Help with Molluscum contagiosum - Page 13

[emaye_to_2]

My son's molloscum success story: My 8 yo DS had MC for over one year when we decided to really do something about it. (Before this point I had heard they often go away on their own). Our pediatrician referred us to an amazing Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner who gave us two herbs, one strong and one mild, to be taken alternately daily as a tea or in a spoonful of applesauce. In addition to the herbs (which are inexpensive) we applied tea tree oil diligently on each one every night. In three months those stubborn molloscum were completely gone!!

[Subhuti]

I would say, with a relatively mild case on the groin and belly ... it took us a total of six months.  However, once we started to use Zymaderm which has tea tree oil AND to pull off the "ripe" ones (ones with visible cores) with a sterilized, flat nosed tweezer ... it was just two months until the whole thing was under control.  Occassionally a stray one is still popping up, but easily handled.

GL.

[ohmother]

 My daughter has a lowered immune system  and eczema that puts her at an increased risk for catching things like this. SHe had it last year and we did some scripts but were facing a more involve procedure so I also did some popping to her dry them off. She has no scaring and they are all gone.  Hers were tiny and mainly on her arm pit and one side. Our derm strongly suggested we not allow her in [ublic pools or gyms where sweat and moisture allow bacteria to grow.  But I think that is mainly due to her other health concerns.

[wantingagirl2b#4]

I really think that is where we picked them up years ago was the public pool. :0(. It is one way it is spread to others.

[Jkanesq]

I noticed your post and hope you are still available since so much time has passed. I would love to talk to you, we are going thru this with two of our children but my 5 year old is the worst. Hevis completely covered with them and it breaks my heart desperately need help!

[Subhuti]

It is terrible. Read through all the posts ... And ask any questions you might have. It IS curable over time. It will get better.
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[afr2010]

Originally Posted by Gitti 

I am just asking a question so please don't flame me:

Could the varicella vaccine be the culprit for Molluscum contagiosum?

If your child did NOT have the varicella (chicken pox) vaccine and also was NOT in contact with anyone who's had it or who had shingles, but does have the Molluscum virus, then ok, I am wrong.

I am just curious. I've read that there might be a connection. ?

I know I'm a bit late on this discussion, however My 21 month old son has MC on his neck and armpit and has had it for a few months.  He has not had the varicella vaccine and he's not been in contact with anyone with shingles or pox, i'm not even sure how he got MC! 

I feel this virus might be caused, however, because of the lack of chicken pox our children are getting. Vaccines can be wonderful and also horrible (and no one knows yet becuase they haven't been around long enough , scarey to think that our kids are the test rats!)  When one virus goes away another shows up! Drs dont really have too much information on MC yet either. 

As far as treating this (besides letting it just run its course)  I've heard of epsom salt baths and raw apple cider vinegar taken oraly either a tablesoon full at a time by itself, or mixing a it with some apple juice (not orange, becuase orange juice can make this stuff worse!) also putting ACV straight on the bumps kills the virus.  Immune boosting foods and teas can be helpful as well as supplements ( appropriate for children of course!) The last thing that I think would be benificial is tea tree oil on the bumps.

I've been using tea tree for a little but now and it has seemed to stop spreading, however it's not clearing up.  I just bought apple cider vinegar today and I'm going to give that a try.  My sons also had a few epsom salt baths so far. 

He doesn't seem bothered by it, unless I draw attention to it.  I'm most concerned about the scaring it may leave behind. 

[37064mom]

My 5 year old daughter first broke out with MC in September, 8 days after getting the chicken pox vaccine. At first she had about 5 spots on her stomach, then 20 (stomach, elbows, leg) or so. We went to dermatologist to have a few around her pant line treated b/c they were constantly inflamed with pants rubbing them. We did the beetle juice treatment on a few spots, which worked wonderfully on those spots. However, within a few days of that treatment, the MC has spread over her entire body. It is on her face, arms, back, legs, everywhere.... It is very inflamed, itchy, and painful for her. We went back to the dermatologist who prescribed a steroid, tagament, and a cream. At this point I don't know what to do. She is scheduled for another round of the beetle juice treatment, but honestly I don't even know where to start. She has so many at this point, I don't know that if treating 15 may be worth it. I am going to some of the suggestions here. I think I may need to just go to the beach. It is so sad as she is starting to look like a "zombie" and is terrified about starting school in the fall. 

I don't know if there is any correlation in the chicken pox vaccine or not. However, since we had this experience I have found about 10 other kids that had the same thing happen....

[Subhuti]

Read the thread, see what worked for other folks.

We tried ACV, but that just burned her skin.
We ended up using zyderma ... To prevent the spread and using flat tweezers to pull each and every one over time. Just start at the face and work through it slowly. It won't scar this way, and no chemical burns. I used lidocaine spray to numb the are then pulled the big ones that i could easily grip. Work like. A harm. Before and between pulls I dip the tweezers in hydrogen peroxide to sterilize.

It works, takes a few months, but while you are doing it, and treating with zyderma, it doesn't sprad as much. You will beat it.

[Subhuti]

Forgot to say, you know you have gotten the mcv when you pull out the little white core.


Always do it after bathing ... Skin is clean and the cores that are ready to be pulled will be most obvious. Start with the biggest ones as they are the easiest, and closest to busting on their own ... Which I think causes the spreading.

[Isabelle25]

I am 13 and have had it for 4 or 5 months. I thought that they were regular warts at first, but when I went to the doctor to get them removed, I was told that I had Molluscum Contagiosum. At first, I just used ordinary wart removal on them and in the shower, I used a pumice stone to scrap off the top. That was getting them much smaller, but was not working as fast as I would of liked. I am now using Apple Cider Vinegar every once in a while. At night, I put the vinegar on cotton balls and then band-aid them over the bumps. I take them off in the morning and it works great! I still scrap them off in the shower with a pumice stone though, because that helps a lot. I use the wart removal every other night that I don't use use Apple Cider Vinegar. They are going away fast and I am happy. I have already had to skip pool parties and things like that because I am embarassed of them. (They are on my back and down my right leg). Good luck to everyone in getting rid of them. They are a pain. I have to admit, I have cried many times because I am so sick of them. I am also going to try taking salt baths. I would try Apple Cider Vinegar baths, but the smell is so horrible that I don't think that I could bear. Another hint, have a fan in your bedroom at night when doing the Apple Cider Vinegar treatment! In the morning, your room will smell horrible otherwise! Good luck in getting rid of them!

[wantingagirl2b#4]

Sorry what all of you are going through. I started this thread long ago sadly its still alice but i guess not to sad cause it compiles everything roght here. Well Ultimately what worked for my kiddos was watching and if the bumps looked ready to pop then I sterilized needle popped the waxy core out and lifted gently not a wipping motion more of lifting gently so as to not spread. We tried the silver cure or whatever it's called but after the 3rd kid I just decided well if it's the waxy core that's doing all the spreading I'll take care of it before it spreads. Hope this helps save a lot of reading time and hope it turns out for the best for you please visit this thread to report your results in whatever you do to rid of it. It really has helped many with this being all in one place unfortunately I gotta go visit the pinworm thread again tonight .;(. Wish me luck!

[wantingagirl2b#4]

Sorry for all the typos I am on my phone. I meant also to mention it is best after a bath do that they are softened and it really doesn't hurt them to do this if the bump is ready.

[Ethelpea]

Don't know if I posted on this thread, I did post on a similar thread a while back.  Anyway, I used paper towels soaked in ascorbic acid (vitamin c) mixed with waster and my dd was rid of mc in a few days (a week maybe?)  Her case wasn't horrible, though. 

[mamapenguin]

Oh my, I haven't thought about MC for a looong time.  I had this when I was 14, having caught it from a toddler that I babysat.  It sounds like my case was fairly mild compared to what a lot of you are going through with your kids, since it was just on my right leg.  Mine were cleared up in about six months by taking the cores out of the bumps.  I still have some minor scarring on my leg, but the marks have definitely gotten less noticeable over the years - I'm pretty sure that no one would notice them except me.  Good luck to everyone dealing with this!

[lovinmybaby]

I think I've already posted a reply in this thread years ago when DS1 had molluscum. DS1 was 6 mo old when he got it. I know this sounds crazy, but I think he got it from clothing. I bought almost all of his clothing at consignment sales. He had never been in a pool and didn't have any siblings so he couldn't have got it from those things. Who knows, guess he could have got it anywhere! So I stressed myself out with this virus while the bumps kept spreading that year and now I am stressed out again with DS2! I can't for the life of me figure this virus out! I wasn't able to try a whole lot with DS1 since he was so young at 6 mo. Doctors and dermatologists would just say to do nothing and wait. After 1 year it finally went away after I starting using lemon myrtle oil religiously. It was gone in a week! It blew my mind so of course as soon as I saw that DS2 (2 years old now) was getting it, I immediately started using the lemon myrtle (1 part to 6 parts olive oil). Well, NO GO....it has not worked. I also used tea tree and Zymaderm. Nothing. Nada. Zymaderm didn't do squat! I am now back to Lemon Myrtle (I ordered from Lemon Myrtle Essentials) and ACV. DS2 had it on his face. With DS1 it was this bad since you couldn't see it. DS2 has it much worse and it's in his eyes, eyelids. It's horrible!!! I am very consistent with my treatment. This has been going on for 9 months now. I have given every treatment a chance and used it over and over but nothing is working. I hope to reply again to this thread once it goes away if I figure anything out. I popped one tonight and stuck a bandaid with ACV on it so see how that goes. DS1 has scars so I hope DS2 doesn't get too much scarring on his face. Also, neither of my kids have had any vaccines. Prayers to all of you and your kids with this....good thing is it does go away eventually!

[robmom4u]

Tea tree oil is the only remedy that has worked for my children.  If there are just a few lesions, just dab them directly with a Q-tip soaked with the oil. Be careful not to touch the surrounding skin because it can irritate it and has caused an eczema breakout in my daughter. If the skin does get dry and scaly near the lesion just treat it with hydrocortisone cream over the counter until it heals and start with the tea tree again. Once in the morning and once at night was all it took and in a few weeks they were gone.  My son was covered head to toe with it from football and the gear spreading it around.  He took baths with several drops of tea tree oil in it and dried completely afterward and his was gone in a couple of weeks.  My daughters was months because we would continually have to stop the tea tree in order to get her irritated skin clear with the hydrocortisone, but eventually we won the battle.  Good Luck!

[Subhuti]

We are done with it. Took a couple of years' never severe, but persistent. Once and a while I see a stray one and nab it.

I for one doubt how contagious it is ... Only one person in our very busy household.

[Slug]

Is it okay for a father to post to Mothering, I wonder?  ;-)

About a week ago, I noticed my son, 8 years old, had pox-like blisters.  He's been vaccinated against chickenpox, but knowing that vaccines are _never_ 100% effective (the chicken pox vax is only 80-90% effective, so there's always a chance it might  fade or just not be effective), we took him to the pediatrician.  She diagnosed it by observation, and advised us to just leave it alone.  It would go away on it's own, but would take 6 mos. or longer to "clear."

This meant 6+ months of changing sheets and towels daily, separate washing, and avoidance of shared toys with his 5 year old sister.  No way was I or my wife willing to do that, especially since my son got the virus from some neighbors who have had it since before summer and still do.  So, off to Dr. Google!

I finally settled on the following, which is not medical advice and should not be taken as such but is simply a description of my experience:

With him lying on his bed on a clean towel, I used a topical anesthetic spray, such as is used for sunbrun, on his chest and legs (look for lidocaine or benzocaine as a prominent ingredient).  Wearing latex gloves (I would have used nitrile gloves were I concerned about latex allergies) I then wiped his chest off with a 3% hydrogen peroxide wipe, followed by "dotting" the boils with alcohol prep pads; I discarded the wipe and prep pads after doing this.  Next, I took a sterile diabetic lancet and lanced the boils, one by one; I used the lancet because I knew it was sterile and it is a very high gauge, meaning much less discomfort for him.  After lancing the boils (and discarding the lancet), I used a comedone extractor (aka, blackhead remover or "pimple popper") which had been soaking in a bowl of 93% isopropyl alcohol for 10+ minutes to gently scrape the lesions and remove the cores, taking care to wipe the cores onto another hydrogen peroxide wipe.  In some cases, no core was extractable, but lancing seems to have been the key.  And yes, there was blood, since I disturbed the integrity of his epidermis, but no more than one might get from a scratch, and considerably less than from a skinned knee.  I then wiped his chest and legs down with another peroxide wipe (actually, three - one for his chest, one for each leg), and gave him an old undershirt of mine to wear to sleep in.

There was a little scabbing the next day, which washed off easily in the shower with no further bleeding.  His chest has lots of little red dots on it, as though he'd gotten into a bed of fireants and then popped the blisters, but otherwise I have found no new boils and the spots are healing up quite well. I'm checking him every couple days to make sure no new ones have erupted and there is no secondary staphylococcus infection, which seems to be the case.

In any case, I believe I have settled on a methodology for my own personal use, but as the saying goes, your mileage may vary.

[Subhuti]

I think this method is very sound. I used sterilized flat nosed tweezers to get the core out by gripping and pulling,upwards.. We did the lidocaine spray too. You may have the odd one popping up but if you pull them out, they won't come back eventually. I used to tell my daughter, the sooner we pull them out, the less new ones will appear.

FYI we found that they were non contagious to other family members. We didn't share towels or clothes, but we also didn't change bedding daily. No one else in the family ever got it, though I did keep the effected areas covered at all times. The kids shared baths before we knew what it was. And even after the diagnosis, I occasionally would share a bath, but no problems.