Long term side effects of Protopic
Someone asked "why stop using it?" Because it’s a relatively new
drug and an immune suppressant. As an immune suppessant, it can
activate those charming Herpes blisters that decorate the facial
region close to the mouth. Sometimes you need a strong immune
system. Plus, we don’t know what the long term side effects are of
prolonged use. If we don’t turn into gargoyles ten years from now,
everyone will know it’s safe to use. Sortof. The best idea is
probably to use in moderation. Marie
October 14th, 2004 at 2:17 am
Right, I agree. The packaging says to use for at
least 7 days "after clearance" then stop. I will
probably stop sometime next week for a few days/weeks
until I need it again. Fortunately I’ve never had a
cold sore, so I don’t think it will do that to me,
knock on wood. I only use the Protopic right before
bed, and I use the weaker of the two concentrations
(.1%). When I researched Elidel, there seemed to be
some more unpleasant side effects reported that had an
actual probability of being treatment-related. People
reported nausea, headache, flu-like symptoms, etc.
With Protopic, people pretty much reported stinging,
redness, zits — more tolerable than "flu-like
symptoms" to me! My derm didn’t seem to feel one was
better or more dangerous than the other though, so I’m
sure the Elidel is fine too.
I hope we don’t turn into gargoyles!