Genital Warts Medications

In the market, medications for treating genital warts are extensive. Some people however, prefer to make their own genital warts medications which they claimed were very successful. Here, we will look at two types of medications for treating genital warts which are in the market and another one is home treatment.

Commercial genital warts medications have long been in the market and some can be applied at home. A few of the genital warts medications are Podofilox resin and lotion/gel and Imiquimod. Podofilox lotions or gel works the same by stopping genital warts cell growth. A doctor or health professional will apply the resin once a week for at least 6 weeks or until the warts disappears. It seems to be burning off the genital warts as the resin has to be washed off after a few hours to prevent irritations to the skin. Pofodilox lotion/gel works differently as it is not as aggressive as resin and are applied once per days 3 days followed by 4 days of no lotion. However, there is no guarantee of total eradication of genital warts as they may return after treatment. A person having this treatment is advised not to have sexual activities as the virus can still be transmitted to others. Sexual intercourse should not be continued as the genital warts medication can spoil the condom and diaphragm causing HPV infection. Imiquimod however, is a medication that works by boosting the body immune system to fight against HPV. Imiquimod cream is applied to the warts and it might shrink them. However, warts may reappear within two weeks of the first treatment and treatment should be continued. Some common side effects of using Imiquimod are itching, burning and skin redness. The downside of this medication is that it may be very expensive if used for an extensive period of time.

Some other genital warts medications are usually applied by health professionals in the office. The genital warts medications would be Interferon injections and Trichloroacetic acid (TCA). Interferon works by boosting the immune system to combat HPV. Interferon is usually injected into the warts or under the skin twice a week for 8 weeks. The side effects of this injection are headaches, muscle pains and fatigue. Another downside is that it costs about $200 for each treatment and the success rate is only about 50%. TCA works differently by killing destroying the proteins in the genital warts cells. As it is acidic enough to kill normal cells, administration has to be done by health professionals only. TCA is applied only once per week are only put on the warts to avoid killing normal cells. As the effect of TCA is big enough, it is not recommended where there are many warts. However, one of the pros of using TCA is that it does not affect pregnancy as TCA only works locally/on the area around the warts itself.

It is advisable to discuss the genital warts medications with your doctor to ensure the best medications for your own personal case as some medications may be allergic to different medications.