Q-We’re going to be traveling abroad this summer and have heard of a drug, which is not available as yet in the United States, that can help my wife’s condition. I’m sure that we can bring this medicine back with us, but she fears that the drug will be taken away and we might face imprisonment if we’re caught. Can you provide us with any helpful information?
A-The regulations that govern the use of medications in the United States and are enforced by the Food and Drug Administration have been formulated to provide drugs that have the greatest degree of safety, as well as proven ability to combat disease effectively. The approval process is a long, difficult and expensive one, so that frequently medications are available in other countries before they are approved for use in the United States.
However, the FDA regulations do allow importation of unapproved drug products, providing four basic criteria are met:
– The product must be purchased for personal use, and will not be sold commercially.
– The quantity must not be excessive. Usually a three-month supply is considered allowable.
– The use of the drug must be appropriately identified and labeled.
– Last but not least, and perhaps the most difficult criteria to achieve, the patient importing the medication must affirm in writing that the drug is for their own use and must provide the name and address of a physician licensed in the United States who will be responsible for the patient’s treatment with the drug product.
The FDA considers this a humane method of implementing rules that have been established to protect our society against the cruelties of medical quackery and health fraud. Complying with these guidelines will assure that you may openly, and without fear, import these medications for your personal use. Should you desire further clarification, you may call the FDA’s Office of Consumer Affairs at 301-443-5006.
Q-I recently spent several sessions in a local tanning parlor, despite my friends’ advice. In addition to an improvement in my tan, I also developed a painful cold sore. Are these two things related?
A-Apparently they are. Recent research has discovered that exposure to ultraviolet light in amounts sufficient to cause a sunburn will also reactivate an infection of oral herpes, or a cold sore.
These sores will only pop out in areas where they have appeared before, so you’re not suffering from a new infection but rather from another attack of herpes in a previously affected spot.
Herpes virus infections remain quiet over long periods of time and only recur when the virus is stimulated to regrow within nerve cells where it lies dormant.
As I see it, stay out of the tanning parlor and do your skin a favor. If good sense does not prevail, then use a strong sunscreen cream on all skin areas where you have previously had a herpes sore.
Q-I break out in itchy hives all over my body. They stay around for an hour or two. My doctor says it isn’t an allergy, but something he called “a grant.” Can you tell me what he means?
A-This question came as close to stumping me as any. How about Grant’s syndrome? Its other name is cholinergic urticaria, which is used to describe a condition where itchy wheals, or urticaria (hives is another term), break out on all areas of the skin. This condition is caused by emotional distress, after exercise or when the body becomes overheated. In some cases, the taste of a food may bring it on.
It’s not a serious situation, since the attacks are short-lived and the condition finally does resolve on its own after a year or two.
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Dr. Allan Bruckheim welcomes questions from readers. Although he cannot respond to each one individually, he will answer those of general interest in his column. Write to Dr. Bruckheim at P.O. Box 119, Orlando, Fla. 32802-0119.
