Molluscum Worries

[hookah]

Doctor,
Around two years ago I was diagnosed with Molluscum Contagiosum on my face. I had quite a few of them and my doctor recommended HIV testing. Though I was not high risk, I took the test and it was negative. I became obsessive about it, and began testing over and over out until about a year after I noticed the bumps. I concluded I got infected from a used razor blade a boss gave to use at a restaurant.

I have long periods of not finding any bumps and then I get a few, normally when I feel stressed or not getting much sleep. At least I think they are molluscum. I have been popping them with sterilized push-pins and when i do so the skin or the core is very hard - and after I insert the pin, when I pull on the tack trying to remove the core, the skin/plug is very hard and sometimes the needle pops out and makes a pretty loud popping noise. Pretty sure thats MC.

So, I am wondering why it continues to recur after two years if I am otherwise healthy? Is there a rogue lesion that I am not finding that I keep autoinnoculating with? How much longer can I expect to deal with recurrences?

I can't stand it anymore as every time I get an outbreak I worry that I have HIV, but that has been ruled out, no? I recently got a CBC done and my blood counts all were in normal range..should I still look for some other immune deficiency?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Since you don't have HIV, you have nothing to worry about.  Plenty of perfectly healthy people get molluscum, sometimes over and over.

Having said that, I am not at all sure that you still have molluscum at all.  Small oil glands look like molluscum, and if you keep popping them with push-pins(!), you're never going to be able to tell.  You can't diagnose molluscum by a popping noise.

I strongly urge you to leave your face alone and let a professional diagnose you properly so you can be relieved of your obsession.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[hookah]

Doctor, one more question to get my 20 bucks worth!
Am I correct in understanding that there is no way no how in human understanding of biology that I could have HIV, which caused the molluscum, and then tested negative a year out?
Unequivocally no? Absolute?

[hookah]

Also, do small oil glands get inflamed (or just red) and pop up together?

[itchyone]

Unequivocally no? Absolute? It has been my experience an answer like that from a doctor never comes.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Of course there are no absolutes.  But if the HIV test is negative, what other reassurance could you want?

Dr. Rockoff

[steve123]

There are other conditions that can cause your immune system to be in less than optimal shape.  HIV is just one of them.  If you are Negative then I wouldn't worry about that one. You can have a poor immune system just from having a poor diet as well as other life styles, i.e. Stress, lack of sleep, alcohol, etc.