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STDs (Expert Forum)
MC in a 40 year old male - 16 months now
Answered by
University of Washington
Seattle - WA
This forum is for questions and support regarding STD issues such as: Chlamydia, Crabs (pubic lice scabies), Gonorrhea, Hepatitis (viral), Herpes, HPV, Molluscum Contagiosum, PID, Rectal Infections, Syphilis, Trichomoniasis, Warts, Yeast Infection.All questions will be answered by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D. or Edward W Hook, MD.
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MC in a 40 year old male - 16 months now
by spaniels, Oct 15, 2006 12:00AM
Hi,
I’m at my wits end and feeling like a leper. I moved to a new city (July 05), met a woman and started a sexual relationship. We are both in our mid 40’s. The 2nd or 3rd week we were having sex she had what she called a sebacious cyst near her vaginal opening. I recall that it was pretty big - like a big pea sized white hard waxy nodule. I asked her 3x if it was an STD or contagious-she insisted it was not-it was just a sebacious cyst and she got them sometimes when she was pre-menstrual. We had sex and oddly (?) she stopped seeing me after that night. About 6 weeks later I had all these pink blemishes with white heads on my abdomen and a red sore on my penis. I popped one white head with my finger nails - a hard white core came out and was followed by a lot of blood beading up and then flowing kind of profusely. I saw a urologist and was tested for all the usual STDs - hiv, syphillus, etc - all were negative. The sore responded to yeast cream. I took a zithromax just in case.
I saw a dermatologist. He cut one blemish off, looked at it and said it was molluscum. He saw me every 2 weeks from September through December and froze them with a q-tip dipped in nitrogen from my abdomen and thigh/crotch area. He then declared me “clear” in December. I think he thought I was neurotic because I kept on pointing out other blemishes that he insisted were nothing - just folliculitis. I AM a bit neurotic about this, but I’d never had any blemishes there before - folliculitis or not. I thought I was clear - turned out I wasn’t - popped another on my abdomen a couple months later with charactoristic bleeding. I went back to dermatologist who gently told me I was ‘clear’ and nuts and he never had a Molluscum patient present with molluscum again after being clear (presumably)for a couple months.
I went to a second dermatologist in March 06 who froze off about 10 molluscum (with a gun - cryostat?). He only wanted me to come back every month or 6 weeks. I saw him a few times - sometimes I was clear in his office but would have new ones pop up in between visits which I treated with aldara (very irritating to skin) and a few with Retin A (sometimes covered with duct tape - my own invention). Anyway, 3 times I’ve felt like I was clear for a few weeks and done with this - only to have blemishes/molluscum return. I’m taking vitamins, herbs, not drinking alcohol trying to boost immune system. I’m careful not to scratch myself or auto-innoculate myself (I’ve had a couple on my wrist, too). I’ve had these now for 15 months and am at my wits end. I’d like to date again and have an adult relationship with someone but I feel like a leper since I don’t want to pass these to anyone. Sorry for being longwinded.
My questions FINALLY: What else can I do? Could this be something other than Molluscum? Any thoughts on colloidal silver? Is 4 - 6 weeks between derm appointments sufficient? Everthing I read says MC usually clear in 2-9 months??
I’m at my wits end and feeling like a leper. I moved to a new city (July 05), met a woman and started a sexual relationship. We are both in our mid 40’s. The 2nd or 3rd week we were having sex she had what she called a sebacious cyst near her vaginal opening. I recall that it was pretty big - like a big pea sized white hard waxy nodule. I asked her 3x if it was an STD or contagious-she insisted it was not-it was just a sebacious cyst and she got them sometimes when she was pre-menstrual. We had sex and oddly (?) she stopped seeing me after that night. About 6 weeks later I had all these pink blemishes with white heads on my abdomen and a red sore on my penis. I popped one white head with my finger nails - a hard white core came out and was followed by a lot of blood beading up and then flowing kind of profusely. I saw a urologist and was tested for all the usual STDs - hiv, syphillus, etc - all were negative. The sore responded to yeast cream. I took a zithromax just in case.
I saw a dermatologist. He cut one blemish off, looked at it and said it was molluscum. He saw me every 2 weeks from September through December and froze them with a q-tip dipped in nitrogen from my abdomen and thigh/crotch area. He then declared me “clear” in December. I think he thought I was neurotic because I kept on pointing out other blemishes that he insisted were nothing - just folliculitis. I AM a bit neurotic about this, but I’d never had any blemishes there before - folliculitis or not. I thought I was clear - turned out I wasn’t - popped another on my abdomen a couple months later with charactoristic bleeding. I went back to dermatologist who gently told me I was ‘clear’ and nuts and he never had a Molluscum patient present with molluscum again after being clear (presumably)for a couple months.
I went to a second dermatologist in March 06 who froze off about 10 molluscum (with a gun - cryostat?). He only wanted me to come back every month or 6 weeks. I saw him a few times - sometimes I was clear in his office but would have new ones pop up in between visits which I treated with aldara (very irritating to skin) and a few with Retin A (sometimes covered with duct tape - my own invention). Anyway, 3 times I’ve felt like I was clear for a few weeks and done with this - only to have blemishes/molluscum return. I’m taking vitamins, herbs, not drinking alcohol trying to boost immune system. I’m careful not to scratch myself or auto-innoculate myself (I’ve had a couple on my wrist, too). I’ve had these now for 15 months and am at my wits end. I’d like to date again and have an adult relationship with someone but I feel like a leper since I don’t want to pass these to anyone. Sorry for being longwinded.
My questions FINALLY: What else can I do? Could this be something other than Molluscum? Any thoughts on colloidal silver? Is 4 - 6 weeks between derm appointments sufficient? Everthing I read says MC usually clear in 2-9 months??
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Oct 15, 2006 12:00AM
, Oct 15, 2006 12:00AM
Sorry, I really can't help much. I don't have any idea why molluscum sometimes persists atypically long in some people, but it generally does not indicate any kind of underlying immune deficiency or other health problem. I have no significant experience with patients in your situation and no suggestions for treatment, except to treat new lesions when they appear. Your dermatologist probably knows more about this situation and has much more frequent experience with it than I do. (At my STD clinic, we refer patients with persistent MC to dermatologists.)
In general, colloidal silver is quackery; I have no reason to believe it would help MC. You should stay away from alternative treatments. Soon the problem is likely to clear up on its own, and if you have tried some sort of magical treatment, you'll just end up with a false sense of security about something that in fact has no effect at all.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
In general, colloidal silver is quackery; I have no reason to believe it would help MC. You should stay away from alternative treatments. Soon the problem is likely to clear up on its own, and if you have tried some sort of magical treatment, you'll just end up with a false sense of security about something that in fact has no effect at all.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Member Comments (2)
by WrapUP, Oct 18, 2006 12:00AM
I just had a couple questions on how contagious molluscum is? I got treated for it 3 weeks ago (they froze them off) 4 warts in my pubic area and few at the base of my penis after their presence for more than 3-4 months. They scabbed a little and I have these reddish scars right now as they heal. I have had no new outbreaks and the warts have seemingly been disappearing very slowly. My questions are in regard to the sexual relations I can have with my girlfriend who I have spoken too and been completely abstinent with because the fear of giving it to her. Is moscullum highly contagious throughout its entire presence? Is it contagious when receiving oral sex? Does any skin to skin contact with the infected area put a person at risk of contracting the virus? Basically, I just want to be cautious of protecting my girlfriend while knowing the extent to which we can have sexual relations.
