Threadworms: Can anyone who has been through this please help?

[Iminhell]

I'm washing towels after every use. I've had 2 showers and a bath today. I'm not keeping on top of washing as I'm producing so much.

No I don't worry about dying or brain tumours tbh. You gp an buy ibex over the counter at the chemist. I get the family pack as it has enough for a family of 4. You can get it in liquid or tablet form. You don't need to see a gp at all. You do not need to be washing things every 5 minutes

Ovex *

Yes you need to access help and support for your mental health issues. It's not normal. I understand it though as someone who sometimes gets obsessive about certain things and am currently experiencing PND. However it doesn't need to be this way.

Ovex (mebendozole) everyone. PJ's and pants, towels washed daily. Repeat in two weeks.

Other hygiene methods as much as you can.

See GP about your anxiety.

Just take ovex. Theyll be dead in a couple of days. Everyone with kids of nursery age up needs to worm themselves and their family every now and again. You really dont need to do all the other stuff unless its making you feel better

NHS advice says wash everything after first diagnosis/first treatment. It does not say wash everything every day for 6 weeks. You do not need to wash yourself 3 times a day. They come out at night so washing in the morning is most important.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Threadworms/Pages/Treatment.aspx

It was me that asked if you were in the UK, I hadn't realised that this was something you would go to a GP for. Just go to the chemist and buy treatments to have in the cupboard as you would for headline.

And I don't think it's usual to be worrying about your health all the time is it?

@andbabymakesthree

What do you think a gp could offer? I don't want to take/ don't think I need anxiety medication. I'm high functioning I would say. Anxiety is just a part of my life/who I am. I'm not really unhappy usually. Just when I have worms invading my body. So I guess general consensus is, if most people get threadworms it's no biggie?

No it's not that big a deal. I had to treat my family a few weeks ago as Dd complained of itching. Bought ovex in the chemist and treated everyone then repeated 2 weeks later. Never did the manic washing of everything and just carried on as normal

Ovex, wear pants at night and change daily, wash hands religiously when coming in from school / nursery and after using the loo. You don't need to change bedding / towels more than once after you've had the medicine. It works very quickly. The second dose is more a preventative measure I think. Try not to panic... it'll happen more than once during the primary years. Sensible to keep a box of ovex in your medicine cabinet so you can treat immediately if symptoms arise again in future.

I honestly think in the end (and my daughter had had thread worms repeatedly for months) it was eating pumpkin seeds and pineapple that finally got rid of them! Pineapple has since become a regular part of our diet and they haven't come back!!

I can't totally understand where you are coming from the first time we got them I was so paranoid. As other posters have said the key is not to panic (easier said than done, I know).
The stories on google are horrific and I can remember the one who said they were coming out of their eyes and ears but I think this was exaggerated or a very rare case.
They really are awful little blighters but as long as you follow the regime i.e changing underwear daily, cleaning down below in the mornings and taking the medicine you should be rid in a few days.
Also I've used Vaseline and it has always worked.

We have had repeated bouts of threadworms over the years. I was like you the first time and embarked on an extremely rigorous cleaning/ laundry regime that took over our lives! I am more relaxed now. Just take Ovex and that's it. I read somewhere that research has shown that 60% of primary school kids have threadworms at any one time. ( not everyone gets symptoms). It's really common and so easy to pass on ( the eggs get everywhere) that your 3 year old will most likely get them again at some point!

Op, they're very common. There are also hundreds of wormy threads (including one named Winnie, though I think she was a tape worm) on mumsnet, to help put it into perspective. Check bottoms at night with a torch, and ovex over the counter.

No, its not a massive deal, although I do think i probably freaked out a little bit too when we first got them. Having a thumbsucker in the family meant that it happened quite a lot for a while (thumbsuckers and nailbiters get them more) Now I keep a stock of Ovex in the cupboard, and whilst theyre still annoying, I just see it as one of those things - Nits are worse as you cant just take a tablet for those

I felt a tingle last night and think we're probably in for it again. First time, I FREAKED OUT. House has never been so clean (no harm in itself...).

We've had a couple of rounds now - ovex for all, wash the bedding, towels, knickers in bed, and all clear after a couple of days.

I completely understand how anxiety can magnify something invasive like this. Treat it as a nice bug cleaning impetus and try to keep it in perspective going forward. They're harmless. Take the treatment and try to stay calm about it. The stinging you feel is quite distinctive - once you haven't felt it for a couple of nights you're in the clear.

The worms won't be in sight during day light. They hate the light.

I know because when I checked dd when she was sleeping, they wriggled quickly away from the torch 😷

I would look at tackling your anxiety. I'm similar - and it gets worse when I'm stressed and am not looking after my mental health. (Which I do through a lot of exercise, lots of sleep and reducing alcohol intake!)

OP so many people have them..they just don't tell you in general conversation! I'm prone to them as is one of my kids..we always keep a stock of ovex or combantrin ( which is chocolate with active ingredient medendazole in). It's normal to freak out but you can deal with it and next time you'll just think oh ffs here we go again! I think of it as picking up a virus really, just one of those things. Try not to stress too much.

Thanks for all the replies, I feel slightly better. But my eye has been irritating me today so I'm slightly concerned that they have moved to my eye 😭 I know this is unlikely. But you know.

@beleiveitornot

I think I will speak to the gp. But I always see myself has having certain anxious thoughts but coping well... If I wasn't experiencing worms I wouldn't be feeling very anxious about much. Maybe the terror attacks - that's a trigger. I just get on with things.. I'm not drinking at the moment, I exercise daily. I'm not sure what else I can do. It's in my nature to be like this..

It's not in your eye man!

Look, they're a simple and irritating parasite. They live for 6 weeks, never evolve or do funky stuff. They just are.

Take another ovex in a couple of weeks after the first dose and keep some stocked in the cupboard. I worm mine regularly..... like I do the cat. It's just an irritating part of having kids.

OP, threadworms are so common, we've had 2 bouts in 2 years. Obviously it's totally gross and it freaked me out a bit the first time too, but your reaction is a bit extreme.

Honestly, if you've all been treated you'll all be fine in a day or two. Yes keep on top of bedding and towels, door handles etc, but i think all the washing you're doing is unnecessary.

I've also never heard of anyone getting them in their eyes.

You need to calm down about this. It really is on a par with nits. Gross but most of us probably experience it at some point if we have children in childcare settings.

In my defence @gamerchick there was a thread (not on here) where a lady said she had them in her eye, nose and ears. So it could happen.. But unlikely. I've been lucky enough to have never had nits. I'm sure that will change now I have the kids..

I never washed stuff when we had threadworms (apart from fingers of course). Ovex has always worked very successfully.

My daughter caught worms twice whilst in reception at school. The first time it happened I told her teacher, and asked them to notify other parents (as they do with nits). Teacher looked somewhat uncomfortable, but thanked me. Nothing happened letter-wise, so I spoke to the head, who informed me that they never do anything about worms, that these are common and they catch them from the dirt. Seemed to be a huge taboo about it. Nits make your head scratchy, that's it, yet worms disrupt sleep, and hence potentially the child's performance in class. It's seems we're very British about worms because they are bum-linked, hence too embarrassing!

I ended up telling her close friends as I'd want the same treatment (and little point me treating if she's going to catch them straight back again!)

@Rachyabbadabbadoo I have to say that I've decided to not say anything because my son isn't showing any symptoms and this is his first day back so the toys should be freshly washed and I probably caught them from work or elsewhere. It is totally embarrassing, I've only told my mum and dh. I have to say I've felt less embarrassing about having 2 STD's! Definitely a taboo!