My Chemical Burn Experience

I've had a lot going on recently, which has made blogging move to the back burner.

Speaking of burning, on Monday during work I sustained a chemical burn from applying a topical arthritis pain relief cream called Capzasin. THAT was fun. Have you ever had a chemical burn from a product? If you have, I know your pain. If not, let me tell you what helped me, so if you or someone in your life comes crying to you for help (like I did with my father, whom I'm convinced knows everything), you'll know what to do! This is  valuable information because most Web sites tell you to WRAP IT IN GAUZE. Really? REALLY? That's your solution?! Clearly these people do not know how much that hurts.

**I am not a doctor and I have no medical training. Everything below is a faithful recounting of what happened to me, in my specific situation. Every medical condition and each person is different and reaction to a stimulus should be considered on an individual basis.**


The active ingredient in Capzasin is Capsaicin 0.1%, which is the ingredient found in different types of hot peppers, such as cayenne peppers, that makes the peppers spicy hot (according to WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/tc/capsaicin-topic-overview). 

Interestingly, capsaicin helps relieve pain "by first stimulating and then decreasing the intensity of pain signals in the body. Although pain may at first increase, it usually decreases after the first use. Capsaicin stimulates the release of a compound believed to be involved in communicating pain between the nerves in the spinal cord and other parts of the body." So, needless to say, when I went to apply it for my knee pain after days of tennis, I thought I'd be in for a warm sensation that would "numb" my nerves in the area so that I could keep playing. I mean, that's what you got from it too, right?

According to the pharmacist at Walgreens, some people are just more sensitive to the compounds in this particular medicine that others of its ilk. In the interest of full disclosure, though, please be aware that ANY topical ointment applied to the skin for the relief of mild muscle and joint pain--if used incorrectly or with too much frequency--can cause a chemical burn. Please read this warning from the FDA concerning these products: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm318858.htm

So, now that you have a little background, here is my specific story:

I went to the RiteAid by work at 12:30 and bought Capzasin for $15.99. It's in the 90s here on the East coast, so--even though I was a little warm from running around during my lunch break--I put it right on my knees around 12:45. By 1:13, I knew something was seriously wrong and decided to wash it off with soap and water. You're looking at a picture taken at approximately 1:20'ish, which is what I sent to my uncle and cousin (who are both pharmacists) and my other cousin, who is a nurse.
The burning was pretty severe and seemed to become worse over time, so I left work early and headed home.

I imagine that what I experienced was like how it feels to have your skin slowly burned by fire. Call me dramatic, but I'm willing to bet that it wasn't very far off. The burning sensation didn't go away after I washed off the medicine; it only seemed to get worse. I made it home by 2pm, hysterical and barely able to bend my knees. Even just touching the area with my fingertips was painful; sunlight felt like a different level of slow searing. 

Here's what my dad did:

• Ice cold compresses, soaked in ice water, and applied immediately; change or wash frequently as the medicine might still be on the skin's surface.
• After I was cooled down enough to tolerate the idea of removing the cool cloths, my dad applied pure aloe from an aloe plant in the house. I wasn't allowed to put the cloths back on until the aloe was absorbed. TORTURE!
• He let me put them on again for maybe 5-10 minutes, resoaking them constantly, before removing them again to put baking soda on the affected area. He said that, with chemicals, you need to neutralize the effect they are creating on the surface of the skin. I was skeptical at first, but I truly think that this is when I had my "turning point" in the process.
• More ice cold compresses, after the baking soda had been "rubbed in" as much as I could tolerate. (Needless to say, the cold compresses were the essential part of this process for me.) More aloe was applied about an hour or so later; by then, my knees were numb from the cold, but feeling better than I had been since I first put that stuff on. Here's what I looked like at around 3:15pm.
   
   

  
  

  So this went on for the rest of the night. I had cold compresses and aloe on until around 10pm. The pain was mostly gone; it felt like sunburn at that point, with a weird tingling sensation. You still couldn't touch it without causing pain, but after several hours of treatment I was well enough to sleep without feeling nearly as bad as I did. This is what it looked like when I went to bed around 10pm or so:

   

   

  
  

  HUGE difference-- and a lot more tolerable! Just wanted to give a big THANK YOU to my Dad and to my husband, who took care of me when I was at my worst. Love you guys!

  
  

  And Dad, you're my hero. Don't know what I would have done without you.

  
  

  Today I am fully recovered and can't wait to share a review of "Beautiful Creatures" within the next few days. Stay tuned!