To think threadworms are going to be impossible to get rid of??

[WhatIfWhatIf]

Oh good grief, we appear to have threadworm in our midst, courtesy of my 5 year old. No sign of it in 2 year old or baby but I think I've just found one on me. The thought of parasites makes my skin crawl and after reading all the info it sounds as though we're going to be stuck with them forever!

The females lay 'thousands of eggs' which are too tiny to see and survive for two weeks on any surface. I think I have pretty obsessive about hygiene but how the bloody hell do I clean every single thing that my children touch every day?? Clearly I've got loads of time on my hands with three children including a newish baby...

To make matters worse I'm breastfeeding my two month old so can't take the medication.

Help. Please tell me IABVU and that it is actually possible to get rid of them.

DS1 had them last year. I dosed him up and boiled his bedding and all the towels. That did it.

We had one tablet and that was it it was gone. I only saw a couple in dd's poo once nowhere else

My son had threadworms and I went into a meltdown especially after googling it, just seems vile.
It’s not that bad. Can you express enough milk and freeze it while you take the medication (sorry not experienced on breast milk quantities)
They do go away, really easily actually, I treated my son and myself (I didn’t have any signs) but it says all in household. Never saw another one again. Just followed basic hygiene procedures, hand washing, no towel sharing, washed the sheets etc and that was the end of that. That was a while ago too so if they wasn’t gone we’d be majorly infested by now. Don’t worry too much about google, but ask a pharmacist or a doctor about the breast feeding thing. Good luck

Do you mean the stuff you read on the internet?

Certain people on other forums are clearly unreliable narrators...

Dose the kids, clean the bedding, and vacuum the carpet.

Raw garlic

Eat it

My daughter got them and she and my husband took the medication to kill them off. I couldn’t as I was pregnant at the time. I then developed them, it was uncomfortable for a few nights but then they finished their cycle and were gone. We were fastidious about hand washing and like others said washed all bedding and towels on a very hot wash. No one had them again. So dose everyone that can be dosed and then be super careful on hygiene and they should go and not reappear!

Seriously, raw garlic? Does that get rid of them or does it just ensure I don't give it to anyone else as they won't come near me?!

Jamie, yes, I meant the stuff I read on the internet - must be true if I read it on the internet, surely?! TBF I was referring to what I would hope would be trustworthy sources such as NHS etc.

Thank you to those of you being reassuring. Will try to talk to GP tomorrow. Am just imagining the whole house and everything in it covered in thousands of tiny eggs... Feeling really squeamish about it, just sounds so vile.

If they really were that hard to get rid of, we would all have them, all of the time. It wouldn’t just be everything in your home covered, it would be everything, everywhere that people touched, from trolley handles to doors, escalators, the lot.

The tablets work, combined with a decent clean and a few hot washes. You’ll be ok :)

My son had it a few years ago and it really freaked me out! We all took Ovex and repeated again in a fortnight (check if it's suitable for you due to BF) I went a bit overboard by washing bedding daily, showering him down every morning, cleaning his nails and wearing pants and pajama bottoms to bed to try and stop him scratching under his clothes. Wiped light switches and hoovered daily. They went! I don't think you need to be as OTT as me but as I said they freaked me out so wanted to everything possible to get rid!

Relax ! We had 2 bouts
You can try the raw garlic up your bottom !
Wash. Boil . Wipe and hoover hoover hoover

If you can't take the medication eat pumpkin seeds and fresh grated carrot. Something in the pumpkin seed paralyzes them.

Oh and obviously wash all bedding, wash towels after every use, do not share towels, try to get DC to carefully change underwear and wash it straight away. Bath first thing in the morning and hoover hoover hoover.

I think there is one product you can take while breast feeding ask the pharmacy

You don't need medication. You just need to make sure you don't eat any worm eggs, so scrupulous hand washing before eating (and obviously after going to the loos / nappy changing) and no touching your mouth between times. Even if you have already got worms, a few days will break the cycle.

This why adults rarely get worms and five year olds get them frequently, because they may not be washing their hands properly; even if you supervise at home, they won't be supervised at school; and they are still at an age where they will stick fingers and random stuff in their mouths.

I will admit I irrationally freaked out when my children got them, read all the info on the internet and prepared to clean everything. We did a thorough clean and boil washed bedding etc and after the tablets they were gone. I ate lots of raw carrots and garlic tablets. Like you I thought we’d be cursed with them forever.

Regarding drugs and breastfeeding email the breastfeeding network pharmacist - always v helpful - link in page below

www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/detailed-information/drugs-in-breastmilk/

Eating pumpkin seeds supposed to be good too - i did this when we had an infestation whilst I was breastfeeding. I was similarly depressed after googling them, thinking we would never get rid of them but actually a couple of doses of the medication for the kids did it, and sensible hygiene, nothing over the top. Good luck!!

Talk to the gp I'm sure my friends have had over when bf.

They're easy to get rid of and v common. 40% of primary children have them at any given time, mostly asymptomatic. Wash bedding and towels, practise good hygiene and take Ovex if possible. They're not like nits which can be a nightmare to clear.

My ds has never had them but I've heard u don't need to go to the extremes of boil washing everything a normal wash will do for bedding and towels. Take the medication and put sudorem on the childs bum. It relieves itching and stops them from laying eggs as the skin is to slippy.

Hope you get rid soon

Thanks, all, advice and reassurance very much appreciated!

You're right, threadworms are yet to conquer the world; there is hope that we will once again be worm free at some point in the not-too-distant future!

PS Anyone know how long it takes them to die after taking the medication?

I saw 1 in dd’s poo a few weeks ago.
Called the doc who prescribed some meds. Thoroughly cleaned house right the way through, washed all sheets, towels etc.
Saw 2 more dead ones a few days later in her poo and nothing since that was 3 weeks ago now.

I was worried that the eggs would just keep on hatching as the meds don’t kill eggs. But turns out they went really quickly.

Total bs that you have to keep cleaning everything. Wash bedding and towels once. Treat affected ones twice with a 14 day interval. If anyone else crops up with it, treat the same. We went mental the first time with it, whole house cleaned daily for 2 weeks) and they came back after a month. Second time I couldn’t be arsed (pardon the pun) and they went and never came back after 2 doses and all bedding and towels washed once.

Def what everyone has said about sheet and towels washed, no sharing towels, make sure everyone washes their hands well. One small trick i heard years ago and did when my lo got them and I was pregnant so couldn’t take the medicine- Vaseline around the outside of the anus means the eggs stick to it rather than being transferred, or something like that! Anything is worth a shot at that stage though!