Mebendazole is the standard treatment for threadworm, and a single dose usually does the job. What makes the difference between success and an endless cycle is not the tablet — it is treating everyone at once and doing two weeks of hygiene measures alongside it.
Threadworm (pinworm) infection, which is very common in children and spreads easily around a household. It is also used for some other worm infections, though those are less common in the UK.
A single dose is normally enough for threadworm, for anyone aged two and over. Tablets can be chewed or swallowed with water and can be taken with or without food.
A second dose is usually taken two weeks later if symptoms return, which is common.
Everyone in the household should be treated at the same time, including adults and anyone without symptoms. Many people carry threadworm without noticing, and leaving them untreated keeps the cycle going.
In those situations, six weeks of strict hygiene measures is the usual approach instead. Come and talk to us and we will go through it.
Mebendazole is generally very well tolerated at the single doses used for threadworm. Occasional stomach ache, wind or diarrhoea can occur.
Get medical help for a rash, swelling of the face or throat, or difficulty breathing.
The tablet kills the worms but not the eggs already scattered around the house, and eggs survive up to two weeks. For a fortnight: hot-wash bedding and nightwear on day one without shaking it, bath or shower every morning, wash hands and scrub nails before meals and after the toilet, keep nails short, and wear close-fitting underwear at night changed daily.
1 Lyng Lane, West Bromwich B70 7RW · Mon–Fri 8:30am–6pm, Sat 9am–1pm · 0121 500 5756
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