Molluscum Contagiousum CURE?

Updated on March 11, 2009
K.K. asks from Cypress, TX
28 answers

My daughter, 7, has had molluscum contagiousum (small pimple bumps on body)for about 6 months. We continue to go to doctor to make sure they are doing okay? However, I discovered on webmd last night a SWORN cure - SilverCure - Treatment System for $199.00!
Has anyone used this product? results? Or any other suggestions.
She has an antibiotic ointment from doctor..seems worthless!
Doctors and webmd state...it goes away on its own; not really contagious; just lives in our skin and hers came to head. Lovely!

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So What Happened?

Thank you all very much for the input! I have done ALOT more research...diet and apple cider vinegar apparently does wonders for these bumps. We have never popped them (I want too!) and for sure will not now!
I started using Qtips to apply and just want to thank you all. It is nice to know others have had these bumps and they eventually go away. Love this site! Thanks!

Featured Answers

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L.B.

answers from Houston on

I don't know where you live, but my daughter had the Molluscums and here doctor put this stuff on it from Canada. He is unable to prescribe it but He will put it on. It took two applications but they seem to be gone now. Dr. Michael Bishop--281-494-TOTS

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M.W.

answers from Houston on

My daughter had the same thing. Dr said to wait 6 months to a year and they would go away. It's been 6 months and they are gone. I would just wait it out. Also don't let her pick at them, that causes them to spread some.

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H.P.

answers from Norfolk on

I looked it up on Tabers which is more a book for medical professionals. According to tabers the antibiotic cream is going to be useless because it's a virus. I've copied and pasted what they have to say.

A rash composed of small dome-shaped papules with a central crater that is said to be “umbilicated” (dimpled or belly button–shaped). Cheesy (caseous) material fills the dimple's core. A pox virus causes the rash, which is commonly spread by person-to-person contact among children and young adults. Widespread lesions are sometimes identified on the skin of immunosuppressed patients (e.g., patients with AIDS). Lesions in the groin, on the genitals, or on the upper thighs usually are sexually transmitted
TREATMENT
Some lesions may heal spontaneously and require no therapy. Persistent papules can be removed with curettage or frozen with liquid nitrogen.

Hope this helps some. Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.F.

answers from Houston on

So from an experienced mother, whose daughter is now MC free, let me reassure you MC is a virus, is contagious (but like most viruses only a select few who are exposed actually become symptomatic), and is treatable... with TIME. Viruses have lytic and lysogenic life-cycles and so when it seems like the infection is waxing and waning... it is. Dr. Hassle from Texas Childrens on West Lake Houston helped us treat our daughter. We did use the cantherin (beetle juice) to remove some of the spots, but this is painful and my daughter had too many to treat them all that way. Dr. Hassle put her on an oral antiviral, and also aldara (immiqumod) which is a cream that activates your immune system in fighting skin diseases specifically. The oral antiviral would cause the bump to produce a head and we found to prevent spreading that if once the head was tight and ready to burst, that if we popped it ourselves, treated it with alcohol, and covered it with a bandaid, (then treated nightly with zymaderm) that the lesions not only went away, but they no longer spread. My daughter most likely picked them up (we were told) at the neighborhood pool. She had them on the back of her legs mainly. I am SO SORRY you are having to deal with this, but if you want to chat, or ask other questions, feel free to contact me. BEST WISHES!

1 mom found this helpful
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L.F.

answers from Houston on

Good Mornin, K.. Molluscum Contagiousum is extremely common in children, especcially in this hot,humid area. The only way to assist the lesions in going away quicker, is to have dr. do the scaping method, which would be tramatic to your sweet 7 yr. old. NO topical ointment will work, since it is a internal viral issue. Just keep lessions clean, cool, and they will eventually go away. Keep your daughter's immune system built with a good multi & Vitamin C, since body's immune is compromised with this. Call or contact me if you want any other info or support. Our ministry deals with Family Health issues free of charge.
God Bless.
www.yourhealthyalternatives.com

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J.F.

answers from Houston on

My son age 4 also has it he's doctor order some kind of liquid medicine ...it's called Zyma Derm and it is FDA approved...you may want to check into this with your doctor so far it is working for him some of the bumps are gone.....

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C.H.

answers from Houston on

I work at a pediatric dermatology office. we use freezing, tagamet, and canthacur. come to see dr. adelaide hebert at ut dermatology ###-###-####

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N.D.

answers from Houston on

My son had it when he was three. I had the same answers, nobody was worried about it, it will go away. I saw the same ads about the cream. It was a lot of money, so I decided to just watch it and see. It did just eventually go away after about 7 months. I just would tell him try not to itch it with his fingernails, other than that it's just kind of unsightly. Good luck, your daughter may just be hanging on to it a little longer. I think this is what everyone else is saying, be patient.

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B.C.

answers from Houston on

My son also had this. My Pedi prescribed Acutane. We put it on and it basically burned them off I think. It looked horrible for a bit, but after that it was gone! Much cheaper choice!

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A.C.

answers from Houston on

Hi,
i just wrote you a very long one, but it got erased. The short of it is that my Dr. told me that if they get irritated sometimes the body will create antibodies for them. And, it may cure them all. I (with clean hands) pick any new ones that my son gets and they get red and irritated adn then go away in a couple days. He gets a few every few months. Then of course I wash my hands again right away. He's had them for more than a year, but it has never even gotten to the point that other people notice. His brother who takes a bath with him every night hasn't gotten them yet. I realize this is against all the adivce of the other posts- but maybe ask your Dr. about it.

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K.L.

answers from Houston on

OK, our son got it about 9 to 10 months ago. A friend had been through it with her son and said she had tried the topical meds for it and they never really got rid of it. She decided to pop them and they finally started to go away. My husband didn't want to pop them because that's when they spread. So we tried some of the various topical things for it and it never really helped. We tried them daily for a long time. Finally, my husband started popping them and we are making progress. It's not pleasant for the child but it really is getting rid of them. Good luck. It's not fun!

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H.S.

answers from Austin on

My son got this when he was about 2. Pediatrician's don't seems to have a lot of information about this virus. (Mine yelled at me and told me it was a spider bite and if we didn't quit picking at it it would never heal. Nice, huh?)

I took him to a dermatologist and we were given Taclonex ointment and a liquid antihistamine to keep him from scratching them. It is contagious and as they scratch the little lesions they spread the virus. The Taclonex works pretty good. Not an overnight cure, but still works good.

I too saw the silvercure but as I researched it further I decided against it. Just too scared to try something I wasn't totally sure of with my 2yr old.

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M.V.

answers from Houston on

My 4 year old son had this condition for about a year. Someone else on mamasource suggested to me the pediatric dermatologists at Texas Children's Clinical Care Center in Houston. We went a few weeks ago and now the bumps have almost all disappeared. It is amazing! He had lots of bumps on the backs of his legs and a few under his arm. I had tried various home remedies, but none of them worked. The dermatologist applied the juice of a blister beetle to just 6 or 7 bumps. This irritated the bumps and caused the immune system to finally kick in and eliminate the virus altogether. I haven't seen any new bumps forming since the treatment and the old bumps are starting to dry up. She also gave us a prescription for Aldera in case any more bumps appear. Hopefully they won't!

Here is the phone number to make an appointment:
832 - 822 - 3463 We saw Dr. Wright, but I'm sure the other doctors treat this the same way. BTW we saw her around noon and she said she had already seen three other patients that same day with molluscum!

Let me know if you have any questions. Also, our pediatrician had recommended a regular dermatologist to burn off the bumps. I didn't feel comfortable going this route. I am so glad I visited Texas Children's! The beetle juice didn't hurt at all and is a natural remedy! (I see someone else wrote that the blister beetle juice was painful. But fortunately my son (who won't does not have a high tolerance of pain) didn't complain at all and the bumps just became red and irritated and eventually dried up.)

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A.B.

answers from Sherman on

my 5yo had it for a year and one day it just disappeared. we tried everything and we should have just left it alone!

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W.W.

answers from Houston on

HI,
My son had the same. There is a website that sells it for less. It is http://www.molluscum-contagiosum.net
I bought some and it is still in the bottle as my son's disappeared miraculously before I even put the stuff on. It was recommended by our pediatrician. She said it really works.
Good luck.

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D.S.

answers from Houston on

my son had this when he was three and four. he is now five and it's almost all gone. it's viral and it goes away on it's own. we too went to the doctor and meds didn't work. i was told they are contagious and not to touch them. I spoke with my son about not touching them and the bumps are disappearing. I say, give it time.

Best to you.

Deborah

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L.T.

answers from Austin on

Both my son and daughter had this when they were 2 or 3 yrs old. It went away by itself eventually, it just looks kinda bad for a while. I think it takes longer to go away for some kids but I definitely would not buy the $200 "cure" online. It's caused by a virus and there is no cure, although there's all kinds of treatments people use just so they can feel like they're doing something about it besides just waiting. I would just encourage your daughter to not pick at them (or wash her hands if she does) and make sure none of them get infected and just be patient. I know it's kinda hard, especially w/ swimsuit weather coming up, but I bet it goes away within the next few months.

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R.M.

answers from Houston on

My son started picking up anything you can think of when he started jr high and was sharing equipment with other boys. We became regulars at our dermotologists. He had the Molluscums and they simply removed them they numbed the skin before they did and it was painless.
Dermotological Association of Texas great team of Drs.
Good Luck

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M.S.

answers from Houston on

Hi K.,

My son had the same problem and we were told the same thing, that it would go away on it's own. After about 8 months, we saw our pediatrician. He gave us alternative options of scrapping them off or using a cream. We went with a prescription for Aldara / Imiquimod cream. The cream cleared them up within just 2-3 days!

Good Luck!

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R.B.

answers from San Angelo on

I have never heard of this before now. I did a little research, as I am sure you have done plenty of and the Wikipedia site explained this very well. Here is the link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molluscum_contagiosum
Like I said, I am sure you have read plenty about it. Just wanted you to see this in case you haven't read all these things already. According to the site, this is contagious. It is a member of the pox family.
I hope you find a solution...and thanks for making me learn something new! I would probably freak if my 2 year old started getting these...now I know what's going on if it does happen.

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E.G.

answers from Houston on

My son dealt with this last year, and, despite what your pedi told you, it is MOST CERTAINLY contagious (it's even in the name). Basically, the bumps are filled with a virus, and, if you scratch them, the virus (and bumps) spread to the surrounding skin plus anything else you happen to touch right away. They do go away on their own, but it can take 12-18 months -- especially if you keep getting new ones. The dermatology department at Texas Children's offers two different treatments -- freezing them off (which I was told is worse than having them in the first place), or this serum that is made from the venom of a South American beetle (I realize that it sounds crazy, but it's true). The "Beetle Juice" (as we call it around our house) is applied in the office, and then you wash it off a couple of hours later. After a couple of days, the bumps scab up and fall off. It doesn't work for all people (it didn't really work for us), but, as I said, those are the only treatments that are approved by TX Children's. Your best bet is to see a pediatric dermatologist (be warned, many, including those at the hospital, can take 6 months to get in to see), and have them confirm the diagnosis, and help you choose the best treatment. Unfortunately, according to a friend who is an adult dermatologist, pediatricians don't often know a lot about it. But, please, what ever you do, DO NOT scratch them or do anything that will break them open!!!!
Good luck!

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S.H.

answers from San Antonio on

Hi K., Check out this site and see if they have any info...

www.OIL-TESTIMONIALS.com/7532

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S.W.

answers from Houston on

K.,

Wow! My 10 year old son had this same condition for over a year. As it was spreading all over his body becoming infected and leaving scars as it bursted, my doc continued to assure me that it would go away on its own. He prescribed Aldera to "try" if I wanted. I decided to treat each bump with an Acne medication containing 1.5% Salicylic Acid and 1% Peroxide daily. I had it in my med cabinet for occasional break outs. It is called AcneFree in a .75 oz tube meant for spot treatments. I got it at Wal-Mart. It began working immediately! He has been free of any spots for 7 months. He still has scars mostly on his chest and stomach that resemble chicken pox scars. He was very self conscious and I am extremly happy to see him being comfortable to swim without a shirt again! Good luck to you in your search for a cure.

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M.D.

answers from Sherman on

my son had it too.. It goes away in about a year! DONT POP THEM.. that causes it to spread

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M.M.

answers from Houston on

K., I have never heard of the silver cure, but I would say that it probably does not work because she already has the virus that causes them and the virus is not curable according to the research that I have done (and I have done alot). My son has had them for about a year and a half now and they are just now starting to go away. They are starting to get red and they do start to itch, but we put the antibiotic cream on them and they are usually gone within a few days. I know that it is not the most attractive thing to look at but if you will just be patient they will go away. And by the way, they ARE contagious. Dont let your daughter pick at them and when you put the medicine on her, use a Q-tip or something. That is what we do and that way I dont have to worry about spreading it to me or my other children.

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S.C.

answers from Austin on

I'm sorry to say I don't know anything re: the cure you mentioned. I have heard that immune system building holistic medicine can help. I would ask for advice at People's Pharmacy. Did your Dr. mention that Molluscum contagium is a virus that is INDEED contagious? It is very important that it be covered - at least with a bandaid - esp. when you are in public places (ex: Chucky Cheese, daycare, playgrounds). Covering active spots will also prevent your daughter from spreading it around her own body. The reason she has it in the first place may be because like the Dr. mentioned, it was dormant in her skin and became active. Another possibility is that someone infected with it left it uncovered, the pimple burst and it spread to your daughter.
What I understand about molluscum contagium is that, although it is not a serious skin disorder, it can be annoying to deal with and once contracted, can come and go throughout life. Please make sure you take care to protect other children and people with compromised immune systems from having to deal with it like you guys are.

Best of luck to you and your daughter managing this condition. Ck with Peoples...

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L.W.

answers from Austin on

Thanks for posting this! I went online and think this is the mysterious pimple like white bumps that won't go away on my nine year old boys face. I saw the "it goes away on its own" note too. Our dr. gave us the name of a dermotologist but suggested we try alcohol swabs to see if they might help. When we do this they do seem smaller, but haven't gone away yet. Thanks for giving name to this for me!

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A.S.

answers from Houston on

Hi K.,
My daughter has dealt with it for about 3 years. The dermatologist froze them off at first, which was a nightmare. Then we used Retinol, did not work. I did my own research and found that apple cider vinegar worked wonders. You can google it to get more info, but we put it on a cotton ball with a bandaid and left it on for a couple hours to overnight. Once you take the bandaid off, there is just a small scab, which goes away in a few days. We have used it several times and it works. Good Luck!

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