Carrot Juice "Test" for worms, and Itchy Skin Relief
My son and I are currently between our first and second dose of prescription mebendazole, which is to say we've had pinworms, and whatever else, for over a week. It's a first time for us. Here's how we "serendipitously" discovered that we had intestinal parasites. I wonder if this is a useful routine ---and easy---method of checking?
I bought a 3-bottle bundle of organic (pasteurized) carrot juice from Costco, and naturally, we ended up drinking that bulk quantity of carrot juice --- about a half gallon per person over 2 days. Out came apparently dead white wormy things in the stools, which Google images quickly matched to parasites. Somewhere on that steep learning curve day, I learned to expect skepticism from our MD's, so my son and I took pyrantel pamoate. I figured it would make a "nicer" stool sample. No need! The pediatrician believed me and wrote the prescription for both of us even before she examined my son's rectum and found a pinworm.
My son has had a pretty easy time, but I've had extremely itchy, crawling skin every night for 11 days since I took the pyrantel. I'm convinced it's a worm diaspora from my intestines. Here's why I suspect this: I applied the pyrantel pamoate suspension ON the hives, and THE HIVES RECEDED AND MOVED to the exact perimeter of the topical application area! Dagblasted buggers!