Threadworms - how many have them?

[Mumof3darlings]

Dear All,

I feel like I am going mad!

1 week ago I noticed DS (age 4) scratching his bum a couple of times, I immediately thought he might have worms. Checked that night by looking up his bum with a torch and immediately saw a wriggling little blighter which quite honestly made me feel sick to the stomach! My DS is a clean little boy, ie washes his hands after loo, not always before eating though and we have a very clean home but I try not to be too OTT with the kids about not touching mud/sand etc while we are in garden etc as I feel like they have gotta play/get germs etc!!!

So I gave kids and me and DH medicine... Next day checked DS no 2's nappy whilst changing him and noticed a worm in there too!!!! agggrrr!!! This sent me over the edge tbh as I felt like the medication was my only hope!!!

OK so in last week I have checked DSno 2's nappy probably a dozen times and nothing... Also checked up DS1's bum while he sleeps every night and it's clean as a whistle.. I need to give the medication again after 2 weeks but to be sure I gave us all it again yesterday just in case.

I have a doctor who advises both on natural and mainstream medicines and he advised we could all take an aloe vera drink each morning which is preventative.. so we are taking this (which I feel is more for my mind than anything else)..

I have cleaned bedding, hoovered, washed, towels have been washed after every wash - the amount of washing I have done this week is as much as a busy launderette!!! Poor little DS1 is marched home from school and told to wash his hands immediately... I am watching other kids in his class and noticed one of them scratching his bum the other day - I am thinking about this subject 100% of the time - I honestly feel like I have become obsessed with it!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had threadworms as a child quite a few times and I have had them as an adult too - immediately treating the problem. It always freaks me out everytime but this time seems worse as I noticed it in both my kids... what am I doing wrong???

I think the worst thing about this is that I feel so alone with it as nobody has EVER told me that their kids have this... Do people just not realise? or is it just that we are unlucky and get it more than others... Today I decided (after 1 week) to tell my DS's teacher. I found it so difficult to do as I am so embarrased and feel so guilty about it. I was hopeful she would tell me that she had seen it a hundred times before - she's been a teacher for about 15 years - but she didn't!!!!!!!!!! She was very nice, very understanding but said she had never known of a child having it before - OMG made me feel like a freak!!!

Help me - please tell me either what I am doing wrong or why it is that people don't discuss this????

Thanks for reading!!

x x

[IneedAsockamnesty]

mumof.
parisites that live on/in humans was one of my weird obsesions when i was a teenager much to the disgust of anybody at all who was forced to endure my hour long verbal tiraids about the matter, my poor helper at school used to come away from every support session with me itching like mad and i once point blank refused to do any work at all unless she let me check her hair, i was in my element if the school matron would let me watch the mass head checks

[exexpat]

OP - I can see why you are now getting anxious about cleanliness - I think everybody's first reaction to finding worms would be ewwww! - but there is a lot of evidence now that excessive cleanliness, and attempting to stop children being exposed to germs and dirt is counterproductive - it's healthy for them. Even having worms occasionally might actually be good for their immune system.

This article in Wired is quite an interesting read on the subject: Parasites, modern life and immune systems gone haywire.

I'm a bit surprised at all these reports of teachers who don't realise that a good proportion of children in their classes will have threadworms at any given time, but I suppose they don't go round inspecting bottoms with torches... And they probably don't cover this stuff on PGCE courses. I think if you asked any pharmacist how much worm medication they sell it would give you a better idea, but would still be an underestimate, as many people won't realise they've got them.

[midseasonsale]

I think I had a couple of cloves each day for a week. It was god damned awful though!

[mathanxiety]

I wish I was so brave. I have told 2 people so far - my sons teacher and a friend with 2 kids - both looked horrified and said they had never seen them before!! This has made me embarrassed to tell others.

They are lying through their teeth. They have all had them. They have all seen them. They all know exactly what you are talking about.

[CouthyMowEatingBraiiiiinz]

Nope. He doesn't lick the carpet samples. He DOES however have a habit of holding hands with another DC at school (also Autistic) that IS a sensation seeker, still mouthing things at 8yo.

I know WHERE it's coming from, but the habit is not my DS's to break!

(Have tried breaking the hand holding habit, not getting too far, it's his only real friend).

I just boil wash everything and treat every 3 months. Seems to keep the wriggles at bay.

Haven't had to treat 20mo DS3 yet, but he isn't really a DC that puts things in his mouth, not a nail biter, thumb sucker or a chewer, and has shown no signs of having them even when DS2 has had them.

Will start routinely treating him every 3 months at pre-school age, as I have with the others.

I have epilepsy, routine treating every 3 months with Ovex has never affected me. Can't use Pripsen though, that DOES bring on a seizure.

[DoubleDoubleTwigletTrouble]

OP, there are actually two different dosages of Vermox, according to what type of worm you have. Threadworms are a one-off dose but there are other types of worms where you take more Vermox, so I'm sure you are all ok.

This page has doses

[changeforthebetter]

Sympathies from me too! Dds both had them a couple of times. I think poor handwashing at school is the culprit. I keep their nails very short too. Really its normal if gross. You treat the problem. I think like the dreaded headlice, lots of parents are a bit ignorant about how infection occurs and assume an infestation is somehow a sign of inherent dirtiness. Take a deep breath.

[fuckadoodlepoopoo]

Op. I think for me it triggered off some gut instinct. Something to do with the little fuckers infested in my child, my off spring! It triggered a protection and disgust thing. I hadn't realised what was wrong as every time i checked there was nothing there and then all of sudden one time i checked and there were about 20 all poking out the poor innocent little bum all looking around! It was so freaky and made me angry and disgusted that they were doing that to my baby!

Only just got out of bed so not so good with the words right now but Im sure you know what i mean!

[IneedAsockamnesty]

couthy.

for the eggs to get inside him,they apsolutly have to go in his mouth and they wont get there by themselves.
another child who does mouth things will not infect him due to there habbit unless they are putting there fingers in his mouth.or he is transfering something they have touched into his mouth.

is it possible that this boy is? that may be something that the school could deal with.

my dd used to get them loads i couldnt understand it because she was not a mouther at all, bah found out she was eating chalk from the art room loads. hid chalk she hasnt had them since.

[notenoughsocks]

We've all had worms (twice now). I was only alterted to them when DS had a course of anti-bios it seemed to sort of flush them out. The whole family gets wormed and we wash our sheets and towels. That's it.

Personally, I am not in the slightest concerned or upset by it (oddly DP is a bit grossed out). I remember having worms as a kid and knew they were quite common. However, I do keep quiet about it after I casually mentioned it to a friend . Despite obviously doing her best to conceal her disgust, she didn't come too near my DS or my home for a bit.

[kateecass]

DH did go to look at DSs bottom last night, but DS woke up so he didn't look. But guess who couldn't get to sleep due to an itchy bottom?!! I think I was imagining it really as I'd spent too long reading this thread, but I'm thinking about giving us all a dose even though we dont really have the symptoms.

So, if I do this how do I do it? Do I just give us a dose and do I have to do all the cleaning? We are going away to a holiday cottage on Sunday would it be a bad idea or a good idea to do it then. We will be staying with my 4 young nephews. Do you have to do the redose?

[Elibean]

Pretty sure dd1 had them when I was pg with dd2 - I got totally obsessed (pregnancy anxiety, aaaargh) and washed everything and everyone in sight. Was convinced I had them too, and obstetrician let me take Piperazine (Pripsen), mostly to deal with my head

Since then, have got more laid back but will treat us all with Ovex once every half-term. Many of my mum friends do the same - and yes, we talk about it, and the more you talk about it the braver other people get about talking too!

I've never actually seen one....and so hope I never do....but am sure they've been around a few times. dd2's best friend had them definitely when we were on holiday with his family - lots of sheet and towel washing, Ovex all round, and that was that.

By the way, the stuff in Ovex does almost nothing to the body - it is barely absorbed through the gut. It kills the worms, but honestly don't worry - whoever it was who was worrying - its a very harmless medicine, and has been trialled on pregnant and breastfeeding women in other countries.

[Elibean]

YES katee - do the re-dose! That would be my hottest tip. Never forget to re-dose two weeks later.

[permaquandry]

Ok, so dds have them. Completely symptomless, I only checked because I need to worm the puppy, did a search for advice and found the earlier large thread (hmm). I now have:

• Treated whole family
• Stripped all beds and put in black sacks to wash
• cleaned electric toothbrush (we all have one) with an antibacterial wipe and rinsed head in boiling water (they are all new)
• emptied whole Washbin and sorted into separate sacks
• removed Washbin linen inserts ready to wash
• put all bed teddies and bed items that can't be washed (head bumpers etc) into black sacks and will put them in the garage for 3 weeks
• scrubbed the bathrooms, sink, baths, toilets (obv)
• instructed the kids to wash hands thoroughly, after toilet/before food, do not touch their bums (they dont usually)
• put kitchen towel in bathrooms to use instead of towels(save the washing) after hand wash.
• am cleaning the toilets after every use.
• am going to Hoover and wet dust the bedrooms, under the beds too.

I clean kitchen surfaces at least 3 times a day anyway but will do again Then Hoover and mop whole house and wash bedding again in 2 days.

I rang school and they seemed shocked, I'm convinced that people don't tell them.

Do I need to do anything else? I think I'm going to dose them in 2 weeks anyway.

Is this overkill?

[kateecass]

I will do it I just want to check what happens to any worms when you take it. Do they just come out in the poo? Any other symptoms. I'd probably be best doing it before we go away with young nephews wouldn't I? Sorry, being a bit thick.

Meeting with some good mum friends later this week, will broach subject. Sure it's come up before when drunk, but never at school!

[Shinyshinyface]

My DC are now 13, 16 and 17 and I can't remember the last time I had to buy Ovex but when they were younger we did have a few bouts of it, including me.

Have to say though...taking Ovex and and few stern words about hand washing and not putting fingers in mouths did the trick...never ever not once did I embark on a deep cleaning frenzy, never even occurred to me and they always went away anyway.

Really interesting to read about the raw carrot being a preventative thing...my DS (now 16) was a fussy little git eater and never touched any vegetable except carrot sticks when he was little so I naturally forced him to eat them every day. I'm really struggling to remember if he actually ever had threadworms or if it was just the girls...shall I ask him when he gets back from school? [hwink] He also never got nits, lucky bugger.

Anyway I am now more than making up for the years of non-blitzing-the-house-frenzy since looking after a friend's cat for 2 weeks in the summer. House has been flea infested ever since and I can't get rid of the little feckers.

[Bunsouttheoven]

I have them noticed my dd itching her bum yesterday & thought actually my bum has been a bit itchy at night. Upon investigation last night I have them Hardly slept a wink between bf 6 month old, worrying about not being able to take meds/having to find the extra time to clean & my itchy bum!
Waiting for a call back from gp re meds & breastfeeding. I can't wait 6 weeks,I'm Barely getting enough sleep without itching. Bf network has a link www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/pdfs/Threadworms_Treatment_and_Breastfeeding_March_2009.pdf that seems to say it's probably ok. Anyone got any experience?
My plan of attack is
Bag soft toys & put them in the loft for 3 weeks
Wash bedding
Hoover beds & wet dust
Clean bathroom etc mop floors
Baths every morning, clean pants pjs everyday.
Trim nails
I'm trying to keep it in perspective but it seems alt to do with dcs (6yrs, 3yrs, 6 months) 3 year old has just potty trained to is constantly whipping his pants down for a wee or poo. Dd has 4 wobbly teeth & cannot keep her hands off them.
Are we destined to have threadworms forever or do I just need some sleep & it will seem less terrible. I need to get a grip don't I?

[Elibean]

Poor Buns

Yes, you need some sleep. I took Pripsen (piperazine, not mebendazole) when pregnant (on advice of very senior obstetrician) and when breastfeeding. All fine.

Your plan is fine, lots of hand washing, plenty of meds for everyone, repeat dose (I repeated at one week, two weeks and three weeks because I was utterly paranoid - with no ill effects) and change sheets, towels and clothes after you administer meds.

Repeat after me: it will be fine, this is temporary, meds kill the things. Good luck!

[Elibean]

perma, re-dose - its not overkill (though cleaning frenzies probably are, IMO!) because there may be eggs/larvae in their/your bodies right now that are too immature to be killed by first treatment. The second treatment will get them before they are mature enough to lay eggs and start the whole cycle again....

[sensiblebev]

40% of under tens have them at any one time.

[booboomonster]

Just in case anyone's interested. I saw consultant today who said that I could take mebendazole but not until after 13 weeks pregnant, and "the later the better" and to only take one dose. I'm only 11 weeks anyway, so I'm going to wait and see they go by their own accord (with hygiene method) and if I get desperate have the meds on standby. Sorry I don't know about breastfeeding as I didn't ask (I am hoping to have got rid of them by then, please God!). Good luck to all the new sufferers.

[CaseyShraeger]

I looked up mebendazole last time I was pregnant - definitely a bad idea in first trimester, probably fine in third (but I'd only take it then if I had them, not if other family members had them), no evidence of any issues with breastfeeding.

[Bunsouttheoven]

Ok so I probably have lost the plot a bit.

Gp gave me mebendazole also for dd 6yrs & ds 3yrs. Not going to give the 6 month old anything.

Need sleep then will tackle tomorrow. Unsure about giving dd/ds the meds before school/preschool. I remember taking pripsen as a child, had to rush out of assembly for fear of pooing myself. Went home with terrible tummy ache. I don't want my kids to have similar experience so am considering waiting to treat until the week end. However, desperately want to begin getting rid. Any thoughts?

[CaseyShraeger]

Mebendazole works differently from Pripsen, so no need to worry about that. Just treat them ASAP.

[IneedAsockamnesty]

mebendazone kills the worms contains no senna

pripsen paralizes them and contains senna to help you get rid of them

so dont fret about that