Either more serious harm is on the increase across the patient population using Aldara or as more users find this website I am being made more aware of such serious injuries due to the increase in feedback I am receiving from users across the globe.
This lady's horrible experience with Aldara serves, I think, as another warning of the potential harm Aldara is capable of inflecting upon some segments of the patient population during their use of this drug. Apparently, Aldara is capable of serious harm regardless of the medical condition for which it is used.
This particular lady began using Aldara on a suspicious spot on her chest that her dermatologist had diagnosed as a simple skin cancer. After using Aldara for a short time, she apparently and unknowingly transferred a small amount of Aldara from the application site to her lower lip during the normal course of daily activities . Eventually, she reports an open lesion that had developed on her lower lip. The pain increased and the oozing ultimately became a bloody mess. Her lip swelled. Her upper lip also became involved. And eventually she stopped using Aldara all together. But by this time, apparently the damage had already occurred. She reports she has been feeding herself through a straw now for over a month. She also says her doctor contacted both the 3M representative who calls on her office and a corporate 3M doctor. Reportedly, the 3M doctor told the dermatologist that what her patient was experiencing was a "normal" reaction to Aldara on mucus membranes and that they no longer recommend the use of Aldara on or near mucus membrane tissue.
(Have you every read or been told by your physician that you should not apply Aldara directly to or near mucus membranes? A better question might be "has 3M ever DIRECTLY warned your doctor against prescribing Aldara for use on or near mucus membrane tissues?")
Presently the lady reports to me that her dermatologist has located a major university that is willing to accept her as a patient to now try and figure out what has taken place as a result of her using Aldara and try and determine some plan of action for addressing the damage done to her mouth and lips.
I hope 3M will not turn their backs on this poor lady, too, in her time of need as they did with me when I was in dyer need of their assistance but received only their statement "We feel that in no way Aldara is related to any of the present symptoms you describe and we suggest that you seek medical assistance for the purpose of identifying the possible cause for your medical problems."
I am aware of others who had serious complications from their use of Aldara and 3M put forth this exact same statement. So, I think this must be their corporate position or policy statement when something of this magnitude is brought to their attention. When in my opinion I think they should be getting involved, they simply turn their back on the hurting and scared user of their drug.