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About a year ago I noticed flesh-colored bumps on my son's legs. As he was getting ready for a bath, I noticed some more on his bum. Quickly I took to the internet and landed upon a common childhood virus called Molluscum Contagiosum.
At his next pediatric appointment, I confirmed with the doctor. She said it is something that a high percentage of kids get and they just go away on their own.
Fast forward to last week. As my son was getting ready for a bath I noticed his back was covered in bumps. But this time, they were a bit more pink. He raised his arms and I noticed a patchy linear-type rash right in the fold of his arm. I pulled out my phone took photos and started researching. I was up all night. No one likes a rash. They're scary. And I was fearful it was break-through chicken pox. He had a breakthrough right after his vaccine when he was a baby. As I was researching, I quickly realized there were dozens of things it might be, kids get rashes for all sorts of reasons and that felt overwhelming.
By the time bath was over he was itching all over. I noticed the bumps becoming more inflamed. I took him to the pediatrician the next day and three different doctors came in to take a peak and said they just didn't know. They chalked it up to a virus and said it would be better by Sunday. This was Thursday.
It progressively got worse. The rash under his arm was red, the bumps were red, and he was super itchy. I had been down so many rabbit holes on the internet reading about rashes, comparing photos to his and feeling at a loss. Thankfully my son wasn't complaining and had no other additional symptoms but the scratching was worrisome as I didn't want secondary bacterial infections.
I called the pediatrician back on Monday morning. They sent a referral to a dermatologist. The dermatologist said we can't see you until January. So frustrating. Now what am I supposed to do? The rash was still angry and he was itching more than ever. Back to my research.
Monday evening I decided to forge ahead with my biggest suspicion of what this was and seek potential treatment options on my own. I am grateful we live in a time where information is at our fingertips. In saying that, I will also share that I understand the dangers of the internet too, but if you read medical case studies of actual patients and use discernment, you can collect useful data to make the best decision when the medical community lets you down.
I had ruled out Chickenpox simply due to how the rash was behaving, and also due to the additional secondary eczema-type rash that was in the fold of his arm. The itching was relentless and I could tell that him scratching was causing even more inflammation. I had spent over $100 on products at the local CVS by our house to try and give him some relief. Nothing worked.
I researched for hours and came across a product mentioned on Reddit. I Googled the product and after researching and reading reviews for hours decided to order it. I planned to test it on myself first and then test one small area on his foot. What I liked about this product, was that it used essential oils.
The product is Mollenol. Directly from their website: Mollenol lotion contains sandalwood and Eugen Oil, a natural derivative of clove and coconut. They also have patches for the bumps as they inflame and burst. This is what happens during the "beginning of the end" phase of this virus, which is what I uncovered we were most likely dealing with when I compared his reactions to the photos I was seeing online. Again, not sure why the doctors couldn't have figured this out but, here we were.
It has been 5 days and I can tell you right now. It is working. You have to be consistent and apply twice a day to every bump, but it is working. I let him watch a show, I get out the Q-tips and the Mollenol, and get to work. The patches are for the bumps that are inflamed and about to surface.
UPDATE: I was able to get into the pediatric dermatologist and he confirmed that my son was having an ID reaction to the molluscum, and it was causing papular eczema. He advised me to continue treating the molluscum with the Mollenol, but to also treat the eczema. He prescribed a topical steroid cream. I used it sparingly for a couple of days to help kickstart the healing but I was not comfortable continuing with this method of treatment based on my research. I found that hypochlorous acid was much safer and just as effective. I included the spray we've had success with below in my recommendations.
If you've been to the end of the internet and back in desperation for more information on this virus, I feel you. Here are the answers you are looking for, that I never found. Keep in mind, that everyone is different. Keep in mind, I am not a doctor so I can't make any medical claims on this blog. But I am a real human, who was looking for the same answers in desperation as a mom to make her son feel better. I always recommend consulting with a doctor and testing an area first to be sure your kiddo doesn't have an allergy to any ingredients included in these products. That being said, please see below for the anwers you may be looking for:
1. What is it? Molluscum contagiosum is an infection caused by a poxvirus (molluscum contagiosum virus). The result of the infection is usually a benign, mild skin disease characterized by lesions (growths) that may appear anywhere on the body. Within 6-12 months, Molluscum contagiosum typically resolves without scarring but may take as long as 4 years.
2. What will the doctors do? Doctors will tell you to leave it alone and ride it out. If your kiddo has just a few bumps that might be ok. If you start to see coverage all over and the body has started to fight it - also called "the beginning of the end" or BOTE in the dermatology world, then you might want to consider some treatment options. During this stage, the bumps become inflamed and itchy, resembling chicken pox. Most will experience Pruritus which causes the skin to be extremely itchy, even in areas where you don't see bumps. Other rashes may accompany the virus as the body is fighting. These other inflammatory rashes may include Atopic Dermatitis or Eczema.
3. Treating the symptoms: Essential oils are your friend. Here are some tips:
Step 1:
Lukewarm Bath
2 TBSP Coconut Oil
2oz Baking Soda
1 C Epsom Salt
4 Drops of Peppermint Oil
I called it a candy cane bath. This seemed to be the only thing that calmed his skin down.
Step 2:
Pat dry / Air Dry - toss that towel into the hot wash. Do not hang it to dry and use it again or share it with other family members as this will cause the virus to spread!
Step 3:
Distract kiddo with a book, toy or let them watch a show and get to work with your oils. I did treat this first with a combination of tea tree oil and coconut oil. While it calmed his skin down, it did not seem to be helping the bumps disappear. It was causing them to change, just not as rapidly as I had read the Mollenol would.
Apply Mollenol as directed on the packaging or per the website.
Keep your kiddo clean, and rotate the "spa bath" above with a regular clean bath with a very mild or natural soap like the ones below. Most soaps can irritate the skin anyway but are worse when the skin is fighting a bacterial or viral infection.
We applied the Mollenol and/or the patches twice a day.
Goat Milk Soap: Click the image below for purchase options
Hypochlorous Acid Spray for Eczema Rash and itching/inflammation: Click the image below for purchase options
4. How long does this take?
The BOTE stage can vary per individual which is why it is so hard to find a direct answer online anywhere. It has to do with your body's immunity and whether or not you are consistent with the treatment protocol. I started giving my son higher doses of Vitamin C and Zinc to boost his immune response. He is also on a vitamin that has proven to be effective in many areas of concern for us including digestion - that I'll be writing about in another blog post. We have MTHFR Mutations over here and these are perfectly formulated for us. You can check out those vitamins here:
BETTER FAMILY - Click the image below for purchase options
5. Coping
Try not to get anxious. The internet can be a scary place full of photos of the worst-case scenario. I had several panic attacks over this myself, thinking I was going to wake up in the morning and find my son covered from head to toe. The best thing is distractions, consistency with the treatment and take photos to see the progress of the patches you are treating.
Please let us know if you have any questions as we'd be happy to help if we can.