[*Amy*]

OK I know that most of you will probably not know about this, but has anyone heard of a holistic, pregnancy-friendly treatment for ringworm? My midwife isn't in today and the nurse didn't know what the hell I was talking about. I called the natural foods market, and they said that Neem extract works well, but they weren't sure if it's OK to use in pregnancy. I've read that tee tree oil may work but I also don't know if that is safe.<br><br>
Mama Fern, you seem to know a lot about natural remedies. Do you have any thoughts?<br><br>
I went ahead and made an appointment with my midwife for tomorrow, but I'm grossed out right now and worry about it spreading. At least DH isn't home so I can't give it to him.

 

[samsmamma]

Tea tree oil is antifungal and olive oil actually helps with fungal issues, as well.<br><br>
I had had a fungal something-or-other when I was pg with Sam (maybe dandruff?) and was told that since most treatments are topical, they are safe during pg, but check with your mw to be sure.

 

[MrsMoe]

Do you have pets in the house? Ringworm is a very nasty skin fungus and very very hard to get rid of, if you have pets I would be 99% sure that is the source. You must eliminate ringworm on EVERYONE including Fiddo and Fluffy and please do so well before your baby arrives.<br><br>
We had a issue with ringworm due to a persian cat we got from a bad breeder. Tea Tree oil did not work, the cat was forced to take Rx medication, and the entire household had to bathe in anti-fungal shampoos.<br><br>
Our cat was not able to rid himself of the ringworm due to a very very poor immune system. Due to the reccomendation of 2 vets, he had to be put down, after 6 months of costly treatment he was left with massive sized body sores and bloody scabs. My husband, daughter and myself were able to rid ourselves of this, but not our poor little Persian.<br><br>
My husband and I are big fans of herbal remedies, but ringworm is not something that can be treated with herbal cures. Typically in humans, you can build up an immunity after 8 weeks to 4 months, but your animal may not be able to build up an immunity to the fungus, as was our case.<br><br>
Please speak with a vet and seek proper medical advice. Ringworm on an newborn infant isn't something you will want to contend with and the spores can linger in your house for months on pet hair and bits of skin.

 

[MamaFern]

at one point i thought that i had ringworm.. i had what looked like to me the telltale circle of red and it was kinda scabby.. but not itchy. i put teatrea oil, neem and grapefruitseed extract on it daily.. each treatment a few hours apart and it did clear up. but i never did go to the dr. about it.. i figured since it went away that it was gone and ive never had a reocurrance. it was well before my baby having days.<br><br>
i hope that you find something that works for you that wont be toxic for you and baby.. i know some people feel that only conventional medicines will work but i dont believe that..<br><br>
i also looked up homeopathics for it and this is what i got..<br><br>
bacillinum, belladonna, rhus tox, ringworm nosode, sulphur, tellurium<br><br>
i am a firm believer in homeopathy !

 

[*Amy*]

Thanks guys - I am still battling it. My midwife said that Clotrimazol anti-fungal is OK, so I've been using that twice a day, but it doesn't seem to be going away. I've had it in the past, and clotrimazol usually did the trick, but it may have taken a couple of weeks.<br><br>
Mrs Moe, I am 99% sure I got it from my friend's puppy. I have a dog, and have had her for 11 years, and she's never had ringworm. And the babe isn't due for another 6 months, so I'm not too worried about that.<br><br>
Fern, I checked into a lot of homeopathic options, but many of them said they are not safe during pregnancy (neem, for example). Do you remember how long it took for yours to go away?<br><br>
This is so frustrating! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/irked.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="irked">:

 

[MamaFern]

i dont remember anywhere from a few weeks to a month or longer.. it wasnt overnight thats for sure.<br><br>
anyways, im glad you found something that works for you!

 

[blessedwithboys]

just so everyone knows where my priorities lay...lol<br><br>
1. NEVER use tto on a cat- it is highly toxic to felines due to the nature of their liver (or some other organ lol) you can search here for the info.<br><br>
2. OP- i personally would use tto while pg. neem is great, but it would have made me so pukey while pg due to the hideous smell. anyway, slice up some garlic and lay it on the area. if you need to move freely, you can put one layer of gauze, lightly taped round the edges, but really try not to put anything over whichever remedy you choose, as its a fungus and will thrive in warm or moist spots. you can also crush thew garlic and mix it with honey to make a paste. hth

 

[*Amy*]

Thanks for the tips, BWB. The problem is, it is on my lower back, right where my waistband from my undies/pants/whatever sits, so it is constantly being rubbed. But I can definitely go get some TTO today. Twice a day, or more, do you think?

 

[MamaFern]

maybe just before bed or something.. so it wont get rubbed off..make sure its okay to use with the other stuff too <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">

 

[greyskye]

RAW GARLIC<br><br>
cut it open. press/rub clove/juice all over it.<br><br>
cut your nails.<br><br>
make some fresh garlic oil (olive oil cooked with garlic) to wash your hair/scalp with.<br><br><br>
raw garlic rubbed has always worked for me

 

[PumpkinSeeds]

My son sometimes gets a type of eczema that looks exactly like ringworm. I totally thought it was ringworm until the ped assured me it was not.<br><br>
ETA:<br><br><a href="http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/nummular_eczema.html" target="_blank">http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologi...ar_eczema.html</a>

 

[PumpkinSeeds]

I thought it might be eczema because yousaid it was in an area that was constantly being rubbed and irritated by your clothing.

 

[*Amy*]

Pumpkinseeds, I looked at those images, and mine doesn't really look like that. It's more like <a href="http://www.askdrsears.com/images/ringworm.jpg" target="_blank">this</a>. It's pretty funny that I just did a random search for ringworm images, and came up with a Dr. Sears site that I didn't know about! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/thumb.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="thumbs up"><br><br>
I like the garlic idea too. I will definitely give it a try; I have that in the house.

 

[PumpkinSeeds]

Amy, those images on that site weren't very good. My son had the same as the picture you provided. I really thought it was ringworm. Another mom wouldn't let her kid play with mine because of it. It turned out to be eczema. Oh well, just a thought anyways....

 

[MamaFern]

thats what mine looked like, but i twas on my upper arm.

 

[*Amy*]

Well I wonder if I should go see the doctor then...? What was the treatment for eczema?

 

[MrsMoe]

My ringworm didn't look quite like that. A dr. can take a sample and test it to see if it has the fungal spores or not. Good luck!

 

[Erza]

Ringworm treatment

Found some usefull info about treatment of ringworm <a href="http://howtogetridofringworm.org">here</a>

 

[Erza]

Ringworm treatment

Found some usefull info about treatment of ringworm here:
http://howtogetridofringworm.org