Help, I've got a tapeworm and it's messing with my head

[Invasionofthegutsnatchers]

I've had stomach ache for a few weeks. Phoned GP, submitted stool sample. Results not back yet. Gripey pain, back pain, feel tired. GP said probably gastritis or h.pylori infection.

This morning I passed a worm 🪱 about 5cm long 😱😱😱 it was dead. Looked a bit like tagliatelle but thinner.

I'm so disgusted, I wash my hands really regularly. Horrified, vaguely amused, stomach feels like it's being eaten from the inside out and now I know why! Dear Lord.

I will phone GP again on Monday to request prescription for tablets to kill it. Until then I KNOW IT IS THERE and it's so disturbing 🤯

DH and a bunch of people at work got these from sushi in a work canteen.
He passed a few over 18 months before he finally saw a GP and got referred to a tropical medicine specialist.
He kept wanting to show me them, and most disturbingly he passed one when we were back home in.NZ where they freak about foreign diseases.

I thought a real Tape worm is almost the full length of your gut. There was a story of a POW his mates pulled it out gently so that it was complete.
Perhaps I'm wrong.

I've only got 3 pages in to this thread and had to stop reading

Tapeworm is very common from meat, my mum had a tape worm years back when she worked on the meat counter of a supermarket!

I heard in Victorian times some people would take tape worm pills to lose weight. I don’t think it works though 🤢

Is anyone else wondering if the worm has eaten the OP? She has gone very quiet!!

have I got it wrong or didn't models use to swallow tape worms to help lose weight does not work obviously

I want a Ski hazelnut yoghurt now

@RampantIvy

Goodness, that must be distressing. Definitely go to the pharmacy. Have you eaten any undercooked pork recently?

This is no longer true apparently particularly if its British pork.

Got some bravecto, it says for 20kg (canine) so take 3

Yes, see also TV Doctors who did their a medical degree after a tour in banking, then immediately on graduating went to work for the BBC without ever practising and who are not registered as doctors but that title certainly helps if making pop science programmes about the fad of the day

Who would that be pls ?

Name changed as this is outing. I have had worms at least twice - once a tapeworm (sounds similar to yours OP) which was a bit icky, and once a geography hookworm in my foot. I grew rather fond of him and called him Boris, but I had to take worming tablets after he ate his way across a nerve in my foot causing me blinding agony! My body reabsorbed him apparently after the tablets killed him so I suppose I am part-worm now. I lived in Africa (where both of these incidents happened) so have a rather blase attitude to gross things like this

@Hoppinggreen

This happened to me but I saved it and took it to my GP. He called in a colleague for a second opinion and they agreed it was a bean sprout. I was surprised because I hadn’t eaten one for a while but apparently they can hang around.

I know someone that did that 🤣 Wonder if you are her 🤔

That's good to know @Crinkle77.

Thought I was the only one traumatised for life by Pripsen! DH and I once ordered a trendy liqueur at a bar on a treat night out and to my horror it tastes just like Pripsen - my face contorted in horror as the taste-memories came flooding back and the poor barman felt so sorry for me he gave me a free Cointreau to take the taste away!! (I didn't explain what it reminded me of...)

Please don’t worry. If you have you have children, they often catch and pass worms around the family. Mine did. Can’t remember if they were round or thread worms. Had to do embarrassing announcement at chemist for required treatment for whole family. It was topped off by dog bursting in, meant to be outside with a person, running round like a loony. Everyone knew who and why we were there!

Sparkling brook. Literally PMSL🤣🤣

Yes, see also TV Doctors who did their a medical degree after a tour in banking, then immediately on graduating went to work for the BBC without ever practising and who are not registered as doctors but that title certainly helps if making pop science programmes about the fad of the day

Who would that be pls ?

I think that might be Michael Mosley. I was reading an article about him and remember saying to DH that although I passionately disagree with student loans I was wavering a bit on reading about someone who trained to be a Doctor, then didn't fancy it and then pissed about doing this and that with most of it all (obviously I include the BBC in this ) funded by the taxpayer.

Our rescued RSPCA Lurcher passed tapeworm proglottids- easily treatable, but have you eaten Sushi?
Fish tapeworm can be caught via raw fish .
Tapeworm is normally species specific.
It is if they get into the brain that it is dangerous-they encyst- but see your GP ASAP .

@Galassia

Op, that sounds grim. I'd be freaking too.

I'm off to panic buy the food grade earth stuff ...all of it.

Soooo whats the best recipe for earth?

@Invasionofthegutsnatchers

Can you post the photo, or describe it?
Can you see the segments of the worm? Are they long or wider than long?

If you have eaten raw beef recently or fish, what you passed out could still be a larval form that didn't manage to get established in your gut. I'm saying this because you mention one end looking like a horseshoe shape at one end. This makes me think it is a fish worm. (look up Dibothriocephalus latus, or, the older name, Diphyllobothrium latum) The larvae tend to be longer, and the "head", or scolex, is flat with folds, rather than the round (but also small) scolex with suckers of Taenia saginata (the beef worm).

If it is a dead larva it is good news, as it's likely that you won't have any more inside you.

Note: I work with this stuff and you can PM me if you want.

Angrywife only DH knows
And you lot

Omg! Reading this before going to sleep and I actually think I’m gonna have nightmares. Poor OP can’t imagine how you must be feeling.