Thread Worms

[honey33]

Thread Worms

my 3year old has worms, she was always scratching saying she is itchy... on inspection of her stools there were wiggly white worms in it.. my stools are ok but partner has them too, we have all taken some medicine from the chemist but how long does it take to get rid of them and is there anything else we can do.....

[237SJ]

I think the drugs (mebendazole) work fairly quickly but you must make sure you treat with the same drug in 2 weeks time so that the eggs which will turn into worms are also killed off. Probably a good idea to wash all towels, bedding etc and use separate towels for each user.

[Buenchico]

From the NHS website:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Threadworms/Pages/Treatment.aspx

[KARL]

Frequent hand washing (of course particularly after using the toilet), regular (daily) bathing/washing of hair and general hygiene measures to ensure re-infection does not occur is strongly advisable. In particular, the child's fingernails should be cut short and attention paid to cleaning under them. Change of underwear morning and night, pyjamas and bed linen daily, is a good idea. For additional assurance use spirit based or insecticidal cleaner on all door handles, toilet surfaces, etc. in order to eliminate possible deposits of eggs transferred to/from hands, clothing, etc. Otherwise not a great deal to do, the medicine should have cleared out the family's digestive tracts within a week (for good measure). After that keep vigilant, the source is likely to have been from outside the home (e.g. an infested child or else eggs on some surface or other) and reinfection from the same source may occur. If you have a pet you have serious difficulty in eliminating that possible source without getting rid of it altogether. You can google lots of info, this is one such source http://parasitecleanse.com/pinworms.htm

[Sycamore3House]

My daughter quite regularly suffered with worms she also seemed to have headlice at the same time so have a check for that also. Good advise from Karl with regards to cleanliness just be extra vigilant and treat the whole family rather than one person.

[honey33]

thanks everyone... we are doing all of what you said ... washing bedlinen dailiny , towels daily and using seperate ones for each person, hand washing and putting daughter in the bath morning and night, we only took the med yesterday, hope it clears in a week then we have also used the steamer on everything

[hellywelly4]

Be glad it's not the 1940s - I had them twice, and the lady who lived next door, who was a nurse, gave me an enema through a red tube. Not nice! Then I remember eating some special chocolate to get rid of them. It was vile.

[Mosaic]

I bet all kids get worms at one time or another. The single-dose medicines from the pharmacist will sort it, along with general hygiene. Thing is, you can't control other people's hygiene, and that's where the infestations come from!

[honey33]

well its been 3 days we have bathed her morning and night used and washed towels ad bedlinen for the past 3 days took the medicine and it seems worse now than it was 3 days ago... when does the medicine kick in

[KARL]

I would expect medication to clear the digestive tract after it has passed through - which varies from person to person but rarely involves "retention time" beyond 72 hours. You might need to question the effectiveness of the medicine you are using if the infestation is actually getting worse. I disagree with Peter Pedant (your first posting) that 100% of children in Britain get these worms at some time. Internationally, Britain is certainly often considered to have a low sense of hygiene but things are not as bad as he says. Raised most of their young lives in Britain our two boys never got worms. But due to being widely present (particularly eggs) these worms are an aggressive threat.

[honey33]

we rang the doctors tonight as yesterday we couldnt see any wiggly worms but tonight there was loads, doc said the medication will kill them, we are constantly bathing her and ourselves washing towels and bedding washing hands constantly we have steam cleaned the whole house sprayed with disinfectant on hard surfaces and handles... i honestly think she is picking them up from nursery and she sucks her thumb which isnt helping... doctor says we are doing everything right but we cant take the 2nd dose any sooner than 2 weeks after our 1st dose... nursery has been informed so hopefully they will step up there hygenie too

[KARL]

If you can keep your daughter out of the nursery and from contact with other children until you are all clear of the infestation and then readmit her, then the likely proof might emerge.

[honey33]

doctors said she is fine to go to nursery, we would keep her off till afer xmas but i have to work and my fiance has a hospital appointment, she finishes nursery next wed nesday.... hopefully we will be ontop of it by then.... i feel like ive got compulsive cleaning disorder im spraying everything that we touch with disinfectant every 5mins.. this is horrendous