Does Steroidal Eczema Treatment Cause Cancer?
Food and Drug Administration warns that the most effective steroidal eczema creams, Elidel and Protopic are to carry their most serious “black box warning”
(PRWEB) February 10, 2006 -- Millions of Americans are sick of the relentless itching and bumpy red patches all over their skin that their eczema causes, and they would probably take anything to make it stop. But the Food and Drug Administration warns that if “anything” means that they are thinking treating their eczema with prescription drugs, they might want to think again.
Last week, the FDA ordered two of the most effective steroidal eczema creams, Elidel and Protopic, to carry their most serious “black box warning” because, since these the drugs were introduced in 2000 and 2001, 78 patients using them have gotten cancer.
In addition to the link between the steroidal creams and cancer, they also have many adverse side effects, including stretch marks, weight gain, and high blood pressure.
Plus, steroids curb immune response, lowering your ability to fight off infections, a side effect that can have very serious repercussions, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Statistics have shown that more people die from incorrect overuse of anti-inflammatory drugs than from AIDS.
Left untreated, eczema can worsen and lead to staph infections, but Dr. Maria Hordinsky, dermatology department chair at the University of Minnesota medical school, recommends that you “follow the FDA’s advice in the black box warning and try other treatments first.”
One alternative treatment available from Selmedica Healthcare in Memphis, Tennessee is Epitrex, which the company calls a non-steroidal, all-natural solution to eczema.
Selmedica claims that Epitrex takes a two-pronged approach, with the capsule working internally to boost your immune system and reduce inflammation and the topical solution instantly soothing your itching and discomfort and improving its appearance.
For more information about eczema and its treatment, visit www.epitrex.com
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