What is Aldara Imiquimod?
Aldara cream is one of a number of genital wart treatments that can be used as an in-home remedy. The active ingredient in Aldara is Imiquimod which is why you’ll normally seen it written as Aldara (Imiquimod). It is an alternative to surgery for your warts which is why it is so popular.
Aldara works on a similar principle to Condylox Gel and Wartrol in that it is an immune system enhancer. When Aldara Cream is applied to the skin, immune cells are activated and travel to the area where they attack the human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes the warts.
How Do I Use Aldara Cream?
Aldara cream is for topical use only, meaning that it is applied to the top layer of skin. It is not for internal use so cannot be used on cervical warts or intra-vaginal warts only visible warts on the skin area. Because Aldara genital wart cream is a prescription drug your Doctor will advise on a schedule for its use but normally it will be applied at least three times per week until the warts are gone.
The nice thing about Aldara cream is that it doesn’t need to be applied by the Doctor which means that you can use it in the privacy of your own home which is always good news. But you still need to follow the manufacturers and Doctors instructions to the word when using Aldara cream otherwise you may find yourself in a lot of pain. It is very important that it is only applied to the wart and not onto the surrounding skin.
Make sure that you wash it off after using it for the directed amount of time, normally 6-10 hours and only take it for as long as directed.
Tips on using Aldara Cream
Aldara can leave the skin feeling very sensitive. This is especially so in the genital area which is already sensitive in its own right. To help in the application you may find it useful to use a q-tip so that it is only spread on top of the wart. It is best to use a petroleum jelly such as vaseline to protect the surrounding skin, again this can be applied using a q-tip.
During your first few attempts you could start out by only leaving it on for 6 hours and gradually increase this when you are sure that you are not having any reaction to the Aldara cream.
What are the Side Effects of Aldara (Imiquimod)
Common side effects involve skin reactions in the application area such as;
- redness
- swelling
- sore’s, blisters, or ulcers
- skin that becomes hard or thickened
- skin peeling, scabbing and crusting, itching, burning
- changes in skin color that do not always go away.
Important Safety Information for Aldara Cream
Do not use Aldara on areas of broken, wounded, or burned skin. Wait until these conditions have healed before using this medicine.
It is not known whether Aldara will harm an unborn baby so tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication.
It is not known whether imiquimod 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.
Exposure to sunlight (including sunlamps) should be avoided or minimized during use of Aldara Cream because of concern of heightened sunburn susceptibility. Patients are warned to use protective clothing when using Aldara Cream.
Aldara Cream may weaken condoms and diaphragms. Sexual contact should be avoided while the cream is on the skin. New external genital warts may develop during treatment.
Aldara Conclusions
Aldara cream can be an effective genital wart treatment but extreme care must be taken in applying it only to the wart itself. Some people have reported that their warts were gone after a few applications but this is not the case for everyone. Many patients prefer to try a cream first rather than the invasiveness of surgery.
If you think that Aldara cream might be a genital wart treatment for you then you should discuss it with your Doctor first.