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 |
| 1 | BCC | Severe irritation, including swelling and bleeding at site. Aldara triggered a systemic autoimmunce reaction - psoriasis, joint pain, sores inside nose. | I've read some of the comments, and you should know that Aldara is NOT SUPPOSED TO BE USED ON YOUR FACE OR HEAD. It's also NOT SUPPOSED TO BE USED ON OPEN SORES! If you are experiencing an open sore from the use of Aldara then you must stop using it immediately. I'm an RN and my husband is an MD. After my experience with this drug, and after reading of other people's experiences, we don't advise it's use. It's just not worth the risks. Please be aware that Aldara is not supposed to be used on the face or head, or on open sores. | F | 38 | 60 days | 8/20/2009 | 4 | Genital Warts | Soreness, redness, nausea | I'm at the two week mark of using Aldara. I'm laying on the floor as I type because it has caused a few of my anal warts to become extremely sore and sensitive. I've also been up since 2 am due to the pain and nausea. Despite all this, the cream is working. I was told it would take several weeks to begin working but it worked after the first night I used it. Granted I'm in a lot of pain, but for the time being I think it's worth it. I think if you can manage to ignore the pain it is definitely something to try. Just remember to use as directed. Overusing it thinking it will work faster will just end up replacing the pain of warts with the pain of not knowing how to follow directions. Good luck! | M | 20 | 2 weeks | 8/10/2009 | 1 | small dime sized bcc | on behalf of my Mother - her face just about came off | My mom died one week after the worst of it - her ENTIRE RIGHT side of her face came off - black scabs - puss like a horror movie - obviously it went into her system - she was weak - and passed away - this is no joke - beyond horrible | F | 75 | 7 days | 7/25/2009 | 1 | Genital Warts | red itchy bumps | I was diagnosted with anal warts a few months ago and begain treatment immediately. My doctor originaly prescribed Condylox (podofilox) which is a solution that is used to destroy the skin of the wart. It worked within a week the warts were gone but the solution irritated my skin. A few months later they were back and I was prescribed Aldara instead. I used this medication for a month 3 times a week and did not see any results. The warts begain to grow larger and rapidly speaded. My Dr. infomed me that I would have to use this medication for atleast three months before they would disappear. However, it seems as if since using Aldara the warts had gotten worse. This was a very expensive medication and clearly was a waste of money. | F | 26 | 4 weeks | 7/22/2009 | 4 | HPV | Redness, Soreness, Discomfort | Done my treatment of Aldara, all cleared up. If there is anyone interested in using the medicine, but doesn't have health insurance to cover the expensive costs, I am willing to sell you the rest of mine. Brand new, un-opened. Email me for more details. [email protected] | M | 25 | 16 weeks | 7/9/2009 | 5 | GW | Redness on application area | I think the reaction to Aldara is dependant on the person. I use it 3 times per week, and only for 10 hours per application. Aldara has worked very well, it takes about a week or two before it triggers sufficent immune response, once it does, you'll see redness in the application area, then you know it has begun to work. It took about 3 weeks for radical change to occur for me. After 4 weeks, visable warts are gone, however I am going to continue treatment for 16, since my health plan covers 100% | M | 25 | 4 weeks | 7/6/2009 | 1 | Genital Warts | Red like blisters, pain urinating, pain walking, fever, vomiting, itching, burning, swallon labia 2 years after and my skin still splits and tears. | I was prescribed Aldara firstly 2 years ago gone April. For the first month of using Aldara it was fine to use with a mild burning sensation. The more I used it the greater this pain got. I rang my doctor as I was concerned as I was never told about these side effects. She advised to continue using the product. So I did. I then noticed red like blisters which made it painful to walk and urinate. I went back to my doctor who then told me I had herpes and also prescribed me Valtrex. I continued using both medications with no success. I then went and got a second, third, fourth and fifth opinion as the pain was so bad and I had now had 2 months off work. They all said the same thing. I then went to a sexual health clinic and the lady here told me never to use Aldara as one single application can lead to life long problems and that she had seen some horror stories. She also told me I did not have herpes phew! She told me to stop using any medication and have salt baths daily to cleanse the area to help it heal. Once it had healed she simply burnt them off. This caused no pain and they were gone the following day. Although the aldara got rid of the warts, it caused immense pain and they still came back. I lost my job as I could not walk or urinate without a great deal of pain for 6 months. 2 YEARS ON MY SKIN STILL TEARS AND THIS CAUSES A GREAT DEAL OF PAIN WHEN GOING TO THE TOILET EVERY SO OFTEN. DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT! SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE LESS SEVERE SIDE-EFFECTS BUT YOU MAY EX | F | 21 | 6 months | 7/5/2009 | 5 | AK, hx of basal cell | Carol from Chicago:90 day treatment on my forehead, temples and nose. Twice weekly. First 4 weeks my skin was very raw and irritated. Extreme itching and swelling to the sites. My eyebrows and previous basal cell site were the worst areas. I experienced body aches, muscle and bone pain. I was nauseated and had a headache. I had no appetite and lost 10 pounds. By week 5 my doctor stated:most severe reaction he had seen in a twice a week patient. Water burned my face like acid. I had to use cotton balls and neutragena soap to clean my face I dreaded this. Try 0.9% sodium chloride to wash your face. My Doctor recomended bactroban ointment to avoid infection, but what has saved me has been Aquaphor. Please get a tube any apply to your site as often as you need. By the 8th week experienced depression. I felt confused at work and concerned I work in the medical profession. I saw the MD agin and he wanted me to continue another 4 weeks. At this point I was so depressed and anxious and concer | Be aware of the probable side effects. Get aquaphor and bactroban. Keep your site out of the sun. The shade will not protect you, must cover. I have worn a bandana and hat for the last 90 days. Wear sunblock - at least 45- I used neutragena block. My doctors wants me to repeat this treatment on my chest. For now I will decline. I have had BCC, presquamous cell on my back and a recent malignant melanoma on my calf. Check all unusual freckles and f/u with your derm. Get time off if you can during treatment. Expect to be depressed - get help. I have decreased my risk of facial skin cancer, I had a lot of deep skin damage. I am not sure I could repeat the treatment but feel very stronly that the treatment has cleared my face,nose and temples of my pre-cancerous growth. | F | 53 | 90 days | 6/30/2009 | 3 | GW | BURNING, itching, rash | After using it only 5 times (Mon, Wed, Fr, Mon, Wed) my wart is mostly gone. However, even though I was really careful about applying it, the whole area is in pain. I've been waking up in the middle of the night in pain. I used an ice pack for momentary relief. | F | 21 | 10 days | 6/26/2009 | 2 | HPV | Felt like vomiting when standing sometimes, loss of appetite, some headaches(I usually have none), nausea, fatigue, pain moving(walking, sitting, etc), extreme itching, slight burning regularly, severe burning while urinating, throbbing legs, painful lesions, other body aches, waking up in the middle of the night due to constant itch, and just always tired. My has this been a wonderful journey :/ | I am so glad that I have found this website. I have some hope and am more positive about this after reading all of these reviews. This has been the most pain I've been through, but I've also learned that I overused this product, as I didn't know how strong of a drug this actually is, I just wanted it to go away fast. I will now use this more carefully. Thank you to all who posted, and good luck! | F | 20 | 7 days | 6/25/2009 | 1 | Genital Warts | Stomach Cramps Diarhea Dizziness Fever Bad Itching | Today I stopped using Aldara. I was told I had genital warts and originally, the urologist wanted to prescribe me condylox but I pushed for Aldara prescription because of what I read about it boosting the immune system and treating the condition internally as well as externally. I thought, "hell, this should work... my warts will be gone within a month." not the case. Bad decision on my end going with Aldara. | M | 24 | 30 days | 5/24/2009 | 1 | bbc | Applied to my scalp 5 nights a week for 4 weeks ( i stopped the treatment 2 weeks early.) Now have possibly permanent neurological damage. I was perfectly healthy, Now have Small Fiber Neuropathy. Tinitus,Insomnia, Anxiety and Depression. | Had I known, or really would have stopped to think . This drug doesn't just stay at the local site of application. It gets in to your blood stream and it may attack perfectly healthy cells. My doctor informed that this was a less invasive option. I wish I would have opted for surgery. Just be well informed before you decide to use this toxic drug. | F | 48 | 4 weeks | 4/30/2009 | 2 | BCC | Face: Skin burnt off face (raw - can't go outside), staph infection, loss of appetite, sleep poorly, little energy. Back: tolerable side effects, redness, itching | This is the third time I am trying Aldara over the last 6 months applying it 2 daily. Despite use of anti-biotic cream and extreme care I still caught staph infection all over my face. I have had to stop taking Aladara on my face but will continue using it on my back. The side effects are debilitating. Work productivity severely impacted. Can't go outdoors until skin on face heals (3 days or so). I have not had the body ache this time which I had before. Aldara should be an absolute last resort. It has not removed the BCCs yet | M | 3 months | 4/26/2009 | 3 | basal cell carcinoma | How to cope with side effects? | I'm in the middle of my Aldara treatment but need some advice about how to cope with the redness, itching and scabbing. There's a site that has a few tips (skincancer.about.com/u/ua/livingwithskincancer/imiquimod_tips.htm but I'm looking for more. Anybody? | F | 43 | 2 weeks | 4/24/2009 | 4 | Genital Warts | A little soreness on the skin around the site. | I was diagnosed with HPV almost 2 years ago I was horrified but the dr gave me Aldara to treat the 6 or 7 warts I had. Sadly it didn't work the first time and I had to have them all burned off with acid. I was very happy with the results of that and it didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would. Recently I had two more come up and started treating them right away with the Aldara. I have noticed a huge change in the size already and it has only been two weeks. I did however get it on other parts of my vagina and it left horrible open sores. I have herpes as well and these are nothing compared to a herpes out break but they are not fun either way. Be careful to put it only on the warts and let the cream really dry before moving. | F | 24 | 2 weeks | 4/23/2009 | 1 | Genital warts | flu-ish, feverish, headache, naussea, itch, fatigue, pain, loss of appetite | I only applied 3 times (with an 'off' day between them) and had to stop BUT it did work for me, even after three times! GW became less in quantity and size! Nevertheless I'm looking for other options and stopped using it because of extreme naussea and pain. First was ok, no problems at all. But after second application I couldn't go anywhere, lost my appetite, had headaches, was really tired and not myself anymore & had terrible pain when walking, sitting, sleeping.. It works for me in a way but the side effects are just unbearable.. Too bad since it costs over 170€ here. | F | 21 | 1 weeks | 4/19/2009 | 2 | Genital warts | flu-like symptoms, redness, burning, skin looks raw | I am now on my second pack whick I started about a week and a half ago, I now have flu-like symptoms and just got over a fever and after reading these reviews I believe Aldara is the cause because I also had these same symptoms on my first pack. I started noticing redness around the scrotum area and discontinued use, the next couple days the area then started getting worse and was moist and within about an hour it forms what looks something like puss. This started about three days ago and if doesn't go away soon I will check with my dr. Advice would be is to ONLY apply on the actual wart itself and be sure not to get it around any other area and to clean off the medication thoroughly. | M | 20 | 21 days | 4/11/2009 | 5 | bcc | This was prior to 2006. I started treatment in 2006. I had bcc on right shoulder in the form of a non-healing scab about 3/4 inch in diameter. Dermo prescribed aldara, one packet a day for six weeks. After 3-4 days I had a weeping scabby sore, deeper and uglier and spreading a little. I continued, and it continued weeping. After a week I made one packet last three applications but still weeping, bleeding, tender. It was a mess. I was a little fatigued. By the middle of the third weeks it was so deep, weepy, tender and spreading to about 2" diam. that I called the dermo. She was not available but her advice nurse said stop using it. I didn't even wait and call back to the dermo, I was so happy to have SOMEBODY medical tell me to stop. I stopped. It started to heal so fast I could not believe it. Big improvement every day. It started drying up right away, within 36 hrs. Then scabbed over, nice and dry. I was careful not to loosen scab. Then the crusty little thing jus | And I was using 1/3 prescribed dose. I scupulously washed my hands with warm soapy water after every application. | F | 68 | 20 days | 4/2/2009 | 4 | HPV | Hey guys. I'm writing this as encouragement for anyone with HPV. I am a 24 year old healthy female that was recently diagnosed with genital warts, which was extremely devastating to me considering I'm engaged to be married in October and have been in a committed relationship for 2 and a half years. I had one perianal wart for some time that I always thought was a hemmorhoid until my latest doctor visit. I first had the warts burned off with acid which was EXTREMELY painful and unpleasant and the warts grew back about 3 weeks later. DEVASTATING! I've spent the last month doing extreme research and I wanted to share my findings. First, my doctor recommended taking daily Folic Acid supplements to help PREVENT future outbreaks. This seems to be helping. I have also been seeing an acupuncturist to help strengthen my immune system to fight off the virus, and he also recommended changing my eating habits to prevent future outbreaks. | Just make sure that before you put on the Aldara you cover all of your surrounding skin with vaseline so that if the aldara cream touches it it won't burn your skin. You have to be super careful just to get the cream on the wart itself. It kills skin cells, so if it touches any other part of healthy skin it is going to make you sick. Put the vaseline on first on surrounding skin (even the sides of your legs just in case) and then rub the aldara just on the wart with a q-tip. I try to lay down right away and sleep for 6 hours (try to keep your legs open) and then wash off first thing in the morning. I have only used a couple of treatments and I feel great and can tell the warts are decreasing.Worth a shot if you use it right! | F | 24 | 1 weeks | 4/2/2009 | 1 | BCC | My doctor prescribed Aldara to treat 27 BCC's on various parts of my body. I've had over 30 BCC's removed previously via every method known and nearly all reoccurred, sometimes several times (I'm treating one spot that's been surgically removed 4 times). I've been prescribed Aldara twice before (to treat just 2 spots) both times were unsuccessful, but my doctor says there are no treatment alternatives left. I'm in week 2 and feel HORRIBLE - I ache everywhere,am lethargic and exhausted, cough constantly and feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest. Just leaning back in my chair at work is painful. Forget the actual application sites (huge, weeping, scabby messes), the systemic effects are so dehabilitating I'm ready to throw in the towel and just live with the cancer. Why is this minor skin ailment so impossible for doctors to concur? | Be ready for lots of major side effects - you'll be unproductive and useless at work and at home for the entire course of treatment. Use Aldara only as a very last resort, and be ready for the treatment to be unsuccessful - it seems to be a crapshoot. | F | 50 | 2 weeks | 3/31/2009 |