Dear Dr. Peg,
I went to see my dermatologist a few days ago about small bumps I noticed on my penis. My dermatologist said they were molluscum contagiosum and she used a liquid nitrogen spray to freeze them off. I had 5 bumps and now they have all increased in size, popped, and are starting to scab up (as my dermatologist explained they would). Something I’ve noticed is that it seems like my penis is smaller now in its flaccid state. Is this common? Will it go back to normal size after the scabs fall off? I started to google side effects of liquid nitrogen and really got myself scared seeing things like necrosis and nerve damage. Have you ever heard of this?
Thanks. A very nervous guy.
Dear Nervous Guy,
Bottom line: liquid nitrogen treatment will not change your penis size. If that’s all you wanted to know, you can heave a sigh of relief and stop reading. If you want to learn a little more about this disease and treatments, keep reading.
Molluscum contagiosum is a skin infection caused by a virus of the same name. Humans are its only host. It is passed by skin to skin contact, or by skin to object (e.g. towel) to skin. Little kids get it from playing together and sharing toys. In adults, if it’s in the genital area, it’s assumed to be sexually transmitted. We see it quite often at the Student Health Center.
Molluscum contagiosum causes small firm bumps with waxy centers. They usually don’t itch or hurt. It can take weeks from the time of contact for the bumps to appear. If you leave them alone, they will go away eventually, but this can take several weeks to months. In the meantime, you are contagious. If you get treated, the duration of the infection is shortened, and your period of contagiousness is also shortened.
Treatment means removing the waxy centers. This is usually done with a tool called a sharp curette, with which we scoop out the center in one swift move. Yes, it hurts a bit, but only for a second. Alternatively, they can be treated with liquid nitrogen, like your dermatologist used. Nitrogen is normally a gas, at room temperature. It’s part of the air we breathe. When it’s cooled and pressurized, it is a very cold liquid. We use liquid nitrogen to treat various different skin conditions, including molluscum, warts, and small skin cancers. By freezing the lesion, we destroy most of it, and your immune system sends cleanup crews to finish up.
There are several other methods of treatment documented for molluscum, including various toxic solutions and lasers. As I said above, the bumps will go away eventually even without treatment, but since it is contagious as long as the bumps are present, I recommend getting them treated.
You asked about complications of liquid nitrogen freezing. This kind of treatment is also called cryosurgery or cryotherapy. As with any kind of intervention, there are possible complications. First of all, pain. It hurts to have tissue frozen, and the area usually stays tender for several days. Bleeding is common, under the skin as a ‘blood blister.’ Infection is possible but uncommon. If the site becomes opened or raw, cover with antibiotic ointment and a bandaid. Long term complications might include scarring, pigment changes, recurrence of the initial lesion, particularly warts, and yes, nerve damage. This last is very rare, I hasten to assure you.
The way your lesions blistered up and fell off is exactly the reaction we’re looking for. Once the underlying sore heals up, everything should be back to normal, including your penis size.
You mentioned that you did an internet search on liquid nitrogen. Let me take this opportunity to comment on internet searching for health problems. Many of our patients do this. Personally, I like it when my patients do some research ahead of time, if it is good research. I especially like it if they have new information for me and can teach me something. I would caution you, however, against sloppy googling. If you’re going to look up health conditions, use reputable sites. Googling by symptom can be especially problematic, because many symptoms can be caused by a wide variety of different illnesses. For example, fatigue can be caused by anything from stress to cancer. Dizziness can simply be from standing up too fast, or it could be from a major heart problem.
One excellent site is http://familydoctor.org. This site is created and maintained by the American Academy of Family Physicians, and can be searched by disease or symptom. A web search is never a substitute for a visit to the doctor, but it can provide you with lots of good information.
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63 comments:
HI Do you know if someone has been exsposed to this Virus but hasen't broken out is it safe to hug or kiss them? Also once someone is treated..How long after the lesions have dried up are the still contagiouse?? Thanks
My 5 year old son contracted this virus from other children who had it. However, I took him to the Dr after doing many hours of depressing research on line to only find out from both there is basically nothing you can do to stop these from running their course. My Son's Dr told me a story about the "Duct Tape Theory". Put duct tape on them and rip it off, over and over until the skin is so irritated that it realizes there is a virus there it needs to fight. Needless to say I was not going to rip duct tape off my 5 yr old son. It did gave me a thought of "RUBBING ALCOHOL". I felt I didn't have anything to loose. I started putting rubbing alcohol on these areas morning and night. Faithfully! PRAISE GOD!!! It has been 3 weeks and they are GONE. My Son did complain a few times that the sores burned but it was only for a moment. He is so happy his "bumps" are gone!
Molluscum Free!
For a more natural cure I have found that you can use apple cider vinegar and even colloidal silver topically to combat the molluscum.
You can soak a cotton ball and put a bandaid over it. Leave it overnight. It will scab over. But eventually all will go away.
The other powerful cure is to use Colloidal Siver. You take it internally, (the normal dosage of colloidal silver is 2 tsps/day up to 10 days).
Also, take a bath in it with a few tablespoons of Colloidal Silver and apple cider vinegar -- a double wammy for the molluscum. After the bath, wet a cotton ball with the Colloidal Silver and rub over the Molluscum. It will not burn to keep those important areas safe!! Cured in 9 days!
To make sure it doesn't return, utilize immune enhancing and boosting products like cell forte, thuja and esberitox to aid in the success of the topical applications of colloidal silver and/or apple cider vinegar.
`Melissa
http://healthybeings.blogspot.com
www.healthybeingproducts.com
HOW LONG DOES IT NORMALLY TAKE FOR A MINOR CASE OF MOLLUSCUM CONTAGIOSUM TO CLEAR UP AFTER CRYOSURGERY? THEY WERE PRESENT FOR 2-3 WEEKS BEFORE THE TREATMENT (APPROX 10 BUMPS). ANY INFO PROVIDED IS APPRECIATED. NO ONE SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO GIVE AN ESTIMATION.
P.S.-ALSO ANY EXTRA TREATMENTS TO POSSIBLY SPEED UP THE HEALING AND CURING PROCESS?
anonymous - Once each spot has been cryo'd or curetted, it will heal like any sore, in a few days. But the whole outcrop can take weeks to run the whole course. They'll heal quicker if you do cryo or curette them, in other words if the plugs are removed or destroyed.
I have not heard of the vinegar or alcohol cures. Before now, that is.
My 4 year old daughter has had "bumps" for 5 months. We are still waiting for a dermatologist appointment, but I am absolutely sure it's MC. I've started trying some options while waiting for the consult, because they are spreading. Bathing in red cider vinegar seems to be helping. After the bath we try to dab it on the bumps, but if they are close to "popping" it stings. We've been putting circle band aids on the swollen lesions, and I can tell the next day that they have burst because you can see there is residue on bandaid. I'm going to check out silver colloidal at health store...hope they carry it. I tried tea tree oil once, but my daughter hated the smell...so we didn't do that again. Thanks for the info
I have seen a product online called Poxiderm. I called and they have told me that they are in the middle of clinical trials and have treated over 1000 patients so far with over 80% success. They also said they have gone to NIAID and been successful agianst small pox virus that causes molluscum. I have also read about other treatments that are painful and can potentially scar have you ever heard of this
This is just an update....I have continued bathing my daughter, adding about 2 cups of apple cider vinegar, and regular vinegar (because we run out of the other) to her bath water. I am so pleased that 80% of bumps are gone. Because of the continued improvement, I'm becoming more lax, and not rushing to the store to buy more vinegar...so some baths are just water. I need to pay more attention and continue, and they will be 100% gone soon. I was at my wits end, and had a daughter who is so high strung, didn't hardly want me to look at the bumps. Adding the vinegar to bath water was not invasive, and became much needed relief to us both! Hope this helps someone else. By the way, I never tried silver collodial because it was not available in Canada...
Glad to hear the vinegar is working. I still find, for adults anyway, that destroying the lesions with liquid nitrogen or a sharp curette gets rid of them the fastest. As to duct tape - ouch! I'm with the Anon who said no way! I have not heard of Poxiderm, sorry.
One thing to keep in mind. These are just bumps. They rarely get secondarily infected, they always go away eventually, and they have no systemic effects. All this does is cause bumps on the skin.
I am thrilled to hear that you have had success with the vinegar. Before I knew that my oldest had the molluscum - all three of my kids had been bathing together. Now they ALL have it. While my oldest only had patches, my middle child has them EVERYWHERE. Yes, they are only "bumps" but as a parent... you don't want these "bumps" to take over. With a four year old you can't always trust that they will keep their hands off of them. I am going to try the vinegar solution & PRAY for a miracle!!! Thanks for the info!
I have had them, for as long as i can remember on me manhood, so i have found taht they don't seem to go away on their own, any advice?
Unlike most of you, my 10 yr old daughter has had these molluscums for 16 months, and we're still going strong. Nearly EVERY one turns red, comes to a "head," and oozes...eventually going away. I've had to get antibiotics a couple of times because the secondary infections have been so virulent. The ONLY thing I can be grateful for is that they're only on her tummy, belly and inner thighs, so can be kept covered. I AM AT MY WIT'S END AND AM SO DEPRESSED FOR HER. I'll try dabbing them with cider vinegar....any other suggestions? Lwood in the UK
To the last anon with a 15 month struggle: what does your dermatologist suggest?
Hi Peg -- you asked what my dermatologist has suggested. The 3 doctors I've taken her to have all offered the very helpful advice that we just have to wait it out unless we wanted to "cut them off or burn them off." Do you have any better suggestions? Sigh.
Hi - One of my 4-year old twin girls has contracted this virus. We have gone to 2 different Dr's also only to be told to wait it out and try the Retin-A. One of my friend's swears by the Duct tape method so that is the route that I am trying. We are on our 2nd day of this "trial" and I will say that the bumps definitely look different than they did yesterday. My daughter does not seem to to mind when I take the tape off - I'm not ripping it off quickly. I am also going to try and the Apple Cider Vinegar baths. I am praying that the other twin does not get it. Did anyone ever use the coilidal silver? I will keep everyone posted.
My 6 1/2 year old daughter was diagnosed with Molluscum Contagiosum in her armpit about 6 weeks ago. Her doctor suggested the duct tape method or the tea tree oil. He said the expensive route is to see the determatologist. I have used the duct tape on her twice but there are still some present that have not broken. They also spread to the crease of her elbow on that same arm and the crease behind her knee. (Very minimal in those two areas at this piont) I have notice her eczema has flaired up in those areas and the duct tape seems to make it worse. I am in the process of trying the rubbing alcohol and neosporin and hoping for the best. After that I will try the Apple Cider Vinegar.
I broke down and ordered the silver treatment online and rec'd it on Thursday. We took the duct tape off and most of the heads of the bumps came off with it. The duct tape definitely contained it and it has not spread. The Silver treatment seems to be working somewhat but I will update at the end of the week. The hardest thing w/this treatment is that we have to pop any bumps that have a head on them. My daughter is not too happy w/that! If anyone is interested I can post the site that I ordered the treatment front. The customer service folks were extremely nice, knowledgeable and helpful! In regards to the eczema - my pharmacist has given me the mixture of the best treatment that we have tried. Get Desitin (the diaper rast ointment) and mix it with OTC Cortizone cream. Rub it together and then on your daughter. W/in two days my daughters skin has changed incredibly. I am treating all of the areas around the mollescum w/this mixture and it has not spread so far. I hope this helps you!!
I left a comment on January 11th that we were going to try the apple cider vinegar & I wanted to let everyone know that IT WORKS!!!! I will share with you the mistakes I made in the process though... I was putting a little cotton ball soaked in the ACVinegar under a bandaid(or two) & taking them off the next morning. KEEP THEM ON for 24 hours straight!! It does the trick! My daughter had them EVERYWHERE & now she just has a few that I missed with the first doses & the rest are healing... so we're skipping the ACVinegar bath & just doing the bandaids... because I was putting on & taking off bandaids so often & she was taking the baths - her poor skin was dry & had little marks everywhere from the bandaids...now her bumps look like little pink scars - but I'm hoping they lighten with time & maybe some Mederma... Also a my friend's daughter had a few on her face & she used the Retin A & it works too! But I'm going to stick with the ACVinegar as long as it works... PS - we also used the silvercure before ACVinegar & it didn't do a thing... FYI :)
Good luck to all!!
Hi all!
You have really calmed me down as i'm reading your comments. My doctor prescribed Aldera and after reading the literature/stories about this drug I was horrified the md prescribed it for my 5 year old son! I will head to the store first thing to stock up on vinegars, tape and rubbing alcohol. I'll let you know how it goes.
For people using apple cider vinegar on cotton balls under bandaids do the cotton balls have to be completely covered to prevent the cotton ball from drying out?
My 5 year old had it and it spread to my 2 year old, my husband and I (after the dr. said they were not contagious!)
With small bumps that are not yet at a head (or in the case of my 5 year old who won't let us poke at her spots at all) we've been using myoflex. It's a muscle rub that has salicylic acid in it. If the bumps are tiny they often go away within a couple days. Larger ones take longer.
We just got colloidal silver and we're planning to experiment with silver in some areas and apple cider in others.
Hi I'm the original anonymous who said apple cider vinegar worked. My 4 year old is 100% clear....the little red scars/marks do fade away with time...without any additional creams. It took us about 8 months, but could have been much faster if she had let me do the bandaid/cotton ball thing. She let me do the bandaids once in awhile on the ones about to pop...but I would secretly put a little vinegar on the little cloth part of bandaid. Anyhow, it's cured...and we're STILL waiting for our dermatologist appt....glad I took measures into my own hands. They were spreading rapidly prior to vinegar baths. She had hundreds on torso, bum, inner thighs, elbow creases, armpits, etc....Red cider vinegar...really works.
I am a father of three children who all had molluscum. We went to the pediatrician who said it would go away on its own. It did not. We then went to the dermatologist who was more than happy to perform cryosurgery (freeze) the lesions off. We did this for other eight months. We had fairly good results on the older children but our youngest (age 3 at the time) had a severe case with lesions on his arms, legs and then face. With the cryo therapy (multiple freezing treatments) came scars. These treatments were so painful on our little boy we had to hold him down and tears and screaming. He is now emotionally effected and has serious fear of white coats and I do not blame him.
The physician assistant recommended Zymaderm. He said some patients have had success with this product so we tried it. It said to not treat any area except the lesion and we did that but our son also has eczema. After further research, if your child has eczema, do NOT use Zymaderm. It will exacerbate the molluscum and it will spread and become worse.
When our son got three lesions on his face, my wife had become desperate. While searching the Internet, she found the Silvercure products. She was concerned with the cost but I told her to forget about it, $200 was nothing if it worked, we had already spent at that time over $1000 of $45/vist co-pays for the three children to the dermatologist.
Our son was CURED in THREE weeks. My other two children had additional lesions appear after we thought it was gone. Silvercure also cured them after cryotherapy failed to completely rid them of Molluscum.
You may purchase this product at www nopaintreatment . com with all purchases, you will receive a free Silvercure Body Cream. On purchases under $99, you will receive a 2 oz. travel bottle, on orders $99 and over a 16 oz. bottle included with your order. This body cream has become our sole treatment to his eczema and his skin is in the best condition ever since using this body cream.
I had the area of molluscum frozen a week ago, and the healing from the freezing is going away but the bumps aren't. does it take a while for the bumps to actually go away? i don't know if the freezing has actually cured them at all. is this common?
My 10-yr old daughter was diagnosed with MC just a few days ago. The bumps are on the inside of her thighs and have spread (and are still spreading) to her abdomen, arms, and face. The Dr. gave Rx for topical Retin-A which burns like crazy when I put it on but the burning seems to subside after about 5 or 6 minutes. She complains of her bumps itching constantly, but no one else seems to have the same complaint. Could the Dr. have missed the diagnosis? I realize the Retin-A burns b/c of her scratching, but could there be something else going on? I'm skeptical in trying other remedies b/c I don't want to make the problem worse. Our dermatologist appt is 3 months out - I/she can't wait that long. Are there any risks with trying the apple cider vinegar?
Hi,
my 4 year old daughter was just treated by a dermatologist for about 100+ bumps on her left torso and left arm, but they were also spreading to her eczema spots of inner thighs, behind her knees and elbows. I am THRILLED to report that the 'burning' treatment worked in only 2 treatments over a 4 week period. They applied something they called 'beetlejuice' and you bathed it off after 4 hours. The bumps scabbed and dropped off, but then the sore healed cleanly and VERY quickly in a few days. Her poor little body went from looking like a bumpy mess to fading color scars (no pock marks). She had little to no discomfort throughout the whole process. Her Dr said that hers spread so rapidly due to her skin condition from eczema, (about 2 weeks to go from about 10 to about 100). So for little kids, DON'T IGNORE THE START of these - jump on a treatment plan ASAP! She was so embarrassed by her body when she was covered by them that it broke our hearts. Her little brother has just shown his first 2, and I am trying the duct tape covering (not tearing off) method tonight. He is only 2, but doesnt have eczema, so we are hoping for an easier treatment with less bumps.
GOOD LUCK ALL !
Hi. I posted May 18, 2009 about my 10-year old daughter. I am glad to report that we have used Apple cider vinegar and her bumps are almost all gone. Being the drama queen she is, we could only do a few bumps (at first) at a time b/c "she said" the vinegar burned. We treated a large area last night w/no burning at all. I think the initial burning was because of the topical Retin-A that literally burned through her skin and also because of her scratching them all the time. It appears that the vinegar is like an "overnight remedy" b/c we've never had to treat the same bumps twice with the vinegar!!! Only a few more bumps to go - and hopefully we're treating those tonight! Best of luck with your 2-year old.
P.S. We have only used the Dermatologist Rx twice - it didn't appear to do as well as the vinegar so we stopped using it.
i am 21 and have had mc on my genitals for over a year now. they never went away on their own and i have tried freezing them several times. i tried zymaderm and that helped to control them and stop the spread, but it still wont get rid of them. after reading all these posts it seems like the apple cider vinegar is the best way to go. now i just need to figure out how to tape that to my manhood.
I got the warts on my belly and had a doctor cryo them off with nitrogen a few days ago. Am I still contagious after the cryo? do I have to wait until they fall off? Needless to say, I don't want to reinfect anyone and am abstaining from sex until I know.
I am 24 and have had MC for near 4 months now. Most adults with MC report lesions on and around the genitals, but mine are on my abdomen and now neck and shoulders, and my girlfriend has no signs. How unusual is this? Any other adults contract MC non-sexually? I read that salicylic acid works to kill the virus, so I have been using Neutragena body wash (2% salicylic acid) for the last 2 months. I haven't noticed a difference. In fact, I'm not positive, but they may have gotten worse since I started using it. I plan on trying the vinegar treatment so many here have used. I also plan on taking some vitamin C daily to make sure I get my full daily value and my immune system is at it's max. I also read somewhere else, that using a needle to dig out the cores would quickly cure them. I found that it is VERY difficult to dig out the core with a needle (was able to get about 2 out of the 10 attempted), and probably results in scarring. I will post back after I use the vinegar for a few weeks.
Jon - I suggest you see a doctor if you haven't already. First of all, to make sure it's really molluscum. Second, to get treated. The doc can core them out quickly in the office and then they heal much more rapidly than they do after these slow vinegar treatments etc.
Anons just before Jon (in case you ever come back here - sorry for my long delay in responding) - if you have had lesions for over a year I think you should verify the diagnosis. Get one of them biopsied. As to the guy who had his frozen, yes you are contagious until they heal up.
I've had a tough go at MC - I'm a 23y/o man. First showed signs in June 2009 - about 10 or so around my genitals. Got them frozen but had some keep coming back. Definitley the apple cider vinegar does the trick for me.
But here's the kicker....
The months of October/November I was completely bump free! I thought I was out of the woods until another pesky bump showed up on the groin and I was dealing with 2-3 at a time. Now (Feb. 2010) There are 2 down south but 15+ on my chest and even 6 on my face. They are even showing up on my elbows and one on my scalp. I don't know what to make of this? I've been tested and am HIV- and the bumps still die and heal just as easily as ever with the ACV. Also, its been a year since I've been initmate with anyone...
Does anyone have any advice or similar story????
My daughter who is 5 got molluscum and after countless visits to the pediatrician we finally got referred to a dermatologist who raved about poxiderm.... It was natural and PAINLESS!!! I couldnt imagine doing the blistering agents or anything else on my daughter. It was totally clear in months time... I strongly recommend this if you want something natural that isnt going to be painful like the burning, blistering, freezing, or cutting.
I feel compelled to write regarding our success with molluscum since there is so much misinformation out there. Hopefully parents might find our story useful.
First what we tried that DID NOT WORK:
ZymaDerm did not work
Apple cider vinegar added to bath and directly onto skin did not work
Aveno Hydrocortisone seemed to slow the spread but ultimately did not work
Wart remover was to harsh unable to use for length of time on 5yr. old
I think we now have a solid formula for beating molluscum. I must say up front that all of the items you can get at the local pharmacy. I am not associated with or getting kick backs from any pharmaceutical or skin care company. The information provided here is what worked/s for my son and may not necessarily work for your child. We never used any of the products on the genital area. We are not completely rid of molluscum but I think this is working for us. So here we go:
1st http://www.aveeno.com/skincare/products/soothing-bath-treatment
We use this almost nightly for bath.
2nd http://www.californiababy.com/tea-tree-lavender-shampoo-bodywash-8-5-oz.html
This has Tea Tree Oil in it. Why not? Not 100% sure this is the key. We use for hair and body wash.
3rd http://www.aveeno.com/skincare/products/relief-moisturizing-lotion
We use this lotion all of the time. This will be the most costly of items you will use. You will go through a lot of it but should apply copiously at night and in the morning. In the afternoon to if you want. The more the better. I have tried to substitute lotions but have found nothing better and more effective.
4th
http://www.aveeno.com/skincare/products/anti-itch-concentrated-lotion
Used for itchy times
5th http://www.neutrogena.com/econsumer/ntg/productdetail.browse?segment=women&catId=1&subCatId=1&productId=20&target=/products/face/on-spot-acne-treatment.jsp
I think the key to the whole Rx. CAUTION: We initially applied “On-the SPOT” like a lotion all over my sons legs. This caused his skin to burn and become very irritated.
Use directly on a bump. Apply after bath and in the AM. Small dab on the bump then let dry. The bump will go from clear to red and irritated with white center then fade away. Use lotion and anti-itch in between to prevent itching.
As noted elsewhere, the key is vigilance. Keep at it. Our son has eczema and his skin is very challenging. Especially in the summer. Lubrication is very important. Good luck!
Lastly, shame on the people and companies that wish to prey on the desperation of loving parents who need help. May karma one day find you (and it will)
Tried Zymaderm for months morning and night on 9 year old son. Did not work. MC did not spread, nor did they go away. Fortunately after 8 months the spots did just go away on their own.
For 5 year old daughter we have been going to Derm for beetlejuice on MC. They burn, blister and scab the MC. My child is in a lot of pain after this process (2X so far) and after the scabbing and healing the MC are still there--both small and larger bumps STILL THERE.
Haven't found a cure for her yet, will have to decide if it is worth putting her through so much pain and discomfort for a third round at the Derm.
Just wanted to let you know what has and hasn't worked. This virus is really heartbreaking. I am so hurt watching my child bear the pain of the blistering agent and then scabs.
Hi All,
Ive had MC for 2 months now, in the begging went to my Gp wich froze all 5 of them generously. After 10 days 14 came back went again same problem 17 came back on different places. Then finally my GP said I should go to dermotologist which I did. She said that the MC likes soft and damaged skin hence when you its around the MC the virus penetrates the skin which you have scratched and unjured(even though you might not see the damage) my dermotologist says the freezing process should only entail the MC its self and not around it as this makes it spread. She was spot on I have much less new infections and hopefully withing 2-3 weeks Im going to get rid of the whole crop. Another extra you can do is dry the area infected with a hair dryer was 3 days a week with a acne clearing gel and use a antbaertial cream every day on the new bumps as well as frozen ones. hope this helps all of you. And yes if its on your thighs try not to do any sports as the this spreads it like crazy!!
I have had MC on my vagina for a few weeks. The topical cream I was prescibed seems like its only spreading it and irritating it.
I decided to try apple cider vinegar. I saw a dramtic difference over night. A little less than half of it had turned white, some of them being black-ish in the center.
Is this the result I should be getting? Where do I go from here: keep applying it til they are all white? And what happens to the white ones the vinegar had an impact on?
Also, considering the location, Im sure I probably got it from my boyfriend but he has absolutely no sign of it. How is this possible?
MC is spread through contact. If you bathe using a wash cloth you can spread it around your entire body. If you dry off with a towel (who doesn't) you can spread it around as well. If you shave an area that has MC you spread it! If you hug someone and they have MC on their face, arm, where ever you make skin to skin contact, you guessed it, it will spread! If you touch, scratch, rub, etc. one that's on your own body and then touch another part of your body one will appear there. They don't appear right away, but in a few weeks they will come. The best medicine is preventive medicine. Wash your hands!!! Put band-aids over them with or without the vinegar. JUST STOP SPREADING it and this epidemic will end!I see loads of people out in public who have it as well as the celebrities on TV. This is a serious problem. Also, nobody wants to talk about MC because it's embarrassing to have, education is also a great preventative measure! SO SPEAK UP!
A little side note...
This virus lowers your immune system. They claim it's harmless but all the people I personally know with MC are constantly getting sick year round! A cold in the summer? Something is not right! Also, the MC themselves don't itch, but the dermatitis around it does! Not sure if the MC causes this...
Now, I myself have taken colloidal silver internally. Did nothing for me. And it is not recommended for continuous use. The Homeopathic wart Thuju occidentals or whatever it is called also did not work. I have used the apple cider vinegar and it seems to help but it just isn't that powerful to make a huge different quickly. So I am brewing up a concoction of my own (that is currently on hold) to cure this because the government obviously is not helping with this epidemic. So I will keep you posted with how the experiment goes.
Spring
Hello, just wanted to post that after reading thru all of the comments, I decided on unpasteurized Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (used Bragg's)for my 8 year old son - who had this for about a year before it started to spread - I soaked gauze in it then applied with a lg. band aid- at night so it wouldn't smell in school - it turned really red, then blistered- was careful to keep it covered so it didn't spread, after the blisters totally popped, it took a couple of weeks and stopped the vinegar, and it went away!!! (still light red mark which is lightening with time)- I also took him to the pediatrician after I figured out via internet - just to confirm it was molluscum and she prescribed a retinol cream, which said it would take at least a month- but reading the info sheet it looked pretty toxic, so I decided to first try w/ ACV-- and could tell right away it was doing something, it definitely worked very well and quickly!!!!
Oh, just re-read thru the blog (found this months ago and just remembered I should come back and let everyone know our results) and also, we DID NOT have to pick, scrape or rip off the scabs or any other painful burning/freezing - though I am sure those are alternatives.....and also, the first couple applications I did were getting no results - from regular ACV, from the grocery and I had to go to health food store to find Organic, unpasteurized (or will say Raw) ACV (just 3/4 dollars more). Would just shake it up , pour a little into a cup and dip the cut piece of gauze into it the put it on as many spots as possible to conserve gauze and band aids! little buggers kept spreading at first but could tell the ones I was treating were being effected so I kept applying to new ones - and just like some others have said, once they pop, keep doing until looking healed, and the redness is still fading...
I honestly can not believe that a health professional just said that they are only bumps like it is no big deal to have them. You obviously have never had MC. Because it is contagious and it does spread to other areas, it is in fact more than just bumps and it is awful to have them. I am a 36 yr old woman with Lupus and I got them. Since they have to be covered all of the time, it means long sleeves in warm weather when I had them all over my arm. I also got them other areas. It does indeed affect your life in a major way. I was afraid to give it to my husband or son, so there is a ton more laundry and I am always afraid to even hug or touch either one of them. I have also had them for 6 months. Shame on drs that do not know anything other than using adlara or freezing, cutting or burning them off. If you have molluscum, do not settle for these treatments. The adlara has really bad side affects and the freezing, burning, and cutting will leave scars and it might not get all of them. I used the aldara and had some really bad problems. Organic raw apple cider vinegar works. Apply it with bandaids and soaked cotton balls. You can also drink the ACV diluted in water to boost your immune system. For the time it takes to boost the immune system and get over MC you can take 2 Tbs 3 times a day orally and it willfor sure help. ACV is the answer. This MC makes a person feel like they have the plague, so NEVER say they are just bumps and they will go away!!!!!!!!!!!
My child got m.c. from someone who handed down clothes. Had for about one year, then, someone 'caring' for my child popped an m.c. pox while the child was sitting on a public toilet in a store. This person thought they were doing a favor by squeezing out the white stuff and thought they were doing something like how they 'helped' kids with some kinds of sores overseas. I will never forgive this person, because the bumps spread and there was a greater infection, and my child got sick even. I'm infuriated typing this. Anyway, to help all you out, my doc said leave it alone, but I noticed that a baking soda bath helped get rid of the infection a bit, and I am using the alcohol on a new pox that got scratched - and it looked better pretty quick. I don't want to recommend anything because I am not a doctor, but I hope this will work, my child seems to be more sensitive to them, and now, the number has doubled. Who would squeeze these things with bare hands, and have the child wipe it up themselves when I've given them the mayo clinic sheets from online and my doctor three times? Anyway, even in a worse case scenario, things do get better - but it took over a month for the squeezed one to stop being inflamed. Good luck to everyone. Thank you for the page.
I am a 24 year old female and have had MC on my vagina for about months now. I tried Aldera and freezing and neither of these worked, it only spread to my thighs. I decided to try the Apple Cider Vinegar about 5 days ago and it seems to be working!
I do have one question tho, for those people that have tried it. What I am doing is wiping it down during the day with ACV and then soaking cotton balls in ACV and putting them on each of the spots overnight, covered up with a bandaid. It use to sting really bad but now it only stings in the morning. When I wake up in the morning they are still slightly irritated, but they are now scabbed over. The only problem is, I still am getting a yellowed ring around the outside of the scab. Does that mean I should stop putting the alcohol soaked cotton balls on them and just take vinegar baths? Or should I keep doing the over night treatment until there stops being a yellow ring? I don't know when enough is enough and I am SO SICK of dealing with this!
Also, should I start using Neosporin as well?
"I went to see my dermatologist a few days ago about small bumps I noticed on my penis"
Is this similar with pearly penile papules?
Small bumps on Penis is called pearly penile papules, that what I know
Hello I have been diagnosed with MC and i have had it for 8 days now I've done nothing to it apart from in the day cover with plasters as I only have about 13 on my upper arm, but some seem to be scabing over themselves but others aren't shall I leave them to see if the others do scab over or not ? Another thing is that mine really itch and are red but I do not scratch them so they have not spread thankfully, I'm just worried that I will have it for months on end as I'm self conscious as it is without people seeing the bumps.
Hello,
I am a 43 year old male.
I have been dating a woman for 6 months I trust completely but just got MC in my genital area. How could I get it??? I have had no relations with anyone else. Could it have come from sexual relations I have had 6 months ago? Any other way this could have happened? My girlfriend is convinced I slept with someone else and it kills me.
Please any insight or references to any kind of research that could prove to my girlfriend that I am not a liar. Did this happen to anyone else out there?
Sometimes it takes weeks to months for these things to show up and then to clear. Either you or your girlfriend could have brought it into the relationship 6 months ago and it is just now showing up on you. She might have had it and not realized it because she only had one or two lesions. This is not proof that either of you has been screwing around. Good luck.
My 8 yr old daughter - with sensitive skin - has had them for about 2 months now. It started with just one bump on her lower calf that turned into a pimple, then a BIG pimple, then a scary pimple ( which sent us to the ped and landed us on antibiotics.) Another bump - same cycle - stongrer antibiotics but I wasn't conivinced the antibiotics did anything useful - besides decreasing her natural resistance - so we saw a derm. He did the nitrogen and we came back two weeks later for another treatment. It is not waning so far. She has bumps at various stages - bump, budding pimple, giant pimple, scab, healing. They itch, sting, hurt. It breaks my heart. Tonight we are trying vinegar. Next appt with derm in two weeks. Will keep you posted. Sorry you are reading all this - it is no fun to be in It - self, kids, anyway you slice it, it is so sad.
My daughter is 8 and it was confirmed just 4 days ago that she has MC. She had two warts on her knee, but I noticed these other smaller 'spots' on the top of her knee. The spots seemed to spread a little so we quickly went to our family doctor and this was confirmed. She tried a topical treatment on a little cluster of the spots, which as blistered over and is scabbing now... it looks sore though. :( I am thinking this is the beetlejuice someone else referred to, not sure. I am just so worried that this will get worse. I hope we have caught it and can nip it in the bud. Right now it is just contained to her knee... We've been keeping it covered with bandaids and/or guaze and we're going back to the family doctor on Friday to see what she thinks of the treatment. I will ask her about the duct tape and apple cider vinigar at that time.
My daughter has swimming lessons and I'm convinced this is where she picked up the stupid virus! I don't know if I should take her out of her lessons or what? How do I keep them covered while she is in the pool? Waterproof bandages I guess....
Oh my.. I pray this doesn't spread to my younger son too.
Thanks for all the information everyone.....+
My son has had Molluscum for most of his life! I think since he was 2, and he is now 5! I was told they would go away on their own, but they are not going away. They continue to come and go, and have not completely gone away since he got them. My other two children have had them too, but not as severe. I'm desperate for them to go away! I'm going to try ACV. Thanks for all the suggestions. Our dr. did not give us any good ones, obviously! I don't remember finding much online last time I looked, so I'm thankful I've found these suggestions!
i have MC now, gonna try the apple cider vinegar.
i can speak from experience with apple cider vinegar:
it completely and very quickly took away about 10 warts i had once on my fingers. (it seems molluscum and warts are similar. both a virus producing similar raised bumps).
SOAK little pieces of cotton balls (not the whole ball), then apply that on the skin, secured with a band aid. LEAVE IT ON a long time (like 24 hours? or replace it with a freshly soaked piece)...you may feel a little tingling but that just means its working. when you take off the bandaid, it will look "pruned" maybe like its been wet a while, maybe whitish/ bleached...don't worry about it, vinegar is good for you. anyway, the freezing method did NOT work or do anything. the apple cider vinegar took them away in like a week? i was so thankful! now i'll try it on the molluscum whatever
Please please help me I'm 20 years old and just found out what I thought were 2 ingrown hairs are MC. I have had 3 for about 3 months and haven't had anymore. I've touched them and everything for months and haven't seemed to spread. My boyfriend still doesn't have them so does that mean he is safe? He has a good immune system so maybe he can't get it? These are on my private part one on top and one down below on the side. Can I still try the ACV with them being down there? Please help me?!?!
hi i just had went to get my molluscum contagious treated on my manhood with liquid nitrogen. Its been 24 hours now and see 3 other bumps that are coming in i am wondering if i should go get them frozen too so everything heals up accordingly! i have about 40-45 bumps and whether its spreading i don't know what to do to stop it. I have been reading this forum and seem bathing in apple cider vinegar and normal vinegar stopped mostly everyones molluscum and as well in terms of spreading! i also noticed the tips were getting white and starting to ooze with that is there something a medication rubbing alcohol i should be applying to prevent spreading of the molluscum? if anyone knows please help me figure something that you know may help!
Poxiderm is what worked for my daughter and son who had bad cases of molluscum (150 bumps). I had tried zymaderm, conzerol, apple cider vinegar... NONE worked and I was about to rip my hair out dealing with 2 kids who were mortified to have molluscum. My Derm found out about Poxiderm at a tradeshow and told me to order it online (sold on a few sites skincarebiopharma.com dalosbio.com amazon and I think a few others) The Poxiderm dried out the lesions in a week and it came with a soap to prevent the spread. I def recommend using it to treat and prevent the molluscum!
cMy son has had molluscum twice. Want it to be gone in a few days? Something easy, inexpensive, and painless? This is what worked for my son. I applied 40 percent Zinc Maximum Desitin heavily over all areas with bumps, and put thermal underwear type pajamas on him to keep the Desitin in place. I bathed him nightly and repeated the Desitin regimine with clean skin-tight pajamas and clean sheets. In 3-5 days, all bumps were gone BOTH times he had molluscum.
It's a five year old post but the comment thread is great!
We have just finished a course of imiquimod on my 7 yr old, all of the lesions are unchanged.
I look forward to trying the silver cream and the apple cider vinegar as alternatives to beetlejuice at the dermatologists.
Like other kids, mine has sensitive skin/some exzema. Also a scratcher, has spread the virus to other spots. I'd feel horrid if it spread to her face, so have to try something.
This is worse than lice.
Virginia et al,
I have been amazed at the responses to this post, even though, as you say, it is an old one! I'm so glad people have found community and help here.
Peg
Hello, I just have a quick question if someone would be so kind as to answer! I just went to the doc yesterday and had cryotherapy for MC in my pubic region. It didn't look too bad before the visit, but now all the bumps look very red and much bigger than before. Is this normal? I feel like maybe the cryotherapy made it worse...
Anonymous,
Redness and swelling after cryotherapy is a normal response. They will look worse before they get better. What will probably happen next is that they will turn black and fall off, and you'll be left with a shallow ulcer which will heal.
Good luck! Don't forget to go back and see your doctor if they start looking infected, though.
Hi Everyone, I'm a 30 year old adult and first noticed MC on my wrist used molluscum gone and ACV and it went in a few days... However it spread to my face! The face is hard to treat as the skin is so sensitive and soaking in ACV for 24 hrs is painful!
So far I have used thuja, ACV, and molluscum gone oh and acetone! (didn't sting on wrist but would dare try on my face).
What I have learnt is to use ACV that is totally unprocessed and organic -with ' the Mother' (which holds most of the good stuff inside).
Another tip use medi tape to hold cotton wool in place as plasters can damage the skin.
Also supplements to boost immune system and skin cells -zinc, vitamin c, selenium, silica, oil of oregano (80%), vitamin D3.
I'm taking colidial silver which is an excellent all round medicine ( cured a sore which I'd had for years and the doc couldn't do anything for in days!). If you take this also take pro biotic as the silver has potential to kill good bacteria too.
I've also just ordered Tagamet as some say they have had success against MC with that. - will let you know if it works.
Basically everything I'm taking is helping, the bumps are dying as soon as they surface and I'm managing to keep them under control and kill new ones within 24hrs.
IMO non processed apple cider vinegar with the mother is best for topical use, thuja is good when your skin can't handle ACV anymore, fucidin is great for healing the excema that comes after the bumps die, supplements to boot immune system and also drink ACV diluted in water too.
Good luck to all who are suffering, stay positive :)
Scrap everything I said before.... Last post.
ACETONE in the form of cheap nail varnish remover kills molluscum within days.
Do not use household acetone, use the beauty stuff it's safe!
I am bump free, my skin is healthy all thanks to a cheap bottle of nail varnish remover.
With acetone you don't need to soak it overnight!!!! Just pour it on and it will start killing the virus within hours.
You will see results within days!!!!
Also liquid plaster is good for individual bumps but do not cover large areas as this will dry out skin potentially making it worse.
Use. Acetone for large areas, trust me it works so so well and fast.
Don't waste your money on anything else. I wish I hadn't!
ACETONE is Such a simple cure and a. Well known home remedy for herpes and cold sores.
Please try it and spread the word ( not the virus hehe) because it seems no one is documenting acetone as a cure for molluscum.
And if you are wary search acetone on skin, the effects are minimal... Also search acetone herpes and you will see it kills that virus too.
I hope someone can help me- Long story but I'll try to keep it brief. I had on MC bump and had a docotr laser it off. A few months later a second crop popped up and did the same. Went almost one year and then a few popped up in a new location. Went through it again. This seems to happen every year. In 2012, end of the year it hit again- just a couple spots, had them zapped and then in Feb 2013, a coupel more but I was not sure they were MC- doc zapped them all, but I thought he might just be doing it to put my mid at ease. In april I saw some bumps and went to another doc. They said not MC so I felt good. Well, Dec. 2013 I find a bump and this time it seems more like MC. Went to doc and under the light you could see 5-6 tiny ones- This time they looked like it-looked like they sit on top of skin, kind of shiny- pearly-not erupting from the skin with a white head like a pimple. Well, those were zapped. Now, I see what looks like a pimple. I made sure I washed the area and put acne cream on it thinking normal pimple. That one seemed to die down, but on my thigh I see a red dot. Same plan-but this one does not seem to be acting the same way. It is not clear to me it is MC-my quetions, How can you tell it is MC- the trips to the docotr are expensive and the zapping is too. If it is MC I would like to just freeze it with a home wart kit- and be done with it. Is that a plan? Is it possible that my immune system has just not been ablt ofight this off so I get it every year?
Red bumps aren't usually molluscum, in my experience. You might try giving this one some time and warm soaks. Molluscum are usually pearly white, firm and nontender.
Thanks for all the information! I am considering getting them frozen off professionally for myself, but do you know why some people report that they have had molluscum frozen off and then they see more appear a few weeks after? That's the only thing I'm scared about.
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