Threadworms - arrrrgh

[Covidwoes]

Hi everyone, this is SO embarrassing but I'm nearly at the end of pregnancy and have threadworms. I have a 2 year old DD but I have no idea of she even has them. I can't see any on her! I'm also a teacher so wondering if I caught them at school. Anyway, the pharmacist said I can't take the medication (DD and DH will as I know the whole family has to be treated). I'm despairing as I'm meticulous with hand washing, keep a clean house etc and have never had them in my life (even as a child!) so god knows how I've ended up with them now! I feel completely gross and the itching is driving me mad. The pharmacist said just to 'adopt hygiene measures' for six weeks. I honestly can't bear the thought of six more weeks of this, and trying to keep on top of all that cleaning and washing with a toddler and a newborn (even with DH's help!) is going to be hard work! Anyone ever had them as an adult, or while pregnant?! Arrrrrgh!

I caught them from my Dd earlier in the year. How horrible for you!, I would double check about any safe options to nuke them. Putting a lot of vaseline all around the area at night helps a bit, smother the fuckers so they can't move as much.

Worth talking to GP I think. I would not just accept the pharmacist's opinion.

garlic is supposed to help esp if raw. Chop some up and add to your dinner.

I was prescribed the treatment in pregnancy. I was absolutely beside myself with them and the itching etc, I could not bear it. Rest of family were treated and I was insanely cleaning and what not but I could not wait 6 weeks. My gp was great. I don’t remember the full details but I think it’s like most things and they can’t test them on pregnant women, they don’t think there would be any side effects but can’t say for sure and it was entirely at my own risk. I’m sure I remember him saying that the treatment mainly acts on the gut and isn’t absorbed much. In any case I was so distressed about it all it was a risk I was willing to take. I was not as far along as you though.

Thank you @Indecisivelurcher, good tip re the Vaseline! Ugh I feel so disgusted at the thought of the little buggers wriggling around there! 

@Mischance I'll give the GP a ring tomorrow. I honestly can't bear the thought of this for six weeks!

@Waferbiscuit I'm not the biggest fan of raw garlic, but my sense of taste has been dulled from having Covid 5 weeks ago, so that will be to my advantage here!

@jenniuol that's so good to know you had the treatment! The pharmacist seemed adamant it wasn't suitable in pregnancy. I'll be ringing the GP tomorrow! I can't bear the thought of going into labour with worms!

They won't be 'bothering' you for 6 weeks - that's their entire life cycle, the female only lays eggs for a few nights of that cycle so as long as you haven't got a massive burden of them the itching will calm down soon. Then you need to take the proper hygiene precautions for 6 weeks to prevent spreading/ingesting the eggs as the cycle will continue otherwise. I had threadworms when I was heavily pregnant, I'm a vet nurse and I must have caught them off someone's pets fur.

How odd I ended up with them after Covid too. I'm not pregnant but 6 weeks on and they've still not gone. I've taken lots of Ovex and there's just no getting rid of them. I dont even know how I'm managing to reinfect myself again and again. It's driving me insane.

If I was pregnant and going through this I would most probably take it. But that's me having taken the bloody ovex as well as adopting all the hygiene measures.

I find Sudocrem works better than Vaseline.

I took the medication while pregnant. Researched it and in other countries it’s licensed for pregnant women, just not in the first trimester. I was over 30 weeks and decided it was better than giving birth whilst worm infested... however if your main symptom is itching bear in mind it could be pregnancy piles

@BBS20 that's interesting you got them after Covid. I've never had them in my life until now.

@Wnikat I'm seriously considering taking the medication now. I'm 38 weeks and still have the little buggers. It's definitely not piles. I've seen them moving around. Honestly it's so disgusting. It's 100% threadworms. My hands are red raw and sore from all the hand washing and cleaning.

@Covidwoes I'd never had them before either. I just hope I can now get rid of them

there awful op! my little boy had them last year ( and most likely all of us) we wouldn't have even being aware had he not done a poo that stuck to the side of the toilet and him running out telling me there was a worm in the toilet 😫. he could have had them for ages and we didn't know as didn't have any itching or anything.