We worm the nags, dogs and cats.......

[Vindaloo]

But what about giving ourselves a dose of wormer?

Don't get me wrong, I am not rubbing my backside across the floor, neither do I have the urge to scratch my nether regions but living in a country which has all sorts of nasties I have been advised, in light of the animals I deal with on a daily basis to have a dose every six months!

I have never in my life wormed myself, possibly when I was a mud eating nipper my mother may have administered a dose but it got me thinking that it might be a good idea.

So, do you? Have you? And if so, are there any side effects? Oh and would anyone like to go to the chemist for me since I thinI might die of embarrassment asking for it..

V.

 

[Orangehorse]

There was a TV programme about all the nasty things that people can catch when travelling around the world. One person got a worm in the brain that presented as a brain tumour, which they had got from eating not well cooked meat in Nepal. Luckily the doctor had been in the army and seen it before and he asked if the patient had been abroad. I think a dose of wormer did the trick in that case, instead of a brain operation.

Another person "wormed" themselves for something, so it is done. Really, I think you need to ask your own doctor!

 

[merry mischief]

I usually get an accidental worming every time I do the horse! I have wondered about this myself though? Why aren't we wormed?
MM

 

[Vindaloo]

Chemists double up as doctors out here so I'll give them a go first but yes, if I get no joy there will take myself off to the GP at the hospital.

I'll avoid doing that if I can help it, last time I went there for a bit of a cold, I ended up with blood tests and booked in for a chest x-ray. Thank god for medical insurance, soon as I walked in I could see the pound signs reflected in the doctors eyes.

 

[Littlelegs]

I think its probably because on the whole, we don't eat from surfaces we are likely to ingest worm eggs from. And the less people that have worms, the less the likelihood is of coming into contact with them. That is my logic anyway, haven't a clue what the medical explanation is.

 

[Boxers]

In the UK it is usually kids who get worms. They are tiny white worms like little bits of cotton and they come outside of the anus at night and cause itching. The child scratches, the worms get under their nails, later they put their fingers in their mouth and the cycles goes on, or they hold hands with a friend at school who then puts their fingers in their mouth and hence get worms too.

A one off dose of Ovex clears the problem without any side effects. If one in the household has worms then the whole household should be treated.

I would imagine that if you don't have any symptoms then you don't need to dose yourself, but as I say, there are no side effects so taking a dose every 6 months or so won't harm you.

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

Antihelminthics for humans are available and do get used - V just out your brave pants on and go to the chemist - they will be able to sort you out

As some one else said the main source of worms for humans in this country is when they have been abroad and have picked them up there. There are various ways you pick up 'worms' of whatever kind - some is through eating - the Victorians used to eat tapeworm eggs deliberately as a way of staying thin... but some of the worms abroad get in through cuts in the skin etc

For most worms we are not the host of choice for a variety of reasons so you pick them up incidentaly which is why we don't 'need' worming other animals are thier host of choice.

 

[Vindaloo]

Antihelminthics for humans are available and do get used - V just out your brave pants on and go to the chemist - they will be able to sort you out

As some one else said the main source of worms for humans in this country is when they have been abroad and have picked them up there. There are various ways you pick up 'worms' of whatever kind - some is through eating - the Victorians used to eat tapeworm eggs deliberately as a way of staying thin... but some of the worms abroad get in through cuts in the skin etc

For most worms we are not the host of choice for a variety of reasons so you pick them up incidentaly which is why we don't 'need' worming other animals are thier host of choice.

Ok, brave pants on and worn outside my jods, just to show I mean business. I will boldly go forth to the chemist and request a dose. MrV might just as well have a dose too while I am at it.

 

[misterjinglejay]

My old YO used to routinely worm herself and the family every 6 months or so. Sort of makes sense, but not sure if I have any brave pants to wear. If I have, they're probably either down the side of a wardrobe, or underneath a cat

 

[Dubsie]

Worms are often specific parasites to a species, so I think (without looking it up) it unlikely horse worms will affect humans.

 

[Bright_Spark]

I didn't even realise you could get wormers for humans

 

[Jesstickle]

I had worms as a kid. Thought it might make you feel better.

 

[winkles]

I had worms as a kid. Thought it might make you feel better.

It did! On another note, never having kids now. Eugh.

 

[PandorasJar]

As a kid I was frequently dosed (think it something to do with the number of wild animals I used to let into the home ), so was my OH and most of our friends as kids! Seemed to be the done thing in the past!

Pan

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I was researching diatomaceous earth for dusting on the hens; and came across on one website (can't remember where, sorry, but think it was in the US) something about "human quality diatomaceous earth", used as an internal parasite-remover.

Worth researching diatomaceous earth; if you can get it in your part of the world??

 

[Vindaloo]

Brave pants clearly in evidence I marched off to the chemist, typically it was full of people and the guy serving me made me repeat 'worms' three, yes three times.

So now I have my tablets ready to take at bed time. Don't think I'll be doing any more Internet searches after reading a nasty report of the results one doctor had of a severely overweight patient!!!

So, Casper wormed - check
Bumble and Pepper wormed - check
Now it's just me and Mr V.

Thanks for all the input everyone.

 

[Ladydragon]

It did! On another note, never having kids now. Eugh.

But kids are brilliant at spreading things like chicken pox, warts and pin worms between each other...

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

How do you know if you've got worms? And what about that thing you get off cat poo? Somebody gave me cake, then I found out flies had been on it and presumably they'd also been on the cat litter tray which was in the same room. Can I catch cat worms, or that other thing?

 

[tallyho!]

I dunno, here in the UK we are pretty safe and we don't eat forage like we used to and die of things like liver fluke and river blindness and things.

I have had worms as I grew up in malaysia including roundworm and tapeworm. I was very ill with the roundworm. Kids only get treated when they are ill over there. I remember taking a chalky drink for my tapeworm and had to poop it out!!! I won't go into it...

I thought that some schools have worming programmes when they are young? Does thi not happen any more?

 

[dreamcometrue]

Indeed you should worm yourself. When we returned to the UK from living in Portugal my daughter brought her Ascaris roundworm with her! It was discovered making its way out of her one day by my Mum!

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

The OP is in INDIA!

So different issues to deal with from here

 

[OFG]

I managed to worm myself by mistake years ago when doing the cows

Been fine ever since

 

[hairycob]

I'm sure I saw somewhere about some condition being treated by giving the patient tapeworm to boost the immune system. It came upin conversation a couple of weeks ago & it's been driving me nuts as I can't remember what it was. I don't think I dreamed it

 

[Laafet]

I wormed myself with human wormer when I lived in Australia, it was seen to be normal over there. They even had chocolate flavoured tablets for kids! We were getting pot bellied and suspected worms - turns out we were just tubby lala's as the belly didn't disappear!

 

[DuckToller]

I was told by a German chap that did modelling that models in some countries swallow a tapeworm egg, which they buy from a supplier, to keep their weight down.

One way to diet I suppose...

 

[Jesstickle]

How do you know if you've got worms? And what about that thing you get off cat poo? Somebody gave me cake, then I found out flies had been on it and presumably they'd also been on the cat litter tray which was in the same room. Can I catch cat worms, or that other thing?

As someone who had them, you'll know

 

[Aru]

People tend to have clinical signs and go to a doctor with issues when they have worms. So they are only treated if there is an issue. It is not as common issue in the Uk and ireland compared to abroad as we dont have as many species that affect people as more tropical climates.

In dogs,horse etc prevention is better than cure as by the time clinical signs are noted internal damage and high burdens can be reached.
Plus in the cases of dogs and cats its also to safe guard human health.Some of the canine and feline parasites are zoonotic(can be passed to humans)The most famous being toxoplasmosis in aged cat poo. That can cause abortion in women. Roundworms in dogs poo being able to cause illness and in rare exceptions cause blindness in human children. One of the main reasons that dogs waste is to be cleaned by lay as opposed to horse dung being ok in public places

Parasites are much more common in animals due to diet,environment and their ways of keeping clean!Most puppies have a very high worm burden of roundworms even in their first few days of life.Its not quite the same in people
Horses and other herbivores have very few parasites that can be passed to humans.
The most common internal parasites at least again in the uk are Pinworms...and those are passed from human to human!Its the one children tend to acquire.

But as has being previously mentioned just ask in a chemist human wormers do exist!and wormers in general tend to have few side effects.

 

[rhino]

I'm sure I saw somewhere about some condition being treated by giving the patient tapeworm to boost the immune system. It came upin conversation a couple of weeks ago & it's been driving me nuts as I can't remember what it was. I don't think I dreamed it

No, you didn't dream it
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2009/01January/Pages/WormsImmuneSystem.aspx

 

[EAST KENT]

Indeed,and it is my possible(?) theory that the extraordinary rise in dog skin allergies..dogs get that where we get asthma..is because of the way we routinely worm/flea religously even if it is not required.Thus the immune system has nothing to fight and turns on the animal itself.
In fact I wonder if allowing a dog to be a tad wormy might rebalance a skin allergy
Tapeworm eggs were also sold in Kenya as diet solutions back in the seventies.

 

[Vindaloo]

Good grief EK what are you doing up at this ungodly hour? I've got the excuse that it's 9.15 here.

In truth, my dogs are wormed as and when I remember, not religious about it. They (fingers crossed) are a healthy pair, no skin problems, bright eys, shiny coats etc.

I only wormed OH and I because I was advised to do it one every 6 months here. Hmm, first time I've ever done it and we've been here over two years now.