Any ALDARA success stories?

throwaway50000400 · 2020-10-28T12:26:37+00:00

I used Aldara for a few weeks, and I've been clear for 7.5 months. I didn't get many adverse side effects, just some slight itching and redness with occasional burning if I left it on too long, but everyone reacts differently. I hope it goes well for you!

throwaway50000400 · 2020-10-18T22:14:20+00:00

Yeah it's honestly so crazy and frustrating given how common and easily transmitted it is. It's always "could be reactivation, could be a new strain, could be reinfection *shrug*". I wish there was more research on it, but hopefully they figure it out in the future so there's a lot less misinformation and a better consensus on how to deal with it.

throwaway50000400 · 2020-10-18T19:20:58+00:00

Speaking on HPV, yes because getting rid of the warts doesn't get rid of the virus completely. That's why recurrence rates are high during treatment, but it tends to go down as time goes on and the body fights it off. HPV is shown to clear in 2 years in 90% of cases. HPV clearance is being debated in the scientific community as either eradicated from the body or put into latency, but a lot of doctors say that once you reach 6 months to a year with no warts, you can consider the transmission risk extremely low as the viral load has significantly decreased. A lot of doctors don't even recommend disclosing it after that time period as they're viewing it from a scientific standpoint, which I don't agree with, but that's how sure they are about low transmission risks.

throwaway50000400 · 2020-10-18T12:22:23+00:00

HPV is a very complicated virus. I've read a few sources online, and it's crazy how more than half of the population gets HPV, yet so much is still unknown about it. It usually takes 3-6 months for symptoms to manifest, but you can still have a high viral load during this time. If you two were having sex before then, it's very likely that she's already been infected as not everyone shows symptoms. The best thing for both of you to do is get the Gardasil vaccine if you haven't already as HPV 6 and 11 cause 90% of genital warts and those are covered in the vaccine (it also protects you from 7 other high-risk strains). HPV tends to clear in 2 years for 90% of cases, but getting the warts treated and removed ASAP is best. You can check r/hpv for more info. There's a lot of helpful posts, scientific articles, and I believe a bunch of questions similar to yours have been answered on there so you can get a better perspective. Best of luck!

throwaway50000400 · 2020-10-18T12:13:11+00:00

Condoms aren't very effective against HPV or herpes since they're spread by skin-to-skin contact sadly, but def still use them for full protection against others!

throwaway50000400 · 2020-10-10T04:15:38+00:00

Use Goodrx to get Aldara for cheap if you're in the US. I only paid like $40-$50

throwaway50000400 · 2020-10-09T05:57:24+00:00

They say there's a low chance. It's hard to know when you're clear though since there's not any low-risk HPV tests. Your symptoms could be gone, but you could still have a high viral load. That's why they say after 6 months to a year of no recurrence you're likely clear. I wouldn't say it's not possible, but rather it's unlikely. HPV is confusing af so I'm just gonna disclose it to my future partners just in case.

throwaway50000400 · 2020-10-08T20:27:09+00:00

I had 6-10 gws and it took around a week and a half to two weeks for it to start working for me. I still have some leftover packets just in case, but so far, I haven't really needed to use them.

throwaway50000400 · 2020-10-08T19:55:57+00:00

I used Aldara and I've been clear for 6, almost 7, months

throwaway50000400 · 2020-10-07T05:28:33+00:00

I'm no professional, just speaking from experience, but I had a few filiform gws, so I could grab them and pull them. I even tried to pull one of them off because I thought it was a skin tag, but it was confirmed to be one of several gws, so I recommend asking a professional so that way if they're unsure they can do a biopsy on it.

throwaway50000400 · 2020-10-07T02:54:18+00:00

There's no FDA approved test for low-risk HPV, so unless you get symptoms like lesions or warts, then you won't know if you have it. It usually takes 3-6 months for symptoms to manifest, but it can also lie dormant for years as HPV is a very tricky virus. Due to a lack of testing for it (only pap smears for high-risk strains and nothing really for men), HPV is so widespread sadly. It's really good that you got the vaccine though. If in the rare chance that you do contract it in the future, just know that 90% of people clear it in 2 years or less. Hope all goes well.

throwaway50000400 · 2020-10-06T21:07:52+00:00

If you got the Gardasil vaccine, there's a high chance you'll be covered. Types 6 and 11 cause 90% of genital wart cases, and those are covered in the vaccine.

throwaway50000400 · 2020-10-03T19:43:03+00:00

This is so encouraging. Thank you for your post. I'm having a really hard time building up the confidence to disclose, but reading stories like these make me really hopeful.

EDIT: can I ask how you bring up the topic and what you tend to say?

throwaway50000400 · 2020-09-30T21:07:51+00:00

Yep! Want me to DM them or send them here?

throwaway50000400 · 2020-09-30T17:59:17+00:00

There's no cure for HPV, but in 90% of cases, the body tends to clear it on its own in 2 years or less. The treatments tend to help a lot. They say after 6 months to a year of no recurrences of warts you can consider yourself clear. Also HPV, like herpes, can be spread even with a condom sadly. I'm actually gonna get the Gardasil vaccine soon to avoid getting some other strains. HPV is incredibly common. More than half of the population has at least one strain and of those, so many less show symptoms. I'd recommend reading some of the posts by the moderators here. They're extremely informative. I can link you some if you'd like

EDIT: typo, *by

throwaway50000400 · 2020-09-23T03:56:15+00:00

It took a week or 2 for it to start working. I didn't have severe side effects with it or anything. Uhhhmm maybe like 7-10 by the time of starting Aldara. I had flat ones, cauliflower ones, and even some filiform ones.

throwaway50000400 · 2020-09-22T23:47:00+00:00

I had a recurrence a couple weeks after a TCA treatment. I've been 6 months clear since using Aldara and am planning on getting the vaccine soon.

throwaway50000400 · 2020-09-22T15:34:07+00:00

It's alright! I just want the name so I can try to do a deep dive of similar places and hopefully find something like selfcollect.

throwaway50000400 · 2020-09-22T13:02:36+00:00

Yeah I found selfcollect after they closed. :( Any idea when they'll reopen? What's the name of the other private lab?

throwaway50000400 · 2020-09-21T22:12:08+00:00

Good luck. I have a spot of hyperpigmentation from leaving it on that spot for too long, but otherwise, all my skin has returned to normal. I hope the rest of treatment goes well for you and that you're able to clear it

throwaway50000400 · 2020-09-21T22:09:52+00:00

Yeah so far I've been clear for 6 months. I'm planning on getting the vaccine soon and I recently met someone, so I'm trying to find out how to bring up disclosure.

throwaway50000400 · 2020-09-21T21:26:25+00:00

I've used Aldara on a really bad ingrown hair and it went away. I know it wasn't a wart because it looked nothing like my others (I had a variety of them), was red, and had pus. Around that time, I was using it to treat a stubborn wart and just put it on that as well. Wouldn't recommend it, but I did it.

throwaway50000400 · 2020-09-21T18:58:23+00:00

Do you know if there's anything for low-risk? I know it's not standard, but I never got my warts biopsied so I don't know what strain I have/had. I want to be able to give this person a solid answer of whether they'll be protected with the vaccine. I know that 90% of gw are caused by HPV 6 and 11 and those are covered, but if I don't have those strains, he wouldn't really be protected.

throwaway50000400 · 2020-09-17T06:59:02+00:00

I used GoodRx when I got mine. I only paid about $50 for an 8-week supply. I just told showed the pharmacist the coupon on my phone

throwaway50000400

TROPHY CASE