FDA warns: Topical analgesics carry the risk of chemical burns

FDA warns: Topical analgesics carry the risk of chemical burns (Alberta Times) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a warning that some non-…

(Alberta Times)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a warning that some over-the-counter topical analgesics, including Bengay, Capzasin, Flexall, Icy Hot and Mentholatum, pose a risk of severe chemical burns. The FDA has so far received 43 cases of burns caused by the ointments, ranging from first-degree minor burns to third-degree burns that resulted in hospitalization. External muscle and joint analgesics are usually made into emulsions, potions, ointments, patches, etc., and contain ingredients such as menthol and methyl salicylate, or capsaicin as a single ingredient or in combination with other ingredients. The FDA stated that it has learned from second- and third-degree burn complaints that most of the products contain menthol as the active ingredient, or the main ingredients are menthol and methyl salicylate. In these products, menthol concentrations exceed 3% and methyl salicylate exceeds 10%. They recommend that in order to reduce the risk of injury, patients should try to avoid applying analgesics to the skin, using bandages, or using heating pads or lamps for local heating. In addition, the FDA reminds that these products should not be applied to open wounds, broken skin, mucous membranes, or eyes. The FDA finally added that despite serious injury complaints, due to the small number of cases, product labels will not be required to add warnings about possible skin damage for the time being.