Can't get rid of pinworms

[nellietheoliphant]

Posting in AIBU as i am just so desperate to get rid of these awful things.

My son keeps getting worms. He's 7. Short nails, good hand washing (at home anyway!), clean sheets regularly, have blitzed the house multiple times, washed his toys, regular worm tablets whenever I see them as advised by pharmacist. He's had them on and off for two years (four bouts). I just can't get rid of them! Has anyone actually been able to successfully get rid of pinworms? I hate them so much!

That is very strange as you seem to be doing all the right things. I have no answer, but share your confusion about why he is still contracting them.
I hope someone can help you.

Possible another child has them in school and hasn't been treated?

It's so frustrating when you're seemingly doing everything you can and he STILL gets them. I'm wondering if someone at school has quite a severe case and keeps spreading them round the classroom.

It's awful and I'm sure some children are more prone to catching them than others?! My child used to get them all the time, it was relentless. The only break we got seemed to be in the 6 weeks summer holidays when not at school! Once back at school, 1 to 2 weeks into the start of term they were back again. I have no children in school now (youngest is home ed) and no worms in sight thank goodness.

Daily pumpkin seeds and see a homeopath...

Tell school so they can send out a message to treat for them. Everyone needs to try and get rid of them at once.

Are you treating all the family with 2 doses, 10 days or so apart? You probably are, but I'm just checking.

You also have to clean everything every day for six weeks in hot water- clothes, bedding towels, kitchen, bathroom, any play area.

“regularly” doesn’t cut it.

This happened when my dd was at playgroup - they either just kept on passing them around amongst one another or there was one child who wasn’t being treated. Also dd was a nail biter which really didn’t help! No advice really except make sure school send out a memo about it and what parents need to do to treat it - I sympathise!

I read there's some research that suggests some kids are more susceptible to nits for genetic/immunoresponse reasons (which would make sense as some kids seem to get them all the time, others never) so I could imagine the same might be true for worms.

No you don't. The crazy cleaning is overkill.

He's almost definitely just getting reinfected immediately from another child. Perhaps one he's particularly close to. We always used to catch them from a specific cousin, every time we visited. DH expressed total horror at the idea of worms and thought I was making it up at first. He still claims to never have ever been infected in his life, which made me wonder whether his sibling and their DC were the same and therefore they were often/constantly infected. I reckon the stuff they use to irritate your arsehole and make you scratch could be undetectable if you have a certain gene or something although I can't understand how anyone could ignore the wiggling sensation, TBH. 🤢

If you are totally desperate I moved to another EU country and the Ovex they have here is prescription only but it is exactly the same drug at the same dosage. They don't say dose 1x 2 weeks apart. They say dose 1x daily for 3 days. It stops the stragglers. I import Ovex because the prescription stuff is pricey but follow the local rules for use. This is not medical advice, I'm not advising you to do it, just telling an anecdote.

However you will get reinfected if you have close contact with someone who is infected especially sharing food. Seven year olds probably are and they probably aren't washing their hands very thoroughly either.

Have you treated the whole family

Four bouts in 2 years though sounds pretty standard for primary school to me, unfortunately. That's once every 6 months? Doesn't sound too crazy. Keep the Ovex on hand in the house so there is no delay between him noticing symptoms and you being able to kill the fuckers.

We had this with my youngest Dd. Went on for several years. Just had to keep treating it until eventually it just suddenly stopped.

If someone else has them in his class, and they are not doing all the things you are doing, he (and probably the rest of the class) will keep getting them.

Raw garlic .. 1 or 2 cloves mashed into something

Eaten!

Baby cream helped my daughter . Stay away from Shia butter! tried many brands. It itches in the rectum of child.

Could be an untreated child at school. My daughter’s school sent a message out asking for parents to treat pin worm if found. Apparently my daughter’s year group has a high number of students infected.