Poss tmi warning - DH has worm in leg

[sphil]

Dh has just returned from the Gambia with what he thought was an insect bite on his leg. Over the last week it has got bigger and yesterday a small white worm popped out of it (where's the yuk emoticon when you need it?) Went to GP who admitted she didn't know what to do and has referred him to dermatologist at hospital on Friday.

Has anyone heard of this - googling only produces 'guinea worm disease' which causes severe pain, and he says it's just a bit uncomfortable. Dh wants to know what the treatment will be (altho I think he has an idea...) and whether he'll have to take antibiotics.

This is the most exciting health thread in a long time.How big is the one that came out?

Kewcumber - that DM story is shocking! "Man returns from holiday in the Gambia to find bot fly maggots living under his skin"

DM obviously skimping on their sub edfitors.
Strike, surely, 'bot fly maggots', repl. with 'illegal immigrants'??

wow

that sure beats my tick last year

many apologies of course for linking to the DM (was hoping you might not have noticed) but it was the first refernce I found to bot flies

I know, Noddyholder, beats nits and threadworms into a cocked hat!

I want to see post-removal pictures of the worm please, just so I can satisfy my morbid curiousity. Thank you.

Ew, I have just watched the video of them removing the worms from a Breast, and letting them wiggle over her breast post removal

(Video linked from the post at 23.42 last night)

I posted that I had a worm in my leg a-a-a-ges ago, in Sept 2006, istr, so your dh hasn't scored a MN first. It was a tumbu fly, which I knew nothing about until my 'infected mozzie bite' exuded a worm one evening! I was rather concerned it would multiply overnight so I sellotaped it to an envelope. Anyway, I'm still here to tell the tale, so I hope your dh survives the ordeal too!

PS Don't doctors have access to the internet?? It makes me lol that MN happily comes up with a variety of diagnoses without even seeing the patient while a dr has to refer onwards.

I haven't read the whole thread, but as an Africanite and public health person I would suggest tis a tumbu fly worm or as they are known around here in Kenya a Mango fly worm. They are often lay eggs in damp washing and are only killed if properly ironed and the heat destroys them. If it has popped out then there is nothing more to be done! Sometimes they leave a little indentation but no longterm damage. Better get ironing those undies!

Definitely not a guinea worm

My granny had one of these when she got back from living in Africa many many years ago. I have a vague memory of it living in her leg for years and her giving it a name...but I suspect that either my memory is faulty or someone was pulling me leg (excuse the pun )

Uuuuuuurrrrrggggghhhhh

Oh I forgot to say, the best way to get a worm out is get deworming tablets, crush them and rub them onto the worm with vaseline, the little blighters soon come out. Frankly mango fly worms are the least of our worries, you haven't seen the snakes

What is the matchtick non - myth - posted by Stealthsquiggle on 9th July at 22.26 ????

[averts eyes just in case]

Oh my god!!!!!!! I'm terrified at the thought of having nits, so I'd be down the hospital demanding they lop my leg off!!!

i had a friend with a lump that suddenly exuded thousands of little spiders.... bleugh..

you REALLY, REALLY want to make sure there are no eggs in there.

and TBH i would not be sleeping anywhere near him... what if they are like intestinal worms and they only come out at night.... cue spooky music....

Enlist a snake charmer. AND WEAR TIGHT RUBBER PANTS IN BED.

thats it I am only ever going on holiday to Benidorm or Bognor.

Kewcumber - thanks for link - We're pretty sure that's what he's got.

Suedonim - he'll be very upset to know he's not a MN first Keeps asking me 'How many messages now?' and 'Where am I in active conversations?' Bless. he knew nothing about MN (except that I'm on it all the time) until last night.

And to all who enquired - I did sleep in same bed last night.
After all, I married him for better or for worms.

Message withdrawn

see, this is why I holiday in Tenby

"After all, I married him for better or for worms".

Message withdrawn

"for better or for worms"

the mango fly thing
tell me they don't come over here hiding in mangoes.

do they

God I want a dp with a worm I feel I've missed out