Too Much Can Hurt You

I used to be so generous when I slather lotion onto my skin until I've read an article about it saying that too much can hurt. Over the counter creams with LIDOCAINE, METHYL SALICYLATE, and HYDROCORTISONE should be applied thinly. Whew! I'm just so relieved that I strictly followed doctor's to apply the skin asthma cream thinly onto my son's skin. His cream contains hydrocortisone. According to the article, too much of these 3 chemicals may not only hurt you but overdosage may be fatal.

An athlete, Arielle Newman died from sports cream overdose. She used large amounts of pain relieving ointments which contain methyl salicylate. Reports say, it may have interacted with other aspirin-based medicines she was using which caused her cardiac arrest. There were other reports on lidocaine overdose, an ingredient found in hair removal gels.

Although these cases are rare, it is always better to be safe than sorry. If you think that if a little bit is good, a lot is even better, think again. This is not true when it comes to what we slather on our body.

The article suggests we follow these rubbing rules:

  • FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS - always use the correct dosage.
  • NEVER COVER THE AREA - don't wrap or apply heat to your skin after putting a product on your skin unless you are following doctor's instructions. Wrapping or oclusion increases absorption.
  • ASK QUESTIONS - anytime you get a treatment at a spa or salon that involves wrapping, make sure you ask what's being applied, if there are any dangers, and how long you'll be wrapped.
  • BE CAREFUL AROUND THE SKIN - protective top layers of keratin are lacking in thin-skinned areas [armpits, groin, eyelids] and mucuos membranes [nasal passages, mouth, vaginal and rectal regions], so medication have a stronger effect in these places.
  • TALK TO YOUR DOC - just because you get it over the counter doesn't mean you shouldn't tell your doctor about it.
  • CHECK FOR FDA/BFAD APPROVAL - products approved by them have been tested and are labeled with appropriate warnings and directions for use.
Source: Health.com




Mommy's Little Corner

Comments

thanks for this. very informative.
Unknown said…
I recall a woman who was getting laser hair removal on her legs was told to apply Lidocaine to numb it and she died from an overdose to the cream. It is very scary, great post.
mimi11460 said…
Hi Liz very informative thanks for sharing..
Jeff Iversen said…
Hi Liz, that is just jaw-dropping! I've always known that what we put on our skin goes directly into the blood stream. I wrote an post on the dangers of sunscreen and how some of the ingredients in there can cause cancer. Many sunscreens are also useless!

Can Sunscreens Cause Cancer?
Anonymous said…
Thanks for the tips. My daughter has eczema and it can be very difficult sometimes, but we are always sure to following directions with the skincare products we use.

Last year, we were prescribed a compound formula that the doctor recommended and prescribed to some patients. I had never heard of it before and couldn’t find anything I research online. One ingredient, I can’t recall what it was now, had many warnings online. Apparently, it can be used if used correctly, but when the pharmacist said “yes, it is classified as a poison.” That was enough for me; no way!
Monica said…
Thanks for sharing this Liza ;-)
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