How this could even happen?

[Ethny]

Posting here for traffic as I’m panicking.
My 5yo dd got threadworms. I gave her ovex 24 days ago, then 18 days ago and 4 days ago. Today she complained she has an itchy bum after the shower. How is it even possible she still has threadworms? Even if she is reinfected it shouldn’t come back that soon! What do I do now? I’m scared. I have a newborn in a household.

Have you treated the whole household? It could be she's catching them back off a child at school, get the school to send a letter home.

The school refused to send the letter. Everyone in the household is treated except a newborn. But only 4 days passed since the last treatment. The worms shouldn’t itch yet

Did you wash all bedding/towels on a hot wash?

It could be that she’s picking them up again from nursery or the tablet didn’t work as well as it should maybe?

Second dose should be 14 days from the first to break the life cycle and any eggs that weren't hatched at the first dose.

The meds starve the worms of food so they die, they don't kill the worms straight out. It can take days. Any unhatched eggs wouldn't have had any affect from the meds.

I washed everything. I expected the pause between episodes if she picking worms up again. I don’t understand

I understand it. But she got 3 doses: 3 weeks + 3 days ago, 2 weeks + 4 days ago and 4 days ago. So there were 2 weeks between 2nd and 3rd doses. Why would she itch after the last dose… worms shouldn’t be adult

I'm tired, so i need to write this out. You gave at day 0, then 6 days later, then 14 days later. 6 days later would have little to no effect. The 14 days later one (24 days from first dose) you've done is like day 0 again if there were hatchlings in the mean time.

Have you seen any worms? Apply vaseline or suducrem to the anus to stop the worms from exploring, give antihistamine to stop the itch from their secretions, wear pants at night, wash the bottom in the morning and wash all pants, flannels and towels after each use. Do the dose again for the whole family in 14 days.

Why you don’t consider second dose as a day 0 dose and the third dose as a 14 days dose?

The worms should pass during 3 days after a dose. Should we wait 10 more days for another dose?

I saw a couple of worms in her poo after the initial dose

Found this info for you

https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/stomach-liver-and-gastrointestinal-tract/threadworms/#:~:text=Children%20can%20get%20threadworms%20again,to%20wash%20their%20hands%20regularly.

Because the first dose would have started the starvation of the worms. Day 6 when given again, would have had no effect on any remaining eggs from the original infestation, or of those that had been picked up since. Its null and void. There would have been eggs at varying stages of maturity, hatching at different periods after the effects of the meds had worn off.

3 days for the worms to die is an estimate, depending on how established the infestation is, it can be longer. Personally I would treat the last dose as day 0 and give again after 14 days.

Does she actually have worms? Is she itchy because she’s just had them and maybe feels anxious about them? Could she have scratched herself slightly previously and it’s now itching as it heals?

She is not aware she had worms. She had an “itchy bottom”, that’s it.
She went to sleep easily though. Could it be an irritation from constant washing? Unlikely though… checking her every 10 mins this night

I disagree with your calculations. But you are trying to help, thank you.
I know in Germany they treat 3 days 1 time per day, after 14 days again 3 doses and after 28 days again 3 doses.
Maybe we’ll try it. Got an online appointment with GP tomorrow.

I didn’t see anything during the night and she was sleeping well. I didn’t apply any ointment. No complaints in the morning too.

GP wants a stool sample. Which contradicts all nhs guidelines. I tried to ask for a tape test but GP refused. Madness

DD complained about scratchy anus again. At 5 pm. She wasn’t bothered, even didn’t try to scratch it. What is going on? I gave everyone ovex again but how should I know if it’s worms or bad wiping/allergy/irritation?

Well it only gets worse. I had multiple doses of ovex. And yesterday I found 2 worms on me again. I’m depressed. I don’t know what to do. Medication clearly isn’t working. It’s not even a reinfection. I just can’t get rid of initial bunch. I had the most recent dose just 6 days ago.

Speak to a pharmacist.

I’ve just done a search for similar and there are a couple of posters who were prescribed Ovex to take for 5 consecutive days, and it worked for them.

You haven’t mentioned it in your post but have you washed her soft toys as well as bedding etc? That’s what we were advised to do, good luck!

Under finger nails need to be scrubbed and thoroughly cleaned too.

I talked to 2 gps. They have no idea why treatment is not working for us.
I tried take ovex for 3 days 2 weeks ago, maybe it’s worth trying to do it 5 times.

Yes, we did it all.
It’s not a reinfection as I’m taking ovex each week and 6 weeks later I still see live worms. They are supposed to lay eggs only in mature phase. It takes 4-6 weeks to reach maturity. Weekly ovex should kill worms before they are ready to lay eggs.

Yep, I keep them very short.

I’m so sorry you’re going through this too! I really don’t have any advice as we are on the same boat. I feel like a such a moan constantly getting on and the rest of the house on handwashing and cleaning. I read somewhere that hoovering can blow the eggs into the air and make them air borne. But then they say to hoover all the time to get rid of eggs. It’s a minefield. Considered getting a mask to wear when hoovering but I feel that’s extreme behaviour and will only have a negative effect on my mind so I’ve not done this

Everyone needs to stop panicking, this is a natural thing and quite fixable, just takes patience.
It’s no reflection on you, or your child or your household.l, you’re not a bad mother or a bad housekeeper. It is a bit yucky, but it happens to almost everyone at some point and people don’t die of threadworms.