Resolved question:
I was using a medicated adhesive pad for muscle pain on my shoulder the other day. I slept on my bed with that pad on. Yesterday morning I threw away the pad, but some of the medication got on my bedsheets and pillow. I must have been chewing on my pillow last night because I got some of that got on my tongue, which burned for 24 hours now.
The pad had three active ingredients: Camphor (3%), Menthol (1.5%), Methyl Salicylate (2.5%). The medication on the pad is very strong, with a strong cooling/heating effect on the skin and pungent odor.
As soon as I felt the medication on my tongue, I rinsed my mouth out, scraped my tongue with a toothbrush, spit out my saliva a lot, drank a lot of water, drank milk in the last 24 hours. Still, the tongue feels burnt or coated. And also, in the last 24 hours, I started feeling flashes of pain throughout my body - left hand, right hand, arms, legs, feet. Could whatever was on that pad be making its way through my body? I am also drinking apple cider vinegar mixed with water. I have read that the vinegar is a natural way to neutralize toxins in the body.
Should I seek medical attention? Did the amount I ingested from the medicated pads be enough to cause serious harm to my body? Thank you.
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Family Physician-GP
Hello,
Thank you for your query at DoctorSpring.com
I understand your concern.
Until and unless there is direct ingestion of the chemical it can't produce any sytemic effects.
If it happens to go to your pillow, and you chew on it, the tongue because of the sensation can burn a bit, but definitely there is no question of any systemic absorption. So, do not worry. The tongue will be normal in couple of days time.
Regards,
Dr. Jay