ALDARA Reviews (IMIQUIMOD)Average Rating: 2.9 (856 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare ALDARA with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Date added. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 |
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR ALDARA | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | Genital Warts/HPV | NO side effects | I read this website before I used this. So I was nervous and VERY VERY careful with the application. I used vaseline to protect the non infected area and just applied a q-tip with the Aldara directly on the wart and wiped away any extra off my skin. I only had one small wart down below. I thought I was imagining that it was getting smaller until my 9th application when I had to really hunt for it. By the 10th application I couldn't see it at all but I know it must still be there so I applied the Aldara to the small area. I have two more applications that I will use in the same way just to be sure. I have very sensitive skin but the wart was in the area between the vag and the anus and I was careful not to get any of the cream in those areas. I had scheduled a biopsy to remove it but canceled that appt because I can't even see it. I am pleased with how this product works but I took pains to make sure I only applied it where it needed to be. I used a mirror and a flashlight and employed my Yoga Techniques. Let's just say I've become very familiar with the "area". | F | 42 | 4 weeks 4X W | 9/16/2010 | 1 | HPV-GW | EXTREME PAIN!! itching, sores, blister, pussing, burns, very painful urination, the list goes on and on. | I was recently diagnosed with HPV-GW.I had them burned off twice within 2 wks & my dr also prescribed aldara for follow up.my dr didnt know anything about this product before prescribing it 2 me.PLEASE do your own research before using this product & make sure 2 apply correctly.I started using the cream on a wed, i used the entire package (HORRIBLE idea)& applied it EVERYWHERE as my dr said 2 keep new warts from appearing in the non effected areas(2nd HORRIBLE idea)no side effects yet, i then used it again on fri once again applying it everywhere & globbed it on thinking the more the marrier(WRONG)i experienced some itching,irritation,&also lots of soreness on my labia, redness,& burns.I will say that some of my warts did go away so it does work.On the 3rd day sun when i applied it i was in tears it hurt so bad(especially my labia)& i noticed swelling on 1 side of the labia.It hurt SO bad to pee & thats when sitting & walking started to hurt.I woke up mon morning once again in a lot of pain so i took a mirror & looked to see & noticed my labia was even more swollen & that i had a nasty pussy blister & it hurts SO BAD!i was in tears.I later went 2 the bathroom & noticed that i was pussing from my vagina &FREAKED out!the blister was worse & the pain is almost unbarable to walk, sit, stand or even wear clothes.Im also aching, and feel like i have the flu. Im goign to stop using Aldara & let it heal idk if ill us | F | 20 | 1 weeks 5 3X W | 9/6/2010 | 3 | GW | Massive swelling, Chemical burns, Excruciating pain! | I wish I had found this site a few days ago. I discovered I had GW about two months ago, but was not confirmed until two weeks ago by my OBGYN. I was very upset as I have been with two people. The first week of applying Aldara went okay, I experienced minor swelling, itching and irritation. This week I applied the cream two nights in a row. I am in so much pain I had to call in sick to work. I have been crying all day, I need to sit in a tub just to urinate. I have been Icing and applying bacitracin to avoid any infecting just in case these burns decide to open. I tryed hydrocortisone cream but it was too painful. My vagina is so swollen my inner labia is outside my outer labia. I have sever muscle ache and a bunch of red/brown burns all over my vagina. It seems to be getting worse even though I have not applied cream the last two days. I am freaking out and don't know what to do. If anyone has any suggestions or advice please email me. Does the pain go away??? HELP | F | 24 | 3X W | 9/5/2010 | 4 | severe swelling, burning, itching, sores. | Continued: I am wart free after only 3 applications. I had 2 lines of warts on my inner labias which were small, in clusters with some larger ones. I had a terrible reaction because i was not advised how to use this product or the possible side effects. MY ADVICE ON HOW TO AVOID BAD REACTION: - Rub vaseline all over your genitals where Aldara DOES NOT need to be applied - Leave aldara on for 6-7 hrs to see how you react.. my first application was 10 hrs, second was 7.5 and third was 6 hrs. - Apply with a Q tip and with an EXTREMELY minimal amount. I still used the smallest amount and still had a severe reaction. - DO NOT WASH YOURSELF WITH SOAP USE A NON SOAP PRODUCT LIKE CETAPHIL WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE A REACTION: I had 2 large sores appear and lots of red & white bumps appear. DO NOT STRESS your skin will do bizarre things its MOST LIKELY not new warts. I wet paper towels and gently dabbed my vagina throughout the day to keep area clean to prevent infection. Take neurofen to reduce pain and swelling, take ANTIHISTAMINE to reduce itching. I took the drowsy kind at night so i could sleep. Within 5 days most swelling was gone, bumps dissipated. 2 large sores practically gone within 6 days. i am wart free. This was a terrible experience but WORTH it. ITS NOT FOREVER BE STRONG! | F | 23 | 3 days 1X day | 9/3/2010 | 3 | Basal Cell Carc., Actinic Keratosis | Dizziness, headache, fatigue, eye infection (may be related), joint aches | Doctor pitched this drug as "diagnosis and cure" for any BCCs I may have, and to treat visible AKs. I was told I could use it on face and chest. My chest broke out in big bumps, while my face developed red splotches that crusted and oozed. This confirmed CCs where I suspected I had them on my face, but I got a similar reaction where I had some acne at the time of treatment. I am to be assessed by doc in one week. Overall, I have reservations about this drug. It concerns me that it is being prescribed with so few precautions, and for so many off-label uses. | F | 50 | 3 days Packet 3X W | 9/2/2010 | 1 | Actinic Keratosis | Hideous, painful, topical side effects - angry, raw, red, oozing, crusting craters on my chest and neck that drew the attention of sympathetic strangers (!) wanting to know what had happened to me. I was deeply distressed by what I was going through. | I would NEVER recommend this drug to anyone. I feel betrayed by my doctor who prescribed this drug to me as a preemptive strike against future ACs - I didn't even know that there might be any of them simmering under my skin's surface. She prescribed the drug ten days before Christmas, and didn't warn me about the side effects, thereby negatively impacting the entire holiday season for me. (I was in tears on Christmas Day due to the awful condition of my skin, and almost backed out of an invitation to my best friend's house for dinner.) Now, almost 9 months later, my previously clear skin is scarred in 10 or more places, and I can no longer wear open necked clothing. I HATE ALDARA. | F | 48 | 4 weeks 4X W | 9/1/2010 | 3 | genital warts | burning, swelling, intense itching, open sores, pussing. | Worst medication Ive ever used. Makes it painful to sit, urinate, cross your legs, shift your sitting position, exercise. I have never felt such pain in my life. I used it only for three days and I have open sores now. I went to have my doctor look at it and she told me it was herpes which isnt true. Ive seen many other people report the same symptoms as me and its scary how a lot of doctors just perscribe medications with out full knowledge of its side effects. | F | 22 | 3 days 1X day | 8/24/2010 | 3 | GW | blistering, extreme pain, burning, white discharge, back pain, peeling, swelling, pain urinating. | Make sure you research how to use this product before using it. all my doctor told me to do was apply it to the affected area before bed 3 times a week. she didnt tell me to wash it off after 10 hours and didnt tell me to apply directly to the warts. thinking i wanted to treat the whole area i applied to areas around the warts and now i have a chemical burn on my vagina. its the most pain i have ever been in and im afraid its going to give me problems in the future if the burnt skin has trouble healing. i have herpes-like blistering on my inner labia, which i have read in other reviews is a side effect which doctors dont know about because they tell all these poor people they have herpes when really its a reaction to this cream because the doctors didnt tell them how to apply it properly. doctors need to be more careful when prescribing this it can be very dangerous. but i must say, most of the warts have gone away, but the skin cant heal because every time i apply the cream it makes everything sore and swollen again. | F | 21 | 60 days 3X W | 8/22/2010 | 1 | Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma | Initially I had a sharp pain in my lower right abdomen (near appendix) and went to the ER. Over the next 6 weeks, multiple CT scans showed 2 enlarged lymph nodes, enlarged pancreas, enlarged kidney, splenomegaly, enlarged thymus. Myalgia, muscle weakness, bone pain in arms and legs, joint pain, difficulty breathing, jaw stiffness. Bloating and distended stomach. Gastrointestinal discomfort, pain after emptying bladder. | After the initial pain and ER visit (during week 9 on Aldara) I experienced widespread myalgia. I did not know Aldara had caused my pain at that time. My muscles ached and I felt weak, I easily pulled/strained muscles during normal activity. I woke up in pain every day and it hurt to roll over or get out of bed. I switched to a low-sugar veggie focused diet which helped a little with the GI issues. I was told by a GI doctor, after my second CT, that I had lymphoma and I was sent for a biopsy. I spent 8 weeks in and out of doctors' offices before the symptoms began to subside, as I had stopped taking the medication. | F | 31 | 12 weeks .05 MG/day 1X day | 8/21/2010 | 3 | gw | itching, MILD burning, sensitive, redness. | I have been using Aldara for 3 weeks now. I had about 10-15 small warts total. A lot of the warts are still there. A few have went away on week 2 but you can still tell where the wart was as there's a red blister like scar in replace. To me, Aldara doesn't seem to be working now since after week 2. I agree with everyone that using this stuff makes it extremely itchy, but it burning so much that you can barely walk or pee? I haven't experienced any of that. I've had maybe mild burning but at most its just a little sensitive and red. My doctor told me to use it 4 times a week during bedtime and wash off when you wake up. So I'm using it an extra day more than most people and sometimes I even forget to wash the cream off and still the warts are still there and the same size. I'd definitely keep using it and pay for the entire 4 months if I knew it was going to work, but I'd rather not waste $500 or $600 and the warts still be there! I think the Aldara cream cost $160 for 1 months worth for me. | F | 19 | 3 weeks 4X W | 8/20/2010 | 4 | Genital Warts | PAIN .. seriously. The first two days, it seemed as if nothing was happening. I thought that it would just vanish, but how naive of me. It began to itch and I had to make sure that I read the label properly .. "mild to moderate burning" .. and boy, does it burn. There are a few blisters and my entire vaginal region is swollen and red. My clitoris is even swollen .. walking is a bit painful .. sitting is as well. This is all the consequences of unprotected sex. I never in my life want to have unprotected sex .. because it was a foolish mistake. The way my vagina is feeling, right now .. I don't want to have sex at all! Whatsoever. I refuse to go through this pain .. somewhat, torture again. I will take someone's advice and use some petroleum jelly on the days when I don't have to use it. | In addition, ALDARA obviously is effective. I mean, I wished that the process was going to be easy as pie, but c'mon now .. it's fricking warts. I never imagined myself being put in this situation .. but I guess I have to roll with the punches .. and continue on with the treatment until I am healed. I plan to get the gardasil shot as soon as possible. I don't want to run the risk of getting cervical cancer or anything of that nature. All of this pain is definitely a life lesson LEARNED! I can't wait to get rid of it. BUT I thank GOD that it wasn't anything worse. | F | 19 | 7 days 2X day | 8/11/2010 | 1 | BCC on face and neck | Within one day of using Aldera, I developed severe flu-like symptoms, nausea and vomiting, muscle and joint pain, headache, trouble urinating, severe fatique and depression, and became unable to do normal daily activities. All I could do was sit in my chair for days. Very very bad overall reaction. | After giving this drug a good try, I contacted dermatologist regarding my severe difficulties with it. I am a heart patient and have diabetes, also chronic pain from an injury. This drug put me in a severe lethargy immediately following using it on my head, face and neck as instructed by my doctor. I soon developed an open wound on my neck that looked extremely red, pus-like and scabbed and weeped continuously. My wife called my dermatologist and his NP returned the call. After describing my symptoms, I was told to continue using it, that it would be worth the "discomfort." After using it for almost three weeks, I have decided to discontinue it after reading these comments and other information on the internet. I will be calling my dermatologist again Monday. I believe this drug is very dangerous, especially for someone with other health problems I am also concerned about interactions with some of the heart and diabetes medications that I have to take. | M | 63 | 20 days 5% 3X W | 8/7/2010 | 2 | gw | So much pain, Extreme itching, extreme burning and rawness | I was prescribed aldara and told to use 3 times a week monday, wednesday and friday. I have used it 3 times and believe i was a bit liberal in applying it on the first occasion then i had extreme itching and burning so i used much less the next application.Over the next few days the pain has become unbearable,especialy to urinate.Swollen,painful throbbing vulvar that hurts just to sit.Have decided to stop using it today to give me a 3 day break and see how it goes.I have applied vaseline before urinating and this has helped a lot with pain so i can go to the loo, i would recommend this to help with painful urinating. | F | 43 | 3 days 1X day | 8/6/2010 | 4 | HPV | redness, itching, fatigue | I found out i had GW about four months ago. i got it from my boyfriend(now my husband) who was unaware that he had HPV. I started out with one bump on the outside of my vagina. my doctor first prescribed me with podofilox which made the wart go away, but then about two weeks later 10 tiny ones popped up around the opening of my vagina. I wish my doctor had just prescribed Aldara the first time..since Aldara actually stops them from reappearing.. Before i used Aldara the first time, i read the comments on this page and i was so scared. but i had to do something...so i was extra careful in applying the cream. i put just a tiny amount on each of the warts and after the first couple days i was really tired and it was a little itchy down there, but it was completely bearable! im on my second week of using it now and almost all of my warts are completely gone! My advice on this product is to be Extra careful and use a Q tip when applying the cream, to make sure it gets on the warts ONLY. it also helps if you have a boyfriend or someone to apply it for you..since it's hard to see the area clearly. But if you're applying it on your own make sure you hold a mirror so you can see what you are doing. You may feel like applying a tiny amount won't get rid of the warts..but this product is so strong that a little dab each time is all you need! it really does work so don't be afraid.If you use it CORRECTLY and you have a good immune system..you will be happy that you did. | F | 21 | 2 weeks 3X W | 8/5/2010 | 1 | GW | swollen, blistering, oozing, fever, back ache, pain when urinating, can't sleep, so much pain when walking, restless, hardly eatting, tired, pain so much that nearly passing out. | after being diganosed with gential warts this was a real shock to me, why me? how? why are they showing up on me and not my boyfriend? this feels like the end of the world. disgusted with myself. i was told to use aldera cream every two days at night and wash off in the morning (thursday,sunday,tuesday). i applied the cream on thursday night and washed off on friday morning with no problem, sunday night put cream on and woke up monday washed it off, became tired so went to sleep, woke up with a fever burning hot, back ache, neck ache and it swollen, very sore down there and hurt so bad when urinating. i rung my GUM clinic today and they told me to get right down there,i have not been to work today due to the pain, i feel so low and didnt think something like this could do such a thing to a person self esteam and to hit someone emotionally. i put ice on it when i had got in and it started oozing, im just laying in bed helpless at the moment - i wish i had been more careful in the first place and will always now practice safe sex, this is one of the biggest wake up calls and it isnt even the worse things you can get. I was told to take paracetamol every day till i next go back next week, the nurse said with this bad reaction that most of the warts are either gone or disappearing, so no pain no gain in this case but the pain IS ALWFUL. i would not advise using this cream, the risks are not worth it. | F | 18 | 2 days 5% 1X day | 8/3/2010 | 1 | gw | PAIN, PAIN, PAIN | I was given Aldara to clear up my genital warts. I had a severe allergic reaction including flu-like symptoms, swollen labia to the point they still touch with my legs spread, extreme pain when I move, even worse when I pee, and blisters on the inside of my labia (where the medication was not applied). My Dr. told me to stop the medication and I have, but the effects of the medication are lingering. So much that it is interfering with my daily life. I asked my Dr. for pain relief for the effects of the Aldara, but he said he doesn't want me to apply anything else. Does anyone have any suggestions for pain relief or any idea how long these reactions will last since I stopped the medication 6 nights ago?? Thank you in advance for your help. | F | 21 | 10 days 3X W | 7/23/2010 | 2 | Molloscum infection | Swelling and burning on outer vagina. 5th day using this cream, woke up this morning and had 3 sores on vulva , I guess the cream spread cuz I didn't rub it in, and now mycrotch burns. I knew I had to have an allergic reaction especially after reading other posts. | Using hydrocortisone cream forswelling and burning, hopefully this goes away soon cuz it hurts to pee, very uncomfortable | F | 21 | 7 days 5ml 3X W | 7/17/2010 | 1 | GW | Tired, really bad rash on the head on penis | THIS STUFF IS VERY DANGEROUS IF USED INCORRECTLY!!!! ONLY PUT ON AFFECTED AREA AND ONLY FOR UP TO 8 HOURS THEN WASH OFF, WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER YOU APPLY IT ASWELL. I had a single wart under my foreskin and I placed it allover the head of my penis and left it too long and it has an acid burn like affect. The Sores are painful and Ugly... Please if anyone knows how to get rid of these sores email me, my doctor just like the rest of your doctors has told me i may have herpes but i was tested a month ago and after reading everyone else's post I believe it is the acid/allergy reaction | M | 23 | 1 weeks 3X W | 7/14/2010 | 1 | aks on face | burning, itching, scabby, dizziness,extreme tiredness,nausea,severe headaches,lower back pain,sore throat, chest tightness,burning eyes | I went to a Skin Cancer Clinic for a few aks on my right cheek and was told of this cream that would only affect the aks and any others that were hidden. I was never told of any side effects and on the first application(over most of my face)I felt very nauseous,bad headache and dizziness that I had to come home from work. The nauseous has continued and the headaches became severe. Again more time off work and saw dr last week who said it was working well. Started on week 3 and it was then after having terrible lower back and hip pain,severe headache and nausea and feeling very ill that I decided to look on the internet...my symptoms were explained!I already have 2 autoimmune diseases and took myself to my gp today.she says I have a toxic reaction and I had already decided not to use it. I am so glad I stopped but I am worried about the reaction I already am experiencing. Aldara is a dangerous treatment and Ill never use it again. Do the symptoms subside? | F | 58 | 2 weeks 250 mg 3X W | 6/28/2010 | 4 | BCC | Barely noticable (about the size of a pencil point) BCCC on the side of my nose. Prescribed to use cream every night for 8 weeks. Day 1-4: Some redness and drying, Days 4-10: development of open sore that caused me to call Derm, he stated it was working and press on. Days 10-14: Sore has turned into a nickel to quarter sized thick scab. Days 14-21: no real change, saw derm he said it was working so well to just go to 5 days on and 2 off. Days 21-39: Scab is gone and only dry skin left and it is getting better. I am still using the cream 5-2 schedule. Other than some itching, absolutely no side effects. I use just enough cream to cover a dime size area around the BCC at bedtime, wash it off in the morning, let it dry and keep Aquaphor on it throughout the day until a couple of hours before applying the cream at bedtime. | I am sorry to read so many people have had bad side effects, I am thankful I have had none. This certainly beat the alternative, which was surgery on my nose. I' ll know for sure how well it worked in about three months after finishing treatment next month. | M | 55 | 34 days 1X day | 6/24/2010 |