Curatoderm ointment and lotion both contain the active ingredient tacalcitol, which is a type of medicine called a vitamin D analogue.
Tacalcitol is used to treat plaque psoriasis, which is a condition that results in the scaling and thickening of the skin due to excessive skin cell production.
Tacalcitol reduces the excessive skin cell production by binding to vitamin D receptors on skin cells called keratinocytes, in the same way as natural vitamin D would bind. This helps to bring the rate at which skin cells are produced back to normal and therefore helps to improve the symptoms of psoriasis.
Curatoderm ointment or lotion should be applied to the affected areas of skin once daily, preferably at bedtime.
This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.
If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the medicine's manufacturer.
For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.
It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already using, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before using any new medicines while using this one, to ensure that the combination is safe.
There may be a risk of raised calcium levels in the blood (hypercalcaemia) if this ointment is used by people regularly taking any of the following medicines:
If your skin is irritated by Curatoderm ointment or lotion, the use of skin products such as exfoliating agents, astringents and other irritants may make this worse. For this reason, these types of products are best avoided whilst using Curatoderm.
If you are having UV light treatment while using this medicine, the light treatment should be given in the morning and this medicine applied in the evening.
There are currently no other medicines containing tacalcitol available in the UK.