Child's skin infection on face and no one cares

[TheHazelCritic]

As above, dreadful spots on her lips/nose,been going on over 18 months. Only after a year referral done to dermatologist,still waiting for appointment.
Spots go but new ones appear.
My poor DD(9) is so upset and refuses going to parties and meeting friends.
Go couldn't care less,no idea what it is ,just guesses and gives her useless creams(fucidine H, antifungal) but no change
Private costs so bloody much.
NHS is a joke

Whwn my DS was a toddler (now strapping 19yo) he constantly had 1-2 pus filled spots on his face over the course of a year (one there all the time, in different places on his face). Not a massive deal so we tried various things exactly as you have. They started scarring so we said we wanted to be referred. GP finally prescribed oral antibiotics which cleared it up completely never to return!

Molluscum spots just stay there for ages tho,hers on her face disappear and new ones immediately come up. Start pink then they fill with ours. If she pop them there's some bleeding.

Poor thing, I hope you can find a conclusion for her.

DeathMetalMum · Today 16:27

In the meantime I'd try something like dermol lotion to wash with or maybe hibiscrub.

I was going to suggest Hibiscrub, too.

Dd had something similar, GP refused to do anything despite it going on for a year. Then she got ill and had antibiotics for something completely unrelated and it disappeared in two days!

How do you use hibiscrub,once a day or more often?

You could try silver spray. Alfasilver or the like. It won't do any harm but may work as it's antibacterial, antifungal and seemingly anti everything. I do it at night though as it leaves a white powdery protective layer to prevent infection.

Thank you, will try those suggestions and will get back to GP (again)

I’d be careful trying random things people are suggesting here. You could make the problem even worse. I’d have to go private to sort it out for her. Can you put it on a credit card?

You definitely do need to go back to the doctor, but a hibiscrub bath in the meantime won't do any harm. It's good stuff that. You use it as you would any other soap on the body. Maybe start with once a day and see what happens.

When applied by a dermatologist, cantharidin is a safe and effective treatment for molluscum. It's often used to treat young children because it is painless when applied.

If you have been back and forth to the GP over 18 months then this is what I would do:
Find out whether they have made a referral to dermatology. If yes, is this an urgent one or a slow one.
If no, ask them what constitutes a referral. For example if you have 3 or more urine infections in 12 months that requires antibiotics or medical interventions, you should be referred to urology.
Ask them what diagnosis they have put on her notes. Ask them what they had to RULE OUT to come to this conclusion.
Moving forward, ask the practitioner what sort of time frame they expect for this to be healed completely.
If none of the above, arrange an appointment with the practice manager. Discuss how let down you feel that after (how many appointments) your child has neither a diagnosis or a referral. Ask them what the protocol is for dermatology issues.

It is not right that people need to out themselves in debt because the doctors are not fit for their role.
No,I cannot put it on a credit card.

Thank you,we have a referral since last summer,she is on the waiting list for an appointment. It is not urgent apparently.

I understand that it is frustrating for you and distressing for your daughter, but GP are generalists not specialists. They appear to have tried the generic approach and that hasn't worked, so I don't see what else you think they can do since they've made a referral but there are waiting times. It's awful that the NHS is in this state, but it's hardly been a secret because there's been loads of information about it for a decade. They are doing the best they can, and no matter how personally upsetting this is for you and your daughter, they have to prioritise the resources they have. I had suspected skin cancer earlier this year. That's an urgent pathway. It took four months for the results to come back.

It's not that people don't care. It's that they are run into the ground. They didn't do that to themselves.

They could have done the referral after a couple of month,instead than waiting over a year? They could have done a skin swab instead than waiting for me to find out about it and telling them to do one,again after over a year? So no, they are not doing the best they can. They are just waiting for people to harass them before they make any move.

And I hope the dermatologist will be worth the wait,but not even sure at this point.

Hi I think this is molluscum contagiosum.

It's contagious among kids and there was one boy in my DC class who apparently had lots of "warts" but I'm thinking this is what he has had untreated.

My gp initially said it's spots, then said if it doesn't clear come back.

It didn't clear and got worse and I done much research to no avail, even going to Holland and Barratt for tea tree lotions and potions, vitamins etc etc.

Went back and requested dermatologist, immediately was told "they won't see her", but I insisted and she begrudgingly took photos of DC face and said she'd send them off.

Surprisingly a dermatologist got back to gp with a letter within a week or two stating molluscum contagiosum. That it wasn't treatable on NHS and advised of two treatments we could purchase.

Gp had actually researched both meds and suggested we go with molludab.

After about 3 months it's nearly all cleared.

Here is medication website for details
https://molludab.co.uk/

It was about £25 for a small bottle on amazon. It does say it expires after one month but after reading reviews we just kept going with the same bottle.

The spots slowly react and go through a crusty stage which is very unsightly but eventually come away. We had some large ones as so much time had passed untreated and were bleeding but once they came away the skin has healed over, although is slightly red still.

Good luck and feel free to ask any questions on here or PM x

Yes! My son recently started to need a steroid inhaler and the asthma nurse told us to wipe his face really well after use if we were using the mask that came with the spacer. It is because of the steroid - it depresses the immune system. She recommended not using the mask at all if possible.

Poor you. I would press GP, almost complain re how the case has been handled historically, to at at least try something, in the meantime, some sort of tablet. I know they aren't specialists, but if they'd referred you earlier you wouldn't still be waiting.

OP says a dermatology referral has been done.

I'm thinking I could try this on the molluscum on her body and it might get her body to react and get rid of the ones on her face too? Or it needs to be applied on every spot?
I will ask them about checking her immune system as I'm quite worried that whatever it is, virus or bacteria, her body hasn't been able to sort it in so long.

In my part of the UK an urgent dermatology appointment is a 13 month waiting list.

I agree GP should have referred before. Can you make another appointment a d try get a swab when the pustules are full?

Yes will try that. Hope by the time they give her the app with the nurse the swab can be successful

My dc had this but around mouth. Cerave hydrating wash twice a day followed by fucidin cleared it. Don't stop the routine until it's completely gone. We saw an improvement in a day or two, took a week or more to full clear. Worth a try, you'll know quickly if it's working at least. Seems to have been impetigo.

Ooof, poor girl.

I'd try boosting her immune system with vitamins and supplements while you wait for dermatology.

And I wouldn't use anything on her face at all for a week to give it a break.

And then work through the suggestions above.

It does look very inflamed. You can make a jug of chamomile tea (use a few tea bags). Get it fridge cold. And then use large cotton pads soaked in the tea and apply as a cold compress. Super gentle and great for inflammation.

I agree with you that morally you shouldn't have to pay. But I have done it recently (my daughter had a massive allergic reaction to nuts and the wait was 2 years. The GP wouldn't prescribe epi pens. And they were due to start university. I lived in dread of every time she ate out/at a friends/Greggs etc. So Ipaid. On a credit card that I'm still paying off. What can you do? Wait and wait or pay the £250 and be seen by the end of the week. That's why people are suggesting it, it's so damn fast.

Hope she is OK. I really feel for her. And you.