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Original poster

Help!! Molluscum Contagiousum

28 replies

TreeHuggerMum1 · 01/06/2013 15:29

All three of my children now have this an it look hideous. Have visited be GP twice and both times fobbed me of with no clear answers. He says there's no cure and it will one day run its course but isn't being very specific.
Is there a treatment?? How long can it last??
Any one else had similar experiences ?
Thanks.

OP posts:
Stressedtothehilt · 01/06/2013 15:42

Well my dd1 has 3 spots on her bum one was very large. So I treated them as I do her verrucas and it works on her verrucas. With apple cider vinegar. Soaked a cotton ball in it and taped them on her bum for a few hours each night. It makes them grow a bit bigger, did it for a few nights. I checked on the third night and noticed one had been bleeding so squeezes it and the white core came out. So just treating the other two now I believe once they have gone you become immune so am getting rid of the buggers whilst we only have 3 of them!!

wrenster · 01/06/2013 16:39

Two of my 3 have it and sadly the doc is right, there isn't any medication to give. It's the bain of my life at the moment and I have spent hours on the Internet researching 'cures'. Our doc said it could last up to a year, but every child is different. DD has had it for about 4 months but only a small patch on her bottom, DS has had it 2 weeks and is covered all over his legs and now tummy. Concerned it will also spread to my other DS.

There is a big thread on here about it, so do a search but essentially no one has the magic answer.

The homeopathic things that I am trying are - lemon myrtle oil, propolis cream, apple cider vinegar, thulja (obv not all at once!). Lots has been written about colloidal silver but I am wary of this and have held off buying.

Hope it doesn't take too long to clear for all of us. Let us know if yo find anything.

StarlightMcKenzie · 01/06/2013 16:47

My dd has about 12 on her bum . Doc said likely to take between 2 and 5 years to go.

StarlightMcKenzie · 01/06/2013 16:48

She's had them almost a year so far.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 01/06/2013 16:51

As far as I can tell they need to run their course which may take a few years.

Be wary of all these people with miracle cures. They probably didn't work - just coincided with the molluscum dying down by itself.

StarlightMcKenzie · 01/06/2013 16:53

Why can't you squeeze out the core?

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 01/06/2013 17:02

Squeezing/scraping/freezing hurts and is more likely to cause scarring

StarlightMcKenzie · 01/06/2013 17:06

But she scratches them so much that they often bleed. I kind of think if I did the squeezing in a controlled way there would be less chance of both them spreading and getting infected further.

Stressedtothehilt · 01/06/2013 19:07

Starlight I squeezed dds, but I only did it after I'd applied apple cider vinegar for a few nights as the vinegar may it go nice and big and swollen so once it was swollen I think she accidentally scratched it or knocked it so it bled anyway so I knew it was ready. It does take some bloody squeezing though!! Have a pair of tweezers handy as once the crusty top bit bursts you can then tweezer out the core when its half way out which is easier than trying to squeeze it all way out . Apparently I read once you squeeze one out the virus dies and you are immune but I'm taking no chances and squeezing the other two as well

RufflingFeathers · 01/06/2013 19:16

Ditto another advocate for letting them run their course. DD had hers for about 18mths, perhaps ten on her back - they've left proper scars, like chicken pox, but a few years on and you'd not notice. I had two on my calf - looked hideous.
It seems that they start to get more angry looking and that is actually good- the beginning of the end ! I've scarred on my legs, and that's without squeezing. It's not pleasant....but they do just go.

Original poster
TreeHuggerMum1 · 01/06/2013 19:29

My three are pickled. If it was just a few spots I'd not worry so much but they're on necks, arms, tummies etc and hard to hide especially now the summer is coming. My oldest is 7 and he says his friends tease him which breaks my heart.
I just want rid!

OP posts:
Stressedtothehilt · 01/06/2013 19:30

Just done dds second spot, scratched top with tweezers and squeezed got some germolene and plaster on it, the first one has almost healed now just left very small scab and slight bump

Robsie · 01/06/2013 23:54

My DS is 7 and he has a row of 3 warts on the inside join of his arm (apparently a favourite molluscum hangout) and a few smaller ones on his armpit. Noticed the ones on his arm about 6 months ago, they just appeared out of nowhere. I had never heard of this virus, but the more I ask around the more common it seems to be, nearly everyone I speak to has experience of it! It's driving me nuts, my DS wants to wear jumpers all the time to cover up and its going to get harder with summer on the way (for once I am hoping it's another washout). Have seen my GP who told me to be patient and let it run its course. My DS had an angry patch of eczema around the warts (must have been triggered by them because he has never suffered from eczema before) so he was prescribed 1% hydrocortisone cream and an antibiotic cream which helped the eczema but this does not treat the warts. Having read loads of threads on this subject I am currently trying apple cider vinegar, but I am not holding my breath. The warts look very at home on my son's arm and I can't believe vinegar will budge them but I am willing to give anything a go. My DS2 has now caught it fom his brother much to my dismay. He is 3 and is constantly itching. He also has them in the armpit and some on his torso but his look like an angry rash, almost like chicken pox. I must admit I have picked at them as well because I am terrified they will grow and I am constantly looking out for new ones. My DS (the 7 year old) knows not to scratch but he won't let me near him to pick them. I worry about scarring, but worry more about them growing and spreading! This virus is hideous, and I am almost certain it was picked up from a swimming pool. If the cider vinegar doesn't work then I am taking my boys back to the GP and will ask for a referral to see a specialist. Having heard it can take years to shift on its own I know I don't want them to suffer that long.

gordonpym · 02/06/2013 06:44

I am on the other MC threads (Molluscum1 and Molluscum2 )
So you can read what did and did not work for several of us.

I have managed to control the spreading of new ones and having success on the big ones with a combination of peroxide hydrogen and iodine/tea tree oil and you can read how on the first link (read first, don't mix peroxide and iodine).
If you see a tiny tiny new head, with just a couple of drops, it's gone, whereas it you leave it grow to a couple of mm, it will take ages.
We are not 100% clear, but the old ones left are now really really small and to notice them you must be very close. But, every week, I notice a new one popping here and there. I treat it and it disappears.

Stressedtothehilt · 02/06/2013 07:20

Robsie they're such a pain aren't they! I haven't treated with cider vinegar long enough to see if it shifts for good but there are some threads on google about it also if you google apple cider vinegar and verruca you will see many people try this and works successfully so I figured it would prob work the same! Hopefully the nice hot summer we will have will scare the spots away!

VBisme · 02/06/2013 10:25

Obvious I know, but make sure that everyone has their own towel and bedding.

SS had these for about 9 months, they went on their own eventually but not nice at the time.

StarlightMcKenzie · 02/06/2013 10:58

It might be obvious, but I have a family of 3 young though independent children (one with a disability), and no way can I police the keeping to own towel, bedding, clothes etc. What is worse is that they are on her bottom cheeks but outside of her knickers and often shorts too. She's 4 and always wants to wear skirts. Banning them until she is 9? Really?

It's simply not realistic. Neither is banning her from using nursery or public toilets. They are not in a place where you can put plasters on either and she has so many it would be more like a bandage.

And because she scratches them so much and leaves eczema and bleeding patches they need to be exposed to the air anyway to heal.

I just don't know how to deal with them responsibly in the way that the rules seem to suggest I must.

StarlightMcKenzie · 02/06/2013 11:00

They are at the top of the backs of her legs so even sitting on a sofa with shorts, a dress or skirt will mean they touch the seat. And what's more getting her to wear clothes indoors of any type is a battle and a half.

NotLongUntilXmas · 02/06/2013 11:02

My youngest DD had them for about 2 years. She had them on her face. Every time one went, a new one would appear. I was just beginning to look into the cures when they finally started to disappear.

She doesn't have any scars, and I did squeeze a few of them. Towards the end I started putting plasters/micropore tape over them to stop her from accidentally scratching them at nursery or overnight.

It's been about 18 months now since her last one went and I can't remember what she looked like with them. I'm ashamed to admit that I avoided taking pictures of her when she had them. It used to really upset me but she was fine and the other children never did more than ask why she had them. Once I'd answered, they never mentioned it again.

NotLongUntilXmas · 02/06/2013 11:08

Just wanted to add that my DD was the youngest of 4. She did not have her own towel for the entire time, only when she had scratched one open. She is a very cuddly girl and used to get into bed with her sister. They also shared baths, as long as all of the bumps were intact, not bleeding. Youngest DD was the only child to suffer with them

Stressedtothehilt · 02/06/2013 18:58

Starlight I sympathise with the towels thing I'm finding it hard as well, although have taken to hanging dds towel on her bedroom door which helps. I did dds final spot tonite so fingers crossed for no more!!! Hers were rig near her the crack in her bum and she's 9 so it wasn't a pleasant task for me nor her trying to squeeze as every time she moved my hand slid cue lots of giggles from dd and me telling her to stay still!! Phew I really hope dd2 doesn't get this or she will freak

holidayseeker · 02/06/2013 19:02

Both my dd's have had this and tea tree oil cream from the health food shop helped.

With my first it took longer to find this so she had this for a long time and then once we applied the cream every night then no more spots appeared and with youngest dd as we knew which cream to use she barely suffered thankfully.

My oldest dd has small pin prick scars from it but they are not very noticeable.

Original poster
TreeHuggerMum1 · 03/06/2013 19:07

So tea tree oil / cream and apple cider vinegar are things to try? Looks like I'm off shopping tomorrow then.

OP posts:
MrsEricBana · 04/06/2013 09:33

Both my dcs had this and was all over their arms and trunk and was horrible BUT GP gave clear instructions to just leave well alone and not meddle or it would just spread/scar. It was awful but in both their cases over one day it suddenly all flared up (flesh coloured bumps all went even more swollen and red) and then they were all gone over the next day or so, like some sort of miracle. I was told they would last 18m+ but in both cases it was a few months then all gone and no sign now.

MrsEricBana · 04/06/2013 09:33

Only special thing I did was they had to use a special towel at bath time. Neither dh nor I got it.