If you regularly worm your children

[Patpatrol221]

How often do you give Ovex and at what point in the term for maximum efficiency?

DD starts school in September and is a thumbsucker. I am already shuddering at the thought of her sharing toilets, sandpit etc with dozen of other kids.

Ive read on here before that some parents give Ovex regularly and there is a pattern to when worms seem to appear back after the start of term. What would you recommend?

Obviously I don't want to give more medicine than necessary but I'm keen to prevent bad infestations before it gets passed around the family and becomes the sort of horror story I have read on here before (where its impossible to get rid of without tons of daily cleaning, laundry etc..). With energy prices as they are I can't be laundering bedding every day.

Thanks!

Only one of mine ever caught worms more than once, and the only time the others had it they all caught the first infestation from that one before I had learned to recognise the symptoms. (OTOH the one who caught worms never caught nits!).

I would not treat them regularly. Unnecessary drugs. Do you intend to Hedrin your kids every term as well? Neither will prevent infestations, because they can still catch them after treatment. Just learn to recognise the symptoms and identify the worms (torch, bum, night) and treat the whole family at the same time - only when one of them has confirmed worms.

I've never done the boil wash everything, either.

Unless you’re going to give them ovex all the time your plan isn’t really going to work as it’s a short term effect. Just be very vigilant about any symptoms, it’s not just an itchy bottom. I don’t think it’s always as obvious or visible as people think and they go undetected because they are really common!

Pls don't do this. Ovex is really harsh on the digestive system and it's massively unnecessary. My children have had worms twice in 12 years.

You have a child, not a cat that hunts and eats uncooked meat FFS

Well seeing as my children aren't puppies I treat them as needed not on a three monthly schedule like the dog!
But I wish people would treat their kids for worms and head lice as needed because both aren't as rare as people like to believe 🤬

I am nearly 60. Never had worms. None of my (past and present) family had worms. None of my friends had worms. Never had a school letter talking about worms. Two in my family were thumb suckers.

Where the hell do you live that makes you think you need to regularly deworm your children?

We've had worms quite a few times, I wouldn't work regularly, but it's not true that ovex is harsh on your body. Ovex contains a drug that only affects worms - it stops them absorbing food or something - it doesn't affect humans.

You can't take it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or a child under a certain age, and that's when it's a huge pain in the arse as you have to vacuum round the beds, wear pants in bed, constantly wash towels etc.

• I wouldn't WORM regularly.

I dewormed my kids every 6 months until they were about 8 and now annually with the whole family.
Originally from SA and that’s how my pharmacist mother did it for us.

In 50 years I’ve had worms three times and bits once. DD is 15 and never had nits but worms twice. Son hasn’t had nits but has had worms three times. I suspect it is because he was a huge massive thumb sucker and now doesn’t suck his thumb but bites his finger nails daily

It’s totally incorrect to say that it does not affect humans.

Mebendazole (Ovex) very commonly causes gastrointestinal upset.

Serious side-effects are rare but include Alopecia; dizziness; hepatitis; neutropenia; seizure; severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs); skin reactions

So it can cause hair loss, liver failure and dangerous skin reactions. Still want to keep giving it to your kids when they don’t need it?

I don’t give ovex at random intevals but I do treat the kids whenever someone seems to be having trouble going to sleep, wetting the bed or itching. I don’t investigate, I just treat. I then give again about a week later (2 weeks is too long a gap in my experience). This seems to stop any worm ‘infestations’. You can read horror stories of people unable to get rid of them, but that’s not been my experience. I suspect in some of those cases (not all) there is actually some mental health stuff going on.
Also, if you tumble dry sheets/towels that will kill any eggs off so no need for panic boiling anything.

In terms of frequency of infection it really does depend on the school. Sadly there were kids in my children’s nursery/reception class (so loads of play dough etc!) whose parents didn’t treat them so there were frequent re-infections. It’s not by any means a universal issue but it’s not uncommon either.

One of my DCs has had worms quite a few times. I kept some tablets in the house and gave her one whenever she complained of an itchy bum. Never bothered treating the whole family after the first time and it was fine. It's become less of an issue as she's progressed through primary school (not much consolation to you, I realise, OP, as you're just starting out with school!)

Used ovex on dd1 and raw carrot in dd2. Both took a couple of weeks until worms had gone. The best remedy is keeping nails short and very clean and keep fingers out of mouths. Wear pyjama bottoms so they can’t easily scratch bottoms at night.
Ovex is not without side effects, so giving it regularly wouldn’t be wise. Also, it treats mature worms. It doesn’t stop you getting them in the first place. Can’t see any logical reason to give it at any time other than when worms are known to be present.