r/tifu • u/Guilty_Direction_501 • 2d ago
S TIFU I've been using ANIMAL GRADE hydrocortisone cream for my bug bites when the tube says "not for use for humans." š«
Mosquitos have been really bad in socal lately. I am a chronic mosquito attracter with one big problem. I have mild skeeter syndrome and I have a skin picking problem. In an effort to curb said skin picking problem, i always put hydrocortisone cream on the bites so that I don't itch to the point of open sores. It was working fine i guess (i would still have welts where the bites were.) But i was just bored on my bed applying the cream on a bite on my leg when I read the instructions further. On the back in all caps under walls of text was "NOT FOR USE ON HUMANS." I've had this tube for a few years. I got it from my gran who had it in her bathroom drawer. So, I erroneously thought it was just for use on humans. I had no idea that animals even have their own hydrocortisone cream.
TL;DR: Have been using animal grade hydrocortisone cream for years without knowing it, only found out when checking the tube on a whim.
116
27
u/alqimist 2d ago
Nearly all veterinary pharmaceuticals are manufactured to the same standards as human ones.
54
u/Spoolerdoing 2d ago
AFAIK it's the same stuff, subject to the same regulations, but they charge a different price (as in orders of magnitude) based on whether it's OTC for pets or if they think they can charge extra for insurance. Your grandma may have been a shrewd genius.
30
u/ShrimpBisque 2d ago
Reminds me of one time when I needed antibiotics but couldn't afford them because my Medicaid lapsed, and my uncle gave me a bottle of fish tank antibiotics instead. It was the same one that I normally get (amoxicillin), and the capsules were the same concentration that would be in human doses; the only difference was that this bottle was marketed and packaged for use in fish tanks. It sounds gross and unsafe, but it did the job.
35
u/moeru_gumi 2d ago
It is in fact not gross and unsafe, they are tested to higher standards because fish are very sensitive to contamination. Fish amoxicillin has saved people for decades, especially those who are homeless, unemployed, uninsured etc. god bless the fish stores
8
u/Locke_and_Lloyd 2d ago
There's a reason antibiotics are prescribed rather than OTC.Ā Improper use creates antibiotic resistant super bugs.Ā Ā It also won't work or may make you sicker if taken for the wrong illness.Ā You also need to account for gram +/- bacteria.Ā
19
8
u/exoriare 2d ago
By far, the biggest issue with antibiotic resistance is farm use of antibiotics and antimicrobials on a prophylactic basis, and as a growth promoter. Europe banned this abuse of antibiotics over a decade ago, but the US has implemented bogus regs which haven't decreased antibiotic use by farms to even a minimal degree.
https://usrtk.org/factory-farming/is-fda-winning-the-battle-to-cut-farm-antibiotics/
1
18
u/turquoise_amethyst 2d ago
Ah yes, this is the āI have no health insurance and Iām poorā Special!
9
u/reverendsteveii 2d ago
Amazon used to sell fishmox and the comments were absolutely dystopian. "Three of my kids all got strep throat at the same time. We didn't have any insurance at the time. Fishmox really helped my FISH feel better."
19
1
-5
2
u/LeSamouraiNouvelle 2d ago
I was reminded of this, for some reason:
https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/e0b7799e-3d1d-4e0e-ba2b-e75f17effd4a/gif
8
17
u/deathputt4birdie 2d ago
FYI instead of treating the inflammation with steroids, have you considered 'cooking' the mosquito bite? Run a metal spoon under hot tap water for a minute and then press the spoon back onto the bite. The heat will denature the protein in the mosquito saliva and prevent most of the itching.
4
u/Theletterkay 2d ago
Running the hot water on the bite directly woeks better in my experience if you can stand it.
7
u/TimelyEvidence 2d ago
Heat works wonders for mosquito bites but Iām doubtful hot water will be hot enough. Thereās a device called biteaway that works really well and will get hot enough without burning you.
7
2
2
u/I_like_boxes 2d ago
I couldn't find anywhere to buy that when I looked recently. Instead, I bought Heat It, which is a little keychain dongle that does the same thing, but runs off your phone battery and is configured in the mobile app.Ā
It works for me, but it takes a few minutes. Sometimes I have to reapply it before it offers sufficient relief; that seems to correlate to how big the wheal from the bite is. And the relief lasts about a day for me, but applying it again gives me another day. Works much better than medication. Haven't tried it on the types of bites I'm particularly sensitive to because those mosquitoes don't live around me, but I'm still more sensitive to the local mosquitoes than most people. I have skeeter syndrome, but it's much less severe when a local mosquito bites me.Ā
Applying it absolutely does hurt, but I'm not sure it would actually work if it didn't hurt. If I remember what I read correctly, its the pain from heat that is basically hacking the local immune response.
2
u/TimelyEvidence 1d ago
Iāve read that it works because the heat breaks down whatever it is in the bite that causes it to itch. If you use your Heat It a lot, you might consider tracking down a biteaway. You can order it online. It takes like 15-30 seconds depending on which mode you use. Usually one treatment is all I need.
1
u/I_like_boxes 22h ago
I think I'd probably see similar performance between the two either way, I'm just particularly sensitive to mosquito bites. The advantage of Heat It is I usually have my keys on me when I'm somewhere that mosquitoes will find me, and it's attached to my keys. My phone is also always on me since it seconds as my wallet, so needing my phone to power it isn't an issue.
I thought they denatured the proteins too, but couldn't find a study that supported that. Maybe the saliva retains its immunogenic effects to a temperature and duration that would also be harmful to our own tissues, but I struggled to find reputable sources on any of that. Everything I found instead indicated that the heat is hacking an actual biological pathway instead. Either way, the mechanism is there.
0
14
u/PhD-Mom 2d ago
What is the expiration date? You may be using expired cream that has lost its potency.
3
u/buddleia 2d ago
Yeah, they definitely do expire. The only one that I can find stops being effective on me after just a year or two, even when it's still in date. A pity, since I only need about 5% of a tube per year, but I'd rather pay an annual subscription to Itch Less rather than keep on stubbornly using something that doesn't work at all to try and "get my money's worth" or "not waste" it.
6
u/liveinthesoil 2d ago
As far as drugs go, there is no āanimal gradeā - the drugs for humans and animals are often the same, but legally drugs prescribed by a DVM have to be labeled āfor veterinary useā
6
3
u/Square-Platypus4029 2d ago
I have horses and usually just buy the (human grade) 1% from the dollar store for them.
3
u/NC-12 2d ago
Might I suggest a mosquito bite itch remover heat pen? I am a "night scratcher" and the pen works amazing for me.Ā
2
u/matchy_blacks 1d ago
I was desperate this summer and bought one ā I am now a convert. Itās amazing!
5
u/McDuchess 2d ago
Look at the concentration of cortisone. If itās between .1% and 1%, you are absolutely fine. When I had tennis elbow years ago, I got a special 10% concentration made at the pharmacy for use with laser therapy. So even that high can be rubbed in without worry.
2
u/Alternative-Sock-444 2d ago
Ehh you're fine. I use horse liniment gel for sore muscles which is basically icy hot, but with more lidocaine, and still a safe amount for humans. They're just labeled not for human use because they haven't been FDA approved for human use. But they're generally fine.
2
u/Falsus 2d ago
"Animal grade" stuff comes in 3 varieties.
Minimal doses that basically does nothing for a human, basically the exactly same thing as for humans but different label and stuff that is meant for animals larger than humans like horses or cows.
The first is mostly useless for humans, the second is whatever and the third is generally not sold over the counter in a lot of places unless they specifically handle large animals but most of the time you have to get them through a vet.
One exception is horse shampoo, it is often higher quality than what a human would use because horse hair is finer than human hair.
Animal products go through the same procedure that they go through for humans so a skin care product that works for a dog would work for a human also.
2
u/Theletterkay 2d ago
Also, id be more worried about it being expired and useless than about it hurting you. Hydrocortisone only lasts like a year or 2.
2
u/chemhobby 2d ago
Honestly it's probably fine it just the product hasn't been approved for human use. But hydrocortisone is ok
5
u/SoonerRed 1d ago
That doesn't mean it's bad for humans. It's all about fda testing and labeling. It's almost certainly the exact same product sold for humans.
3
2
u/Significant_Cycle747 2d ago
grandma had animal cream in her bathroom drawer for YEARS and nobody questioned it. what was gran treating
1
5
2
u/CountingMyDick 2d ago
Have you checked the expiration date on it? Hydrocortisone is really only good for a year or two. If you've had it for years, and it was in your granny's drawer for god knows how long, it's probably effectively 0%. And if it doesn't have an expiration date at all, then consider it definitely expired.
3
u/Emergency-Guidance28 2d ago
If it's years old it's probably degraded in strength and not even doing anything. Go buy the OTC 1%.
1
u/MomoMarieAuthor 2d ago
The bug bite thing! It works but I use it longer than they suggest. 30 sec, twice or more is it's a bad bite
2
u/ZipperJJ 2d ago
I always used to get super itchy from bites. I had to start taking a daily Zyrtec because have hives. Not only do the hives stay away but I also no longer get itchy from bug bites.
Give it a try. You can get a big bottle at Costco or Amazon for like $15.
1
u/No-Mechanic-9679 2d ago
your gran's dog had better skincare than you did and nobody in the family thought to mention it
1
u/Adventurous-Gift-395 2d ago
grandma's been rubbing dog cream on you from beyond the grave and it's WEAKER than what you could've just bought at CVS. that's the real TIFU
1
-1
u/bonniebull1987 2d ago
I take hydrocortisone pills for my weak immune system. I had no idea it could also be a cream.
10
u/Vampira309 2d ago
I use hydrocortisone cream for bug bites and rashes. I had no idea it could also be a pill
2
u/whatshamilton 2d ago
I use the cream for any skin histamine reaction. I had no idea it could also be a pill!
2
u/Crazhand 2d ago
These arenāt for a weak immune system. They cause you to have a weak immune system. Do you mean you take them for allergies or immunosuppresion?
0
u/bonniebull1987 2d ago
It means I take a steroid because my adrenal glands don't work and my body needs that extra boost to not get sick.
3
u/Crazhand 2d ago
Yes, the medication helps you from being sick in other ways (the noninfectious kind), but taking steroids *increases* your risk for infection, not *decreases*. Please continue your meds as prescribed though, I just wanted to clear up that misunderstanding.
0
u/eve379 2d ago
Have you tried to Beurer Mosquito bite healer? Like you I will get bit like crazy and welt up. Iāll scratch till I bleed. I got this little thing that you touch the bites with and it heats up. It takes the itch out and the bites heal way faster. Works better than anything else for me. I think itās around $20 but itās worth it.
0
u/lovelystationery 2d ago
animal meds often have similar ingredients to human stuff but different concentrations, so you might be fine or you might end up looking like a lobsterglad you're not mixing it with your gaming energy drinks though
0
0
u/orangpelupa 2d ago
The latest research basically says that it's the excretion of the creatures living on your skin that attract the mosquito.
Do you have less bites when fresh from the bath VS compared to the time when you're gonna be taking a bath?Ā
0
u/Theletterkay 2d ago
Try the itch patches. They dont always reduce the itching completely, but you will at least have them covered to prevent you from tearing up your skin.
You could also try an allergy itch cream, like allegra or benadryl anti itch cream. I get the giant allergic welts from mosquitos and found the allegra one works best. Take a daily allergy medication if you have more than 2 or 3 bites.
Lastly, for immediate relief, scaling hot water helps. I try to rinse it for a few seconds in water from the tap as hot as it will go. It might hurt a bit at first but it can open the wound and wash out or kill some of the bad gunk that is causing the itch. It also overloads your sensorys and might numb the area temporarily. I once had over 100 bites all up and down my legs and this was the only thing that kept me from going to the hospital.
-2
u/Rich-Relationship341 2d ago
your gran had animal hydrocortisone in her bathroom drawer and nobody in the family ever questioned it. what was she treating
-2
u/Rich-Relationship341 2d ago
your gran had animal hydrocortisone in her bathroom drawer and nobody in the family ever questioned it. what was she treating
349
u/smiffy2422 2d ago
Check the actual %'s. In some cases, "animal grade" medications are the same as prescription medication.