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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To despair over bloody threadworms

26 replies

Draineddraineddrained · 05/10/2021 23:40

Why is our family so susceptible??? Already had them once this year, multiple times since my first started nursery. Now again I have felt the telltale tickle and scooped out a little bugger on the toilet paper. Yuck yuck yuck.

I know I will have them from the 4yo who is a dreadful finger sucker - almost a month do the day since she went back to school so she must have brought the eggs home almost immediately as they cycle from egg to laying adult is a month 😭 The thing that's really freaking me out is that my 7 month old baby may have it (restless at night when she used to be a good sleeper...)

Taking the Ovex (again), will take it again in 2 weeks (again)... But how can I possibly wash ALL the soft toys? And all the linens every day for weeks? I just don't have the time!!! I'm going to step up handwashing, and buy some stop n grow to try to stop the 4,yo sucking her fingers.

The thing that bugs me is, why us?? I've never met any other parent who has owned up to having to deal with worms. We're really not dirty! So why us??? 😭

OP posts:
Mylittlepotofjoy · 05/10/2021 23:43

It’s not you !!! You are just really unlucky . Hopefully someone will come along with great ideas . Flowers

minipie · 05/10/2021 23:48

Loads of families get worms (especially those with thumb suckers/nail biters/nose pickers and eaters)

Nobody ever admits it in RL

We get reports of nits from school all the time… but nobody admits to worms

Which of course means the buggers don’t get eradicated

After much trial and error I don’t believe all the soft toy washing etc makes a blind bit of difference. The main things are ovex for the whole family, pants at night, nails short, and another round of ovex 2 weeks later without fail.

ShowOfHands · 05/10/2021 23:51

40% of primary aged children have them at any given time but a lot of people don't show symptoms so don't realise. You definitely aren't alone.

We only found out DD had them when she was 5 or so because she had thrush symptoms, particularly bad at night. The worms were migrating. I only realised when I started a thread on here in desperation as the GP had drawn a blank. The idea makes me feel quite sick to this day.

Original poster
Draineddraineddrained · 05/10/2021 23:53

I'm going to treat the 7mo I've decided. BNF give a dose for 6 months up so I'm going for it. Can't bear the thought of her being infested Envy

Thanks for saying it's not just us. I have a gang of really sound mum friends and when we got them last time I told them on the WhatsApp - they were all horrified and said they'd never had them ever. They'd say if they had! Feel like either we're the only ones who keep getting them or the only ones that notice!

OP posts:
Original poster
Draineddraineddrained · 05/10/2021 23:56

Ooh there's another one, should I tell school? Feel like I might die of shame if I do so but feel I should give everyone the heads up to protect themselves ... As much as you can with 4yos, the grim little licky sucky handsy monsters 🤮

OP posts:
Original poster
Draineddraineddrained · 05/10/2021 23:57

I have a cold ATM and soooo tired, was desperate to get to bed - now there is just no way I am sleeping 😬 I'm really phobic about parasites and just cannot even right now 😭😭😭

OP posts:
CimCardashian · 06/10/2021 00:00

Threadworms are so grim..... I've caught them and also nits from when my kids had them (DD was a thumbsucker).

At least threadworms are easier to get rid of than nits.

We've definitely had at least 2 infestations but possibly more (can't remember as it was a while ago).

AlphaJura · 06/10/2021 00:01

Do you think for some reason they are becoming more prevalent? Because I just discovered that we had them aswell. I remember when my other 2 were younger (now teens) my daughter had a couple of times, we treated whole family once and they went.. But recently, youngest was complaining of an itchy bum and I 'thought' I saw something white in my poo, so we all took an ovex tablet each. Then.. a week or 2 later, I thought I had a urine infection. I've got a couple of other health issues going on that may have cauSed this. But got tested by 2 different medical settings and they said all clear.. so I started getting really worried it was something like cancer.. then I noticed one again. It made me feel sick! This time I bought the medicine because there's 5 of us and it works out cheaper. I've also ordered spot-on wormer for the cat 'Drontal' because previously she had tablets but would never take them or eat food with a trace of the tablet in. I've noticed our cat who is getting very old and a bit senile has started eating peoples food off their plates if you put it down for a minute! (Never used to) .

I took 2 spoonfuls of the ovex medicine as I felt so sick about it. Everyone else had one. Washed all sheets and bedding. Changing pj's and underwear more regularly. Rinsed toothbrushes in mouthwash. Going to take another dose of ovex next week, plus hoover throughly bedrooms. I feel better already! I was really bloated before and getting a lot of pain which I was putting down to my other issue. I've also been eating spoonfuls of coconut oil and eating raw carrots which is supposed to help.

I don't think you're the only one, I think many people don't realIse they have them until
It becomes really noticeable and also, people are too embarrassed to talk about it irl. I hope you eradicate the little pests v soon Thanks

jd88123 · 06/10/2021 00:06

Sounds really awful, so sorry for you. We have never had them and I didn't even know it was common until reading on mums net. I take it you would notice it if you had them? Sorry for being naive. Off to Google as well. I've got an 8 Yr old and don't think she's had them... No wonder you couldn't sleep, sounds a nightmare. Hope you get rid for good this time.

AlphaJura · 06/10/2021 00:06

Just to let you know my mum said she had them multiple times as a child, I don't remember having them, but my little sister used to get them alot because she was a thumb sucker but also an avid gymnast so she was always getting her hands dirty doing handstands etc. !

Silverswirl · 06/10/2021 00:07

Don’t bother with washing everything- doesn’t really help.
Ovex for everyone in the house. I tend to triple dose so first dose, second and third 2 weeks after the second.
Pants at night. Shower / shallow bath and wash bums very well with soap first thing on waking before breakfast if you can really helps too as they lay eggs over night and it’s in the morning that it can be itchy and eggs are transferred to the mouth

Holidaytan · 06/10/2021 00:11

We had them a lot as kids (all thumb suckers) but I’ve never known anyone admit to it…… I remember the horror of my mum removing one from my vagina with a cotton bud. It had migrated…….

foxgoosefinch · 06/10/2021 00:16

We’ve had them a few times; they do appear with regularity a month or so after the start of the school year! I once mentioned D waking at night to my GP and he recommended regular worming!

We call them “bottom friends” and they are very common. My sisters and I used to get them as kids too. Lots of people have them and don’t realise.

LemonJuiceFromConcentrate · 06/10/2021 00:17

We’ve had them a few times, or at least my kids have. We always dose the whole family but I haven’t ever noticed myself having symptoms, only the children.

I did ring nursery/primary school and tell them, because I thought fuck it, I’m not going to let this embarrass me so much that I don’t do the right thing. But they didn’t send a text round or anything (as they sometimes do with headlice) so I’m not sure it made any difference me being so brave

AlphaJura · 06/10/2021 00:17

Must admit the first time I didn't bother washing everything but seeing as I noticed them again I did. (Didn't bother with soft toys) but I've upped hand washing for youngest (I sometimes sleep with her). I've been having a shower every morning and for the past few days after I've done a number 2! Blush

It's a bit like nits I suppose, some people say they've never had them, but they either don't notice or admit it, because if no one had them, no one would ever get them, and little kids pick these things up all the time. Some more than others, depending on their habits like sucking fingers, and with nits, people with long hair that's not tied back seem to pick them up more. I always plait long hair really tightly for school or nursery. Annoying as you'd think with all the lockdowns and reduced contact becauSe of covid, these things wouldve been eradicated!

beautifullymad · 06/10/2021 00:18

My daughter was a nail biter and we forever had threadworms. She still bites her nails but she's almost an adult so her general hygiene is better now.

Worm medicine. Repeat as necessary. Over and over.

You'll clear them. The medication is very good. Treat everyone in your family unit.

We used the bitter aloe on the nails too, anything to stop fingers in mouth. Also cotton pants and PJs at night to stop the scratching and reinfecting cycle.

I didn't boil bedding or soft toys. Too much bother. The worms lay eggs at night so Once you've put cotton pants and pjs on you've caught the eggs. Wash these daily in a hot wash.

Original poster
Draineddraineddrained · 06/10/2021 18:51

@LemonJuiceFromConcentrate

Your noble face made me chuckle, thank you!

Thanks all for pep talk - I feel better! We're all wormed now (evrj the baby!). Think I'm just going to start doing it every few months as standard.

Embarrassingly I've never found one in/on a kid - it's always me I notice them! Maybe I have a sensitive bum??! But as soon as I see one I have an "oooooh right!" moment about eldest - she'll have invariably been stroppy as fuck, sleeping badly and having Toilet accidents for a week or so prior, with me tearing my hair and wondering what her problem is - then I feel a wriggle and all is explained!

Ugh. Being human is gross.

OP posts:
Original poster
Draineddraineddrained · 06/10/2021 18:52

Had sodding nits a couple of weeks ago too. FFS. 😭

OP posts:
HairyScaryMonster · 07/10/2021 13:16

I only changed the bedding the first few nights until the itching had stopped. Bum and nails thoroughly washed first thing in the morning. Didn’t wash the soft toys and no recurrence.

AlphaJura · 07/10/2021 22:00

@Draineddraineddrained I think I'm just going to 'worm' everyone as standard every few months! Just to be on the safe side. I mean, you do it with animals so why not humans? But doctors say it's not necessary. Because it makes me feel a bit sick that you have to have them for a while before you may notice and I think that many people are walking round with them and they don't even know!

DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 07/10/2021 22:04

Simple.

Over every 3 months.

Thats what I did.

DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 07/10/2021 22:05

*ovex

2Rebecca · 07/10/2021 22:10

We had them several times. I found we needed to take the tabs weekly for a month and I became fastidious about nail brushing hand washing and not nibbling my finger nails. The kids were in secondary school by then as well and I seemed to get them more than everyone else and I love my bidet.

2Rebecca · 07/10/2021 22:12

Ordinary wash for things, just washed more frequently and more tumble drying where as usually I rarely use it

Blueeyedgirl21 · 07/10/2021 22:31

Pants at night with tight pj bottoms or a onesie

Change sheet nightly and use a rota of fleece blankets, ditch the duvet unless your house is freezing, then wash it in a week or so and try and air it outside

Bleach and spray loo and taps morning/night and bathroom and bedroom door handles wipe with diluted bleach on a cloth

What about scratch mitts at night also??

Take ovex even when you don’t have worms. I don’t think it does any harm.

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