Drug Name

Eurax (Crotamiton)

Drug Uses

Eurax is used for treating scabies and relieving itching.

How Taken

Use Eurax as directed by your doctor.

Before using Eurax, bathe and dry your skin completely.

Shake well before using a dose.

For scabies - Apply enough medicine to cover the entire body from the chin down. Make sure that you apply medicine in all folds and creases of your body, such as between the fingers and toes, under the arms, and to the groin area. Rub the medicine in completely. Apply the medicine a second time after 24 hours has passed, unless directed otherwise by your doctor. Do not bathe before applying the second dose. Change clothing and bed linen the next morning. Clothing and bed linen should be dry-cleaned or washed in the hot cycle of the washing machine. Bathe to remove the medicine 48 hours after the second dose.

For itching - Rub medicine gently into the affected areas until it is completely rubbed in. Wash hands after use unless your hands are part of the treated area.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Elimite.

Drug Class and Mechanism

Eurax is a scabicidal antipruritic. Exactly how it works is unknown.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of Eurax, use it as soon as you remember. Continue to use it as directed by your doctor.

Storage

Store Eurax between 59 and 77 degrees F (15 and 25 degrees C). Store away from heat, moisture, and light. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep Eurax out of the reach of children and away from pets.

Warnings/Precautions

Do not use Eurax if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Eurax;
• you develop severe irritation after applying Eurax;
• you experience irritation when applying topical medicines.

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Important:

Do not use Eurax on inflamed, raw, or weeping skin.

Itching may continue for up to several weeks due to sensitivity to mites. This does not indicate treatment failure. Contact your doctor before using Eurax again.

Eurax may be harmful if swallowed. If you or someone you know may have taken Eurax Lotion by mouth, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately.

Avoid getting Eurax in your eyes, nose, or mouth. If you get Eurax in your eyes, rinse immediately with cool water.

Use Eurax with extreme caution in children. Safety and effectiveness have not been confirmed.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: If you become pregnant, discuss with your doctor the benefits and risks of using Eurax Lotion during pregnancy. It is unknown if Eurax is excreted in breast milk. If you are or will be breast-feeding while you are using Eurax, check with your doctor or pharmacist to discuss the risks to your baby.

Possible Side Effects

Check with your doctor if any of these most common side effects persist or become bothersome: irritated skin.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these severe side effects occur:

• severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue);
• severe irritation.

More Information

Eurax is to be used only by the patient for whom it is prescribed. Do not share it with other people.

What is the shelf life of the pills?

• The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.

Other Useful Information:

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy waves often used in medicine. 2. The use of energy waves to diagnose or treat disease.

Replantation: 1. Literally, the act of planting again. 2. In surgery, the restoration of any part of the body to its original site. Also known as reimplantation.

The Chinese surgeon Zhong Wei Chen (1929-2004) was the "father of replantation." Dr. Chen was the first to reattach a severed hand with success which he did in 1963. Dr. Chen also developed many microsurgical procedures including techniques for preserving severed extremities, reattaching amputated fingers and thumbs, reconstructing muscles and repairing nerves and blood vessels.

Rheumatism: Rheumatism is an older term, used to describe any of a number of painful conditions of muscles, tendons, joints, and bones.

Rheumatism conditions have been classified as either localized, regional, or generalized. Localized rheumatism conditions include bursitis and tendinitis. Regional rheumatism conditions include chest wall pain, temporomandibular joint pain, and myofascial pain syndromes. Generalized rheumatism conditions include fibromyalgia.

Another category of rheumatism is psychogenic rheumatism. With this term it is understood that the patient is reporting inconsistent pains of muscles and joints that do not correspond to true anatomy and physiology. The patient is felt to have underlying psychological causes for the symptoms.

Rheumatology: A subspecialty of internal medicine that involves the non-surgical evaluation and treatment of the rheumatic diseases and conditions. Rheumatic diseases and conditions are characterized by symptoms involving the musculoskeletal system. Many of the rheumatic diseases and conditions feature immune system abnormalities. Therefore, rheumatology also involves the study of the immune system. Classical rheumatology training includes 4 years of medical school, 1 year of internship in internal medicine, 2 years of internal medicine residency, and 2 years of rheumatology fellowship. There is a subspecialty board for rheumatology certification. The American College of Rheumatology is the official organization acting on behalf of the field of rheumatology in the United States.

T cell: A type of white blood cell that is of key importance to the immune system and is at the core of adaptive immunity, the system that tailors the body's immune response to specific pathogens. The T cells are like soldiers who search out and destroy the targeted invaders.

Immature T cells (termed T-stem cells) migrate to the thymus gland in the neck, where they mature and differentiate into various types of mature T cells and become active in the immune system in response to a hormone called thymosin and other factors. T-cells that are potentially activated against the body's own tissues are normally killed or changed ("down-regulated") during this maturational process.

There are several different types of mature T cells. Not all of their functions are known. T cells can produce substances called cytokines such as the interleukins which further stimulate the immune response. T-cell activation is measured as a way to assess the health of patients with HIV/AIDS and less frequently in other disorders.

T cell are also known as T lymphocytes. The "T" stands for "thymus" -- the organ in which these cells mature. As opposed to B cells which mature in the bone marrow.

Teleology: The study of the ultimate purpose of the design of something in nature.

For example, "what is the true purpose of the nose?" is a teleological question and, to say that all evolutionary changes occur for a definite purpose is a teleological explanation of evolution.

"Teleology" comes from ancient Greek roots but it (and teleological) did not enter English until the 18th century. It is a compound of the Greek "tele-, telos," meaning "end or purpose" + the ending "logos" meaning "the science or study of" = the study of the ends or purposes.

Testosterone: A "male hormone" -- a sex hormone produced by the testes that encourages the development of male sexual characteristics, stimulates the activity of the male secondary sex characteristics, and prevents changes in them following castration. Chemically, testosterone is 17-beta-hydroxy-4-androstene-3-one.

Testosterone is the most potent of the naturally occurring androgens. The androgens cause the development of male sex characteristics, such as a deep voice and a beard; they also strengthen muscle tone and bone mass.

High levels of testosterone appear to promote good health in men, for example, lowering the risks of high blood pressure and heart attack. High testosterone levels also correlate with risky behavior, however, including increased aggressiveness and smoking, which may cancel out these health benefits.

Testosterone may be given to treat medical conditions, including female (but not male) breast cancer, hypogonadism (low gonadal function) in the male, cryptorchism (nondescent of the testis into the scrotum), and menorrhagia (irregular periods).