Menthol
Place in Therapy
Place in Therapy
Menthol has been used in urticaria due to the cooling effect it offers to the patient and them finding it soothing. It has been used for centuries for itch and has anecdotal evidence for its use and has a good safety profile. It seems to be most effective in patients that also find cold helpful in relieving itch. Although menthol is helpful for symptom relief it has no effect on the underlying condition, so it is often needed to be applied often when used alone for therapy. Menthol is believed to help relieve itch by the same way cooling the skin does by activating TRPM8 receptors in the skin. The primary literature presented although has its limitations showed that the use of topical menthol has the effect of relieving itching.
While there is limited primary literature around the use of topical menthol for treating urticaria including bug bites and stings it has been used in this manner for a very long time and has a good safety profile so can be considered as adjunctive therapy if the patient desires and they find it helpful.
References
1. Bromm B, Scharein E, Darsow U, Ring J. Effects of menthol and cold on histamine-induced itch and skin reactions in man. Neuroscie Lett. 1995 Mar; 187 (3): 157-60. PubMed PMID:7624016.
2. Grattan C.E, Humphreys F. Guidelines for evaluation and management of urticaria in adults and children. Br J Dermatol. 2007 Dec; 157(6): 1116-23. PubMed PMID: 18021095.
3. Poonawalla T, Kelly B. Urticaria- A Review. Am J Dermatol. 2009; 10(1): 9-21.
4. Kleiman N. In: Repchinsky C, ed. Patient Self-Care. 2nd ed. Ontario, Ottawa: Canadian Pharmacists Association; 2010: 691-702.
5. Patel T, Yosipovitch G. Therapy of Pruritus. National Institutes of Health. 2010 July; 11(10): 1673-1682. PubMed PMCID: PMC2885583.
Menthol has been used in urticaria due to the cooling effect it offers to the patient and them finding it soothing. It has been used for centuries for itch and has anecdotal evidence for its use and has a good safety profile. It seems to be most effective in patients that also find cold helpful in relieving itch. Although menthol is helpful for symptom relief it has no effect on the underlying condition, so it is often needed to be applied often when used alone for therapy. Menthol is believed to help relieve itch by the same way cooling the skin does by activating TRPM8 receptors in the skin. The primary literature presented although has its limitations showed that the use of topical menthol has the effect of relieving itching.
While there is limited primary literature around the use of topical menthol for treating urticaria including bug bites and stings it has been used in this manner for a very long time and has a good safety profile so can be considered as adjunctive therapy if the patient desires and they find it helpful.
References
1. Bromm B, Scharein E, Darsow U, Ring J. Effects of menthol and cold on histamine-induced itch and skin reactions in man. Neuroscie Lett. 1995 Mar; 187 (3): 157-60. PubMed PMID:7624016.
2. Grattan C.E, Humphreys F. Guidelines for evaluation and management of urticaria in adults and children. Br J Dermatol. 2007 Dec; 157(6): 1116-23. PubMed PMID: 18021095.
3. Poonawalla T, Kelly B. Urticaria- A Review. Am J Dermatol. 2009; 10(1): 9-21.
4. Kleiman N. In: Repchinsky C, ed. Patient Self-Care. 2nd ed. Ontario, Ottawa: Canadian Pharmacists Association; 2010: 691-702.
5. Patel T, Yosipovitch G. Therapy of Pruritus. National Institutes of Health. 2010 July; 11(10): 1673-1682. PubMed PMCID: PMC2885583.