Calamine topical

Generic Name: calamine (topical) (KAL a mine)Brand Names: Calamine Plain

What is calamine?

Calamine topical (for the skin) is used to treat itching and skin irritation caused by chicken pox, insect bites or stings, measles, eczema, sunburn, poison ivy, and other minor skin conditions.

This medication may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about calamine?

Calamine is an anti-itch medication that works by causing a cooling sensation as it evaporates on your skin. Calamine also dries oozing or weeping from minor skin irritation.

Before you apply this medication, wash the skin area with soap and water and then dry it thoroughly.

Apply calamine directly to the skin and rub in gently, allowing the medicine to dry on your skin. You may also use a cotton ball to smooth the medicine onto your skin. Calamine may leave a thin film on the skin as it dries. You may cover the treated area with loose clothing, but calamine can stain fabrics it comes in contact with.

This medication can be applied 3 to 4 times each day.

Call your doctor if your skin condition does not get better after using calamine regularly for 1 week. Contact your doctor at any time if your symptoms get worse.

Calamine can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea if it is swallowed. Call your doctor or a poison control center right away if anyone accidentally swallows this medicine.

What should I discuss with my health care provider before using calamine?

Before using this medication, tell your doctor if you have any allergies. Do not use calamine if the product contains any ingredient you may be allergic to.

Call your doctor if your skin condition does not get better after using calamine regularly for 1 week. Contact your doctor at any time if your symptoms get worse.

It is not known if using calamine while you are pregnant will be harmful to the unborn baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are pregnant. It is not known if calamine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I use calamine?

Use calamine exactly as directed on the label, or as your doctor has prescribed it for you. Do not use more of the medication than recommended. Do not use calamine for longer than recommended.

Before you apply this medication, wash the skin area with soap and water and then dry it thoroughly.

Shake the calamine lotion well just before each use.

Apply calamine directly to the skin and rub in gently, allowing the medicine to dry on your skin. You may also use a cotton ball to smooth the medicine onto your skin. Wash your hands with soap and water after applying the medicine.

Calamine may leave a thin film on the skin as it dries. You may cover the treated area with loose clothing, but calamine can stain fabrics it comes in contact with.

This medication can be applied 3 to 4 times each day.

If your skin condition does not improve after using calamine for 7 days, talk with your doctor about another treatment. Store calamine at room temperature away from hot or cold temperatures.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Apply the medication as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and wait until your next regularly scheduled dose. Do not apply extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

This medicine is not usually absorbed through the skin in amounts large enough to cause an overdose. Call your doctor if you think you have used too much of this medication.

Calamine can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea if it is swallowed. Call your doctor or a poison control center right away if anyone accidentally swallows this medicine.

What should I avoid while using calamine?

Calamine is for use only on your skin. Avoid getting this medicine in your eyes or inside your mouth or nose. If the medicine does get into these areas, rinse thoroughly with water.

Avoid applying other creams, lotions, ointments, or other medicated skin products to the same areas you treat with calamine.

Calamine side effects

Stop using this medication and get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have redness, rash, pus, or other signs of infection.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect calamine?

There may be other drugs that can affect calamine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about calamine topical.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.