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Original poster

Threadworms!?? What do I do?

33 replies

Whatdoesitmatterif · 02/02/2023 00:25

My 5 year old tonight woke up screaming because he was so uncomfortable with an itchy bottom, and I've just discovered he has worms.
the problem I'm having is, he puts EVERYTHING in his mouth (sensory issues) chews his clothes etc so I don't see how he's ever going to get rid because he'll just be reinfecting himself constantly surely? I can't wash every single thing in my whole flat? I'm going to struggle even getting all the bedding washed and dried tomorrow because I don't have a drier and live in a small flat.
what is the normal level of precaution to take? I have a tendency to over react things so I'm feeling like he's going to have them forget and we're all going to get them!

This is definitely the least favourite parenting thing over ever had to deal with

OP posts:
BlackeyedSusan · 02/02/2023 00:32

Medicine from the chemist for all of you. Wash bedding (don't shake it about or you spread eggs) and soft toys. Damp dust.

Pants on overnight. Bath and clean pants In the mornings. Hoover the mattress carpet and anything else you can in their room.

greenspaces4peace · 02/02/2023 00:32

you get medication to treat this at the pharmacy.
change the toothbrush and scour the bathroom taps/toilet/tub shower.
change the bedding.
if he sucks on his shirts you will need to wash those as well. i know the washing and drying is an issue can you afford to have a dry cleaner pick up and do the wash dry/do you have family or friends that will help with the wash dry.
you will need to treat the whole family.
it's not a medical emergency by any means but the longer you take to resolve it the longer it will be till your life is back to your normal.

SkyHippoOnACloud · 02/02/2023 00:38

Take everything to a launderette to get it all washed and dried, dose him and anyone else in the house with stuff from the pharmacy, clean everything all surfaces etc, watch him like a hawk and try to stop him scratching himself. It's two doses I think until they're gone. Can you put a belt on his trousers buckled at the back so he can't undo it himself then at least he can't scratch his butt? You'll have to be on the ball to help him with the toilet. I don't know what else you could do if he doesn't understand the need to not scratch. Antihistamines for the itching, IME they work to stop the itch regardless of the cause of the itching. Good hand hygiene, scrub under the nails, wash hands regularly and definitely before eating. Good luck. It'll be over soon.

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afty · 02/02/2023 00:41

Make sure to bin any play doh - we found it to be awful for harbouring their eggs!

afty · 02/02/2023 00:43

Vaseline to stop it itching as they can't wriggle in it.
It's horrible, and difficult to get rid of once established - I used
To joke to DH I should just worm DD once a month like I did with the pets....

greenspaces4peace · 02/02/2023 00:53

@afty my mil (born in the late 1920's) dosed her family twice a year whether they needed it or not.
when my dh and i started living together and spring arrived he asked me when we would be taking our dewormer...
i didn't keep that family tradition.

Viviennemary · 02/02/2023 00:56

It's pretty horrifying when yoru discover them but they are easily dealt with. As others have said medicstion from pharmacist.. And follow guidelines re washing and cleaning.

SomethingOnce · 02/02/2023 03:13

In my experience, if you dose everyone with mebendazole and redose at the correct interval, you don’t need to go mad with the laundry and cleaning, unless you’re into that sort of thing and it makes you feel better.

Think about it… children are super unhygienic and schools get no such deep cleaning, yet most children very seldom have threadworms. I think they’re harder to catch than is generally believed.

Between them, the DC have had threadworms a few times in primary but very easily dealt with, as above. Eldest now in Y8 and nothing so far.

SomethingOnce · 02/02/2023 03:20

Also, I’d take threadworms every six months over headlice ever.

Now I’ve said that, I’ll probably discover within the week that we’ve all got both Grin

Kerrybemmy · 02/02/2023 03:29

Threadworms cannot be anywhere near as common as headlice, me and my teenage daughter have never had them, I used to think they were a myth that my mum made up to make me wash my hands as a child. My family had headlice constantly when my daughter was in Primary school.

Original poster
Whatdoesitmatterif · 02/02/2023 22:04

we all took ovex this morning, google terrified me with stories of people having them for years and in there nose and all sorts of mad stuff so I'm staying away from that! But on average how long does it take to kill them off? Poor ds just woke up screaming within 10 minutes of being asleep, I checked him and there was so many more than yesterday, I've showered him and put sudocrem on him which doesn't really seem to be helping at all (tried Vaseline first but he said it was too annoying)
I've given him chocolate buttons and let him stay up watching tv because I feel so bad for him, he was crying saying he wanted his old happy life back before the worms lived in his bottom Sad

OP posts:
JustDrama · 02/02/2023 22:06

They day my DC got these was the day I discovered you always have this stuff in the medicine cabinet just in case as it always comes out at night when there's fuck all you can do. No one told me this.

SomethingOnce · 02/02/2023 22:57

I’d be surprised if you have a further disturbed evening/night tomorrow - 24 hours seems to significantly weaken them and inhibit their night wiggling, even if they’re not all dead.

Be sure to set a phone reminder for your second doses.

maddy68 · 02/02/2023 23:06

Just fi the chemist. It's really very ordinary and everyone gets them and it's so easily treated. But the whole family has to take the tablets. It's not a biggy

SugarNspices · 02/02/2023 23:16

I've never had there where 5 kids when I was at home and we never had them once. My kids have never had them so far and the are 11 and 8

Original poster
Whatdoesitmatterif · 02/02/2023 23:49

SugarNspices · 02/02/2023 23:16

I've never had there where 5 kids when I was at home and we never had them once. My kids have never had them so far and the are 11 and 8

my eldest is 10 and we'd managed to avoid them until now but my youngest just chews things constantly It was bound to happen really. I know it's fairly common for kids to get but I was actually so shocked I've never seen anything like it, kids can be so gross Envy

OP posts:
thaegumathteth · 02/02/2023 23:52

SugarNspices · 02/02/2023 23:16

I've never had there where 5 kids when I was at home and we never had them once. My kids have never had them so far and the are 11 and 8

And?

OP I was horrified when my kids had them.

Shower / bath every morning as soon as they're up, keep nails trimmed and clean, ovex as you've done and Chuck anything like play dough / slime etc.

BlueWhiteStripe · 02/02/2023 23:54

SugarNspices · 02/02/2023 23:16

I've never had there where 5 kids when I was at home and we never had them once. My kids have never had them so far and the are 11 and 8

Such a lovely fucking helpful post. Didn’t you do so fucking well.

afty · 03/02/2023 08:28

SugarNspices · 02/02/2023 23:16

I've never had there where 5 kids when I was at home and we never had them once. My kids have never had them so far and the are 11 and 8

How is that helpful?

BeckyWithTheGoodHair010101 · 03/02/2023 19:36

SugarNspices · 02/02/2023 23:16

I've never had there where 5 kids when I was at home and we never had them once. My kids have never had them so far and the are 11 and 8

Well done 👏🏻

Original poster
Whatdoesitmatterif · 04/02/2023 00:20

DS has actually gone to bed and not woken up screaming yet and it's been a good few hours so I'm hoping and praying they means the ovex is starting to work! I don't think I can cope with anther sleepless night showering a wormy bottom and consoling a very upset 5 year old
I really pathetically ended up crying this morning because I was so tired and grossed out and stressed by it all Blush

OP posts:
Sunnydaysarenear · 25/04/2023 07:09

Hi there, how are you and your child now?I discovered my DD caught it again!! after 3 yrs of no sign I was hopeful we was over this and wouldnt have to deal with it again as she is in yr 6 now. this will be the 4th time since starting primary school the first time I only knew because i had it and and so checked her too. The whole situation always gives me really bad anxiety though I know its common & not harmful it just makes me fearful, I think the horror stories on the internet are mostly to blame and the fact nobody talks about it.

Sunnydaysarenear · 25/04/2023 15:59

If anyone has any positive stories of how this is so normal even for adults to get🤢 please share Im so fed up of going through this only to find when I tell people they are like "No never had it" apart from 1 or two people over the yrs but thats it. I get paranoid this will go on forever and will live in bloody fear of it all the time. Ever since the first time i still scrub hands use a seperate basket for towels & undies bag bedding also boil wash them 🙈 always getting told off for shrienking pants. In all seriousness I struggle with it and I'm not a precious girl, been through alot worse but we all have our fears. Just to add my son now 23 never had it to my knowledge I also worked with kids for yrs and didnt either, as far as i know, then in 2017 i felt that tickle DD had too then 18 mnths later again then a yr later but this time its been 3 yrs since last lot DD is 11 now please come to an end at secondary🤞

Sunnydaysarenear · 25/04/2023 17:49

I am new to this, not sure I'm doing it right hope to get some replies😊

lavenderlou · 25/04/2023 17:51

Give Ovex (or cheaper Boots equivalent) to everyone. Wash bedding, towels, nightwear. Then give Ovex again in two weeks. That's all you need to do other than try to keep hands clean after going to the toilet

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