Don't eat it!

So, you take your young’un to the doctor with the expectation that they’re not going to try to kill him in the process of healing him, but I’m having some serious doubts at the moment.

The doctor’s appointment this morning confirmed that the lad has gunked up respiratory pipes, but nothing major. He has a nebulizer to open up the passageways to help clear his pipes out. Just drink lots of fluids as he has been and get enough rest and good food. The basics. That was good to know.

However.

The lad also inquired about a rash that has developed on his face around the corner of one eye and in one corner of his mouth. The doctor called it an ‘eczema-like’ rash, rather commonly called college crud, in her vernacular. She said it should be gone in a couple of weeks with the application of an eczema ointment called Elidel.

The doc told him, “Don’t eat it. It causes cancer.”

SAY WHAT???

I looked up information on the ointment and, according to the FDA page on the drug, “The new labeling includes a boxed warning about a possible risk of cancer and a Medication Guide (FDA-approved patient labeling). The Medication Guide is to be distributed with each prescription to help ensure that patients using these prescription medicines are aware of this concern. The new labeling also clarifies that these drugs are recommended for use as second-line treatments. This means that other prescription topical medicines should be tried first.”

Some patients have turned up with skin cancer and lymphoma after using the product. Not very confidence-inspiring.

I’m a little concerned. This is not a second-line treatment. The doc handed the lad a handful of little tubes of the stuff and told him to slap it on his face, before trying anything else. For something that isn’t actual, real exzema.

Was I over reacting when I told the lad that if he puts that stuff on his face, I’ll break his fingers?

So, just how much do we trust the FDA? They approve a drug without long term testing and then update the labeling a year after it’s approved to warn about cancer risks, but it’s still out there on the market and docs (at least this one) are passing it out by the handful with the verbal warning...don’t eat it, it causes cancer. She wasn’t joking with him.

Sheez. When I look at the lad, I don’t see “Lab Rat” stamped on his forehead. I’m not very happy about this.