Patient Counselling
Oral zinc sulfate is available in many forms and dosages over the counter; however its use in treatment of viral warts is not clear. There are promising studies reporting the possible role of oral zinc in treatment of viral warts however these claims have yet to be substantiated. As it stands now, patients who are running out of treatment options and suffering from multiple, recurrent warts should talk to their healthcare professional about being checked for a zinc deficiency. If a patient chooses to use zinc for their warts despite the lack of evidence they should be aware of the following points:
· There are many other treatment options for warts than zinc that have better safety and efficacy data
· The consistently studied dose is 10mg/kg/day
· Zinc treatment for warts has not been studied for longer than 2 months of use and therefore should not be used for longer than that length of time
· Common adverse effects include nausea, vomiting, and epigastric pain which are all also sign of zinc excess.
· There is a potential for copper deficiency with zinc administration as zinc may decrease serum copper concentrations
· Use with caution in patients who have renal impairment
· Use in the treatment of viral warts has not been studied in pregnant patients
Oral zinc sulfate is available in many forms and dosages over the counter; however its use in treatment of viral warts is not clear. There are promising studies reporting the possible role of oral zinc in treatment of viral warts however these claims have yet to be substantiated. As it stands now, patients who are running out of treatment options and suffering from multiple, recurrent warts should talk to their healthcare professional about being checked for a zinc deficiency. If a patient chooses to use zinc for their warts despite the lack of evidence they should be aware of the following points:
· There are many other treatment options for warts than zinc that have better safety and efficacy data
· The consistently studied dose is 10mg/kg/day
· Zinc treatment for warts has not been studied for longer than 2 months of use and therefore should not be used for longer than that length of time
· Common adverse effects include nausea, vomiting, and epigastric pain which are all also sign of zinc excess.
· There is a potential for copper deficiency with zinc administration as zinc may decrease serum copper concentrations
· Use with caution in patients who have renal impairment
· Use in the treatment of viral warts has not been studied in pregnant patients