To a Wonder How We Haven't ALL Got Threadworms?!

[MagicalMrsMistoffelees]

Last Friday my bum felt a bit itchy. By evening it was excruciating. Saturday was on / off itchy. That evening much better, Sunday fine. But around 5pm something made me check my poo and fuck me a tiny wriggling white threadworm. To say I freaked out is an understatement. I didn't know anything about them. Three days later and I'm an expert.

Or am I? I've read so much online but so much is contradictory and it's driving me insane.

The whole family (me, husband, three children) took Ovex on Sunday evening. Have checked a million poos since then and very little but then I found one wriggling in my poo last night (48h post Ovex). Still, nobody else seemed to be involved - no symptoms, no worms. And then tonight I found one wriggling in my two year old's poo (72h post Ovex). I am so upset as I really hoped it was just me.

They should all be dead now right? The pack says the tablets work in a 'few' days. But I've also read that they can take up to two weeks to kill them all. I've also read they are resistant to Ovex and it doesn't work. This is just one grey area of ambiguity that seems to surround the little white fuckers.

I've read that reinfection from eggs hatching in the anus is rare but also that it's very common.

I've read Ovex kills 95-100% of worms in the gut but what about those lower down or (god forbid) in the vagina? 😖 Does it kill them too?

I've read the females only lay eggs at night so to wash every morning but I've also read that I need to wash every three hours throughout the day too as the eggs hatch within 4-6 hours - but why do that if they only lay at night?

They live in the gut so why - apart from egg laying - are they in my bum? Do they go back and forth?

If they die after laying eggs, why are there ever live ones in poo?

I read the female lifecycle is 6 weeks but also that it's 13 weeks.

I read eggs can live for 3 weeks but also that they can only survive 1-2 days if they're lucky.

What happens to the worms after taking Ovex? Do they disintegrate? Come out in poos?

I've not been itchy since taking Ovex but last night it felt like my knickers were caught up my bum - WTF?!

Why can't we all just pop an Ovex a week to keep on top of worms? If we're killing the whole lot off each time then they can't 'evolve' resistance surely?

We are following a strict hygiene routine but if 1 in 3 people have them at any one time and if a microbiologist has claimed that testing a patch of any wall will find viable threadworm eggs 😵 AIBU to wonder how come the whole human race haven't all got the bastard things? What hope have my family got of ever ridding ourselves of them? Am going out of my mind even though I know they are only tiny bits of cottony things. I just don't know how we can ever break the cycle no matter how hard we try.

[almondpudding]

I've never understood this either.

We're a grubby bunch of nit magnet, towel sharing scruffs, and have never had worms.

[WanderingTrolley1]

Did you start another thread about your worms, OP?

[Babymamamama]

I'm not sure either. Apparently it's being going all round dd's school. But none of us in our little family have ever had it to my knowledge. Ditto headlice. I will properly freak the day our luck runs out I know it.

[MagicalMrsMistoffelees]

We've never had them before either. I rather liked that about our family. Especially as I am now discovering that many families have repeatedly had them.

And 1 in 3 people have them?! They're everywhere!

I teach Reception and my class are constantly shifting on their bums, hands scratching away so I know it's come from one of them! But how can I possibly fumigate my class?! Thank god Easter holidays are nigh!

[MagicalMrsMistoffelees]

No this is my only thread about it. Is there another new one? I've read all the others that have ever been on Mumsnet but none answer all my questions.

[Drunkvet]

We probably all do have sub clinical infection of many beasties. Unless you have clinical signs I'd not worry.

[picklemepopcorn]

I suspect our immune systems keep them to unnoticeable numbers a lot of the time, and we only treat when they are winning the battle. Some people seem particularly prone, and it isn't hygiene or bad habits, it just is. I believe in Australia children are routinely wormed.

[Bestthingever]

I wonder if some people just have a susceptibility to them. My dd got them three times, yet no one else in the family ever did (three dcs). Ovex was very effective with her.

[mowgeli]

I'm not sure of the answers to any of your questions except that I think they are very contagious. If ovex doesn't work then go to the doctors and ask for his advice on an alternative medicine.
I had them before when I was a kid and I was so itchy but I think it was only a few days before the medicine started working. Might be to do with your metabolism

[MagicalMrsMistoffelees]

I've read that apparently it's easy to get rid of...unless you read that you can never get rid of it.

GRIM!

[MagicalMrsMistoffelees]

And after taking Ovex, whilst the bastards are dying, do they still lay their eggs?

[TaraCarter]

Hah! Ignore anything that google throws up if its by an Acupuncturist-related username.

Dose everyone in 14 days' time (after the first dose), cut the children's nails, vacuum everywhere. I stuck the heating on, after reading that the eggs needed reasonable humidity to stay viable.

At school, throw away the playdough.

[Haffiana]

Back in my Microbiologist days, the simple effective test to see if you or your kids have threadworms was to stick a piece of sellotape over your arsehole at night and then peel it off and hold it up to the light. Then you can see them. You will rarely see them in poo, and some people don't seem to find them itchy and so don't know they have them. You can do this to your kids (well the little ones at any rate!) while they sleep.

[MagicalMrsMistoffelees]

So if I've seen two wriggly ones in my poo and one in my toddler's poo does that mean we've got a bad dose?

[picklemepopcorn]

Try not to think about it, just damp dust and vacuum regularly, keep nails short, wash bedding and underwear at 60, wear pants in bed to minimise spread and itching.

Try and break any fingers in mouth habits- thumb sucking, nail biting.

The worms are still laying eggs which is why you take the second dose when recommended, to kill off the ones which were laid last time.

I used to does everyone, then I got more relaxed and just dosed the sufferer. It didn't seem to make any difference.

It carried on for a while, but we haven't had them for ages now. Possible due to the ages of the kids?

[MagicalMrsMistoffelees]

Is there an alternative to Ovex available in the UK? Waiting for them to starve is tooooo long if it can take up to two weeks!

[Rescuepuppydaft2]

Yuck I am so glad that we are past that stage. Sand pits are full of threadworm eggs, add a pre schooler who always spoke their fingers and it is a bloody nightmare! I actually started dosing mine every couple of months. I would do a toy clean, ditch any sand/ playdoh and don't replace until you are sure the little blighters are gone. Alongside wearing pyjamas, cotton onesies are great for the little ones, rinse bottoms first thing in the morning and hot wash towels, bedding and underwear if possible. We never had them during the holidays but as soon as they were back at school and in the sand pit, two weeks later they would be back! We haven't had any reinfection issues since my youngest left nursery (please don't let me jinx myself!).

[Rescuepuppydaft2]

Sooked their fingers.

There is pripsen, it is disgusting and empties the bowel completely to kill the worms. It needs repeating after two weeks too. Ovex kills all of the worms but not the eggs. Which is why its important to take the second dose. If you take the second dose none of the newly hatched worms should be old enough to lay new eggs. The problem is keeping the kids from ingesting any new eggs. We scrubbed our short nails with a nail brush first thing in the morning and before every meal.

[podrig]

I dreamt I had threadworms last night after reading this post. THANKS MR. MISTOFFOLES

hope you get your bum sorted out soon

[MagicalMrsMistoffelees]

Sorry! That is so grim for you. Although the reality isn't as bad as I would've imagined. They are so tiny and so like just a bit of short white cotton that they're not nearly as horrific as you'd think. Worms is a horrible name for them though.

I've had no itchiness since the tablets and just one 'live' one 48 hrs after Ovex. But where are the dead ones?!?! Maybe I only had two and they're both flushed down the loo now?!?! Small hope but I'm holding on to it.

Can't wait to take the second dose a week tomorrow!

[user1489434024]

Diatomaceous earth good for ridding them

[picklemepopcorn]

Must be food grade though! I haven't ever tried it...

[Patriciathestripper1]

Isn't it odd that worms are more prevalent than nits in school kids but we never get a note home about them?
(I worm us Dd, Dh and I) twice a year with Vermox medicine and we are worm free

[BigGlasses]

My mum used to worm us a couple of times a year when we were little. I remember a horrible chalky pink medicine and later a huge yellow tablet. Never actually remember having worms though. Think it was a routine thing like worming the cat! Haven't thought about it in years. Wonder if I should worm my kids? Probably not, maybe it's like anibiotics and unnecessary use will just create resistance.

[Iggity]

Pripsen is the stuff of nightmares. 35 years later I can still remember the nasty black currant powdery stuff. There was much wailing when me and my four sisters had to take it. I'll never ever forget it.