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General health

Worms :( DoesAnybody Routinely Worm Their Child?

53 replies

CockwombleJeff · 14/02/2016 21:12

Please don't flame me.

I'm knackered & fed up of worms.

After 10 years of parenting , for the first time I'm having to deal with these little bastards.

We've all got them. I'm stripping and washing all bedding, pyjamas, clothes daily.

I'm thoroughly cleaning the kitchen & bathroom twice daily.

Cleaning floors daily and hoovering whole house daily.

We are wearing pants to bed and our nails are short, and we've done the Ovex thing.

Does anybody routinely worm their children ? I know it's not the done thing but the thought of going through this again anytime soon makes me want to run away .......

Because I'm so knackered my imagination is running wild ( please please don't anybody fuel it ) and I can't sleep as I keep thinking I can feel them ( which I probably can ).

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CinnamonBunYou · 14/02/2016 22:16

Had worms when I was pregnant with DD. Completely ruined my pregnancy for me and I made myself ill with it. I literally researched about them morning, noon and night and have read a few posts from people saying they take the tablets every few months just to be on the safe side! If DD gets them or me again, I would consider doing it as well.

They are gross!

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CockwombleJeff · 14/02/2016 22:19

Thankyou cinnamon . Thanksfor you. Isn't life just a PITA sometimes? Quite literally.

Honestly everybody has got their vulnerabilities .... And these just gross me out. Just about tipping me over into OCD.

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CinnamonBunYou · 14/02/2016 22:28

Haha it certainly is!

I was often told I was overreacting and they were nothing but they are gross little things and make my skin crawl. I was really bordering on OCD as well.

I hope you get them sorted Smile

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Lindy2 · 14/02/2016 22:39

Pumpkin seeds are supposed to help get rid of them. My kids like pumpkin seeds as a snack so I do encourage them to eat them quite regularly.
I have no idea if it really works but at least it is quite healthy snack anyway.

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reynoldsnumber · 14/02/2016 22:52

We've all had them too. I keep nails short, I think that helps. The kids haven't had them since. Sounds like you are being much more hygienic than we were and ours went away.

It was grim when I realised I had them too. I had to get an uber to a night opening pharmacy. I made it with minutes to spare.

I feel your pain.

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CockwombleJeff · 14/02/2016 23:04

Lindy I'm going to get some pumpkin seeds regardless !

And Reynolds ours was a late night dash to the chemist too ... I was so grossed out I even woke the DC to get the medicine into them asap!!

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StarOnTheTree · 14/02/2016 23:05

I managed 14 years of being a parent before having to deal with worms. DD3 started a new school where handwashing is sadly lacking when she was 4 and by the time she got them for the third time (over a 2 year period) I now treat us all every 4-6 months.

Worms will not happen again in this household!!!

Actually OP you just reminded me that I need to be thinking about the next treatment.

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Elisheva · 14/02/2016 23:10

Remember to retreat in 2 weeks time.

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CockwombleJeff · 14/02/2016 23:27

Thankyou Star & Elisheva .... I'm beginning to consider that I wouldn't be too unreasonable to routinely treat us all.

I know it's frowned up , but honestly, the work involved and the inconvenience is too much for me !

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thatsn0tmyname · 14/02/2016 23:30

When I was a child and we had pets at home my mum would routinely give us worming medicine. Not nice but we never had worms.

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MissSmiley · 14/02/2016 23:31

Worms are nothing when you've had scabies. Just hope one of them doesn't bring scabies home that is a completely different ball game. Sorry.

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lisalisa · 14/02/2016 23:31

Is the only sign an itchy backside and then seeing wriggling worms in the loo?

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LadyIsabellaWrotham · 14/02/2016 23:33

I'm not sure I'd do that but I'd definitely keep a family packet in the medicine cabinet at all times. By definition you always notice them in the middle of the night, normally on a school night, and by the time you've gone to the chemist it's almost 24 hours later. So much more reassuring to know you've taken a pill and the little fuckers are on their way to the grave. I managed to get them when I was childless in my 20s. How the fuck does that even happen?

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StarOnTheTree · 15/02/2016 07:00

I know it's frowned up , but honestly, the work involved and the inconvenience is too much for me !

Me too Cock

I'm a lone parent with 3 children and no support. I work fulltime and I have fibromyalgia. The extra work when someone gets worms can make me ill for 2 months afterwards Sad

DD3 gets extremely distressed when she has them so dealing with that is extra stressful too.

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StarOnTheTree · 15/02/2016 07:02

Also I'm only going to treat us regularly for another 2 years. Once DD3 leaves primary or leaves her current school for any reason I'll just keep some ovex in but I won't do regular treatments.

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wallywobbles · 15/02/2016 07:48

Try diatomaceous earth for internal parasites. Much more efficient in the long run. Read this - sorry on phone so can't do a proper link.

www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2013/02/foodless-friday-health-benefits-of-diatomaceous-earth.html

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CockwombleJeff · 15/02/2016 08:43

Miss Smiley iv had a scabies ( I'm a nurse) .... Worms IMO is far more exhausting and distressing than scabies .

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CockwombleJeff · 15/02/2016 08:44

Lisa you can lower tummy ache too.

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CockwombleJeff · 15/02/2016 08:45

Star iv got fibromyalgia too .... Honestly this whole rigmarole has wiped me out .

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CockwombleJeff · 15/02/2016 08:48

Thanks Wally, and Ladyisabella that is a good idea, thankyou.

The amount of washing I have to do today is ludicrous. Iv got the whole hygiene clean to do and as DC are off school they will be expecting me to do some stuff with them.

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Kelsoooo · 15/02/2016 09:03

Just adding synpathy.
I made it through 6 years of parenting.

Then 4 months ago my youngest got them.... And I'm treating her incessantly because every fucking time they come back because of her nursery :-(

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daisychicken · 15/02/2016 09:19

I feel your pain, we had repeated 'attacks' of worms - mostly just ds1 but a couple of times, ds2, DH or I had them too. It was awful. All the constant cleaning and washing and the crying/screaming of a child in intense itchiness Sad

Besides constant cleaning:

  1. I spoke to ds1's school teacher having spoken to the GP and HV because the only place ds1 could have been constantly reinfecting himself was via other children and most likely (though not definitely) at school. She reminded his class to wash hands straight after going to the toilet (& we provided soap and made sure bowls of hot (warm!) water was available - who likes to wash hands in cold water??), she asked other teachers to remind their classes and we had a note sent round asking people to be aware, to check and treat. Obviously this doesn't guarantee people will treat but we hoped people would at least be aware and check if child complained of an itchy bum (not everyone gets itchy though).


  1. Kept everyone's nails short and constant reminders of wash hands ALL the time. Replaced hand towels through the day - could use paper towels to make the job easier on yourself (I have Fibro too) while trying to get it under control. Use hand towel/flannel/paper towel to dry bums after baths/showers so easier to wash & dry or bin than big bath towels which only get used on rest of body and not near face. Bath or do a strip wash twice a day.


  1. Nappies/pull-ups/pants help stop kids getting hands to their bums in their sleep - recommended by my HV - ds2 was in nappies and was only knowingly affected once and we made sure ds1 wore either pull-ups or pants under his pjs. Worth trying as may stop egg transfer to fingernails to mouth plus again, easier to wash than bedding!


  1. Raw carrot came up in research as a good preventive against threadworms - something in the carrot, can't remember specifics now. My ds1 would eat carrots as they come but grated carrot was recommended so we used to add grated carrot to sandwiches, pita breads or salads.


  1. GP suggested we did a repeated dose of wormer over a number of months - might be worth asking GP or Pharmacist if this is a repeated problem for you (some children are more susceptible to worms and some to nits - we've never had nits but I know friends who've done the nit thing many a time but never had threadworms) - I did this for ds1 & 2 but just treated DH and I 2 times.



I hope I may have said something that might help make it easier to cope with while you deal with it. I've been there and I know how horrible and exhausting it! Once I'd implemented steps 1-5, we did get a reprieve of a 2-3 months, a further attack and then gone, we haven't had them since and that was 6-7 years ago!
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CockwombleJeff · 15/02/2016 09:54

Thankyou kelsoo and thanks so much Daisy for your long post Thanks.

I am so so tired and drained.

I am sat in the bath despairing at having to go and change the beds again .....

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CockwombleJeff · 15/02/2016 09:54

Daisy I like the paper towels idea and the carrot !

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PollyPerky · 15/02/2016 10:26

I think it's quite reasonable.

My two- now adults- used to be wormed a few times a year.
We didn't get rid of them long term till both DCs were about 11.

Afraid I used to get annoyed at how school made a fuss about nits- eg notices on the classrooms doors and letters home- but never the worms.

I'm afraid too many parents are negligent or ignorant when it comes to treating them.

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