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Children's health

Has anyone successfully treated moloscum contagiousm? What was the product used?

28 replies

saythatagain · 15/06/2009 13:53

DD ages 5.4 months has had this since approx 9 months - she has just the one 'spot' on her forehead; its getting larger. I took her to the docs about 2 years ago - she said it would clear up by itself. Fast forward to now and it hasn't....I look forward to hearing about a terrific product that has no pain! Thanks x

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ILoveBanksy · 15/06/2009 14:05

Both my dc had this quite badly a while ago and although I think they just went on their own in the end (after 2 years for my ds), I did find that Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream was good. Saw it recommended on here.

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loobylolly · 15/06/2009 14:08

My ds had them all over his trunk for about 18 months. I then read online somewhere (don't think it was MN) to take vit c and thuja (homeopathic remedy) and dab them with tea tree oil - they disappeared within a week! He was also 5 at the time. Good luck.

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norfolklass · 15/06/2009 14:16

My DS had molloscum about 18 months ago all behind his knees...didn't even know what it was until I took him to gp about something else and mentioned it.

They said it would eventually go on its own but Im not one to sit around waiting for something to happen(impatient me...never lol!) so searched on-line and got something called Zymaderm (at least I think thats what its called). Its was a topical liquid that you just put on it and it dried it up...we then squeezed them (yes it was gross lol!) and got the middle out which is the bit thats contagious and they cleared up fine. Touch wood they haven't reappeared.

I know most people think they probably would have gone on their own eventually but it was annoying me (and him because he kept scratching them) so decided to a bit more pro-active.

If you search Zygmaderm on line there are loads of places that sell it...and loads of people that say it works and I can honestly say it did for us. Hope that helps-any questions just shout!

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JetLi · 15/06/2009 14:35

Second tea tree and Thuja - my sis used these and my nephew's moloscum. She'd waited a bit to see if they'd go on their own, but they didn't. I've shifted a nasty verruca with tea tree as well, having tried all the other over-the-counter remedies to no avail. Get a good brand, and make sure its neat stuff (e.g. Holland & Barrett or Australian Body Care). It's an anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic all round wonder oil really! Moloscum is caused by a virus, hence why the tea tree is helpful. A drop dabbed in kiddies hair will help keep the dreaded nits at bay as well, and it's useful for cuts and grazes so it's handy to have around.

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MrsAlwaysRight · 15/06/2009 22:02

Grapefruit Seed Extract and Tea Tree Oil in Bath and diluted in oil direct to skin.

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littlelamb · 15/06/2009 22:08

My ds had antibiotics for an unrelated skin condition and the molluscum disappeared literally overnight. My GP said it was quite common for them to disappear that way as the antibiotics and additional infection kick start the immune system. I know it's horrible at the time, but I really would save your money and just leave it to go by itself. If it's just one, growing, spot are they really sure it's molluscum?

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Heated · 15/06/2009 22:09

GP gave us some antibiotic cream for both dcs as dc1's arms started to look infected, having initially told us to just leave them - he suggested we pop them after a bath and get rid of the creamy gunk inside - and they duly disappeared/no scarring.

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saythatagain · 16/06/2009 11:18

Thanks so much for your replies. I will hot foot it to purchase to quality tea tree a.s.a.p. I will let you know how I get on. My reason for doing something about it is two fold - its now being mentioned by other children (not that dd is at all bothered it) and also the fiddling factor!

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seeker · 16/06/2009 11:30

OK, saythatagain - are you SURE it's molluscum? I ask because it's quite unusual for here only to be one spot - it usually spreads. And it's unusual for the spot to get bigger - they usually stay the same size but multiply. And it's VERY unusual for hem to last as long as your dd's have - is it ti,kme to ask to be referred to a dermatologist?

Here are may thoughts on molluscum, for what they are worth.

Conventional doctors say there is nothing you can do - you just have to wait for them to go, but threat them with antibiotic cream if they get infected. They usually last about 18 months, then they go. You will be AMAZED at how often people say "Dd had molluscum for 18 months and the dr said there was nothing I could do, then my homeopath/reflexologist/aura reader recommended a treatment and it was gone in a WEEK!" For this reason, I would regard expensive treatments offered by alternative practicioners with extreme caution.

Also, they tend to look worse shortly before they get better. The looking worse sometimes prompts parentss to try a treatment - and miraculously it works. Once again, after about 18 months!

So ca' canny, as my grandma used to say. But in your case, OP, I woudl definitely want it checked out - it doesn't sound like classic molluscum at all.

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madwomanintheattic · 16/06/2009 11:34

dd1's lasted about 2 yrs, and we used antibiotic cream when they got infected/ bled. they did go on their own, honest!

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saythatagain · 16/06/2009 11:43

I took her to the docs about 2 years ago and thats what she diognosed. I agree, when I have looked up about this our dd doesn't seem to fulfill the criteria! Perhaps another visit to the docs is better?

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seeker · 16/06/2009 11:56

I am, sadly, a self taught expert on the subject! Ths spots are very distinctive - like tiny cylinders (sort of straight sided) with a dip in the top and a whitish centre.

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saythatagain · 16/06/2009 12:02

Thats interesting Seeker - dd's just looks like a mole to me but because the doctor said what she said I (foolishly?) believed her. Will get an appointment post haste - thank you

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saythatagain · 16/06/2009 12:02

Meant to add - there is no white centre.

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seeker · 16/06/2009 12:08

here's a picture

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singersgirl · 16/06/2009 12:10

I agree with Seeker. We tried thuja and tea tree oil at one point for DS2 as he'd had them for about a year and kept getting infected ones. No difference. I just left them and sure enough they'd gone in another year. There is apparently a cream you can get that brings them to a head quicker, but it doesn't necessarily stop them spreading - when you squeeze them the gunky stuff is the bit that spreads them, I think.

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LightShinesInTheDarkness · 16/06/2009 12:22

We had no luck with thuja. The spots did eventually go on their own, but unfortunately have left scars where the bigger ones were.

Saythatagain - do let us know how you get on.

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TrinityRhino · 16/06/2009 12:25

It doesn't sound like molloscum to me at all
only one spot, far too long to have it and getting bigger
I think you should get it checked again/second opinion

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gladbag · 16/06/2009 12:30

My ds had just the one big molloscum spot on his upper arm for well over a year. I didn't know what it was and just left it alone. It was white and hard (but no dimple in the centre) and gradually got bigger. Then all of a sudden more appeared around it and spread down into his elbow crease. At that point we took him to the GP who diagnosed molloscum. The subsequent spots looked like the photo, and as seeker described, but the first one (we called it 'the mothership') looked different.

The spots spread to his torso, down the side where his inner arm had rubbed, over the course of about 6 months. I bought Zymaderm, and I'm not sure how effective it was, but it felt better to be actually doing something.

I have to admit we did squeeze some of the big ones because I didn't want him scratching the heads off and spreading it further (especially not onto his face). Apparently it's the white centre bit that contains the virus, which then spreads when rubbed or scratched. We also kept the inflamed ones covered up as much as we could.

A year and a half on and they've all gone. They eventually went red, scabbed over and healed. It is a bit of a waiting game. I agree that your dd's case sounds very different and is worth a second oppinion. Hope you get answers.

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madwomanintheattic · 16/06/2009 12:31

dd1 has a couple of scars, but hers were confined to her trunk/ inner arms, and they have faded over time - just tiny little dents now.

agree it doesn't sound anything like the same thing as we've experienced here...

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waterbabyabroad · 16/06/2009 20:47

My daughter(2) has had molloscum spots since Feb this year. They started on her foot and spread rapidly to her arm and stomach. Her foot was looking particularly bad as she had about 20+ and counting. We tried Active Manuka Honey 18+ (bought from a specialty shop) and the spots are nearly gone after only 3 weeks. Very impressed and don't doubt that the cream has had an effect - they were in full spread mode when we first applied it.

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Pennybubbly · 23/06/2009 04:25

Sorry to dig out a bit of an old-ish thread- just wanted to add my two-penneth.
I'm in Japan and my dd picked this up from other kids at her day care. Although they say here too there's no cure, what they do is to pick out all the spots as they appear (I had to take her to the doctors every week or two-ish when I could count around 5/10 of them. The doctor used something that looked like a black-head remover and the white bit would pop out as he squeezed. It was quite painful for her while he did it (took a minute or two) and they'd bleed of course (they stuck tiny plasters all over the back of her knee where she had the spots) but it cleared up completely within 5 months or so and she has no scars where they were removed. Not that that helps anyone of course, but just to give you an idea of what they do in Japan!!

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saythatagain · 30/06/2009 15:20

Well, I took dd to the docs (going back to my initial post) - he said it wasn't MC and niether was anything to worry about (on the mole front) due to its regular shape and colour. Things may change when she hits puberty (she's 5 now!). Thanks for all your advice by the way. x

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lizzie2000 · 08/09/2009 17:09

Hello everyone I found this thread really helpful - my daughter had moloscum for about 9 months, and the health visitor and doctor, like everyone said here, that there was nothing to be done. The spots were really big and looked horrible, and I looked on mumsnet and found this thread when I got really fed up of other parents looking at her arms, asking what the spots were and clearly worrying about their children getting it, as the spots were really big and looked horrible. After reading this thread i started putting tea tree oil on the spots, and they immediately looked much less red, and started to fade. I also started squeezing them one every couple of days, and within a month it was all gone. My daughter (aged 18 months) didn't like me squeezing them and it clearly did hurt, but only for a moment. For me it was really worth doing as I'm so glad they've gone. It means she can share baths and paddling pools with other children again for example. So I wanted to let anyone else know out there - if you have a bad case of moloscum and it isn't clearing up - for us, the combination of tea tree oil and squeezing the spots one by one worked. Thanks to everyone who contributes to mumsnet for giving me the confidence and the solution to this problem.

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NKffffffff9d5230eaX119e410910c · 05/10/2009 21:57

I think I've found the miracle cream - Comvita Skintensive Cream With UMF 18+ Active Manuka Honey. Cost around £8 for a 25g tube from local health store. Only been using it for a few days and the molloscum are shrinking and a few have disappeared already! Amazing!

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