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6 week threadworm nightmare

18 replies

Rosieposieposie · 13/11/2024 12:55

We have had threadworms in our house for
6 f-ing weeks! I'm at my wits end.
Some people say just take the meds and it'll be fine.
I have changed beds/towels/pj/knickers daily for 3-4 days after treatment every time we use it.
I then repeat the treatment 2 weeks later but they have usually come back a day or two before then.
On the day and few days after treatment I clean the whole house top to bottom.
I'm so exhausted doing this on top of all the other jobs needed to be done for a family of 4. My two kids are 4 and 2.
Help!
Has anyone else been in this position? The thought that it only takes one microscopic egg to be ingested and we're in the same boat again is making me feel mad. Why does this keep happening!?

OP posts:
LovelyDayInnit · 14/11/2024 07:22

Could you all be being reinfected from outside of the house? Make sure school or nursery know you have had threadworms so they can tell other families to be aware of it and to clean appropriately?

BertieBotts · 14/11/2024 07:25

In Germany although the treatment is bloody ridiculous to obtain the instructions seem to work much better.

They say to take 1 tablet (same dose as UK) per day for three days. It gets rid of them in one go and no need to retreat IME.

I'm obviously not giving medical advice here but at least for myself, if DC ever bring them home that's what I do.

BertieBotts · 14/11/2024 07:27

Oh also, DS1 always used to get them when his nails were long enough to get dirt trapped under them. Keep nails short and they bring them home much less often. If DC are bothered by the worms you can also explain to them that hand washing is the way to keep them away. I know a lot of children will avoid proper handwashing if they can get away with it.

OneBlackHeart · 14/11/2024 07:43

Do you treat your husband? I've seen dads refusal to get treated for worms or lice because they 'don't have them' and reinfect the family over and over. Who is in your house regularly? Are the kids in childcare? Try working out where the reinfect comes from. I've worked childcare for over 20 years and if you wash your hands and don't allow children to put their hands in your mouth you don't have to do all the bed washing etc. Really teach your kids to wash hands well and keep nails short. After toilet but also before eating before preparing food, when you come in form outside

Monster6 · 14/11/2024 07:53

Shower everyone’s butt holes the minute they wake up for a week. Hubby needs to do it too. They lay at night so that stops the cycle. 😃

RuLu · 14/11/2024 07:57

To add to this, after washing/showering. Dry with a clean flannel (saves washing) then make sure you don't reuse.

Vaseline all around the area as it can suffocate them (I've heard). Also reduces itching.

Good luck!!

BertieBotts · 14/11/2024 16:28

YY agree it helps to understand the cycle of how they reinfect.

The live worms come out at night to lay eggs while the person is asleep. The eggs are laid in a sort of mucus which is irritating, so you/DC scratch, either in sleep or throughout the day.

Eggs get transferred to the fingernails and then to the mouth while eating. Or if DC scratch and then touch toys/other DC's hands they can transfer eggs to other DC who may then ingest them.

There are all sorts of scare stories online about how long the eggs can supposedly live when they're not on a person but I think this is highly unlikely and just designed to push you towards the idea of a "parasite cleanse" (which, just don't even google it, just no. It's craziness, nobody should do this.)

Break the cycle by discouraging bum-scratching (undies or even better a nappy at night, not a pull up, one with tabs, undies straight in the wash in the morning) and if you notice anyone/yourself doing this, wash hands straight away.

And help eggs not stick to hands, with short nails. And encourage frequent hand washing, esp after the toilet, before eating and after doing shared messy play type things e.g. playdough, sandpit. Also make sure to wash hands after changing underwear which has been worn at night, helping DC with toileting, and I added a hand wash after putting dirty washing in the machine (and this now feels so natural I continued doing it because really - you are handling dirty stuff there).

Lastly, might be harder, but try to discourage fingers-in-mouth. Thumb sucking, nail biting. If these things are habits which can't be broken, then wash hands before doing them if you can.

Rosieposieposie · 15/11/2024 20:46

Thanks all for your help. I've tried everything you've said. I have schooled the husband in the importance of all of this. Maybe he wasn't carrying out measures as requested! Think he's really seeing they don't go easily.
Why oh why isn't there a cream which soothes the bot and also kills eggs!!!! Maybe I need to grind some pumpkin seeds and garlic and set to work!

OP posts:
Didyeaye · 15/11/2024 20:50

@Monster6 that made me laugh and brought back memories of daily morning butthole showers for 3 kids (and 2 parents)
I hear you OP, it’s a miserable experience

Rosieposieposie · 15/11/2024 20:51

Also it's possible that people have worms all their lives?!

OP posts:
Duckinglunacy · 15/11/2024 20:57

I find that to get rid of a bad bout it is best to repeat the ovex every 10 days and do three doses. Also Vaseline round the anus every night to stop eggs being laid.

I agree rhat it could be an external source so ask school to send a letter. We had a terrible run one year and I’m convinced there was at least one child somewhere with chronic worms.

Rosieposieposie · 15/11/2024 21:00

And how long has it taken everyone on this thread (worm 🤢) to get rid of them? Is three rounds just obscene?! I'm doubting my cleaning now but honestly I think I've been pretty good!
The doc said it was fine to give my 21 month old son the treatment too. Even though it says not for under 2s but now I'm worrying about that!

OP posts:
LittleSparklyStar · 16/11/2024 01:49

Vaseline on the bum
it suffocates the worms! Every night for two weeks

mathanxiety · 16/11/2024 03:24

Commiserations.

Does your older child wipe himself after a poop? If yes, I'd suggest you or your H take over this job until the child is older.

Does the family use nailbrushes when washing hands? Nails should be trimmed, and nail brushes used.

Have the toothbrushes been changed since this all began? You should do this.

You should wear rubber gloves to handle all clothes the family takes off. The laundry basket should be cleaned after each washing cycle with hot water and soap (don't take clothes off the line or out of the dryer and pop them straight back into the basket they were in as it could have eggs in it).

The family should change clothes in the bathroom only, and the laundry basket should be kept there. The bathroom floor should be mopped in the evenings. A disposable mopping cloth would work well.

Bedding needs to be washed daily.

If anyone has been wearing gloves, they need to be washed in a hot wash.

When you say you "clean" what exactly does that involve?

Monster6 · 18/11/2024 13:19

Didyeaye · 15/11/2024 20:50

@Monster6 that made me laugh and brought back memories of daily morning butthole showers for 3 kids (and 2 parents)
I hear you OP, it’s a miserable experience

One of the least glamorous mummy jobs. Right everyone bums out while mum gets the shower all up it 🤣🤣🤣🙈

FernwoodRydal · 18/11/2024 21:27

Is it definitely threadworms, as in have you seen them? If not could it be something else? I ask because I thought we had threadworms, but it turned out one of my kids had a skin infection and needed antibiotics. Have you looked at the area to see if it looks sore?

We'd gone crazy with the washing and the cleaning for nothing in the end!

Rosieposieposie · 18/11/2024 23:07

Oh no! All the cleaning for nothing! How long did it take for you to go back to the docs? I initially thought it was a skin infection and doubted the doc saying worms over the phone. So I took her in and she had a look. She didn't think it was an infection. And also as I said it improved with sudocrem 🤷‍♀️

OP posts:
FernwoodRydal · 19/11/2024 09:37

It didn't take us too long because his bottom was really sore and upsetting him. The doctor swabbed it and then they called me up and prescribed antibiotics. You could take them back and ask for a swab to be done, if it's visibly sore and you've not actually seen any worms.

I don't remember the name of the thing the GP said he had, she said it is fairly common but lots of GPs aren't aware.

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