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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Linda746 on March 31, 2007, at 1:34:31
I am new to this forum. After reading some of the threads, I decided the forum could be useful to me and maybe I could contribute some of my experiences with treatment resistent depression and the endless combinations of drugs I have tried.
I started Emsam 6mg. about 5 weeks ago. I had no skin problems until week 4. I took a patch off, and the area was red and full of postules. I continued using the patch in other locations. I've had no reoccurence of the pustules, however my skin is reacting with increasing redness and itching. My MD and I decided it would be best to discontinue for a few days and use a cortisone cream on the sites. The redness and itching are gradually disappearing, however I'm afraid I'm going to have to quit using the patch altogether. Does anyone have any advice for me?
Posted by UgottaHaveHope on March 31, 2007, at 2:56:47
In reply to Emsam causing skin irritations, posted by Linda746 on March 31, 2007, at 1:34:31
You have about eight different spots you can put the patch, and in those spots you can move an inch this way or that way. I would just continue to move around and put cream on every spot you just removed a patch from. If you skin is super sensitive, you may have to get a prescription cream.
Posted by chiron on March 31, 2007, at 10:08:48
In reply to Emsam causing skin irritations, posted by Linda746 on March 31, 2007, at 1:34:31
Sorry, I don't have any advice on the skin irritations. I haven't had anything major (yet). But can I ask you if you have noticed any mood improvement from the Emsam and when it began? Did you have any days where you thought it might be making you worse?
-thx
Posted by Phillipa on March 31, 2007, at 11:19:35
In reply to Re: Emsam causing skin irritations, posted by chiron on March 31, 2007, at 10:08:48
Do you have or did you have severe anxiety? I think ugotthavehopes answer is the one that seems to work orther than that my pdoc did say she had a lady on the patch and she had to discontinue cause the rash. love Phillipa
Posted by Jeff81 on March 31, 2007, at 13:33:44
In reply to Re: Emsam causing skin irritations, posted by Phillipa on March 31, 2007, at 11:19:35
I have notices a little skin irritation. I went to the beach on Tuesday and the spot where the patch was that day (it actually was half way peeled off by the end of the day) I have these pimple things (it's not really pimples but I don't know what to call it) I am scared that I might have to get off it too. Will the Selegine pills have the same affect as the Patch?
Posted by Larry Hoover on March 31, 2007, at 14:11:54
In reply to Emsam causing skin irritations, posted by Linda746 on March 31, 2007, at 1:34:31
> I am new to this forum. After reading some of the threads, I decided the forum could be useful to me and maybe I could contribute some of my experiences with treatment resistent depression and the endless combinations of drugs I have tried.
> I started Emsam 6mg. about 5 weeks ago. I had no skin problems until week 4. I took a patch off, and the area was red and full of postules. I continued using the patch in other locations. I've had no reoccurence of the pustules, however my skin is reacting with increasing redness and itching. My MD and I decided it would be best to discontinue for a few days and use a cortisone cream on the sites. The redness and itching are gradually disappearing, however I'm afraid I'm going to have to quit using the patch altogether. Does anyone have any advice for me?
>Unfortunately, about 10% of people using transcutaneous drug delivery systems develop either a contact dermatitis or true allergic skin reaction, generally to constituents of the adhesive.
The following article suggests that pretreatment of the application site with a topical steroid cream can prevent skin reactions, without influencing delivery of the active ingredient.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/546024
Lar
Posted by Honore on March 31, 2007, at 16:55:47
In reply to Re: Emsam causing skin irritations » Linda746, posted by Larry Hoover on March 31, 2007, at 14:11:54
I find that some of the patches-- or some of the monthly packages-- are much more prone to causing bad reactions than others.
This months' package, for example, had two or three patches so far that have caused severe reddening, which I've never gotten before. A couple were so itchy that I took them off after an hour. Not a good pattern, but I'll try pre-treatment with cortisone.
I wouldn't assume that most patches will cause that degree of irritation. It could be that quality control isn't so high right now, and maybe they'll get a handle on this problem, which seems more recent, at least in degree.
Honore
Posted by Linda746 on March 31, 2007, at 22:01:28
In reply to Emsam causing skin irritations, posted by Linda746 on March 31, 2007, at 1:34:31
Thanks everyone!!! Your remarks have been very helpful. I hope this post is in the right place. Reading these threads has been confusing. It's as if there are threads within threads. But I want to thank everyone. I think I'll try pre-treating the site. I've always been careful to completely clean and dry the site first, because I didn't know if the medication would be delivered properly on top of another substance.
Jeff - Your reaction at the beach sounds like the worst one I had.
Chiron - You asked about mood improvement. I am able to initiate social interaction more. My mood seems better. However, there have been strange side-effects - anxiety, discomfort with being alone, sleep problems. I've been using Trazadone and Seroquel for sedation. I know I'm not supposed to use Trazadone, but it seems to work. My BP has been OK, although I tend to have low BP. Now it runs about 135/75.
The patches I'm using are samples. I'm on my second pack, so maybe the patches are slightly different.
Posted by lcat10 on April 1, 2007, at 20:44:05
In reply to Emsam causing skin irritations, posted by Linda746 on March 31, 2007, at 1:34:31
Unfortunately I had to discontinu Emsam patch; no problem with 6 mg. patch, and not much problem with the 9 mg. patch, but the 12 mg. patch resulted in horrible reaction, redness and itching to the point that eventually the redness took over a week to go away. From Emsam I went to ECT, but then that's another story.
This is the end of the thread.
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