Standard medication doses and delivery options aren’t always enough. Many pharmacies offer only limited choices, which may not be safe or smart for special needs cases. These individuals may be forced to take matters into their hands or skip their doses.
There are a variety of situations that can require alternative medications, including:
- Children who need smaller doses than those commercially available.
- Patients who are intolerant to inactive ingredients in conventional medicines.
- The necessary medicine has been discontinued as a result of economic conditions.
- A patient suffers from nausea or other ailments that interfere with other routes of administration.
- Patients who need stronger doses than what is commercially available.
Adjusting Common Medications
Compounding Pharmacy of America can alter a large number of medications. We work with every medical specialty (or subspecialty), ranging from ophthalmology to geriatrics.
Pain creams are one standard category. There are many advantages to switching to a topical formula, including faster absorption, localized relief, and being able to take a dose even when nausea or other ailments prevent oral administration.
Here are some of the more common products we can adjust into simple, effective creams.
1. Diclofenac
Diclofenac is a nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drug, also known as a NSAID. This pain reliever works through the body to reduce substances that trigger reactions of pain and inflammation.
Diclofenac is used for mild to moderate pain. It can be used to treat the symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. The diclofenac brand, known as Cataflam, is also prescribed to treat menstrual cramps. Diclofenac powder can relieve migraine headaches.
2. Baclofen
Baclofen is an antispasmodic agent and muscle relaxer. It is used to relieve muscle symptoms that are a result of multiple sclerosis. These symptoms range from spasms to pain and stiffness.
A topical cream version of baclofen is effective because it allows for more precise application. Patients can treat affected areas and potentially see fewer side effects than traditional oral dosing.
When diclofenac is a topical cream, it is easier to apply. Brands vary in doses and instructions, but a compounded formula from Compound Pharmacy of America offers simple directions and ease of use.
3. Cyclobenzaprine
Cyclobenzaprine is another type of muscle relaxant. It blocks nerve impulses and pain sensations, keeping them from making it to the brain. This medicine is often used in combination with physical therapy and rest to treat skeletal muscle conditions – pain and injury being the most common.
This medication is effective as cream because it gives the user more freedom to be selective with their application area. Patients may be able to treat particular injury or pain sites more efficiently this way.
4. Lidocaine
Lidocaine is a potent pain relieving agent. It is also a solution of an anti-arrhythmic agent and administered through injection. Lidocaine is given in the form of shots or continuous infusion through an IV drip.
Topical lidocaine creams are often used in tattooing and cosmetic industries to numb the skin before otherwise painful procedures. A compounded cream version offers these same benefits with the flexibility of localized application.
5. Verapamil
Verapamil relaxes the muscles of the heart and blood vessels. It is known as a calcium channel blocker and is used to treat hypertension, angina, and a variety of heart rhythm disorders. A compounded cream version of the drug can make dosing easier and less stressful.
6. Ketamine
This drug is an anesthetic designed to inhibit painful sensations. It works by blocking the pain impulses directly in the brain, making it useful for a variety of situations. Ketamine is often used before surgical procedures to minimize discomfort.
7. Clonidine
Clonidine is used to lower blood pressure. It accomplishes this by decreasing the presence of certain chemicals in the blood. As a result, the vessels relax, and the heart can beat easier and slower.
Clonidine is often used to treat hypertension or high blood pressure. One brand, Kapvay, is also effective in treating ADHD.
8. Gabapentin
Gabapentin is most commonly used to treat nerve pain that results from the herpes virus or shingles. It is also an antiepileptic or anticonvulsant. Gabapentin works by regulating chemicals in the brain that are responsible for seizures and certain kinds of pain.
Different brands of gabapentin have been used to treat restless leg syndrome and seizures in adults and children.
9. Indomethacin
Indomethacin is another NSAID drug. It reduces the hormones responsible for inflammation and pain, lessening discomfort throughout the body. Indomethacin is used to treat types of arthritis including rheumatoid, gout, and osteoarthritis. It has also proven useful for bursitis, tendinitis, and ankylosing spondylitis.
Compounding Medications into Topical Pain Cream
These topical creams treat general pain, seizures, blood vessels, muscle relaxers and are point blank effective. They can be mild, to very strong and immediately effective. That is where using our compounding services can benefit you is with its ability to customize the mix for the individual and their needs.
Having Sensitivities or Special Needs Should Never Prevent You From Getting the Medicine You Need
Find Compounded Topical Pain Creams
Chief Operating Officer, The Compounding Pharmacy of America
Matthew Poteet, Pharm.D. graduated with Honors from Lee University with a Bachelors of Science in Biological Science. After his undergraduate training, he completed the Doctor of Pharmacy program at Mercer University Southern School of Pharmacy, graduating in 2004. Dr. Poteet has spent much of his pharmacy career on staff at two of the most prestigious academic teaching hospitals in the Southeast; Emory University in Atlanta and Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. At these institutions he received extensive experience and training in sterile products compounding.
He returned home to East Tennessee in 2010, where he has held the position of Pharmacy Director at two sterile products pharmacies in Knoxville. Matthew lives in Knoxville with his wife, Chris. Dr. Poteet is Tennessee’s first Board Certified Anti-Aging Pharmacist by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.
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