Coal Tar

Coal tar has antipruritic, keratoplastic and keratolytic properties. It slows down excessive epidermal cell turnover and is often used topically either alone or in combination with other drugs (e.g., salicylic acid, sulfur) in conditions such as dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis or psoriasis. Coal Tar Cream is used for the treatment of psoriasis.

• Psoriasis
• Seborrhoeic dermatitis

Coal tar has antipruritic, keratoplastic and keratolytic properties. It slows down excessive epidermal cell turnover and is often used topically either alone or in combination with other drugs (e.g., salicylic acid, sulfur) in conditions such as dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis or psoriasis.

Coal tar slows down excessive epidermal cell turnover, providing antipruritic, keratoplastic and keratolytic effects.

Adult Dose: Ensure lesions are clean. Apply a thin layer 2-3 times daily, massage in gently and leave to dry. Decrease frequency to 2-3 times/week once improvement is observed.

Pediatric Dose (<12 years): Dilute by mixing with a few drops of cooled boiled water in the palm of the hand.

Pediatric Dose (>12 years): As in adults.

For topical use only. Clean the affected area, apply a thin layer 2-3 times daily and massage gently. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight and sunlamps for at least 24-72 hours after application.

If you miss a dose of Coal Tar, apply it as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next application, skip the missed dose. Do not double the dose.

Common Side Effects:

• Stinging/burning of skin
• Desquamation (peeling)
• Folliculitis
• Discoloration or staining
• Skin irritation
• Photosensitivity of the skin
• Acne-like eruptions of the skin

Serious Side Effects: Increased risk of skin cancer has been reported in psoriatic patients treated with a combination of Coal Tar Cream and UVB radiation.

• Use with caution on the face, near eyes and mucous membranes.
• Do not apply to genital or rectal areas.
• Avoid use in patients with exacerbation of psoriasis.
• Avoid exposure to direct sunlight and sunlamps for at least 24-72 hours after application.
• May stain clothes and hair.
• If undergoing Goeckerman treatment, all coal tar preparations should be removed from skin before exposure to radiation.

• Hypersensitivity to Coal Tar or any of the other ingredients
• Folliculitis and acne vulgaris
• Disease characterized by photosensitivity such as lupus erythematosus
• Allergy to sunlight
• Application to inflamed or broken skin

No significant drug interactions are known.

No food interactions have been found or established.

Pregnancy Category C. There is no direct evidence of safety in pregnant women. Use during pregnancy and lactation should be restricted to intermittent use in low concentrations on a small percentage of body surface; avoid use during the first trimester.

There is no direct evidence of safety in lactating mothers. Use should be restricted to intermittent use in low concentrations on a small percentage of body surface.

Pediatric dose (<12 years): Dilute by mixing with a few drops of cooled boiled water in the palm of the hand. >12 years: As in adults.

Elderly patients: May be diluted by mixing with a few drops of cooled boiled water in the palm of the hand.

For topical use, no dose adjustment is required in renal or hepatic impairment.

There is no evidence that an overdose of topical Coal Tar Cream would be harmful other than a hypersensitivity to coal tar. Ingestion may require gastric lavage depending on the quantity taken and should be treated symptomatically.

Store in a cool and dry place, protected from light.

Coal Tar