may be that this is still irritating you.

prob worth going to the GP if it is bothering you though - if the itchiness is bad (and you aren't pregnant/taking into account any other medication) I would take some adult piriton. I did this once because I had become so itchy, it was driving me mad!

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Wormie · 01/10/2006 20:10

Nope no dead worms in DD's poo and she hasn't been itching but then is only 17 mo. She HAS been saying 'poo poo' a lot though - even when not pooing so I wondered if she has them and it gives her the 'sensation' of needing a poo in her own little mind....

It's odd at the itching is more like wriggling - definatley going to GP - god knows what horrible things they'll do to get a diagnosis . Feel sick at the thought already.

FIS - good to know you've always had to take second dose too! Feel a bit better now! Not the worlds worst housewife/mother like this has made me feel

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Elibean · 01/10/2006 20:24

Goodness, Wormie, of course you're not unclean/bad wife/mother! Nits like clean hair, and I'm quite sure worms don't discriminate against clean bums and houses
Our GP didn't and wouldn't do anything to diagnose - he just made a diagnosis (in his opinion, not threadworm) based on me having scrutinized poos for a week and not seen any. I'd be interested to hear what other GPs say/do..

Foxy, what do dead worms in poos look like? Sorry to have to ask, but...are they obvious? Because poos can have filamenty type bits in them anyway, that are digested vegetable matter or whatever....so I've stared at a few and not been sure (OMG, , can't believe I'm having this conversation - only here could I!!)

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Piffle · 01/10/2006 20:27

FWIw dd had TW, I saw one wriggling so I know beyond doubt that was causing her irritation
But even after the Ovex, she had no worms in her poo that I could see...

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Elibean · 01/10/2006 20:27

And I agree, Wormie, self-diagnosis can be - well, wrong. I hope mine is, and yours too - FWIW I know I didn't have any night time itching until someone suggested dd's itch might be TW.

I almost wish I could see one, if we have any in this house at all - how mad is that?! It would at least straighten my imagination out one way or t'other

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Elibean · 01/10/2006 20:28

Piffle, is your dd still in nappies/using potty?

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Piffle · 01/10/2006 20:29

Nope she is toilet trained Elibean.
Yep grim task indeed

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Elibean · 01/10/2006 20:32

Wonder if I'm deluding myself, but as dd still doing 99% poos in potty maybe I would be more likely to see any worms, alive or dead.

Grim indeed, its doing my head in - maybe I'm just hormonal, but it really is.

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Wormie · 01/10/2006 20:44

Yes it's awful. As DD is still in nappies I thought I would have seen worms but I don't really know what I am looking for (as you say you see fibres etc anyway - certainly haven't seen anything moving). I've even looked at my poohs and saw something which was long/threadish but wasn't moving - suppose it could have been dead. I even tried the sellotape thing in the morning (on myself) and did see some white things but tiny specks so wasn't sure?? OMG this is just an awful conversation isn't it -feel v sick at the thought tbh. Children should have a health warning ....

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Eve · 01/10/2006 20:46

grapefruit seed extract.

its a natural anti parasitic and when mine show symptons some of this clears them up

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Elibean · 01/10/2006 21:05

Wormie, they're not very long - about 1cm tops, I think. Probably a bit of undigested celery best laugh or we'll go mad(der).

Thanks Eve, thats good to know - wonder if its ok when pregnant? Do you happen to know?

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foxinsocks · 01/10/2006 21:05

ok brace yourself

best time to see wrigglers is when you are itchy. If you can't persuade dh to look (I couldn't) then you have to do the following - lie down on bed (with no knickers), position a mirror opposite your fanjo at the end of the bed and try to aim a bedside lamp/torch pointing towards your fanjo (or do this under a very good light). Lift legs up so bum is pointing towards mirror and get mirror as close as you dare.

If you are itchy, normally it is because the worms are out of your bum and wriggling. They look like white cotton threads - around the length of your fingernail and the width of a thread of cotton.

I only saw them in dd and ds's poos once when we were all really badly infested - ds did a poo and quite honestly, it looked like it had so many worms in, it could have got up and walked away on its own. You couldn't miss them.

However, on other ocassions, I've only seen live worms when they've told me their bums are itchy (or shining a torch on their bums late at night) or when I've given them the Ovex and the worms seem to all come out and wriggle at once!

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CJinSussex · 01/10/2006 21:07

Most worming treatments prevent the worms from feeding - so in desperation they migrate out of the anus and then die. Which may explain why you feel itchy after taking the Ovex. You should be fine in a few days (although it's possible that just thinking about it is making you feel itchy!).

If you want to check your TW situation, wear black knickers to bed, remove carefully in the morning and you may see several dead ones (sorry - a bit gross but if a girls gotta know...). They are almost as thin as cotton (hence the name) and about half a centimetre long.

TW in nappy poo are very obvious if alive as they move a lot. If the infestation was heavy then dead ones are easy to spot but if only a few worms were present then it might be missed or as you say, mistaken for 'fibres'!!

IMO it is actually quite easy to clear a child still in nappies of TW because they don't scratch their bottoms and reinfest themselves. So there's some good news...!

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CJinSussex · 01/10/2006 21:10

Well done Fox, that's even more graphic than I was

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Wormie · 01/10/2006 21:25

FIS - I've tried that on me . I too couldn't get Dh to do it - even if I'd paid him. He said he'd be scarred for life! I couldn't see anything.

I have been wearing black knickers and have seen the minutest of white specks in the morning but nothing long and thin (i.e. like speck of dust size really rather than 0.5 to 1 cm). I have seen very, very small brown empty 'shell' type things a couple of times on white toilet tissue. Like an empty round cylinder but v v small.... could these be empty egg cases? I am really sorry if this offends anyone - I just want to go armed to the GP really. Sorry if I make anyone feel sick

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foxinsocks · 01/10/2006 21:42

it could just be itchy piles

good luck for your GP's appointment!

FWIW, I have always been able to see the little wriggly blighters when I'm itchy so I wonder if you couldn't see them when you were itchy, then maybe you don't have them??!!

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