i used to get bad inflammation. so much so that people would ask why my lips looked purple or very dark red. with the use of "medicated lip baum" i still suffered from inflammation (in fact i think that lead to the develoment of ec) and same goes for cotrisone cream. only with the 3+ months protopic has the inflammation subsided and yeah, the peeling cycle is still in effect which i hate, but my lips are now a healthy pink and have even gotten a bit smaller compared to the puffy inflamed lips i had before

My dermatologists strongly discourage long-term use of this stuff, especially in the summer, as it could lead to skin cancer (immune cells are present in low numbers, so smaller chance they will interact with cells in a precancerous stage, and protopic makes them fail to proliferate...)

I think there are better alternatives to reducing inflammation. For starters, reduce irritation and improve humidity, stop picking and licking them and trim them with scizzors, and finally, cutting out processed sugars and white flours seems to help. Also, allow your lips to breathe and not covering them with balms etc., as you have done already :)

An oral pathologist i met with also mentioned the risks however I have been in contact with a top dermatologist and this is the email he sent me:

The oral pathologist is, in my opinion, being too conservative here. There is much evidence to support the use of this medication even in the face of the black box warning. The OP can check the papers and valid evidence in the Journal of the American Journal of Dermatology concerning this. Much has been said about this issue in that Journal which the OP can access if they choose. The real concern is in young children in particular where much of their body is covered with Protopic for severe eczema. My feeling is that use of minimal amounts of medication be used. When your condition is well controlled, you may wish to drop down to 0.03% Protopic and monitor your status. If you require the 0.1% strength however, I would continue with it as long as you are being followed by a dermatologist on a routine basis or anyone who understands the medication well and the condition being treated. Follow-up is important as it is with any condition requiring any ongoing management.



I hope that you find this helpful.

James J. Sciubba, D.M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, (Ret.)
The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
The Milton J. Dance Head & Neck Center
The Greater Baltimore Medical Center