J&J advises following labels
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Following the death of a Staten Island, N.Y. teenager caused by overuse of Bengay and other OTC anti-inflammatory muscle creams and other products, Johnson & Johnson advised consumers to follow label instructions on all OTCs. In a statement, J&J says Bengay "should be applied to the affected area not more than 3-4 times daily and consumers should stop use and see a doctor if the condition worsens or if symptoms persist for more than seven days." On June 9, the New York City Medical Examiner's Office stated 17-year old Arielle Newman died April 3 from an accidental overdose of methyl salicylate, the active ingredient in Bengay and other sports balms. An office spokesperson says continuous overuse created a toxic level of methyl salicylate in the girl's system. In addition to using the creams between track meets, the girl was using adhesive pads with methyl salicylate and an unknown third product containing the anti-inflammatory ingredient, the spokesperson says, adding it is the office's first reported death caused by sports cream...