to blame worms for DD's terrible behaviour?

[BaggyAndWrinkled]

DC have worms. After a really restless and disturbed night on Monday (v distressing for her), I spotted them. I treated her immediately with Ovax (and the whole family) and got to work sorting sheets, hoovering etc. All the necessary methods.

Her behaviour recently has been terrible. She's just turned 6, has a flash temper which is rare, but in general is a happy little thing. Very particular, but un-demanding, can be impatient of her younger sibling sometimes, but on the whole, a real sweetheart. So all this makes her more recent behaviour so very hard to understand. Stroppy. Answers back. Defiant. Challenging. Remorseless. We've disciplined her by removing her precious items and she's also now lost her friday night 'extension' (which she loves as she stays up with us and cuddles on the settee watching a movie of her choice).

I've checked and checked about school - no apparent probs there. She also tends to suffer with constipation so she's back on Movicol for now. Apart from a wobbly tooth, no other health concerns. I have read somewhere about worms effecting moods, so could any other 'worm-experienced' Mums share their advice with me? My little girl is unrecognisable at times and frankly, it's breaking my heart

Meant to add, younger sibling is 2 and a bit - also treated, but didn't seem to reach the level of distress that DD reached so no behavioural changes there.

Didn't want to read and run. No experience of this with DD yet, but lots of sites suggest that irritability and behavioural changes are one of the symptoms, due to restless sleep. Hopefully someone more knowledgable will be here soon. :)

Bump

I can honestly say I've never heard of worms causing anything other than an itchy bum and sometimes a stomach upset.

Gosh I remember having worms, and though I don't think they burrow into your emotions borglike I do remember the lack of sleep, itchiness and general ARRRRGH hard to deal with.

It could be the case that having worms has made your dd more irritable and frustrated, but I am not sure they're directly responsible.

I guess that now you've treated them, you'll find out soon enough.

Horrible bloody things they are.

My daughter, also 6 had them recently. I think we caught them pretty quickly but you'll be pleased to know that she is like a different little girl. Bad moods have (almost) disappeared and she is SO much happier in general. I wasn't sure if it was coincidence but I'm not bothered, she's back to being herself again.

Yes YABU, worms might affect sleep a little, so perhaps this might lead to being a bit grumpy in children who needs lots of sleep, but absolutely not into "defiant" and "remorseless" (!) territory.

Never noticed change in behaviour in any if mine when they have had them. I have 5 dc but apart from a bit of broken sleep, nothing

They are horrible but are only symptomatic at night. Other than the tiredness which may result, I think YAB a little U to blame the worms. Hope you have hit the little buggers hard and that are gone for good. Don't forget to re treat in two weeks in case any eggs have been missed.

If she knows what they are could knowing they were there caused her some anxiety?

It sounds bloody horrible when you say the words out loud, so to a 6 YO who might have trouble rationalising it it must be pretty scary.

Yanbu. Dd aged 5 went through period of terrible, unexplainable, out of the blue, and out of character abut 4 months ago. Discovered she had worms, within a week or so of treatment her old self came back. Her behaviour had been like when she is sick, but not really really sick, the beginning or end of a virus. It is normally how we know she is coming down with something before symptoms start, and this time nothing came. I really think, and did before this thread that it affectd her behaviour.

My dds have had worms quite a lot, as did me and sister when we were little (not filthy, but all finger suckers!) Never had any experience of behaviour changes in any of us. But it is incredibly irritating and can really stop you from sleeping, so could completely see how it could cause tiredness which could cause behaviour changes. Do you thinly she had it for ages b4 you realised?

And I think like others have suggested that it was because it disrupted sleep more than we probably realised, annoyed her, she was in pain a lot and as pain was around her genitalia I dd suspect worms, several checks found none until one horrid night...

So I think the bad behaviour came from a general feeling of miserableness they caused most nights.

My DCs had them and were certainly irritable with them.

Thanks everyone - am really grateful for your replies on this.

Mixed bag of answers though - I think I need to do some more thinking on this. Pavlov, exact same experience as us. I suspect she's suffered for quite some time (has complained of tummy trouble, distinctive soreness around bottom area) but I wrongly put this down to her existing prone-ness to constipation . Until, like you, one horrid night... Bottom, genitalia... I was [shocked] I honestly think she's been through the grinder and, although they are common amongst this age group, I've underestimated the distress they cause. Also, because you're advised to use cotton buds to remove the bastards, she was acutely aware of what was going on. I think it's messed with her head a little, frankly.

Crikey, did she have an infestation? I only ever find a couple at a time

Bejeezus...I only needed to see one before running away. I did not hang around to see any more. I did not do cotton buds. I welded her pants onto her and marched to gp and let the magical medicine do its work. Along with a deep clean of all bedding etc. but I did not burn all her bears

Ahh...poor little thing. As one who frequently hosts the wiggly things up my bum, can I respectfully insist that you pick them out for her

Dd1 enjoys it, because it gives her the opportunity to fart in my face!

The poor love, the idea of them would freak me out too.

Genuine lol at your DDs methods of getting her own back on you bejeezus

I tackled them with vaseline (slowed them down, the bastards) and cotton buds. I even had DH's pot-holing headlamp on so that she could still lie in the dark whilst I dealt with them.

And to add insult to injury, she fell yesterday at school, in full-sprint at race time, landed on her face. Eye and lip up like balloons. God.