Molluscum Contagiosum
Berkeley Parents Network >
Advice >
Advice about Health >
Molluscum Contagiosum
Jan 2009
I have a 10yr old daughter and a 2 yr old son both with molluscum's. I am trying to get rid of them because they are starting to bother my son. I am trying Zymaderm but it doesn't seem to be helping. Anyone with suggestions how I can get rid of them?
roxy
My daughter had this when she was 2-3. It lasted almost a year. They were all over
her legs and some on her torso-- yuck! They didn't bug her at all or need any
special care until they would get irritated-- then we'd cover them with little
bandaids until they'd fall off. So many tiny bandaids to reapply after each bath!
She
was in childcare at the time and none of the other kids ever got any, and our
pediatrician told us not to worry about it, that we just had to wait for the virus
to run
its course. We were starting to feel like they would last forever when we took a
trip
to the beach-- the sand apparently irritated the little bumps just enough that they
all fell off over the next couple of weeks. There was no trauma and no scarring and
we were very glad to see the last of them!
Best of luck with the bumps!
When my son had these on his knees, our pediatrician told us to
ignore them and they would go away. They did not, in fact
increased over the course of about a year. He became self-
conscious and stopped wearing shorts. Finally we took him to a
dermatologist, who explained to him that she could make them go
away that day if he wanted, and that he could choose burning or
freezing. He choose freezing, it only hurt a little, and they
were all gone after the scabs fell off, never to come back. I
was irritated that he had had to put up with them for a year,
that the pediatrician had never suggested this treatment.
mom
My two kids had this as well. I would not recommend leaving it as
it will only get worse before it gets better. Our dermatologists
at UCSF applied Cantharidin (or ''beetle juice'') onto the sores
(which are really a virus like a wart). The ''spots'' would
blister up and then the virus (which is contained inside a little
pouch) falls out. They'll apply around 10 at a time and then
come back for a second (or third or fourth) treatment until they
are all gone. With my daughter it took 2 treatments and 4 with
my son. You also have to make sure they don't get infected, our
dr gave us an antibiotic ointment as well. Both my kids went to
school during this time. If any of the sores are open, you
should put a band aid and ointment on them. Good luck.
Karen
March 2005
My son was just diagnosed with Molluscum Contagiosum, a viral infection that may
last upwards of 5 years. He had one papule on his neck and it seems to be
spreading. Now there are 3 bumps and a patch of new ones cropping up. His
pediatrician recommended RetinA, and a few other things (keeping pillow cases &
bedding clean, preventing scratching, etc.) but didn't give us an Rx or much hope
for treatment. She said we should just wait it out. We have done some research on
the web and there appears to be several topical treatments available. We know of
adults who have had them burned off, but we don't want to go this route unless it is
absolutely necessary due to the scarring involved. Has anyone out there had
Molluscum and treated it successfully? If so, what did you do/use? Your
recommendations are greatly appreciated.
- a concerned mom
Hi, I am glad you are asking for help. Both my kids had
Molluscum, one at 5 years old and the other at two. Both
experiences were hard for us. I don't know how old your child
is, and if he is little, the removal of the warts can be
painfull or cause scaring. My oldest daughter had it betwen her
legs and when we had Kaiser, the doctor burned the warts off
with acid and the burns were awfull,the acid does not hurt, its
the cause later, she had boils the size of dimes, she could not
walk. Freezing them would be too painfull, at this age the
doctor suggested so we went for the acid. Bad idea. If your kid
is older, freezing might be better, it still huts a bit but the
process is faster.
We had no playdates, no pants, no swimming in pools, no sharing
anything with friends. If you talk about it to others and they
find out it is contagious, watch out. Retin A might work, give
it a try. For my daughter, after the trauma, we just waited a
long time until they just went away.
With my son, a different problem, the warts were on his face,
neck, legs etc.I could not hide it!I had to stay home and care
for him, had to pull him out of his day care so he wouldn't pass
it on to other kids. I eventually changed medical plans and my
new doctor removed the warts with a small knife,or little blade.
Another traumatic experience, especially for the little 2,5
years old and me, BUT, they dissapeared after the scar was
healed. We went through this for a few months, many warts
removed, many tears, his and mine. But now he is five years old
and doesn't remember and no more molluscum for more than 2 years
now. He can swim, jump in the baths with friends, goes to
preschool, every one is happy. We don't know how my kids got
this, I researched everything in the internet and
libraries. Maybe in a pool? We didn't know any one with it
before. I hope you can talk to your doctor or a couple of them,
everyone has a different aproach. Good luck and hang in there.
anonimous
A few years ago I was diagnosed with Molluscum Contagiosum, I
had two papules on his breasts and it spread to my torso and
neck. I went to a very good dermatologist who recommended that I
have them frozen/burned off...I was unhappy about the scarring
on my breasts and neck as a result. A few years later they
recurred and I asked my primary physician about them, indicated
I didn't want to go throughg the freezing/scarring again. She
said there was no reason to do so. She lanced them with an
ordinary lancet, and covered them with little round band-aids.
She instructed me to do the same at home with a sterile needle,
and not to scratch or irritate the surrounding skin if
possible. They went away within a week--no scars.
--m
My son got Molluscum on this knees when he was 9 or so. Our
pediatrician said to wait it out and to keep him from scratching
and do the cleaning thing. It was hard to keep him from
scratching, and they kept spreading till he had over a dozen. He
didn't want to wear shorts because of them. After over a year
had passed with no improvement, we took him to the
dermatologist, who explained to him that she could make them go
away quickly by burning or freezing -- he could choose. He
choose freezing and it was not hard for him at all. And he was
so glad to have them gone. I wish we had not waited so long.
anne
Our experience with molluscum contagium was much different than
the other posters. My son had it when he was around 18 months
old. I think it lasted around 9 months. He had the warts on
his torso. Our pediatrician explained that it is a virus that
has to run its course but is pretty much harmless. There are
things you can do to try to remove the warts, but, aside from
cosmetic purposes, there's not much point. My son continued to
go to daycare and have playdates, and I'm not aware of any of
his friends coming down with it. It did eventually clear up on
its own, and we haven't had an outbreak since
In response to help with molluscum. Our young daughter had molluscum on her neck and face for several years. Our
pediatrician said that we had to just wait it out and it would eventually go away. One summer, while she was having a particularly bad outbreak, we vacationed at the beach in Ocean City, Maryland. This was her first time swimming in the ocean. We found the molluscum to improve after every session in the salt water. By the time our vacation was over, she was molluscum free and it hasn't returned in over 4 years.
March 2007
My 5yr old daughter has MC in the bend of her arm, opposite her elbow. I purchased some "Silver Cure" junk online that has done nothing at all for her, and the soap that was included contained cinnamon, which she is very allergic to.
After using the soap for the first time, my daughter's entire infected area became bright red and itched very severely. In a state of almost panic, I rifled through my first-aid kit and found some PDI Insect Bite pads. I ripped open the package and applied it to her arm hoping it would help with the itching. Not only did it stop the itching, continued application every night of a fresh pad for about 20 minutes caused the MC to dry up almost overnite and begin shrinking.
My initial thought was perhaps the "silver crud" was working, so when I ran out of PDI pads and discontinued the cinnamon soap, there was no more itching. I continued the "silver cure" treatment, and over the last two weeks, all of the MC that had dried up and from the PDI pads are returning, and she is now up to 15 bumps.
I am ordering more PDI Sting Pads immediately to see if they again help her condition. I wanted to share this tip for the other concerned parents I saw on your site.
Thank you
Steve
October 2003
Help- has anyone with young children experienced molluscum
contagiosum? Our two children (both under 6) both have fairly
serious rashes. Our pediatrician told us that the older one was
probably infected in a swimming pool and then passed it to our
younger child in the bathtub. It looks terrible, causes quite a
bit of discomfort/itching and some pain. Our pediatrician told
us to try applying benzoyl peroxide, but this has done nothing
to improve the situation. I have searched the web and the
parents' postings - does anyone have advice? Has anyone tried a
treatment that worked successfully? Any help would be greatly
appreciated. I have read that MC is extremely common in
children under the age of 10 - yet I haven't come across any
other children with it. I have read horror stories about
children on swim teams being infected in mass. Although I have
been told it will go away EVENTUALLY....what does this mean? It
is hard to imagine this will happen.
Hi, my son had molluscum when he was about 6. After some
unsuccessful treatment attempts by topicals, the dermatologist
suggested a ''freezing'' treatment - some sort of nitrogen (?)
treatment that he thought might be too painful for a young
child. My son decided to go for it and it worked beautifully. It
wasn't painful per se, just uncomfortable in that it was so cold.
jared
We are physicians and puzzled by your ped's recommended use of
Benzoyl Peroxide. I also think that you should be seeking a
consultation with a dermatologist, whose purview MC is.
We opted to do a controlled, sterile scraping of the lesions
(with sterile equipment) on the few lesions that my 3 year old
son had. We first applied a topical anaesthetic so that he felt
nothing. Ironically, he felt nothing whether we used the top.
anaes. or not. The scraping stimulates an immunoresponse, which
eradicates the lesions, completely, over a few weeks. We then
applied a topical antibiotic to the area and covered it with a
sterile dressing.
The layperson's alternative is expensive but effective powdered
stuff that is prescription-only. Another option at the
dermatologist is to use liquid nitrogen to freeze the little
suckers; the freezing may hurt a little (or a lot), however. The
MC also have the instinct to multiply logarithmically, I believe.
My son only had a few molluscum--4, 6 lesions. As well, you may
be missing the MC in the armpit, inguinal folds, etc. Therefore,
I think that a board-certified dermatologist is the best
alternative for addressing the MC. He or she will not only give
you a few alternatives for treatment but also identify all of the
MC, some of which could be hiding. The MC are contagious and not
a sign of ill health or bad hygiene. (my kid is squeaky clean)
Also, be prepared for yucky exudate to come out of the MC,
usually.
Consult a dermatologist
Believes in the specialist, BIGTIME
My son got molluscum over a year ago at age 4. At first the
pediatrician didn't diagnose it correctly (he also had excema at
the time) so the bumps spread. Then we were told the only
treatment for young children was to wait it out -- although the
bumps can last for years! Finally, a friend told us that their
dermatologist had recommended Aldara cream, which is also used
to treat genital warts. We saw a specialist, got a prescription,
and used it religiously. I'm not sure it actually worked -- the
bumps still took four more months to stop spreading and go away
(it worked much faster on our friend's child). We had to renew
the Aldara about 7 times, worried the whole time about using
this type of anti-viral medicine on a small child. The good news
is -- the bumps do eventually go away, leaving no scars. It just
takes time. I'd be curious to know others experience. Good luck!
Elizabeth
My son had this when he was a little over a year old. It didn't
seem to bother him, but it looked just awful. Our pediatrician
recommended a few things -- rubbing alcohol, scrubbing with a
loofah -- and said that there were more extreme things he could
do if the rash became more or a problem. (Maybe scraping them
off?) But, basically, you just have to wait it out. I think my
son had it about 9 months, but that it can last up to 18
months. Sounds like a long time, I know, but at this point, I
barely remember that he had it...
My younger son (then 9) had a terrible outbreak of mc when he
was on a swim team. Until then I'd never even heard of this. I
had no idea of the connection until reading your post yet i
suspected it.
He had them all over his chest and they quickly multiplied and
spread - lightning fast. I took him to our dermatologist who
took a mulitfaceted approach to getting rid of them and it
worked quite effectively - but over time, as there's no
immediate cure.
First, to prevent spread to the rest of your family, don't share
towels and washcloths and be rigourous hand washers - they are
super contagious.
First we irritated, (or the dr. irritated) the warts by taking
off the pimple-like heads. You should use medical gloves to do
this and wash very carefully before and after. They will be red,
and sore. This stimulates the immune system to attack them. Then
we applied a common wart medication you can purchase over the
counter - it's salicylic acid, called Duofilm. It paints on with
a little brush and smells like nail polish. This process hurts
and your kids won't like it. I felt awful but we did it anyway.
We saw the dr. several times over the next few weeks and he used
the liquid nitrogen burn on the most persistent warts - several
appts. burning off 20 or more each time. Then we followed up
with a prescription med. cream called Aldara. Eventually, the
warts all disappeared. And my poor kid had probably 100 of them.
He was very cooperative and put up with some serious hurting but
he was just as glad to get rid of these little monsters. And, we
managed to not spread them to anyone else in our house. Phew!
You may not wish to be so aggressive about it - but you can
selectively use some of these approaches, especially considering
how young your children are, you probably want to take a gentler
approach. Definitely see a dermatologist for the best advice.
No More Spots
My 3 yo had a case that resulted in large itchy pimples around
his armpits and on his arms. It really bothered him so we used
little dots of retin A on them and within a couple of weeks they
popped and healed. That was the end of it.
Lisa
My son (now five) had a pretty good case of Molluscum on
his bottom. It wasn't going away on it's own as we were told
it should. It started out as just a pimple looking thing and
then spread to his thighs and lower back. They never dried
up because he was in diapers at the time. We were referred
to Dr. Linda Beets-Shay (pediatric dermatologist) at
Oakland Kaiser. She put some solution on them and
covered them with little round band-aids which we were
instructed to take off after a couple of hours (as far as I can
recall). The warts dried up, crusted over and went away,
never to return! The process didn't bother our guy at all! He
was around one or one and a half at the time. Good luck.
Amy
September 2002
I have a 2 and1/2 year old with molluscum on his neck. Any one
out there knows about how to deal with this problem? We've read
so much about it, the doctors all seem to have so many diferent
ideas on how to treat or not treat the problem. Any
ideas?thanks,Valerie
Editor note: this was asked last year and no one replied. Here
is the question from July 2001, for what it's worth:
Has anyone out there dealt with molluscum contagiosum with their kids?
My son has had it for about 6 months and it isn't spreading very much.
He has a patch on his knee pit, two small areas on his back, and one on
his upper back (although I just spotted one in his diaper region,
yesterday). Anyhow, it doesn't seem to bother him and the dr. said it
will go away on it's own in 12-18 months, but he his getting spots of
eczema around the molluscum patches. My dr. gave me a triamcinolone,
which is a mild prescription hydrocortisone cream. When we use it the
eczema disappears, so we stop using it and within 2 the eczema is back
again. Any ideas? Does this really go away on its own? Does anyone no
some natural remedies? Thanks
Hi, I assume we're talking about the same molluscum - kind of
wart-like growths on the skin? If so, my son had this for
almost a year. None of the topicals worked. The only thing
that worked was ''freezing'' them off which I doubt they would do
for a 2 year old. My son was 6, is fairly tough, and took it
pretty well. Apparently most young children don't.
Anonymous
This sounds like what my son had. It looks bad and the name is
awful, but it's pretty harmless. We got the same response from
our pediatrician - that it will go away on it's own and not to
worry about it. When the condition worsened, I pressed our
pediatrician and he offered a few things to try (like scrubbing
the bumps really well) He also gave us a prescription for a
topical ointment but pointed out that it would be pretty tough
to apply it to all the bumps on my squirmy toddler. We never
tried the ointment, because the condition started clearing up on
its own. I'd say he had it for close to 12 months. The bumps
never spread past his torso and never seemed to bother him. I
had forgotten all about until I read this posting!
Ellen
I've read a couple of replies to your post and noticed that no
one has mentioned that this disease is contageous (hence
''contagiosum''). It is caused by a virus and can be transmitted
by direct contact, and very likely by indirect contact such as
shared bedding, towels, furniture, etc. Our pediatric
dermatologist suggested keeping our 12 mo. old clear of
this kind of contact with a visiting child who has the condition.
By the way, this child's condition was finally helped by having
many of the warts removed by the dermatologist (she was 8 years
old, though).
Anon
this page was last updated: Aug 17, 2010
The opinions and statements expressed on this website
are those of parents who subscribe to the
Berkeley Parents Network.
Please see
Disclaimer & Usage for
information about using content on this website.
Copyright © 1996-2013 Berkeley Parents Network