Imiquimod cream should be left on the skin for 6 to 10 hours. Continue using imiquimod until all of the warts are healed, up to a maximum of 16 weeks. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand.
How long does imiquimod take to work?
Aldara should not be used for more than 16 weeks at a time. It usually takes 8-10 weeks for your warts to disappear but warts may clear as early as 4 weeks.
What happens if you use too much imiquimod?
Using too much imiquimod topical or using it for too long can increase your risk of severe skin reactions. Do not use two different forms of imiquimod topical on the same treatment area. Read and carefully follow any Instructions for Use provided with your medicine.
How often can you use imiquimod cream?
Adults—Apply a thin film to the affected area of skin once a day at bedtime 5 times per week for 6 weeks.Does imiquimod damage healthy skin?
What are the common side effects of imiquimod cream? Within 3 to 5 days, the skin treated with imiquimod cream can get red and sore. Even normal looking skin may be affected, because it may contain invisibly abnormal cells. The skin may weep, peel, crack or even blister and then scab over.
Can I use Aldara cream every day?
When any skin reaction has gone you may then continue with your treatment. If you accidentally swallow Aldara cream please contact your doctor. If you miss a dose, apply cream as soon as you remember and then continue in your regular schedule. Do not apply the cream more than once per day.
How do I know if imiquimod is working?
When using imiquimod to treat AKs or skin cancer, your skin should react. You may have redness, swelling, burning, itching, and tenderness. As the skin starts to heal, you will see scabs and flaking. These reactions indicate that the medicine is working.
Does imiquimod cure HPV?
In a study where topical imiquimod was used to treat 25 patients with VIN and who tested positive for HPV DNA [22], they revealed that HPV had been cleared in 15 of the patients (60%). In addition, the research noted a strong association between viral clearance and histological regression.How do I stop itching on imiquimod?
Apply a moisturizer with sunscreen and wear a hat for additional sun protection. For itching, or pain, consider ice cool compress and acetaminophen. 5) If there is too much redness or irritation, reduce accordingly. You can use as infrequently as twice a week (M-W) or three times a week (M-W-F).
Does imiquimod have side effects?Common side effects of Aldara topical include: treatment area reactions such as skin redness, swelling, itching, irritation, dryness, burning, pain, tenderness, thickening/hardening of the skin, peeling/flaking/scabbing/crusting, or leaking a clear fluid.
Article first time published onHow effective is imiquimod cream?
Of those patients whose warts disappeared while using 5% imiquimod cream, 44% were clear by 8 weeks of therapy and 69% were clear by 12 weeks. Seventy-seven percent of women and 40% of men using 5% imiquimod cream experienced complete wart clearance.
Can you use imiquimod on lips?
Imiquimod 5% cream offers an alternative method to manage dysplastic lips. Our lip retractor is a simple and cost-effective method of isolating the lower lip and allowing application of topical agents.
Does imiquimod make you tired?
Three cases of patients using imiquimod for anogenital warts reported a range of side effects, including flu-like symptoms and rash exacerbations, with one patient progressing to intense headache, fatigue, lumbar pain, generalized myalgia, and locomotor difficulties during the third week of imiquimod treatment.
Is imiquimod a chemotherapy?
Imiquimod is not a chemotherapy drug. Instead, it works by boosting the body’s immune response to the area of abnormal tissue.
How does Aldara 5% cream work?
Aldara cream contains imiquimod 5%, which acts by stimulating the body’s own defence mechanisms. It’s thought that it works by binding to immune cells in the skin, causing them to release natural defence chemicals called cytokines. Cytokines help fight viral infections by preventing viruses from multiplying in cells.
What happens if you leave Aldara on too long?
Using too much Aldara, or using it for too long can increase your risk of severe skin reactions. Follow your doctor’s instructions. Do not use Aldara on areas of broken, wounded, or burned skin (including sunburn).
Does Aldara expire?
For example, the anti-cancer creams Efudex and Carac shouldn’t be used beyond their expiration date. Neither should Aldara, which is for peri-anal and genital warts and is seeking FDA approval to treat skin cancer. It’s just not worth the risk.
Why does imiquimod make my skin itch?
Even normal looking skin around the treated area may be affected, because it may contain invisible abnormal cells. The skin may weep, peel, crack or even blister and then scab over. The area may be itchy, sore and burn. This is caused by the abnormal cells dying and a sign that the treatment is working.
Does imiquimod cause itching?
In the PNAS study, the scientists focused on Imiquimod (marketed as Aldara), a prescription-based topical cream used to treat a number of skin diseases, including some forms of skin cancer, by activating the body’s innate immune response. One major side effect: Imiquimod produces intense itching and scratching.
Can you reuse imiquimod packets?
ALDARA Cream is packaged in single-use packets, with 12 packets supplied per box. Patients should be prescribed no more than 36 packets for the 6-week treatment period. Unused packets should be discarded. Partially used packets should be discarded and not reused.
How long can HPV stay dormant?
HPV can lay dormant for many years after a person contracts the virus, even if symptoms never occur. Most cases of HPV clear within 1 to 2 years as the immune system fights off and eliminates the virus from the body.
Does imiquimod cause more warts?
New warts may develop while you are using the cream. Imiquimod will also not keep you from spreading genital warts to other people. Do not use cosmetics or any other skin care products on the treated areas, unless directed to do so by your doctor.
How long does wart cream take to work?
Salicylic acid may take weeks to months to cure a wart. For best results: Before applying salicylic acid, soak the wart in water to help loosen and soften skin. This helps the medicine penetrate the skin more easily.
