How Often Should You Deworm? Children & Adults Deworming Schedule
Worm infestations often cause serious health problems and impact a child’s ability to attend and perform well in school, and another UNICEF report says researches have shown that regular deworming can substantially increase school attendance and significantly improve a child’s ability to learn in school. Eventually the growth rate and weight gain of children who are regularly de-wormed is pretty higher than who those who aren’t. Hence regular deworming is the best solution for many of the childhood illnesses.
Now the pertinent question arises; how often should I deworm myself and my family? Especially you should have a fair knowledge on deworming frequencies when there are school going kids or thumb sucking toddlers at home. A quick or thorough search on the Internet for “How often should you deworm?” may not bring you the answer to your question. There are thousands of sites which may guide you through deworming schedules of horses and pets, but you won’t be able to find a definite answer for the deworming interval or schedule to be adopted for human being and that is the cause of writing these series about parasites beginning from hookworm.
Now, the answer to our pertinent questions “How often should you deworm?” “What should be the deworming interval for children?” “What is the deworming frequency for adults?” etc. In most cases, deworming once every six months is sufficient. But, if you suspect/notice that your child is getting worms more frequently, then deworming your child/whole family more frequently as deemed appropriate by your primary physician may be necessary. Except tapeworms (as in the case of pinworm or whipworm infection), a second dewormer dose may be necessary after two weeks or 73-75 days after the first dose to break the life cycle/to kill the migrating larval forms of these parasites. In any case, deworming the whole family twice a year is necessary. Mebendazole/albendazole in suspension or chewable tablet form is the conventional drug of choice and the side effects too are few and those side effects that there are, are usually caused by dead worms being expelled from the body, rather than by the drug itself.
For more accurate information, consult with your primary physician to know the prevalence of the parasites in your area, the deworming interval that should be adopted, the deworming medicine that should be taken and its dosage needed to keep the parasites at bay. Inform the physician about the allergies and existing diseases/pregnancy that you have, before your physician charts down the prescription.
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Tags: deworming frequency, deworming interval, deworming schedules
37 Responses to “How Often Should You Deworm? Children & Adults Deworming Schedule”
What type of broad spectrum dewormer do you recommend for human use? Our pharmacist and physician said “it’s not a problem in this day and age” and if “I’m not seeing symptoms, don’t deworm.” They basically laughed at me. I’m a vet tech and I know the prevalence of worm infestations in animals. I also know that often it goes undetected without studying their feces. How often do humans have their feces tested? I believe it’s a huge problem world wide; however, modern medicine doesn’t recognize it because it’s going undected. When my parents were young, they were routinely dewormed by their doctor. What has changed in the past 50 years? Not much. . .except for the fact that routine deworming is no longer practiced in the United States. Please tell me what products you would recommend for deworming my entire family on a broad spectrum basis. We have pets who like to lick us and we know this is a catalyst in the spread of parasites among other factors. There are 2 adults in my family, a 5 year old and a 7 month old (having a hard time finding anything at all for the 7 month old). Please advise at your earliest convenience and provide places these products can be purchased. Many thanks.
Dee,
Even I was dewormed regularly during my childhood days but that practice is getting dropped nowadays.
Any benzimidazole derivative will do. (albendazole, mebendazole or febendazole). Check for the appropriate dosages according to body weight.
Read this article about why you shouldn’t de-worm….
With regards to deworming, my 16month old daughter’s pediatrician doesn’t want my kid to be dewormed just yet because “she’s too young”. However, I’m a bit worried because I noticed that my child would seemingly scratch her bottom by rocking back and forth on her bath tub, and her stomach has grown quite big enough to be noticed. She also has scratch marks on her bottom. She’s not really a thumb sucker but she would frequently put her hand in her mouth. And now that she’s confidently walking on her own, she has easy access to dirty things. We have a dog but she’s doesn’t live inside the house with us.
My question is, is my child manifesting symptoms of worm infestation? If so, I will insist a prescription for my daughter. However, is it advisable to deworm a 10-kilogram baby?
Raj replied:
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:02 am
You can take all the medical information that you find on the web just for informational purposes only. Your physician will be the best person to come to a conclusion as he/she has access for physically examining a patient.
The symptoms that you reproduce here can be of parasites as there is a pet/child puts hand in mouth/has access to dirt or fungal infection because of wet diapers. So the best person would be your doctor itself to suggest you any other alternative for a complete cure.
Michael replied:
August 8th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Raj I think that you are giving too much to doctors. Medical practitioners should be placed correctly; they are only there to advise the public on the available treatments for diseases and the safety of those treatments. The final choice of any treatment should be the prerogative of the patient. For God’s sake doctors are not gods and do not know everything. Their knowledge is limited as well and people should not rely on them so defenselessly.
Hi Raj, Someone told me that deworming medicine should be taken by the whole family together. Is that correct? if yes, what is the rationale behind this? could you pl, explain. Thanks
Raj replied:
May 29th, 2012 at 11:33 am
Yes. It is correct. The reason is simple. You don’t know who is infected and who is not. Taking deworming medicine by all the members of the family together ensures the spread is curtailed at least for a while and that you don’t immediately acquire it from a family member.
I’m from Africa, I think the last time I was dewormed is when I was in the elementary school. Now I’m 24 should I still take deworming medicine? And ‘ve been drooling lately.
Raj replied:
June 16th, 2012 at 11:37 am
I don’t think drooling has anything to do with worms. Otherwise, deworming the whole family once in 6 months should do the needful, especially since you are from Africa. We don’t have any idea about the worms prevalent in your locale, hence your primary physician could be the best person to help you out.
pls raj,the last time i dewormd was wen i was a kid.nw am almost 30.can not deworming make a man slimmer than he should be?
Raj replied:
June 23rd, 2012 at 2:10 am
That is another myth. At 42, I am taking deworming medicine along with my son once in 6 months and I haven’t got slimmer. Instead, all the energy that would have got sucked up by worms is redundant and I have to maintain my diet to not get obese! Bust your myth. If you have a kid at home, it would be in the best interest of your family to deworm the whole family on a single day.
Can Albendazole tablet be taken after two weeks in case the worm inside doesn’t die completely??
Raj replied:
June 25th, 2012 at 10:02 am
How do you know if there hasn’t been complete eradication? What worm was it? At what dosage and what interval did you take? To get complete resolution, only your doctor can help you after examining you.
Dear Raj,
i can’t say the last time i was dewormed. I was just feeling as if my system is still full even after toilet and not eating. So the idea of worm came to my mind and i decided to check more about deworming online, that is what brought me to your article. It is resourceful indeed.
Please, from the brief analysis of my situation, do you think that i need to be dewormed?
I will also make a step to popularise this issue among my peers.
Raj replied:
July 17th, 2012 at 3:41 am
I don’t think the bloated feeling is due to the presence of worms in your digestive system. There are a lot of causes for the bloated feeling.
So it would be best for you to consult a gastroenterologist to diagnose and treat your ailment.
Can noise and movement in d stomach b a sign of worm and what can someone do abt dat
Raj replied:
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:00 pm
May be regular bowel movements unless there is any specific complaint.
Hi Raj,
my 3 year old has a weight problem and has seen a paediatrician whom prescribed albendazole. unfortunately the instructions were not clear.
when is the best time to feed her? (day or night)
will there be any side effects?
what will happen after taking it?
and another concern, should we adult take albendazole together, would it be okay for a cancer adult to take too?please advise. thank you.
Raj replied:
August 2nd, 2012 at 11:59 am
See Vany, I am not a doctor. Whatever I have written above is general information. For any specific questions, your family doctor and your pediatrician should be the right persons to clear all your doubts.
Hi Raj I don’t remember whether I have been dewormed or not since when I was a toddler by my parents, now that am 30 I have bought this Albendazole for my initial medication without consulting any doctor rather only Chemistry owner gave to me should I carry on with this medicine?
Another question what are the symptoms and signs of one having worms?
One last question can I get worms through kisses?
Much thanks to this site Raj.
Raj replied:
August 10th, 2012 at 2:10 am
1.) “Should I carry on with this medicine?” If you are doubtful, consult a doctor. Decision is yours.
2.) “What are the symptoms and signs of one having worms?” The first line itself has links to each type of worm. You have information there.
3.) “Can I get worms through kisses?” Yes you can if you come into contact with an infected person although the mode of infection is different for different worms. Go through all those links I said above and you will get a fair idea on how each worm can cling on to you.
Hi Raj. May sound silly but deworming scares me. Is there medication out there that can crush the worms before they come out? lol. I am not kidding..
Raj replied:
October 5th, 2012 at 11:49 am
Yes, due to the mode of action of deworming medicines, the worms will be crushed. With naked eyes, you won’t be able to see them at all in feces. So there is no need to fear about that.
ric replied:
October 20th, 2012 at 2:17 am
Not all are crushed though. I remember myself expelling ascaris when dewormed the night before.
Too shy about telling doctor – the itching is intense… across buttocks from rectum and out. How can i with no pets, and no contact with others, skin to skin, get this infestation? I fear opening the topic with doctor. She’s probably never heard of this in (hate to say this) First World USA.
Raj replied:
October 5th, 2012 at 11:57 am
The mode of infestation for each type of parasite is different. Worms can get through food, water, finger nails, or even with a barefoot walk in your garden.
We discussed all these information earlier, the links for which have been provided in the first line of this page for each type of worm. Click each link, read all the information, and know yourself how you might have contracted any type of worm.
Hi Raj, is it gud to take any kind of dewormer? Do u think there should be a specific type of medicine? I took wormin tablets last week and ever since,i still feel very heavy and a moving sensation in my stomach,should i still repeat the treatment? Thanks,Edith from Nigeria.
Raj replied:
October 5th, 2012 at 11:36 am
Edith, this is a general informative post. Only a doctor could physically inspect you, diagnose your problem, reach a conclusion, and advise a treatment accordingly. I am not a doctor.
Seek medical attention for all your specific ailments.
Howdy, Raj!
Are dewormers safe to be taken every 6 months?
Do we need to have our stool/blood/urine analyzed each time, before we take them?
Thanks in advance….
From the Philippines
Raj replied:
October 9th, 2012 at 9:25 pm
1.) At least that is what UNICEF and WHO says, to have regular growth rate in children.
2.) If you wish to have an idea of what type of infection you have, it is good to have the stool/blood tested for parasites, eggs, and larvae.
Hi Raj,
My son is 19 months and doctor had administered deworming medicine about 5 days back .
However I still find him scratching his bottom quite frequently. Also his rectum area is quite reddish . Does deworming has anything to do woth this ? His appetite has increased quite remarkably and his bowel movvments are more frequent . Is this also due to Deworming?
Raj replied:
October 14th, 2012 at 12:12 pm
The redness could be diaper rash or some infection or due to scratching because of some itching sensation. Take your son to the doctor and get physically inspected.
Depending on the complaint that led to the doctor visit earlier and the subsequent diagnosis, the doctor would be the appropriate person to answer other questions you have asked.
This is an excellent piece of information. Thank you very much.
I think the last time I was de wormed was when I was a child, now I’m 24, do u think it is important I deworm myself now?
Raj replied:
April 21st, 2009 at 1:30 am
Thank you. That is a nice piece of information. Excessive hygiene makes immune system lazy, underequipped and inexperienced to fight diseases. And after reading that article, one will be in a dilemma whether to deworm or not to deworm! Read the last para what I said, do it all in consultation with your family physician because the prevalence of parasitic worms vary from place to place and the intensity of their action/impact on human bodies too vary from person to person that your physician will be able to decide better. Furthermore, World Health Organization (WHO) still recommends school deworming twice a year in low-income countries of Africa, South America and Asia.