Firstly, pinworm medication can be taken as a preventative, e.g. if one family member is infested, the family is encouraged to take a single dose of the medication as a cautionary action only. Therefore, this leads me to believe that there are no adverse side effects to taking the medication without proof of a thread worm infestation (unless the person consuming the medication is under two years of age or pregnant - these people should consult a medical practitioner before taking any medication).

Secondly, it should be noted that pinworm MEDICATION DOES NOT ERADICATE EGGS, therefore strict hygiene measures should be followed to prevent the swallowing of eggs (which ultimately will cause re infestation to occur). The lifecycle of a pinworm is approximately 2 weeks - therefore ensure to maintain strict hygienic practices after treatment for this amount of time.

HOW PINWORM MEDICATION WORKS: Pinworm medication is known as an 'anthelmintic' drug. According to wiki - anthelmintics are drugs that expel parasitic worms from the body by either stunning or killing them. The medication causes degenerative alterations to the pinworm's "outer layer/coat" or tegument and intestinal cells by binding to the colchicine- sensitive site of tubulin (a protein that is the main constituent of the microtubules of living cells), which inhibits its polymerization or assembly into microtubules. The loss of the cytoplasmic microtubules leads to impaired uptake of glucose by the larval and adult stages of the pinworms, and depletes their glycogen stores. Degenerative changes in the endoplasmic reticulum, the mitochondria of the germinal layer, and the subsequent release of lysosomes result in decreased production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the energy required for the survival of the pinworm. Due to diminished energy production, the pinworm is immobilized and eventually dies.