Generic Name: Aldara (imiquimod-topical)
For Human Papilloma Virus "I contracted HPV through someone... I don't know who, but I have been having my fair share of fun. I was nervous at first, but the people who I continued to see didn't care. I initially had them burned off on the shaft of my penis, but it left a scar. So when they came back, I decided to go the cream route. Luckily, places like the LGBT center provide cheap prescriptions for people who can't afford them like me (paid like $10-15 for a good supply). Anyways, I've been using Aldara for 4-5 weeks now, and it's finally working its magic. I've had it twice where it seems to open up as a sore, then scab up and heal. People definitely sweat this as the end of their sex lives or stress over it too much. It's not the end of the world... it will heal... and our bodies will go back to 'normal'. Hang in there!!!"
For Human Papilloma Virus "I am happy to report that I did not experience any side effect symptoms at all except maybe some very mild sensitivity where the medicine was placed. My routine included taking a shower before bed, waiting 10 minutes to completely dry, applying a little bit of Vaseline on the surrounding skin that was not affected, and rubbing a tiny amount onto the warts. In the morning, I make sure to rinse off the medication as soon as I wake up and take my daily vitamins to boost my immune system even further. At first, I was nervous nothing was happening because I didn’t feel any symptoms. After the second dose, I noticed the warts shrinking dramatically. After the third, all the small ones have disappeared and the one medium one is almost gone. Make sure you only use a small amount. My doctor said to throw away anything unused and start a new satchel every time. Anyways, I’m here to say that this medication really works and there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel!"
For Human Papilloma Virus "Aldara is super efficient. Here is my advice: - only apply 3 times a week, reduce if you feel too much pain. - when starting the treatment, only apply a really tiny amount of cream on each wart with the end of a cotton bud. Only when you are ready, start applying a tiny bit more, but it should stay minimal. - it will create discomfort. Use baby wipes for the toilet; buy an intimate gel to take care of the area that is infected. I took 2 showers a day during the treatment to keep the area clean at all times. No pyjama bottoms to avoid any contact. - the pain is OKAY. It can burn healthy skin in the night when the warts with cream rub against it. Put some tiny plasters opposite the wart for the night. It gets itchy during the day, but stay busy. - be positive: eat healthily, stop smoking. Have someone to help you go through it. Had 6 genital warts and 5 were completely gone by week 2. Still treating 1, but it's now barely visible. Go for it and good luck, stay positive!"
For Basal Cell Carcinoma "Just finished week 6 of Aldara for BCC... now waiting for the scabs and redness to go away. 6 weeks was a long treatment, but well worth it instead of MOHS surgery. You MUST wash hands before and after applying, and you MUST wash the application areas after 8 hours. I applied the cream on the tip of my nose, but the entire nose reacted! I applied the cream Monday to Friday and took Saturday and Sunday off. Weeks 3 and 4 were the worst... lots of oozing and dark scabs. You can use makeup... start with a color corrector, then a concealer and/or foundation. I'm now waiting for the scabs and redness to go away. There are no instructions on what to do after the 6 weeks, so I'm still washing the area and putting moisturizer on it twice a day."
For Human Papilloma Virus "I used Aldara for around 10 weeks. I had anal warts at the time and one on my gooch. Aldara made my ass really red and raw, and the warts didn't seem to go away or change in appearance. What I did notice, though, was that the warts went away over the next 3 months without using anything as I was traveling and didn't have any supply. Aldara is used to help boost the immune system in targeting the HPV virus (which, by the way, is NOT permanent). There is so much old information out there, and those of you who are just beginning your journey know that it is temporary (I know it sucks, and there are so many emotions, BUT you will come out the other side!). My dermatologist told me this firsthand, and people who are healthy will naturally clear this virus. It incubated for around 6 months, and then symptoms appeared. Those with immune deficiencies will struggle to clear it, unfortunately. Cryotherapy takes the wart off, and Aldara boosts the immune system to fight infection."
For Human Papilloma Virus "I’ve been on Aldara for a week. My first application was okay, no pain whatsoever. Note: I use small amounts overnight every alternative day on the infected area on my labia. I realized that I was getting really tired the day after, but that was it. After the first application, it just got worse, the pain is unbearable. I can’t sleep at night because of the pain. I now have pink sores around the uninfected parts. The space between my thighs and vagina are pink and sore, it also looks like eczema. But with all this pain, the cream is working wonders, in just a week, 70% of my warts are gone. Just the stubborn ones are left. They are big but are getting smaller, but is it worth the pain? I think so because I’m still continuing with it. I’m desperate for these to be gone, and the cream is surely removing them. If you can’t take pain, then don’t, but if you’re a hardcore go-getter like me, it’s worth the try. I hope this information helps someone, this is my honest experience."
For Basal Cell Carcinoma "When treating for Basal Cell Carcinoma, in my case, the arm, HEED THE WARNING to not use on sore or broken skin, which should include recently biopsied lesions to avoid any confusion. Wait until the excision site has healed. I did not receive this instruction and began using it that night. The pain was beyond description, reached deep into the muscle tissue, and lasted for hours. Follow-up phone calls, of course, confirmed the oversight."
For Basal Cell Carcinoma "This is my 5th go-around with Aldara. I've previously treated 3 facial BCCs and 2 pre-cancerous areas. I insist on a biopsy the minute I have even a tiny, non-healing lesion, and I have never been wrong. I notice nothing for about 14 days; then all the big reactions break loose! Painful, weeping, 2-cm sores requiring gauze just to sleep. I look like a leper. This latest treatment came with massive headaches, joint aches, abdominal pain, and flu-like malaise, which began during week three and continues unabated. That said, I have never had a lesion recur; there is no scarring whatsoever, and the healing after stopping the applications is swift— all sores gone within about two weeks. It can take two to four months before the skin thickens completely back to normal, and I am compulsive about sun-screening— especially any pre-treated areas. The treatment isn't fun, and at $400 a pop, it's a bit excessive. But the results for me have been consistently great."
For Basal Cell Carcinoma "Used it for 3 weeks. 5 days on, 2 off, and so on. 1st week comes out like pimples, second they break, third they dry. Hurts, sure, but not impossible. Works perfectly. Fever, drowsiness, headaches, but it's worth it. I have used it for the last 5 years once a year for face skin problems."
For Basal Cell Carcinoma "After being perfectly healthy my entire life, used Aldara cream for 10 days on BC on chest. I thought it would be least invasive. After developing a large 'croissant' size growth of black on my chest, worsening fatigue, migraine, severe diarrhea, low-grade fevers, a red rash over arms and legs, a large tennis ball size red swollen growth on my shoulder, and dizziness, I was admitted to the hospital. At this point, I was told later, near death. I spent 3 days in isolation, seen by an infectious disease specialist, internal medicine, gastroenterologist. Dx: recurrent C-diff bowel infection-Colitis, MRSA infection, severe anemia. Received 2 blood transfusions, iron, upper scope of GI tract, MRI of brain, chest X-ray, multiple blood workups. Anemic blood level of 7 (normal blood level is 14). Weight loss of 20 pounds. This drug was SYSTEMIC in my body and nearly ended my life. Do NOT take the medication. My new dermatologist stated he will never prescribe it again after my experience."
For Human Papilloma Virus "I was extremely hesitant to use this medicine because of the price and because I had read horror stories about it online. But I was desperate because of unsightly warts, so I took the plunge. I made sure to apply with a magnification mirror and a q-tip. I can't stress enough how important it was to ONLY apply it exactly where the warts were. My side effects included swelling and itching around the affected area and some fatigue/aches. After using it 4 times, my warts were gone. Worth it worth it worth it. Just be careful not to put it on any healthy skin."
For Human Papilloma Virus "First off, you're in for a pretty bad 16 weeks or longer! There's no sugar coating it. Less cream is more, and more is too much. You'll notice the warts will get worse before they get better, that's your body trying to fight it off. Avoid sex at all costs. I say that because I couldn't resist 3 times during the treatment, and I went through a lot of pain with ulcers due to the friction. However, sometimes you can get away with light masturbation. If you get ulcers, I used lignocaine gel 2%, it's an anaesthetic that just drips on. Try to clean the area twice a day, and if you have ulcers, just run cool-warm water over it no matter how painful it is, to keep it clean so you don't get an infection. If you get really bad ulcers, it's OK to stop treatment for a week to heal, then continue treatment. I had to stop treatment 3 times due to bad ulcers. The final thing to say is don't give up. It took 13 long weeks till I finally saw improvement, and I'm about to hit 16 weeks, and the warts are pretty much gone."
For Human Papilloma Virus "I was skeptical. I even booked an appointment to get my foreskin circumcised. My warts were all around my inner foreskin, so when I pulled down my foreskin, they were all around that area of my penis. Dr. referred to them as circumferential. They were not subtle at all, there were so many I lost count. Well, I got Aldara. It's expensive. I got 9 sachets, used 1 sachet for 2 applications (closed an open sachet with a peg). I'd apply it every 2nd day. When applying, I applied it on the warts, then I'd rub into them till it disappeared. After that, I'd apply again and left it on the warts till it dissolved by itself. I applied it from the 27th of April to the 12th of May. And they started shrinking, and before I knew it, they were all gone. For me, there was ZERO pain in the whole process. I recommend it highly. Trust me, it works. And works well."
For Human Papilloma Virus "I got prescribed Aldara by my local sexual health clinic to treat genital warts. I thought my warts were the end of the world until I used Aldara. After applying the cream twice (as directed, only on the warts and every other night, washing it off in the morning) boy did I regret my life choices. My entire vagina swelled up the following day, and ulcer-type sores appeared EVERYWHERE in that area. I couldn’t move without being in excruciating pain and I almost passed out every time I peed. I ended up in hospital on a 7 day course of antibiotics, as well as dihydrocodiene to manage the pain. STAY AWAY FROM THIS CREAM - it should not be prescribed!!! After doing extensive reading online about Aldara, I quickly realised that so many people had been through the same as me. The warts eventually go away on their own, or there are other treatments such as freezing them off. Please please stay away from this cream."
For Basal Cell Carcinoma "The side effects of this cream were bad. Very painful sinus, swelling of throat and inside mouth, continuous cough on chest, headache (don't usually suffer headaches, dizziness). May be good for some people but not me. (I am 74)."
For Human Papilloma Virus "This drug is magic! Now read this carefully. Do NOT apply too much! You don’t have to finish the whole sachet. I got two warts on my genital area on extremely sensitive skin. They weren’t really bothering me, but I was worried about them spreading to other places. I took a Q-tip and applied a very thin layer on each, making sure to rub until the cream disappeared. I tried to leave it on a bit to dry completely so the discharge won’t spread to other places of the vagina. GET RID OF THE SACHET ONCE YOU OPEN IT, don’t reuse it. My wart fell off in one day, honestly, I couldn’t even believe it. The cream really worked for me, hope it works for you with no crazy side effects."
For Human Papilloma Virus "I am a physician, and I was horrified to find HPV warts near my anus a few weeks ago. There were three small ones in a cluster and a slightly larger pedunculated one nearby. I went to my gynecologist to discuss treatment options. We agreed on Aldara. I have been using a small amount three times a week, and after 2.5 weeks, the little ones are gone, and the bigger one is almost gone. I was worried about it irritating the healthy tissue surrounding the warts because it was impossible (due to the location) to only get the medication on the warts, but I have only had mild irritation alleviated by a warm bath."
For Basal Cell Carcinoma "I'm now 82. After 4 surgeries on my face, I was given Aldara. It may make big, red, ugly areas, but with patience, it does the job. You may think you just have a small area that is affected, but wow, it's usually a larger area than you think. That's why I think it's better than doing the MOH's surgery."
For Basal Cell Carcinoma "For 18 months, I had a sore on my nose that would bleed, scab, then disappear. Finally, I had it checked (I should have known better, I have a family history of skin cancer). It came back as a BCC. I'm now 5 weeks into my use of Aldara. For the first 3 weeks, I didn't really have any signs of it doing too much. Well, now at week 5, my nose is hard, scab-like, and a lot bigger area than I had thought. I wouldn't say it's sore, just uncomfortable and itchy at times. I guess once completed and healed, time will tell if it completely worked. My doctor gives it an 80% chance, and if not, it's surgery for me. I hope this isn't all for nothing, but I feel it has been worth the chance and do feel that it has done its job well. So far, so good. I'm in AUS, and the cost was $50."
For Basal Cell Carcinoma "I had BCC on my nose. I had been misdiagnosed, and by the time a biopsy was done, the surgeon said he could do Mohs surgery, but it would require removing a thumbnail-sized portion of my nose, using parts of my ear to reconstruct the nose, and also skin grafts. He offered the Aldara option to shrink the tumor. He said that the cream would turn my nose red. I applied the Aldara cream every night for 6 weeks as directed. It was absolutely far more than turning my nose red: fatigue, headaches, a bright red nose that looked as though my nose was one big cold sore. I went into quarantine for six weeks. At times I felt I could not continue. Somehow I did. I wish there were a place to post pictures of my nose during Aldara treatment. I went back for the Mohs surgery. It only took two scrapings to remove cancer. I would choose the Aldara option should I ever be given the choice. It was miserable, but I would still take it over the surgery option."
For Human Papilloma Virus "Two weeks ago, I thought my life was over with the diagnosis. My doctor let me know I am not alone, and over 70% of people have human papillomavirus, it's just a matter of whose body can fight off the warts developing or not. I have been using Aldara for two weeks and have only minor side effects like slight itching, which I'm not sure if it's just my brain thinking it's bad or if it was. Apply only to the spots that need it. I almost think those who complain of unreal side effects slathered this on without reading directions. The only other side effect, which was odd, was the first night I applied it, my heart rate was 100 beats per minute, which was strange. Lesions have shrunk in size tenfold. I'm just super pleased. I feel bad for those who cannot afford Aldara."
For Human Papilloma Virus "Got HPV. I did quarterly STD checks and nothing came up. I am half circumcised. It all started with a small white head kind of thing on the internal foreskin, and my doctor initially said it could be a protruded sebaceous gland. So, didn’t pay much attention. After 2 months, that became a small cluster about 5 mm in length. That's when my doctor said it's a penile wart. I was devastated and got into a very low mood for days, almost thinking about this growth all the time. I was prescribed this drug. After five applications, the skin got super sore, and blisters appeared with pus. The doctor said that means the cream is working. I had to stop for a week or so because of the scary reaction it had. In addition, even though the warts subsided, they grew back. I started applying the second round, and the same reaction occurred after the third application. Took a break again, but this time the warts magically disappeared. Such a great feeling now!!!!"
For Human Papilloma Virus "9/10 rating simply because, like all treatments currently available, it gets rid of the symptom (warts), not the illness (HPV). I had a bout of genital warts, all spaced all over my genital area (clitoris included). After having read about the treatment, I was so scared that I did not use it for the first 2 weeks, but for me, liquid nitrogen was way too painful. Remember, everybody reacts differently; don't be discouraged. I am very sensitive to pain and have gone through this with no burning sensations, absolutely no side effects aside from expected sensitivity, and by the first week of use, I noticed a considerable difference. Dosage: 3 times/week on alternating days, e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday for 6-10 hours at night (I left it on for 8-10)."
For Human Papilloma Virus "I was diagnosed with vin3 last yr. The cells were becoming cancer. I have now done 2 Aldara courses of 6 weeks each and all the vin3 has totally gone and there are no dodgy cells at all. I applied it 3 times a week at night and left it on for 10 hours. Week 4 I started to get a bit sore on my vulva but nothing major and was bearable. Come week 6 no sores nothing at all but only part of the vin3 had been resolved so hospital told me to carry on with another 6 week cycle. It certainly wasn't as bad as I expected and wanted to do a review so if anyone is like I was and terrified please do try it though. Everyone reacts differently and you might have no reaction or only mild like me. The main issue for me was a continued upset stomach. My hair also snapped a lot and has become dry but the hosp said its how I have reacted. It is a form of chemo so its strong stuff. Its also fantastic as saved me having all my bits mutilated!"
For Basal Cell Carcinoma "Aldara usage for BCC gave me severe side effects, hospitalization, systemic penetration to my body. Nearly died. DO NOT use this drug. I was forever changed, at a young age. There are so many better alternatives."
Zyclara
Zyclara
