Embarrassing but what is going on with my bum?

[Todayisanewday75]

A couple of weeks ago it started getting a bit itchy and I thought it might have been using a different soap so I changed back to my usual but no change. Then a couple of days ago when I wiped there was something that looked like a long piece of dried grass. Then last night there was another one in the toilet, about 6 cm long, flat and about 5mm wide. I was convinced I had worms but googled and they are short and thin like pieces of thread.
Any ideas? I don’t have small children and I think I have pretty good hygiene, shower every day, regularly wash my hands, clean clothes, regularly wash sheets and towels, use dettol laundry sanitizer

Tape worm?!

Tape worms by the sound of it.

Have you been travelling?

It's a GP job not a pharmacist job.

Well that’s a new fear unlocked …

I did consider tapeworm but I haven’t been travelling and I don’t eat red meat. Also I think with tapeworm what comes out looks like grains of rice

Also haven’t lost any weight despite trying to

No. Google it. They look like flat shoelaces

Unless you’ve been eating long grass tape worm may be the only explanation !

Did you take a photo of what was in loo?

@PochaccoPup didn’t think about that, probably too freaked out. Will do next time

GP will prescribe tablets to clear those out. If it’s in bits it’s just a long worm broken into sections. You need those tablets.

Oh god I’ve just remembered seeing tapeworm in a jar in the biology lab at school and now feel quite sick

Have done a triage request at my GP surgery

Have you been eating beansprouts or other long fibrous foods?

Although it does sound like tapeworm (sorry)

Have you been eating bananas?
Changed a couple of my babies nappies that horrified me and thought they had worms. It was just banana fibres. Doesn’t explain the itchy bum though.

No bean sprouts, no bananas. Have an appointment for Wednesday morning and will probably spend the next 48 hours feeling totally gross

You dont need the gp. Just go to the chemist and get treatment for threadworm. Its more likely to be that than tapeworm, and start washing your hands more/better. The only way to catch it is to eat tapeworm eggs which someone else has pooed out. They often get under peoples nails and sit there until they do food prep/pick their nose/suck fingers/ eat a sandwich.

You don’t have to wait for your GP appointment - you can buy Ovex tablets over the counter without a prescription. You do need to treat the whole family, though!

and I agree - def tape worms. We’ve had them and the tablets sorted it out.

I didn’t think Ovex treats tapeworm? I thought that was only for pin and round worms.

I googled and it said ovex can’t treat tapeworm and a different medication is required

That's cats and dogs. Humans shed ribbons.

You need a tapeworm drug, praziquantel probably.

I'd probably work out the human dose of a horse wormer, being me, but that's definitely not recommended!

You say you don't eat red meat. Do you eat pork? Undercooked pork is a major source of tapeworm.

@Todayisanewday75 hugs. That would horrify me but I have had friends who have picked them up and after a dose of tablets, all was well.

You poor thing.

Do you eat fish? Tapeworms can also be found in fresh water fish.

Had just a taste of undercooked pork then went for chicken last month. But everyone else ate the pork and they seem fine