Anyone know a lab to get skin cream tested

hmar

Hi,

Just wondering can anyone help me. I want to get skin cream tested. My mother ordered it off the internet after a friend of hers tried it and found it fantastic for excema, acne. We have contacted out local public lab in Galway but they cannot test it for us, they contacted Irish medicine board and they will not test it.

It works so brilliantly we just need to check that there is nothing bad in it. It does say all natural but the makers can write anything on it.

So if anyone knows a company that we could pay to get it tested, would really appreciate any help.

thanks
hmar

worker bee

Is this the cream?
Irish Medicines Board issues eczema-cream warning

Wednesday, January 26, 2011 - 11:40 AM

The Irish Medicines Board has issued a warning about a product called Magicream, which claims to treat eczema.

The board says the product contains a steroid and a substance used to treat fungal infections which require special authorisation in order to be legally sold on the Irish market.

The label does not list the two ingredients - which the IMB says renders the product an illegal medicine here.

It says Magicream - which can be bought over the internet - is not authorised for marketing in Ireland and cannot be considered safe.

Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/breakingnews/business/irish-medicines-board-issues-eczema-cream-warning-490832.html#ixzz1CKNNA600

http://www.imb.ie/EN/Safety--Quality/Advisory-Warning--Recall-Notices/Human-Medicines/Warning-Statement-Magicream-Cream.aspx

hmar

Thanks a million worker bee.

That is the cream, I would say they tested it themselves after my mother asked them about it. Scary stuff, I will forward this info on to anyone I know who is using it. Pity it works so well but thought it was too good to be true that it was all natural.

thanks again.

hmar

Sid_Justice

Obviously buying any prescription only medicine without a prescription is illegal so buying this cream is not acceptable.

however, is it dangerous rather than just unlicensed?

It contains Clobetasol propionate, a very potent topical corticosteroid. From a brief read of the BNF it says these potent corticosteroids are rarely prescribed except in cases where less potent medicines were not effective. It suggests use of such creams to treat psoriasis needs to be done under strict supervision because it may 'may suppress the psoriasis in the short term relapse or vigorous rebound occurs on withdrawal (sometimes precipitating severe
pustular psoriasis)."

It also advices against using on the face unless Dermatologist says so. Dermovate is a licensed clobetasol propionate containing cream.

Interestingly it suggest not to be used on skin with untreated bacterial, fungal or viral lesions. As the second active ingredient is ketoconazole , a anti-fungal agent, there seems to be bit of a pharmacological conflict here.

Again Ketoconazole is a serious business anti-fungal cream and the BNF states clearly not to use in conjunction with a topical corticosteroid. Nizoral is a name of a licensed ketoconazole cream.

So from my basic reading of this hand book, it seems that both these drugs contained in this cream are basically the last resort for very distinct afflictions and should not be used recklessly. Their mere presence is important but also the dosage is critical, the IMB doesn't explain what the dosage is in the Magiccream, it could be very strong. Seems to be some hormonal complication problems associated with excessive use of clobestasol proprionate.

SO i guess I can answer my own question and say that use of the licensed drugs without specialist supervision would be reckless and use of unlicensed would be even dangerous.

I'm not a pharmacist etc. just some kid reading a text book.

anotherlostie

Buying any drug off the internet is dangerous - that's why it's not tolerated as a topic for discussion here.

There have been numerous cases of traditional chinese medicines being tested and found to contain steroids. And not withstanding the pharmacological implications of long term use of steroids when you thought it was a harmless but effective remedy, I would have concerns about the tin pot processing facilities that many of these creams (and the drugs that go into them) are manufactured in.

crazy dude

but unfortunately it merely disguises what's wrong and eventually you end up with striae on your skin and broken blood vessels etc as only you, a person without a clue, is monitoring treatment educated by more internet stuff .
A few years back a limerick man was selling a herbal cream for eczema on the internet claiming it cut down on the use of steroids. He was prosecuted in a "real" country (Britain)because the cream was laced with some potent steroid.
I guess one of the side effects of the celtic tiger is it was purchase based rather than sense based. Medicines are something you shouldn't self prescribe because what if you are wrong about it?