ALDARA Reviews (IMIQUIMOD)

Average Rating: 2.9 (856 Ratings)

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 DERMATOLOGICS

 Type: Rx Drug

  

ALDARA  (IMIQUIMOD):  This medication is used to treat certain types of growths on the skin. These are precancerous growths (actinic keratoses), a certain type of skin cancer (superficial basal cell carcinoma), and warts on the outside of the genitals/anus. Treating these conditions can decrease complications from them. Imiquimod belongs to a group of drugs called immune response modifiers. It is believed to work by helping to activate your immune system to fight these abnormal skin growths. This product is not recommended for use on children under 12 years of age unless specifically directed by your doctor.   FDA Approval Date: 1997-02-27 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)

  

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Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.)
5=HIGH (this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal.)

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RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR ALDARACOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 5  GW Small rash, little itchy. Great product. Used as doctor prescribed, 3 days a week, every other day. The cream worked great. Within 3 weeks everything was clear :). After about two weeks I noticed a small rash developing which was a little itchy (nothing one scratch couldnt stop), but other than that, no side effects. I stopped using after the third week, when everything seemed to clear. About 2-3 weeks later I notice another wart showing. I started to re-use and within 2 uses everything cleared again. Great product. M 25 4 weeks
1/23/2007
 4  actinic keratoses I never had any major skin problems such as acne, with just the occasional AK that were removed with cryosurgery. However, I noticed some red and rough bumps over the right side of my face in the cheek area that seemed to be growing. I have comsiderable sun damage from growing up in Texas and being fair-skinned. I have had a squamous cell carcinoma removed from my lip with MOHS surgery. My doctor told me about Aldara, and warned me that i shouldn't plan any photo-ops in the near future when I decided to undergo treatment. She said there were just too many lesions to treat with cryosurgery. She didn't really warn me how ugly this would be. I'm now starting the 3rd week of 3X/week treatment over my whole face. As you might imagine from the other comments, the results so far are dramatic and not pretty. having never had troubled skin, I now know what it must be like. I feel like a 16 year-old with acne. However, the lesions are not purulent and they don't itch very much. My forehead, chee M 53 2 weeks
1/22/2007
 5  GW FYI - PUT 5 TO BE ON TOP. I had absolutely no side effects from the medication until about 1 week ago. I started having a minor itch on the area being applied and now it's burning like crazy, I've had some skin breakage (with bleeding - minor) and a blister in the surrounding area. I stopped using it for now and it's sloooowly getting better. The warts are almost gone though and I've been using it for a few months now (3x's a wk). THIS CRAP BURNS! I think I will make an appointment to have my doc take a look at it to make sure everything is A OK! When I first had the reaction I thought I had something more serious (even though I'm married and don't sleep around). Now I think I feel better to know I'm not the only one experiencing these horrible side effects. I also think I was applying a little too much and maybe should have stopped when the itching began. If you're starting to use this cream just apply a thin layer on the affected area, don't over do it! M 27 3 months
1/16/2007
 3  GW itching, tireness - a little of flu like symptoms and a little of skin redness on the applied area. I am in my second week using it and side effects are not really bad, but I feel them. Warts are still there but it've improved around 20-30 percent. M 27 1.5 weeks
1/16/2007
 1  molloscum pain, irritation, new bumps, open sores. no improvement in molloscum. now i need to apply a steroid cream to the area before they will freeze them off. should have just done that in the first place. i'm gonna have seriously scarred skin either way now. F 25
1/16/2007
 5  HPV Severe itching, aches and pains in joints, red and swollen skin in areas the cream was applied. This took 11 weeks @ 3 x week before any improvement began. Had common side effects but were bearable. On the 12th week I had a severe reaction - very painful, extremely swollen, blistered skin and had to stop using for 2 weeks. Resumed again and on 14th week all external warts have gone but I now have several internal ones which weren't there before! My consultant says the aldara acts on the immune system and so will deal with the internal ones too, but I'm sceptical. I have tried many other remedies and suggestions for boosting my immune system too. But I have had this for 10 months now. I can only say dont be put off if it doesn't work immediately. I would welcome any suggestions to rid me of internal warts. The only alternative my consultant has suggested is cryotherapy but I am too much of a coward. F 40 14 weeks
1/12/2007
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 3  HPV genital warts The first time I found the lumps I was mortified. I never thought this would happen to me. I only have ever been with boyfriends and I am always careful. I started using Aldara and after the second application I was feverish, my muscles ached, I thought I was coming down with a flu and by the third app. my genitals were red, blistering and I couldnt walk it was so bad, I couldnt urinate it was the most unbearable pain. I stopped using for a month, then resumed with 3 applications (mon,wed,fri). The same side affects accured. I stopped for another month then did three more applications had another month break then another 3 apps and they were then gone. (12 applications all up with month breaks between) It took a long time and the pain was so sever and intense, but it did eventually work. It has been 9 months since the first occurance and the GW have returned. Im using Aldara again and now it is moreso unbearably itchy than sore, maybe my body is getting used to the medication? While I I was wondering about reoccurances, could anyone tell me? How many more times will I get this on average throughout the next year or years of my life? I have had one recurance and now the warts are internal aswell. Will these keep reccurring? I want to have a normal life again. F 21
1/12/2007
 5  HPV - Genital Wart Had HPV (male) used for 8 weeks - after week 6 noticed great improvement. Saw my consultant again after 7 weeks and informed me that the warts had gone. Side effects: pretty much all of them shown in the leaftlet accompanying the medication. Experienced flu like symptoms, acheing in joints and hot / cold flushes. I have also experienced what the consultant called chemical burns on the area where the cream has been applied, he has prescripbed me some ointments to relieve this. IT has got rid of the warts though so may be the side effects were worth it. Use it as directed by your doctor / consultant so do not exceed the dose or it can cause even more severe side effects. Most people that Aldara doesn't work for have weak / deficient immune systems so it can either take longer or not work on them. Good luck M 28 8 weeks
1/9/2007
 3  Genital Warts After about 1.5 weeks of using Aldara I noticed peeling sore skin surrounding the warts and slight itchiness. I was fine at first, but I think I may have forgotten to rinse it off one morning, and having it on my skin for too long caused the irritation. At least the warts are getting hard now. I am going to try the vaseline thing, sounds like a good idea. Genital warts suck! F 23 10 days
1/7/2007
 5  GW Swelling of Scrotum ball like masses of tissue inflammation, some with ulcer like formations that have clear to white puss-like pockets. This is definantly a side-effect from overuse of the medication. Taking the day off, have been doctoring the inflammated areas multiple, maybe six times a day with fresh aloe, taking hydrocodone, and applying lidocaine and prep H topically as needed. The warts do seem to be receding, though i have stopped aldara treatment for the moment, but do plan to resume. I cannot stress enough READ THE INSERT. LISTEN! Use with multivitamin, tea tree oil, myrh rinse, FRESH aloe, zinc orally, zinc oxide topically, echinacea, goldenseal root, eat healthy. You can beat this virus, you might have to multiple times, but you can win. M 21 16 weeks
1/5/2007
 3  HPV Taking nearly ever day for 4 boxes now (yea i reuse the same packets for about 3 applications/days even though it says not to). Once it started getting red about halfway into the first box, but I stopped for 3 days to let it heal, and resumed. After that... no side effects. Very little change in warts. =\. When I'm using aldara a lot, they seem to look shrunken like they are dieing...but they never actually go away. I've had them frozen dozens of times and they come back within a week usually. the area is scarred and i havent gotten lucky since my ex who gave it to me over 2 years ago. M 24 5 months
1/5/2007
 3  molluscum I've been taking Aldara every second day, I've applied 3 doses at this point. I count 8 molluscum bumps, they bigger ones (5 of them) have become a bit smaller but much more red. One of the "big" ones has formed a small "scab" (or wound) about 1/16 of an inch (the lengh of the original molluscum bump). And the skin became pink around it. The smaller ones seem to not react at all at this point. Tonight I should apply aldara again, this time I will focus on putting aldara only on the bump it self. it seems to be strong stuff. I've had bump for 2 months with no symptoms other then visiable b umps. after 3 usages (on 6 days) the bump are changing. Hope it's for the best. M 26 6 days
1/3/2007
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 5   only put a 5 to be at the top... OUCH... red sore gross skin...OUCH baaaaaaaaaaaaad M 22 14 days
1/2/2007
 4  Squamous Cell Carcinoma Applied to large surface area of both arms every other day. 25mg each application. Experienced anticipated skin slough. However, also experienced sever depression! (demonstrated by memory loss and fatique) Required Lexapro in combination to prevent memory loss and fatique related to depression. Recommend discussing depression with your physician if you plan to use it in greater the 12.5mg or over more than 2 square inches at an application. The benefits to this medication are enormous, as it has saved me from multiple surgeries and skin grafts. M 48 3 months
12/28/2006
 1  GW Very itchy rash from my waist to my knees. Rash and itching in genital area did not start until 3 weeks into treatment. The itching is more severe on legs and stomach. I have been using aldara for four weeks and have only noticed the warts spreading, not getting any better. I now have bleeding at the application site as well. F 28 28 days
12/28/2006
 5  genital wart itching, swelling, difficulty in urinating and i coudn't sit at all 'coz it really hurts. even had a hard time walking when wearing pants. but then, all the pain we're gone after a week of use. i used it daily and went back to my doctor due to pains. my doctor recommend after days of using aldara to use antibiotic and pain reliever. and i also use betadine feminine wash as often as needed. and now, all the pain and wart is gone. F 26 7 days
12/27/2006
 1  Genetal Warts Was told to apply once per day it is now the fourth day and I have very large infected blisters all around where the cream was applied very painful. Doc told me to stop and now i'm on strong antibiotics to try and get rid of the blisters on my penis. Looks like im not the first person this has happened to either. Would not recommend. M 25 4 days
12/27/2006
 5  Basal Cel Carcinoma-Gorlin Syndrome Redness, itchiness, clear discharge, scabbing, A redness which continued (but gradually went away months after using), occasional bleeding. Never had any flu-like symptoms (and dont believe they are related to Aldara). Because of genetic disorder (gorlin Syndrome) took for a long time (1 year) on differing parts of body....got swollen glands (under chin, by neck, and armpits) and am not sure if this part was do to the aldara---but I stopped applying and the swollen glands stopped a week or so later each time I have had numerous (100 plus) basal cell carcinomas. With the genetic disorder I hvae called Gorlin Syndrome and being fair complected, I wish I had discovered it earlier...before the multiple surguries and consequential scars on my face to have them removed. What it allows you to do is control when you apply it (and even when you can stop) and you can always go back to the area if all of the bcc was not gotten. I have used it both on superficial basal cells and with success on basal cells which were already lumps... The stuff works. The stuff avoids surgery....Its just a question of weather you can accept the redness, itching, scabbing, etc. I do not believe it when people say they have flu-like symptoms due to Aldara. I have never had those. Then again, maybe it affects people differently. M 37 1 years
12/24/2006
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 5  Solar Keritosis on hands & head I experience cold symptoms after two weeks of using miniscule amounts. The recuring/non healing sores are responding nicely after 3 treatments/week for 2 weeks. Scheduled for 4 weeks on/4 weeks off. Using pinhole in packet and pointed tooth pick to get the smallest amount possible amount which is then applied with the tooth pick and massaged to clearness with the finger of a rubber glove. I apply at night, wash it off well in the morning. I am ammazed at the progress I have observed already. The nonhealing sores are skinned over already and looking much better. I will be checking with my doctor in another 2 weeks and will post further if there is more to tell. M 65 2 weeks
12/23/2006
 3  redness and papilloma I had a terrible reaction to both of my eyes. They became extremely red and sore. Having said this, this is the only thing that has worked so far. M 38 7 days
12/23/2006

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