Worm that jumps from rats to slugs to human brains has invaded Southeast US

[Martin68]

22. Headaches and loss of weight due to the parasite feeding off the nutrients coming down my intestine.

It was stealing the food I ate from within where its head was attached to the inner lining of my intestine. I don't know how long after the meal. It must have been many months before I was aware something was wrong. Eventually the segments on the worm's body began to break off the end of the chain of segments attached to the head when they are "ripe" and wriggle out the anus to spread its eggs. Very creepy, and uncomfortable (but no pain involved). A doctor instructed me to fast for two days, and then I took a medicine that killed it. It was expelled as a bowel movement.

Pills containing eggs from tapeworms were sold in pharmacy in the US as a weight loss medicine back before laws were passed regulating medicine sales. It worked! Medicines were also legally sold over the counter that contained morphine and cocaine in those days.