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Topical treatments Anthralin

What is anthralin?Anthralin is a synthetic substitute for chrysarobin, found in Goa powder from the bark of the araroba tree of South America. This substance has been used to treat psoriasis for more than 100 years.
How well does anthralin work?Anthralin can be very effective in treating plaque psoriasis. It does not work as quickly or as thoroughly as superpotent topical steroids, but unlike steroids, it has no known long-term side effects.
How is anthralin used?Anthralin is available as a cream and a scalp formulation. A pharmacist can prepare higher-strength preparations of anthralin in a thick paste (often referred to as Lassar's paste).
< >Anthralin has a long history as a safe treatment for psoriasis, but it can also be messy to use. Some practical guidelines for home use of anthralin include:
- Apply anthralin only to psoriasis; do not apply to unaffected skin. You may prefer to use plastic disposable gloves to apply anthralin.
- Anthralin cream should be rubbed in well, and any excess should be wiped off.
- Expect to see a brown stain on the surrounding skin if the anthralin comes into contact with the unaffected skin. When the stain occurs in the center of a lesion, the psoriasis is clearing. Stains on skin and hair will eventually fade and disappear.
- Use old clothing and sheets when anthralin is on skin. Protective dressings (occlusion) can be used, unless otherwise instructed by your doctor. See tips for stain removal below.
- Wash hands after applying anthralin.
- Do not apply anthralin near eyes, on the face or in the groin area. Do not rub eyes with anthralin-contaminated fingers. Should eye irritation occur, rinse eyes with water and consult your doctor.
- Anthralin must be fresh to work effectively. Fresh anthralin paste or cream is bright yellow. The shelf life of paste anthralin is about six months.
Short-Contact Anthralin Therapy (SCAT)SCAT (also called "Minutes Therapy") is designed for patients with localized areas of psoriasis. Anthralin is left on the involved skin for a short period of time, ranging from 10 minutes to an hour. Patients may be instructed to gradually increase the amount of contact time as their skin becomes accustomed to the medication.
Anthralin on the scalpShort-contact use of anthralin may effectively treat scalp psoriasis. For many people, daily applications may clear psoriasis on the scalp in several weeks. Sometimes, a more potent application of anthralin is required to clear thick scales on the scalp that do not respond to steroid lotions or tar-based shampoos. In this case, the doctor can prescribe anthralin mixed with other agents, such as salicylic acid, mineral oil or propylene glycol. This mixture is massaged into the scalp and left on overnight, then removed in the morning by shampooing. Applying petroleum jelly to ear folds and the neck before applying anthralin will minimize contact with unaffected skin and reduce irritation.
< >Anthralin stains are a particular problem for people who have very light hair. A neutral henna powder provides some protection against staining by coating the hair for three to four weeks. It can be diluted with warm water and left on the scalp for a half hour. Neutral henna is colorless, but it will interfere with a permanent or hair coloring. Neutral henna is available from beauty supply or health food stores.
soriatecsoriatec is an anthralin formulation designed to reduce the risk of staining and irritation. It is a 1% anthralin cream in which the active ingredient is surrounded by a protective layer of lipids. These layers melt at body temperature, releasing the anthralin only on the skin where it is applied, not on clothes, bedding or bathroom fixtures.
Side effects of using anthralinAnthralin is known to be a skin irritant, and the irritation a patient experiences is directly related to the strength of the product being used and the individual's tolerance of the medication.
< >It is not known if anthralin is safe during pregnancy. Women who become pregnant and are using anthralin should consult their doctor.
Staining from anthralinMuch of the irritation and staining from anthralin use can be prevented with the application of triethanolamine, a nonsteroidal chemical used for many years as a stabilizer in soaps and cosmetics. Triethanolamine, known by the brand name CuraStain, neutralizes any anthralin residue remaining on the skin.
< >CuraStain is first applied to the unaffected skin one or two minutes before anthralin is washed off, to form a protective film over the skin. This prevents smearing during removal, which would cause irritation of uninvolved skin. It is applied again after the skin is towel-dried to neutralize any remaining residue. CuraStain is manufactured by Young Pharmaceuticals, and is sold over the counter in drugstores.
Anthralin stain removal
- White fabric: In general, the longer a stain remains on a fabric, the more difficult it is to remove. In one study, stains left up to a duration of 24 hours were removed from test fabrics (65% polyester/35% cotton, 100% polyester and 100% cotton) using a 10-minute soak in full-strength chlorine bleach, followed by a water rinse and air drying.
- Colored fabric: Chlorine bleach diluted by a ratio of 1-to-10 is sufficient to remove stains, but a bleach-safe test is recommended before applying the diluted bleach to assure color fastness.
- White plastic shower curtain: The best approach is immediate treatment (within five minutes) with 95% ethyl alcohol or Lestoil, a cleaning product found in some grocery stores, followed by a water rinse. If the exposure is longer than five minutes, anthralin stains may be impossible to remove with any solvent or tested household chemical.
- White floor tile with crevices: Scrub cleansers remove stains on floor tiles, but occasional dark brown spots may remain. Acetone-based cleansers are also effective at removing stains.
- Tub or shower: Acetone-based cleansers can help remove stains, as can dishwashing detergent.
Using anthralin with other treatmentsCombining anthralin with other treatments, including UVB treatments, UVA (the use of the light-sensitizing drug psoralen plus ultraviolet light A), Tazorac or topical steroids, may improve the response. Ask your doctor before initiating such a regimen.
The Ingram regimenThe Ingram regimen combines anthralin paste, a coal tar bath and UV exposure. Anthralin is applied to lesions as a thick paste. Once the anthralin is removed, the patient is then exposed to UV and may also take coal tar baths. Generally, a patient using the Ingram regimen in the hospital or day treatment program will require three weeks of therapy, clearing in an average of 20 days.
< >Updated June 2006 |
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