Dermacool Plus 2% Menthol Aqueous Cream – 100g

Product Information

Uraemic pruritus is largely a clinical diagnosis, based on a history of chronic kidney disease and onset of symptoms. The commencement of pruritus in patients coinciding with commencement of dialysis, persistence of symptoms, or elevated urea blood levels is consistent with a diagnosis of uraemic pruritus. Generalised pruritus along with glossitis (tongue inflammation) and angular cheilitis (inflammation of mouth corners) are seen in iron deficiency anaemia. Menthol: This ingredient creates a numbing sensation on the skin and distracts the itch receptors so that your body is no longer focused on the itchiness, Dr. Waldman says. In chronic hepatitis C infection, the mechanisms responsible for itch remain unclear. In the absence of cholestasis, pruritus may be related to antiviral therapy; it has been noted to occur in patients treated with combination therapy (interferon alfa and ribavirin). Certain activities, such as gardening, can irritate the skin. It may help to apply an emollient before doing these.

Be careful not to slip when using emollients in a bath or shower, or on a tiled floor. Protect the floor with a non-slip mat, towel or sheet. Wear protective gloves, wash your bath or shower afterwards with hot water and washing-up liquid, then dry with a kitchen towel. Skin irritation from aqueous creamFor more severe eczema flares or chronic eczema, you may need to seek a medical professional for a stronger treatment option Prescriptions must be written on an Authority Prescription Form, and the approval number must be noted on the prescription. Pharmacists cannot dispense the item as a pharmaceutical benefit unless it has been approved by Medicare Australia (indicated by the presence of the approval number). Mix a small amount (around teaspoonful) of leave-on emollient or soap substitute in the palm of your hand with a little warm water and spread it over damp or dry skin. Treatment with TCIs has been shown to be effective at reducing pruritus within 48 hours of initial application, and its anti-pruritic effects are maintained during prolonged use. 22 In multiple large double-blind, randomized, vehicle-controlled trials in pediatric patients, tacrolimus ointment was shown to offer rapid relief from pruritus and other the symptoms of AD, with significant improvement observed within the first week of treatment. 27– 29 Similarly, in a randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trial of pimecrolimus cream in atopic pediatric patients, 44.2% of pimecrolimus-treated patients versus 25.7% of those on vehicle reported a reduction in pruritus from moderate/severe to absent/mild within 1 week of twice daily application and the anti-pruritic effect persisted during a 6-week treatment course. 30 An extension phase of this study demonstrated continued control of AD lesions and pruritus over an additional 20-week period of open label use. 31 Several active-comparator studies have shown that tacrolimus ointment is more efficacious than pimecrolimus cream in the treatment of AD symptoms including pruritus, while sharing a similar safety profile. 32, 33 While TCIs are well-tolerated and superior to vehicle alone in preventing relapse of AD, a recent meta-analysis suggested that topical tacrolimus may not be as efficacious as topical fluticasone propionate to prevent flares of AD and pruritus. 34– 36

Some antihistamine tablets can make you feel drowsy. This may be helpful if taken at night to help you sleep. After taking them, it’s important that you do not to drive, use power tools or operate heavy machinery. It may help to apply an emollient before and after swimming. Leave enough time for it to be absorbed into your skin before you swim. Topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs), tacrolimus and pimecrolimus, are immunomodulators that have been shown to be effective in reducing pruritus in patients with AD, chronic irritant hand dermatitis, rosacea, lichen sclerosis, anogenital pruritus, and prurigo nodularis. 21, 22 The underlying mechanisms of the ability of TCIs to reduce pruritus are unclear and may be multi-factorial. TCIs regulate T-cell activation and inhibit release of various inflammatory cytokines. 23, 24 While initially thought to act solely via their anti-inflammatory properties, TCIs may also mediate their anti-pruritic effects by activating and then desensitizing TRPV1 located on peripheral nerve fibers. 25, 26 Itch, like pain, can originate anywhere along the neural itch pathway, from the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) to the peripheral nervous system and the skin.Cholestasis is thought to release toxic substances from the liver, which stimulates neural itch fibres in the skin.