GROSS, but any BTDT w/ pinworm??????

[Hippoharbor]

Tonight I suspect that myself and DS have pinworm. He has had anal itching all day and at bedtime said "something is inside". I have had mild anal itching, thinking it was maybe a small hemorrhoid, instead. But it now seems likely that we both have pinworm infection (we share a bed, hence both of us becoming infected). I want to call his ped. tomorrow to see if she can call in a script for both of us. And then I will set out to wash pjs/towels/sheets in hot water.

Have any of you lived through this anxious and frustrating time?

Michelle

[geochick]

Ugh. Sorry no experience. This might help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinworm

[Jenny_A]

MIL was telling me she saw this on "The Doctors" show the other day. Apparently, it's a fairly common problem. The doctors were saying that it can cause your child to have sleep problems. MIL was telling me you are suppose to take a piece of tape and put it close to your anus at night for 20 minutes or so. I think you take that in to the doctor and they can look at it under a microscope.

I bet there's a lot on the Internet about curing it!

Good luck!

[american_mama]

No experience, but I was just saying a month or so ago that my mom was always saying "maybe it's worms" when we were kids. I don't think we ever even had pinworms nor was my mom a worrier at all, but this topic seemed to be on her radar. But until your post, I have never heard anything about this since I was a child - not on the internet, in popular parenting literature, not in conversation, nothing. Plenty about lice, which are equally ugh, but nothing about pinworms.

[StantonHyde]

I had pinworms as a kid and survived to be a "normal" adult. I think we used ointment on the skin outbreaks and I have blocked out the intestinal piece!

[urquie]

dr. oz covered this on oprah a while back http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4TSHB_enUS285US285&q=dr+oz+pinworms

[westgre]

There are OTC meds you can buy at the drugstore, one is called Pin-X, not sure of the other brand names. Fairly easy to treat, but watch for reinfection.
BTW, lots of people (even people doctors) think pinworms can be caused by pets. They can't. Lots of other things can, but don't blame this one on Fido. ;)

[Bens Momma]

We went through this with DS about 2 months ago. I could never actually see the pinworms or eggs, but you're supposed to look for them around the anus about an hour after going to bed or immediately after waking in the morning. You can use a flashlight or try the tape method. You can google pics but they look like tiny white threads. Ped. prescribed Mebendazole which is a chewable tablet. 2 tablets are prescribed 14 days apart because if the lifecycle of the pinworm. First tablet will kill off some and the second will take care of any that may have been missed or hatch after the first dose.
It grossed me out and I felt so bad for DS but I found out that it's actually a PRETTY COMMON thing in kids especially as the eggs can get under nailbeds, on hands, etc and be ingested if they bite their nails, don't wash hands well, etc. Wash sheets, towels, underwear, and PJs in hot water at the same time you do pill treatment. Also read that you should vacuum bedroom floor as the eggs can "fall off" as you first rise in the morning. This should get rid of them! Hope you and your DS are feeling better soon! :grouphug:

HTH-
R.
Momma to 2 ACTIVE DS :bouncy::bouncy: