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Special warnings about this medication
Before using Aldara ,
- tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to Aldara or any other drugs.
- tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medicat
ions you are taking, including vitamins.
- tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while using Aldara , call your doctor.
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What side effects can this medication cause?
Aldara cream doesn't destroy healthy skin. Most people who use Aldara cream don't complain of pain. One of the most common side effects is redness. This may be a sign that your immune system is workin
g. Other common side effects are peeling of the skin, itching, flaking, and swelling around the warts.
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Why is this medication prescribed?
External genital and perianal warts are cause by a virus called Human Papilloma Virus. These wart-like growths are oftentimes referred to as condyloma acuminata. While Aldara itself has not been demon
strated to have any of its own antiviral activity, Aldara cream is an immune response modifier that stimulates the body's own immune response system and helps the body fight this virus. It may do this
via the induction of cytokines like alpha-interferon. Alpha-interferon is a complex compound normally produced by the human body that does have potent antiviral activity. In a large clinical trial 50
% of patients had complete clearing of their warts. The mean time to complete wart clearing was 10 weeks.
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How to Use
Wash hands and open a new packet of Aldara cream just before bedtime.
Apply a thin layer of cream on the wart(s).
Rub the cream in until it vanishes.
Discard the open pac
ket and wash hands.
Leave the cream on the wart(s) for 6 to 10 hours.
After 6 to 10 hours, wash the area where Aldara cream was applied with mild soap and water.
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