Prescription skin cancer cream Aldara has horrific side effects...

[Laurel Simonsen]

My 78 year old mother was put on Aldera 6 weeks ago to take care of five cancerous spots.(She has been an active woman and kept herself fit by walking daily on her treadmill as well as teaching, and caring for others around her neighborhood.) After the first week, she started having flu-like symptoms along with dizziness, and seeing double. We thought she had an inner ear infection, but all checked out o.k. After 3 weeks of horrible symtoms that continued to get worse, her dermatologist told her to get off the medicine. She has been off 3 weeks and is still having difficulty standing because of dizziness, seeing double, nausea and memory problems. We thought she had experienced a stroke. She had an MRI and all is normal. These problems have been caused by the Aldera. She feels her life has been ruined and is now sinking into depression. We are hoping that the symptoms will ease up, but so far we have seen no improvement.
I realize that not everyone has these problems, however, it looks like many are, and they are severe enough that something should be done. I am no chemist, but I am wondering if perhaps the Aldera is reacting to other medications or just what the problem is.
I am amazed that someone would discout what others are experiencing just because they did o.k. on the product. We are all so different and reactions can vary a great deal. It is troubling that with reactions, even in one person, so severe as to ruin a persons life; this product is still on the market. It should not be!!!

[louise]

Richard wrote:

I've used Aldara off and on for BCC on my face and scalp since 2003. Previously I had two surgeries - one was Moh's surgery, but the BCCs continued, even in the original places. The skin reactions have always been severe and horrific, but I've noticed that each time I've applied it, there are large areas previously treated that have no reaction anymore to the cream, meaning the cancer is finally gone. I have too many BCCs to have surgery for them all - I would be horribly disfigured. Using Aldara, my skin retuns to normal after healing, and looks great, with no scarring, although it IS difficult to convince myself each time I've had these severe skin reactions that I will not have scarring. I had large scars from previous surgeries, but they were nearly completely diminished when I received microdermabrasion treatments. The same as others have stated, I become a hermit during the fourth through sixth week of treatment, but for me Aldara is worth the results. While Aldara is far too expensive, it's still cheaper than surgery, and for me, the results are much better than surgery.

i was really interested to read this post- I too have numerous BCCs(I had radiotherapy 20 years ago)and my dermatologist says that i cannot have surgery as the i devlop keloid scarring. I have (at last count 24) BCCs on my neck, chest and back and am worried about side effects because of the quanitity of Aldara i am applying- all the lesions look redder than they did but only one is crusting.Do you think they should be treated ona at a time or is it safe to obliterate all of them at once?

[Ken]

I am being horribly affected by the use of Aldara. It began 9 months ago after treatment. It seems to have gotten into my bloodstream and is causing a chronic inflammatory response. It started in my throat as acute "pharyngitis" and has progressed to a frightening inflammatory process on all mucous membranes causing rapid heart rate and other debilitating symptoms. I have also been diagnosed with specific Immunoglobulin M deficiency. My throat has since returned to a fairly normal state, I am just hoping the rest of my system will stabilize as well. More later.

[Ken]

Response to Listen Up from Nov 11.

Here's the point...from your referenced article.

"Remember Aldara is fairly costly and can have strong side effects so you must use it effectively and efficiently."

Apparently that message is not being conveyed by a lot of dermas as there are alot of people who may be abnormally sensitive to the side effects. This is not a slam on big Pharma...which has saved a lot of lives..but it has cost many as well. Think Vioxx.

[barbara]

After reading a lot of alarming reports from aldara users, I am writing to tell you about my very positive experience.

I used aldara for a small bcc on my nose 18 months ago. The area did become quite inflamed and scabbed, but when it finally healed (about 3 weeks later) the area looked great. The skin was healthy and pink and so far I haven't had a recurrence of the bcc.

Encouraged by this, I started aldara on the other side of my nose when I noticed what my dermotologist and I agree looked like another small bcc. I have had the same reaction after only 31/2 weeks of using it, but have no adverse side effects other than the redness and scabbing.

When the only other option is Mohs surgery, which would be disfigure my face, this is the therapy for me.

[cynthia]

my 16 year old son has 28 planters warts on 1 foot. his pcp wrote script for this x3 a week. told us to go to a podiatrist. The podiatrist said... use it 7 days a week. He has been using it for 2 weeks and the warts are going away with no side effects! Cost is high but company has a rebate program so I pay $60 for 30 days supply and they send me $25 back as rebate. So far so good!

[Mary]

I was prescribed Aldara for genital warts. I got the nausea, flu symptoms and body aches (real bad) after the second application. Also, the sores and blisters were very painful, deep, and severe. The doctor knew I had Graves (an autoimmune attacking the thyroid), but it was under control. i can barely walk from the pain during the last 4 days.
I applied the cream just as I was told and find it hard to believe only 1 percent have severe symptoms as claimed by the manufacturer. This product is much nastier than should be on the market.

[Kathleen]

It has been approximately 10 months since I used Aldera on my face. I had horrific effects when I used it. I was very ill for many months and I still have short term memory problems. This drug should never have been put on the market.

[diane glassboro nj]

my dr wants me to start aldara on my face after mohys surgery on my nose. now after reading these comments im not sure i want to use it, i am a school bus driver are my kids going to be scared to see me? i would like some input. diane

[diane glassboro nj]

my dr wants me to use aldera on my face after mohys surgery 3 months ago after reading some of your comments im not sure now i drive a school bus am i going to scare the kids ? would like more info on this cream.

[diane glassboro nj]

Kathleen wrote:

It has been approximately 10 months since I used Aldera on my face. I had horrific effects when I used it. I was very ill for many months and I still have short term memory problems. This drug should never have been put on the market.

is it really that bad

[martin komar]

HI. I hope more people will google Aldara and read about it's very dangerous side affects. I have used it to treat genital warts on my penis. Doctor (Mr. James Brown from Associates in Urology on Talcott avenue in Chicago) told me that it is safer than surgery and after 1 minute I was out of the office with the prescription. After 2 weeks of use I started to have headaches, dry eyes, I felt like I had a flu, but the worst part was severe diarrhea. I stoped using it for a few days. My fiancee called the doctor and he didn't want to speak to her, she was only able to talk to nurse, who said that doctor "gave" me 2 choices. Surgery or Aldara. When she told her about side effects I was experiencing she didn't reply. She was quiet on the phone. So my fiance thanked her and hang up. I went back to aldara for next 3 days, but my diarrhea worsened very much. I lost 6 pounds in those 4 weeks since I started to take aldara. I went to pharmacy where I got it, to see what I can do. They called the doctor and he said "no change in medication" is adviced. Now I don't know what to do, my diarrhea heas worsen and I have read really alarming stories about it's use.
Please don't use it. As some people describe you may have no side effects, but from what I see roughly 85% of people have endagered their lives with this "miracle" drug.

[MC in West Hollywood]

cynthia wrote:

my 16 year old son has 28 planters warts on 1 foot. his pcp wrote script for this x3 a week. told us to go to a podiatrist. The podiatrist said... use it 7 days a week. He has been using it for 2 weeks and the warts are going away with no side effects! Cost is high but company has a rebate program so I pay $60 for 30 days supply and they send me $25 back as rebate. So far so good!

I had 6 plantars warts on my foot and more on my hand and under my nails. I put athletic tape over the ones on my foot and left it on for a few days. Took it off (usually on saturdays) rubbed the area with pumice and put more tape on the next day. Sometimes I wore salicylic acid pads under the tape. After doing this for less than two months, one day ALL my warts died, including the ones that had not been covered. Had to dig the "threads" out of my skin - yuck - but I was so happy.

[Tim]

My dermatologist recommended Aldara for five BCC's on my leg and I had severe reactions. Had to stop using it a couple of times. The oozing, redness, soreness and swelling were substantial. It has now been two months since I started using Aldara (stopped after six weeks) and almost all of the oozing has stopped. However, the swelling is still there and a little soreness. I told the dermatologist that I will never use Aldara again.

[Caroline]

Yesterday I saw a Dermatologist who took a biopsy he said was BCC from the side of my nose. He suggested I apply Aldara because there would be less scarring and natural healing. I am suppose to begin applying Aldara tomorrow .. Now, after reading the above statements, I am terrified.

[steven Cohen]

I have been using Aldara for the past 1 1/2 years. It has been used on my face, forehead, arm, and neck several times. While using the cream the area will get red, crusted and itch to a certain degree, but the results have been excellent. Within a week of stopping the application of the cream, all side effects are gone.

[Matt]

Scary. Ok, my Dermatologist gave me three options to deal with a ½ cm spot of BCC on my cheek – Surgery that she would do, Moh or Aldara. She thinks Aldara is great, even putting some on her face. She did say that the skin reaction – rash, itching, oozing – is normal, just discontinue use until it clears up. Didn’t hear about the flu like symptoms that some folks are reporting. Although I’ll be a little more careful and will monitor more closely, I’m going to continue with the second application tomorrow. I’ll post periodically to let people know how I’m doing. I’m just unclear of whether the previous 57 post (not all negative) were from those with the worst experience and the vast majority don’t have such issues. Guess I’ll find out.

[stephen]

MJM wrote:

<quoted text>
Read the article. It's pretty scary. Good luck.

The whole point of the Aldara is that is is chemotherapy that kills cancerous and precancerous cells. The more abnormal cells you have, the more are killed, and the more intense is the reaction. In other words, the worse the reaction, the more you needed it. It has no effect on normal cells. The ulcerations that occur heal without scarring, and this beats the heck out of needing to have a cancer cut off in the future.

[Becky]

Have used Aldara for 6 weeks for BCC on my chest. Horrible flu symptoms the whole time, as well as headaches, fever, muscle aches, and hair loss. I won't use this again. Next time I will have surgery instead or I will try the black salve, which is a natural cure. Does anyone know if the hair grows back and how long before the flu symptoms leave?

[Julie M]

It's been about a month since my doctor told me to stop the treatment. At the time there was a scab about 3-4 in. in diameter on the side of my neck. Within a couple of weeks the scab cleared it looked like the BCC was gone. When I saw my doctor next he said all looked good. He then said, "That medication is amazing! Had we done surgery you would have had a huge scar on your neck."

While the side effects made the quality of life poor during treatment, I guess it's a small price to pay considering the treatment.