Oh the horror

[meladeso]

Two weeks ago DC1 woke screaming and eventually we clocked he had threadworm I will never unsee it .

Cue a trip for DH to late night pharmacy, a lot of distraction and we survived the rest of the night.

I later thought about it and realised (yes I know I’m an idiot) that he’s had it weeks, and that I think I have it too. I thought I just had a thrush-like irritation going on around my bottom (sorry about this).

So we dosed him up, we all took the pills too as directed, and kept an eye on little DC2, who was showing no signs.

Seemed all fine.

A week later she starts up with it. So we all take another dose. And as per instructions, wash and launder every bloody thing again.

Here’s the thing - I’m certain I still have it. I have a frequent, if not constant crawling sensation. It’s driving me insane.

I took another dose today which is not the guidance but I’m honestly starting to freak out.

I feel queasy at the thought of it, it’s putting me off food, I am repulsed, I can’t sleep for feeling it and thinking about it, and it’s not exactly conducive to a love life.

I googled today and got the horror stories of people saying they can’t get rid of it and that you should be taking meds every day, and all sorts of things.

It’s making me feel ill and I don’t feel comfortable talking much about it with DH as I hate the thought of him thinking too much about me having it.

I know we’re all grown ups and it’s fairly common, but come on, it’s not very appealing is it!

It’s getting me down so much.

Aibu to ask you lot to talk to me about it please? Any experience with it? Words of reassurance?

[bonbonours]

math - to do everything you just said I'd need about a month off work.

[PerspicaciaTick]

They are only worms. Annoying more than harmful and very easy to treat.

The first dose of Ovex kills the worms.
The second dose kills the worms hatching from the dead worms eggs.

If you can feel them all the time and you are unable to eat or go about your life without thinking about them all the time, then you need to see your GP...because I'm not sure that the symptoms sounds like threadworms.

[Doilooklikeatourist]

meladeso
Be brave
I assume they scratched them out of their bum and put them on the wall as trophies ?

[mathanxiety]

As I said, it may look like overkill, but you would be hoovering, dusting, and taking care of floors anyway - you just have to use hot water and dispose of dusting cloths (use paper towels).

The loo would normally be kept clean too, but you just have to make sure it gets wiped off after every use. It's a pita to get DCs to do this, but when at home all together, a parent can do this if the DCs are small or unreliable.

Toothbrushes should really be kept in an enclosed container anyway, and the loo should always be closed for flushing. This is not just a precaution against threadworms but also against e-coli.

The laundry at high heat doesn't take any extra effort. Only the towel washing might be extra, and the precaution of using one towel each isn't an extra effort, just a pita to enforce.

Frequent hand washing is a good habit too, especially before eating and after coming in from the supermarket, school, bus trip, park, etc.

Washing the toys is definitely an effort, but it can help greatly in preventing reinfection, which is the aim here. The medication is not easy on the liver and it is a pity to rely on that alone and have to take repeated doses in the course of a few months. A bit of elbow grease up front can make a difference.

[Chapterandverse]

I remember having them when I was young (am 40 now) and telling my mum, who didn't believe me!!

I remember wiping myself after a bowel movement and the tissue paper crawling with worms. I also remember squatting over a mirror one evening & watching them crawling (there were loads and loads of them)

Finally, when staying with my older sister who was living in her own home, I told her and explained about the itch - she got me treatment! It wasn't tablet form in those days - it was a raspberry flavour powder sachet (I still can't drink anything raspberry flavoured!)

[SchadenfreudePersonified]

Thank you for that information linoleum.

I have cancelled our trip to Paignton Zoo.

[mathanxiety]

You should probably swab any washable laundry baskets you have too. If you use a laundry bag, wash in hot water. If a basket, vacuum thoroughly and wipe if possible.

[Maelstrop]

Get a Pramox wormer from the nearest horsey shop and spread it on the affected parts.

[meladeso]

I will make a doc appointment on Monday, but as it’s usually 2 - 3 weeks wait I may have gone insane by the time I get to see them!
I’m going to dose the kids and us again tomorrow just for reassurance.

DS is a great hand washer and hasn’t been scratching his bum, baby can’t anyway as she’s in nappies.
We’re all doing good hand washing, plus all the laundering I just thought it would have gone by now.

[PerspicaciaTick]

The worms should die within about 24 hours of the first dose. You would then have a break of about 10-12 days before the next lot hatch and start making their presence felt.
Feeling them continuously for weeks on end despite frequent dosing is one of the things that makes me wonder if it isn't worms.

[HurtyTeeth]

Maelstrom - you can do that? Use equestrian products on ourselves?

[Hawkmoth]

My children can't express 'itchy bottom' so every so often, when their bedtime behaviour deteriorates I have to dose everyone. Obviously left it a bit long before the summer dose as my toilet experience the next day was truly nightmarish. I was too tired to notice them in myself or they have inherited the sensory issues from me. Fucking things.

[5foot5]

Whatever you do don't put garlic up your bottom. There was a thread on here years ago where someone did that and it wasn't pretty. It is probably in Classics but I can't find it

[yorkshireyummymummy]

DD has got worms twice from school.
I just dose us all with OVEX and then again 14 days later.
The infected one sleeps in pants and pajamas and has a fresh pair daily for the two weeks.
Door handles, light switches done with an anti bac wipe daily but it's more like every other day
Wash all bedding once you have taken first dose.
And then live your life as normal.
I don't go cleaning mad like Math reccomended. I wouldn't have time to watch Newsnight Jeremy Kyle if I did all that.
Once I have done the above the worms go bye byes and DH and I have never been infected but we are good hand washers.
Do nt stress too much about them. It's really not the end of the world.
I have lived in Africa and got infected with a putsy fly eggs/ larvae. Try that for making your skin crawl!

[counterpoint]

Fastest, safest, most permanent cure is the garlic.

Try Greek garlic dip. Google " skordalia " and double the number of cloves of garlic. Easy to make and keeps in the fridge for a few days.

It's delicious with warm pitta bread strips.

[Bluetrews25]

Consider not drying bum on towel - use loo roll instead - therefore no eggs on towel. Loo roll gets flushed. I still have the habit of doing that now.

[Ploppie4]

Eating the raw garlic thing is effective. You should try that before using GP time.

[picklemepopcorn]

It’s possible you have made yourself sore with the wiping- try and anusol suppository. It really helps! Sometimes you get phantom worms, you are convinced you have them and it burns and crawls, but they aren’t really there. So anusol.

[elfinpre]

Anal itching can just be piles.

[Thebookswereherfriends]

Diatomatious earth is a powder which you mix with a bit of water and drink. It is good for parasites because it causes them to dry out. Can be bought on Amazon.

[NotAgainYoda]

I agree with others

I really think that if you are experiencing the sensation all the time, not just in the evening/at night, then it might be psychosomatic

As pickleme says - try an suppository

I'm no expert but I had them a lot as a child

[NotAgainYoda]

... yes, or piles

[MyDearAnnie]

Was just going to say that we've never had it in our family, but then I read the garlic thing.

My daughter loves raw garlic.

And she chews it.

She stinks.

But no threadworm...

[lurkingnotlurking]

You're going to have to get to the bottom of it, either way. But the psychosomatic effects might be ongoing. I had nits a year ago and still imagine I might have them. But I don't

[SoupDragon]

Door handles, light switches done with an anti bac wipe daily

Are worms bacteria then?