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What is imiquimod topical?
Imiquimod is an immune response modifier. Imiquimod topical is used to treat actinic keratosis (a condition caused by too much sun exposure) on the face and scalp.
Imiquimod topical is also used to treat a minor form of skin cancer called superficial basal cell carcinoma, when surgery would not be an appropriate treatment.
Imiquimod topical also treats genital warts that appear on the outside of the body, but this medicine is not a cure for genital warts.
Imiquimod may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
Precautions
Do not use imiquimod topical on areas of broken, wounded, or burned skin. Wait until these conditions have healed before using imiquimod topical.
Before using imiquimod topical, tell your doctor if you have graft-versus-host disease or if you have recently received a bone marrow transplant or cord blood transplant. You may not be able to use imiquimod topical, or you may need a dose adjustment or special tests during treatment.
FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
If you are treating the genital or rectal area with imiquimod topical, avoid sexual acvitity while the medicine is on your skin. Imiquimod topical can weaken the rubber that condoms or diaphragms are made out of. If you use a condom or diaphragm, these items could break if the rubber weakens, and an unplanned pregnancy could result.
It is not known whether imiquimod topical passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Do not use this medicine on a child younger than 12 years old. Imiquimod topical is for use in treating genital warts in patients who are at least 12 years old. All other uses of this medication are for adults over 18 only.
Avoid getting this medication in your eyes, mouth, and nose, or on your lips. Do not place the cream in your rectum, vagina, or uretha. If it does get into any of these areas, wash with water. Do not use imiquimod topical on sunburned, windburned, dry, chapped, irritated, or broken skin.
Avoid exposure to sunlight or artificial UV rays (sunlamps or tanning beds). Imiquimod topical can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight and sunburn may result. Use a sunscreen (minimum SPF 15) and wear protective clothing if you must be out in the sun.
Imiquimod is not a cure for genital warts, and it will not protect against sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, HIV, syphilis, and trichomoniasis.
Instructions
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.
Overdose symptoms may include severe skin irritation, feeling light-headed, or fainting.
Skip the missed dose and wait until the next time you are getting ready for bed to use the medicine. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Side Effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Wash off the medicine and call your doctor at once if you have a serious skin reaction such as severe itching, burning, oozing, bleeding, or skin changes where the medicine is applied.
Less serious side effects may include:
- mild skin irritation, dryness, flaking, scabbing, redness, or hardening of the skin where the medicine was applied;
- changes in the color of treated skin;
- fever, chills, body aches, swollen glands, flu symptoms;
- runny or stuffy nose, cough, sore throat;
- headache, back ache, muscle pain; or
- diarrhea, upset stomach.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Interactions
It is not likely that other drugs you take orally or inject will have an effect on topically applied imiquimod. But many drugs can interact with each other. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.
Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2004 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version 2.05. Revision date 8/23/04