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.

One of my twins had headlice and worms within two weeks of starting a new school. Her brother in a different class didn't catch a thing. When I told DH he first reaction was 'bloddy he'll she's a walking wildlife park'

Headlice and threadworms at the same time = the stuff of nightmares!

Though headlice is far more containable I think!

Chatting with a friend who works as a doctor yesterday and she said she gives worming tablets to her children every six weeks. I think that's how we're going to go. Can't see the harm from everything I've read but can definitely see the advantages!

I know lots of people that 'worm' the whole family every couple of months.

Our lot had them - I was horrified but a couple of the DCs were thrilled at the prospect of bum friends
I went military grade on them:
Their pyjamas taken off on the toilet first thing and into a carrier bag, straight to the washing machine.
Clean knickers and undies on for bed, same as above.
Beds changed every day, hoovered twice a day, damp dusted twice a day (with wipes that I binned)
Nails cut even shorter than normal.
Each child had their own bar of soap and own nail brush in a little tub by the sink.
Threatened them with nail biting solution if fingers went in mouths.
Kids are essentially riddled with doom aren't they!
Bad times

Ah I'm itching now.
They aren't harmful though are they?

Oh and the most important one - made us all as sugar free as possible! They need sugar to stay alive not jealous

It's six days since I took Ovex. Since then I've only found one live one (48 hours after) and about a dozen dead ones - though I only think they were threadies as it's hard to tell!

Shouldn't there be more dead ones?! Where are they? Or is that it?

You won't be crawling with them, it just feels like it! To be honest, they are very fragile, once dead they probably disintegrate a bit too.

I feel for you.
My middle child had the dreaded worms a few months ago. I was checking poo until very recently. It becomes quite obsessive.

Am ok with nits, but for some reason, these beasties filled me with absolute horror. As PP's have said...wash everything, all the time, at 60℃, make them have separate towels, soap etc.. At bedtime, I got DD to wear 2 pairs of pants plus pjs and made her get dressed in the shower. Apparently you can waft the eggs about. Eeek.
Anyway, along with 1 dose of Ovex and my complete paranoia/ OTT cleaning hygiene routine, they were gone. But I am sorely tempted to routinely worm after dealing with all that. And frightening myself with knowing how common they are and on virtually everything I touch.

How the hell we are not all riddled with them, I don't know.

Thanks to everyone for their replies. Nice to know we're not alone!

I've had no symptoms for days now but just thought I'd see lots of dead ones in my poo. Have only had one live one and a dozen dead post-Ovex. My husband hasn't had any at all but isn't checking any longer. The two older chn haven't had any in poos at all and the toddler only had one poo that had a live one in nothing else which seems odd.

I'm just hoping they ARE dead and not continuing to thrive but not appearing in poos and not causing symptoms!

We are:
Washing hands thoroughly after toileting, before food (and for a million other reasons!)
Washing hands and bottoms first thing every morning.
I'm showering AM and PM and wiping my bottom with wet wipes every few hours
Keeping nails short and fingers out of mouths
Leaving pants on until in shower and then taking off there
Wearing fresh-daily pants and pj bottoms in bed
All have a separate towel
Changed all bedding and towels on day of Ovex (last Sunday) and again today
Given the main soft toys a wash (not all though - we have hundreds)
Hoovering every couple of days
Cleaned bathrooms thoroughly and wiping toilet flush, toilet seat and bathroom taps a few times a day
I cleaned all light switches and door handles today as well as the shutters and and surfaces that catch dust.

But then I think, 'it only takes ONE egg.' And that is a bit depressing! But I'm hopefully with the two doses of Ovex and the hygiene precautions we are taking that it'll be enough. 😫😬😑😳🙀

Put things like soft toys in the freezer. It's easier than washing.

I think we might have them at the moment and I'm terrified as I'm reading stuff about them never going! I have an 8 month old and a 4 year old. Going to docs to get medication tomorrow. So I need to-
Change bedding (every day? And what about the cushions we put on bed that I can't wash?)
Hoover/damp dust (all areas every day? It's a big house)
Cut nails and use nail brush
Wash hands religiously
Keep pants on and dress/undress in shower
What about where I change the baby? Does it always need to be in same place (sometimes I'll do it on floor in front room for example)

Please help I'm freaking out! I've had to have a massive gin before I go with a torch and peer up little ones bum

Did you find any?!

This is how our family beat them:

Treatment
Everyone took medication (Ovex) at the same time.
We're all going to take a second dose two weeks later.
We've upped garlic intake and been munching on pumpkin seeds for what it's worth!
One live worm spotted at 48 hours in my poo and at 72 hours in toddler's poo but Ovex can take time to work. About six days post-Ovex there were about half a dozen dead in my poo and toddler poo (we think that's what they were, hard to identify dead ones amongst the general poo mass - and they are teeny-tiny things!). Nothing further worm-wise at all about eight days after taking Ovex.
Husband and two older sons have had no evidence of any worms and no symptoms though still following same hygiene rules!
Been checking all poos everytime! I've used disposable gloves.

Cleaning
At the same time we took the Ovex we changed all bedding and towels, hoovered throughout house and cleaned both bathrooms. We washed the main cuddly toys too.
Careful with washing that it isn't flapped about in case eggs present.
Wiped over all light switches and door handles.
A few days later I cleaned other wipeable surfaces such as the shutters, cot etc.
I've used cleaning wipes to go over toilet seats, door handles and taps every day to start but less frequently now.
I've not gone completely crazy. Not done cushion covers or wiped every toy. It just wouldn't be possible.

Hygiene
Strict proper hand washing after using toilet and before eating anything. I've also been washing my hands after touching almost anything! Hand washing has really dried out the hands of the eczema sufferers so using Aveeno to help.
Keeping nails short
Hands (and other objects ) kept out of mouths - though impossible with a toddler.
Bottoms washed every morning first thing - first few days in shower, now just wet wipes.
Pants on at night - they stay on until in shower then taken off then. New pants on before getting out.
I've showered morning and night.
No shared baths.
Everyone has own towel.
Toothbrushes kept in cupboard not out on sink.

They seem to have gone - I've had no itching as soon as I took Ovex (but I'd only had two days of itching and must have had them longer so not necessarily hard evidence) and no evidence in poos for days now. BUT if 1 in 3 people has them at any one time and most people have no symptoms (either itching or live worms in poos) then how does anyone know if they have them or not?!?!?

We've decided to deworm our family every three months to keep on top it. I'm a Reception teacher and I know first hand how filthy children (and adults) are! Even those who wash their hands don't have that innate hygiene instinct. Stuff goes in mouths constantly, they sneeze and cough over everything and fingers are constantly up noses. 😩

Good luck to everyone fighting the dreaded threadworms. But remember you're not alone and they can be defeated.

Also don't get upset by some of the crazy things on the internet! That way madness lies. 😬

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