Atopic eczema is a chronic inflammatory condition of the skin that is characterized by intense itching. Western medicine states there is no cure for eczema and are limited in their treatment strategies. Two common western drug treatments used to treat eczema from the immunosuppressant category, Elidel (pimecrolimus) Cream and Protopic (tacrolimus) Ointment, have had recent cancer warnings put out by the FDA (Federal Food and Drug Administration). It was found that three different species of animals developed cancer following topical exposure or oral administration of these drugs.

The FDA recommends the following for patients who use these products:

• Use Elidel and Protopic only as second-line agents for short-term and intermittent treatment of atopic dermatitis (eczema) in patients unresponsive to, or intolerant of other treatments.

• Avoid use of Elidel and Protopic in children younger than 2 years of age. The effect of Elidel and Protopic on the developing immune system in infants and children is not known. In clinical studies, infants and children younger than 2 years old treated with Elidel had a higher rate of upper respiratory infections than did those treated with placebo cream.

• Use Elidel and Protopic only for short periods of time, not continuously. The long term safety of Elidel and Protopic are unknown.

• Children and adults with a weakened or compromised immune system should not use Elidel or Protopic.

• Use the minimum amount of Elidel or Protopic needed to control the patient’s symptoms. In animals, increasing the dose resulted in higher rates of cancer.

The FDA report went on to mention that it may take ten years or longer to evaluate the safety of these products on humans. I Say, why wait? Chinese medicine has effectively helped many eczema sufferers for thousand of years. The treatments are safe, efficient, and easy to use.

To view the FDA report in full please visit our research section.