Molluscum - is it inevitable that DD will catch it and how do you catch it?

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

Me and DD are moving back to England in August. I have honestly never heard anything about this in any of the countries we have lived. I do see it time and time again on MN.
What is it, how do you catch it and can you avoid it?

[pallymama]

I live in England and I'd never even heard of it till I read your post. Just had a quick look on wikipedia, and neither I or DD have ever had it. So it's not inevitable. :)

[Crevix]

i caught it from DD1. it's rife in this area. pretty much every child i know has had it.

[BelovedCunt]

where are you crevix? i have never had it nor has dd

[Crevix]

wilts

[BelovedCunt]

i will be avoiding using any public conveniences in wilts then

[Crevix]

not sure about public conveiences but i have my suspicions about swimming pools.

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

So, it could be geographical. Should I avoid all public lavs in the North West?
Seriously, the only time I've ever heard of it is on MN. DD has had dysentry several times, giardia once, pneumonia three or four times, but none of the 'normal' childhood illnesses.

[BelovedCunt]

wilts is down south though? i am in scotland maybe it is too cold for it up here

[BelovedCunt]

why does this aspect of living in england horrify you so much?

[BlooferLady]

Oh! I had never heard of this, but have just Googled and am fairly confident this must be what is causing the white lumps on the skin on the inside of DH's eyes

We haven't got round to making a GP appointment (they don't hurt). He's a copper so comes into contact with all sorts. Sorry to hi-jack the thread - anyone know who it's treated?! I'd best call the GP I guess.

[mummytime]

I had barely heard of it until DC3, who has had it twice. But then I expect in lots of places it wouldn't even be noticed - it does occur in the US where they treat it with drugs. It really isn't a biggy, not something worth stressing about.

[mrsravelstein]

ds1 had molluscum for six bloody years so am a bit of an expert

it's a pox virus, same family as smallpox and chickenpox, causes little pearly white warty lumps which are highly contagious as it can live on almost any surface for quite a long time and also travels in water.

most kids who get it will only get a couple of them and they usually take 6-18 months to rid themselves of the virus completely.

it seems to be something some people are more susceptible to than others though. i caught them from ds1 and had them for couple of years on my neck, very attractive. but ds2 and dd and dh have never caught them despite sharing obviously close contact with him.

the most effective thing we found was a herbal tincture i ordered from America (not terribly expensive though) called Virucide/Zymaderm.

there is also a cream you can buy OTC here called crystacide which has very good results for i think about 80% of sufferers. it's v expensive so not available on NHS. also IIRC it's not licensed for use on molluscum, but it was ds1's long suffering dermatologist who rec'd it, so is definitely safe!

if there's only a couple of them, they can be frozen off - ds1 had them all over his entire body so it wasn't feasible to do though we did try a couple at one point.

[BlooferLady]

That's really interesting Mrs. One health site I just read suggested squeezing them to get out the core, which I find EXTREMELY appealling, but DH's lumps are right in the corner of his eye and i think even I would baulk at that.

How long does the tincture stuff take to work? The poor chap is not very pleased with his appearance at the best of time (for no good reason) and is starting to feel very self-conscious.

[mrsravelstein]

leonie, agreed, dermatologist said he'd never seen a kid with such a bad case, odd really cos in every other respect he's got the constitution of an ox.

bloofer the zymaderm started to improve ds1's within days, it was pretty miraculous, but obviously they will still keep getting new ones for as long as it takes to get rid of the virus. the crystacide cream didn't work for ds1 but def worth trying, you may need to ask chemist to order it, but don't know if safe to use near eyes

links to zymaderm lotion

www.naturopathix.com/products.html

link to crystacide article

findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb4384/is_6_38/ai_n29106256/

[LawrieMarlow]

DD got it when we lived in Bedfordshire but I didn't realise until we moved to Yorkshire. They lasted about 6-8 months I think and none of the rest of us got them.

[Chrysanthemum5]

DD has two, we're in Scotland so not too cold up here for them! I'd never heard of them until my DN and DD's friend both came round to play and then their mums told me after that they were both suffering really badly with them. So I'm not shocked that DD has cuaght them, but so far the rest of us are clear. My understanding is that most people have a few as a child, but don't really notice them and so as adults are immune.

[whyme2]

Blooferlady - if the spots are anywhere near or in the eyes then he needs to be checked by the gp. My ds had a band across his face like a strip straight across his eye area. The gp told us to be vigilant because any spots in the eye itself can do damage. It cleared naturally after approx 12 months.

Dd had it all down the side of her tummy and gp was not concerned . . .

[Seona1973]

my sisters 3 kids had them - all of them only had a few. DD got them and had quite a lot including on her face. Hers took quite a long time to go and we did try a couple of treatments including zymaderm and colloidal silver neither of which made any difference. DS got them but only had a few and they didnt last long at all. We are in Scotland too so they can be caught wherever you go.

molluscum contagiosum

[DeWe]

Swimming pools!
Apparently the swimming pools put something in the water to stop varuccas spreading which actually aids molluscum spreading.
I think dd1 passed it to dd2 in the bath though.

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

Belovedcunt, I am optimistic that DD will finally not be getting all the exotics she's had in the past.
She had been vaxed agained hep a, b, chickenpox, rabies, jap encephalitis, tick borne encephalitis, yellow fever and a whole lot more that I can't remember.

[BlooferLady]

Thanks Whyme and MrsR - I'll keep pestering the wretch to get a GP appointment. It's reassuring that it should clear of its own accord - I need to make sure he's healthy and properly immunothingied.

[GibberingGinger]

My DD had them for about 9 months from 1.5 yo to just over 2yo. Then my DS2 got them at about 10 months, and his twin brother (DS1) got them as well. DD and DS2 were COVERED with them I reckon DD must have had about 100 under her arm alone. DS2 unfortuately seems to be similar, but his are mainly on his tummy. DS1 only has a couple.

I know they are supposely harmless, but the are horrible and unsightly, and in DD's case seemed to flare up and have left scars, like acne scars. I am still searching for a treatment to get rid of them.

No idea how they caught it. But am hoping that like chickenpox once you've had it, you can't get it again, an not like coldsores where it flares up again and again.

Am in Fife BTW.

[Fear]

DD has had about 30 on and off for a year, no-one else in the family yet. Not bothering her. The GP confirmed it. BTW I'm in Essex.