Protopic and vitiligo

Many of us have been prescribed protopic and those of us that haven’t, wonder if it’s something they should use – but what is protopic and why is it good for vitiligo and what aren’t you told by the doctor?

I’ve been prescribed protopic three times now, by three different people – I guess each of them think the last doctor wasn’t prescribing it properly. I found protopic a lost cause the first time I used it. There was no change to any of my spots but I was always positive – however this is the same for both other times I used it.

There’s no doubt protopic is worth using though, if you look into it some people have had terrific results – I read a girl who had vitiligo for years began to re-pigment within months of using it.

What is protopic? 

Protopic is basically a treatment used for Eczema to suppress the immune response of the skin. So, as vitiligo is also an autoimmune disorder – some one figured protopic could be used to decrease vit patients’ immune reaction against pigment producing cells.

Quite rightly, it works for many with an approx 40% success rate – but it doesn’t work on all – and there’s no guarantee it’ll re-pigment alot. There is also speculation your spots could re-pigment and de-pigment in other areas.

 

According to Vitiligo Society about Protopic “The ointment is showing very good success in many (but not all) people who are using it.”

 

 

A period of three to six months is not unusual to see initial results and 100% repigimentation is still difficult, especially on certain parts of the body, such as the hands.  Best results have been observed on the face.  Even so once an area has re-pigmented it may be subject to a future relapse

 

 

  • Generally – Elidel and Protopic should both be used only as second line treatments. This means that your child’s eczema should be treated with other medications first
  • FDA Boxed Warning

    The latest warning about both Elidel and Protopic is that there is a ‘possible cancer risk for these drugs.’ However, keep in mind that reports of cancer have been ‘rare’ and are based on ‘animal studies’ and ‘case reports in a small number of patients.’So that doesn’t mean that your Pediatrician can’t prescribe Elidel or Protopic or that you shouldn’t use them on your child. Just follow the safety guidelines mentioned above, try other treatments first, don’t overuse the medicines, and don’t use them for long periods of time.

    In fact, the American Academy of Dermatology has issued a statement in response to the FDA warning, saying that they disagree with the FDA and that they believe that current research doesn’t prove that Elidel and Protopic are dangerous when used properly.

    The doctors at The National Jewish Medical and Research Center have also reviewed the data available to the FDA and think that ‘the data does not show any definite association and is speculative’ concerning the risk of cancer and infections. They continue to believe that both Elidel and Protopic are safe medicines and they will continue to use them.

I started to get a burning sensation on my face when I was drinking alcohol

On surfing the net I found:

Drinking alcohol while you are using Protopic may cause your skin or face to feel hot and become flushed or red.