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Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

1 2

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

General health

Does Worms have to be diagnosed by a GP?

45 replies

katierocket · 16/04/2005 10:41

THink DS (3.5) might have worms, complaining of itchy bum, hungry all the time, quite tired. Anyway, I've look at the archived threads about treatment etc but the question is - do I have to take him to the GP or would a pharmacist give me the treatment? what does a gp do to confirm diagnosis?

OP posts:

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SaintGeorge · 16/04/2005 16:16

The sellotape slides were the nicer part of the job hmb. Opening pots of fermenting stool samples in the heat of summer was a bit more of a downer.

No wonder I don't miss working there!

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happymerryberries · 16/04/2005 16:18

LM sick littl twisted AO!

My cousin is a nurse and she said that she used to realy feel for the people in the labs when she took samples. She always felt that sputum samples were, somehow, worse!

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cod · 16/04/2005 16:20

Message withdrawn

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SaintGeorge · 16/04/2005 16:28

Most days you got used to the smell. The worst was Monday morning - 2 days away from it and you really notice the difference.

hmb - sputum could be rather unpleasant although the range of colours available was quite surprising . At least the stuff didn't usually smell.

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Aero · 16/04/2005 16:48

pmsl @ hmb and the poo in the potty. We've just had it with dd too (her and poor Cadbury's dd are good friends - too bad we didn't find out the problem before they played together!! V sorry again Cadders - grovel grovel!).
The GP told us to get her to poo in the potty so we could send off a sample - honestly, there was no need - first time I've ever sen a 'living poo'! Mega double yuk!!
Ditto on the cleaning for England too - we're into week two of ultra hygiene patrol!

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Eve · 16/04/2005 18:07

....the itching of them is unbearable apparently, enough for my 2 to wake up crying with it.

Hav eyou washed all the bed sheets, towels etc. otherwise you will get a re infections.

I really really recommend Grapefruit seed extract to help get rid of them. We had a lot of trouble shifting them from DS1, he seemed to get infections every 3/4 weeks, but 3 weeks wtih grapefrui seed extract in his drinks and we haven't had an infection since.

Now with them being outside all the time and with those lovely dirty hands & fingernails he is back on the extract and no problems so far.

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cod · 16/04/2005 18:07

Message withdrawn

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happymerryberries · 16/04/2005 18:10

A nice survival technique. They lay eggs that make your arse itch. Scratch and pick up eggs and transfer and off we go again........yummy!

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Aero · 16/04/2005 19:41

Agree too eve. Dd was in total agony, but it was at the front, and I just didn't put 2+2 together. She woke up sobbing and sobbing. Her bottom never itched!

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Enid · 16/04/2005 19:45

dd1 woke up crying hysterically for a week before we realised what it was

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Enid · 16/04/2005 19:46

yes and she said it was her 'mini' (fanny), not her bottom

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Aero · 16/04/2005 23:45

snap enid - we use the term 'minnie' too! Poor pet. Must admit, after three nights, I lost patience! Had no idea! Feel really bad about that now. Appt was already made with GP at that time, but I'd had no sleep for two nights and with no complaints during the day, I wondered if she was swinging the lead, even though I knew she wasn't and was actually in much pain, my rational mind was not functioning well!

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cod · 17/04/2005 12:22

Message withdrawn

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katierocket · 17/04/2005 19:53

well, went to pharmacist and he agreed that it sounded very like the big 'W' so he gave us the tablets which we've all taken. I washed everyone's bed sheets, disinfected the bathroom, cut DS's nails and hoovered carpets. It was only this afternoon that he actually did a poo so I found myself (oh the joys of motherhood) crouching over the toilet with my head practically down the u-bend, trying to see if the poo was 'alive'! Only to then have to go straight down and eat Sunday lunch, yeurch, not what I call an appetiser.

The short version - I couldn't see any wiggly tails in the poo. Will keep monitoring.

OP posts:

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Aero · 18/04/2005 00:23

To be sure, I'd advise to get him to poo in a potty, so you can see clearly (sorry). I was looking out for movement in the loo as the GP had mentioned worms the first time I saw her regarding dd's pain and saw nothing living until she went in the potty when the problem became desperate a few weeks later and we saw the GP again. Hopefully, if it is worms though, you've caught it early and it will go away after one treatment. Just keep up the cleaning thing to avoid re-infection over the next 6 weeks or so.

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Enid · 20/04/2005 09:03

bizarrely we had the same symptoms with dd2 last night, I had a look and sure enough...bleaurgh. Man, those beasties sure do wiggle fast .

So we are all to be dosed up today.

How do they get them? Am I just slack in the hygiene department?

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Aero · 20/04/2005 12:00

Enid, the eggs can live for ages after the live worms have been treated. They can live in carpets, on bedding, in fingernails, in sand(!!) etc etc - you name it. They are so easily transferred and once they get under fingernails, then it's the hand to mouth thing. That is why the rigorous handwashing and hygiene thing is advised for several weeks after treatment as the chances of re-infection are fairly high. Ugh!!
The treatment you buy will contain all this info and give you a very clear picture of how they are transferred - this is just what I remember from reading it.

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Aero · 20/04/2005 12:01

ps - no, you're not slack - they're very common and easily passed on! If we are slack in the hygiene dept, then so is about half the population!!

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Enid · 20/04/2005 20:28

tried to dose dd2 with Ovex today but she sicked it up! Tried again and i reckon half/three quarters went down hopefully that will be enough.

Read in a mag today that you can get a banana flavoured liquid version - grrrrrrrr that would have been much better than the gritty pills

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Aero · 22/04/2005 11:06

I wish I'd known that too Enid - I re-dosed yesterday to be on the safe side, but with ds1 and dd also having chicken pox atm (poor dd not having a lot of luck in the 'minnie' dept recently), and being plied with piriton, calpol or nurofen at regular intervals, this was almost too much for them to bear and ds1 did all he could to stop himself wretching this up. Liquid would have been much better.
Luckily he managed to hold it together and hopefully it's bye bye wrigglers!