How long does it take to get rid of threadworm after taking medication?

Question

All of my three children have threadworm. They all took one Ovex tablet each yesterday afternoon but the worms are still there tonight. Am I expecting miracles? How long does it actually take for the medication to work? My eldest is being driven absolutely mad by the itching.

Answer 1

Hello:
This answer is in response to your question posted on yahoo about worm infestation. Are you referring to pinworms Enterobeous vermicularis)? I have never heard of them being referred to as threadworms, but they are very common in children. The female comes out at night and lays eggs on the anus. Usually you only see the worms when going to the bathroom. When I was a child we had to drink this horrendous red medicine several times a day for a week. It is great that they now have a one dose regimen to get rid of the infestation.
It usually takes about 24-48 hours to kill all of the worms. The majority of patients will respond to one dose, however a small portion of people will have to take a second dose. The problem is that the medication does not kill the eggs or at least not all of them, so you can have more worms hatching. The medicine stays in your system which will kill the remaining worms, so I would guess that they should all be gone in 4-5 days.
Everyone in the family should be treated at the same time, because it is so easy to pass it on to other people. A child will scratch their anus, get the eggs under their nails or on their hands, then touch someone else or an inanimate object (for example a table) The eggs can live outside the body for one week especially in dusty areas. It is important to wash all the bedsheets in hot hot water and dry on high heat. Vacuum your house very well. Clean all surfaces, ie tables, counters, computer keyboards, video game hand controls, etc. Frequent hand washing is probably the best way to prevent reinfestation.
I hope this answered your question and alleviated some of your concerns.
Oh, as far as the itching goes, a little 1% hydrocortisone cream applied to the anus may help.
Regards,
Warren Shaffer, M.D.

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How long does it take to get rid of threadworm after taking medication?
All of my three children have threadworm. They all took one Ovex tablet each yesterday afternoon but the worms are still there tonight. Am I expecting miracles? How long does it actually take for the medication to work? My eldest is being driven absolutely mad by the itching.

Answer 3

They wont go away without medication from doctor, he will give you pills to take over a few days and usually anyone else living at your home will take the medication to and you must use separate towels as it spreads very easily, you need to wash your bedding several times a week,. Good Luck

Answer 4

Usually 24 hours but you have to take a second dose to get rid of the eggs otherwise it doesn't work. Children in my school had it recently and all the mums had to give two doses.

Answer 5

Threadworm Tablets

Answer 6

Details of how quickly Ovex works are at the following link ... it can take several days:-

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100003201.html