Alternate Molluscum Treatments

[RW02]

I have recently been diagnosed with MC in my pubic region.  My doctor pricked each lesion with a needle.  She said if they didn't disappear as quickly as I would like, that she could freeze them.  I've been reading about alternate treatments on the internet.  Here are my questions:
1. What is your opinion of the topical treatment Zymaderm?
2. What is your opinion of the Phillip's MC removal system?
3. What is your opinion of topical colloidal silver?
4. Will taking Echinacea and Pau D Arco speed the lesions subsiding?
5. Is self-removal with a sterilized needle/removing the core/antibiotic ointment as effective as freezing or scraping?
6. How long until a lesion disappears after self-removal?
7. Between scraping or freezing:  Which is more effective?
8. Can I swim in a pool/hottub w/o worry of contaminating someone else?

I have searched the archives and haven't found definite answers to these questions. Thank you ahead of time.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I never heard of zymaderm, don't even know what it is.  Same for Phillip's system or colloidal silver.  Echinacea and that other stuff won't speed healing.  Self removal probably is just as effective as other methods, if--and it's a big if--it is properly done, i.e. the patient has been well-trained by his/her provider.  There are no data comparing various forms of treatment, but scraping and freezing probably are equally effecitve.  You can swim or use a hot tub without fear of infecting anyone.

HHH, MD

[steve123]

I remove mine myself,   I've had them for 10 months,  thought they went away about 3 months ago but they came back. Only they come back smaller and smaller,  I just removed 7 a couple of days ago.   All where about the size of a ballpoint in a pen.

I remove mine by using cotton balls,  put alcohol around the area,  use a sharp needle and break the skin surface,   use a pimple popper tool and apply pressure.  Grab core with tweezers,  scrub the area with alcohol again and spend about 10 min stopping the blood from coming out.  Then I put that "new skin" over the area to keep out bacteria.   Seems to work ok for me,   they heal completely after about a week or so if done right.

[RW02]

My initial lesions were frozen by my doctor.  Three weeks later, I noticed new ones appearing.  I had those frozen.  Several days later, I spotted a few more.    I tried your method and found it worked IF the lesions were large enough.  What do you do if you find lesions that are so tiny that there isn't any type of a "head" yet? They won't even bleed very much using your method, and I'm not sure I'm getting the core out, because I'm not sure it's even formed yet.

[mbenga]

A related discussion, Molluscum was started.

[Drm621]

A related discussion, alternative treatments was started.