Thread: Can tapeworms consume a significant amount of nutrition from food a human host eats?

If a person has tapeworm will the tapeworm eat up a significant amount of nutrition from the food the person eats?

I only recently found out about tapeworms (in humans) and I know that I haven't gained much weight for a while now and I'm wondering if I might have them because it seems that it's hard to know if you do or not...

I guess I'll have my stool checked by a doctor just in case.
I haven't ever noticed any worms or anything moving in my stool and I don't believe the end of a worm has ever come out of my butt.

Tapeworms are parasites, therefore causes harm to the host.
So yes, the consume alot of nutrition.
If you have been eating any meat products which are not cooked like beef, pork, chicken, fish, squid, etc... then there's a high chance of getting tapeworms into your body.

The longest tapeworm in history is about 60 feet long (your alimentary canal is only 9 meters long)
So yes, tapeworms can consume a significant amount of nutrition from the human body.

It should be noted that the tapeworm medications do not kill the tapeworm eggs when they kill the adult worm, so the potential for infection with eggs still exists as the dead worm segments are passed. Proper personal hygiene in individuals receiving treatment will greatly reduce this potential.

I just want to say that if tapeworms are not completely killed, including the head which is attached to the intestine, they will grow back. One treatment physicians may suggest and that has been used for the longest time is niclosamide (Niclocide). This drug is poorly absorbed from the digestive tract and rapidly kills tapeworms upon exposure. Side effects reported with niclosamide are infrequent and typically mild.

Really? That's a scary fact. I think it's best if we have out stool checked occassionally to be safe. Cooking the food right and waching our hands all the will also help avoid them. Thanks all for this helpful thread

There are a lot of reasons why you are not gaining weight and tapeworms might not even one of them. But just to be safe, I agree that you go see your doctor so you can be examined.

Just to add on how humans can contract tapeworms other than eating raw or undercooked meat is if they eat foods that have grown in contaminated soil. Poor hygiene may also expose you to risk of being infected.