benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical

Skip to the navigation

Pronunciation: BEN zoe ill per OX ide and SULL fur

Brand: NuOx

What is the most important information I should know about benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical?

Benzoyl peroxide can cause a rare but serious allergic reaction or severe skin irritation. Stop using the medicine and get emergency medical help if you have: hives, itching; difficult breathing, feeling light-headed; or swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Do not use benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical while you are also using tretinoin (Altinac, Avita, Renova, Retin-A, Tretin-X).

What is benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical?

Benzoyl peroxide reduces bacteria and has a mild drying effect that decreases oiliness of the skin.

Sulfur causes drying and peeling of the skin.

Benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical (for the skin) is a combination medicine used to treat acne.

Benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical?

You should not use benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical if you are allergic to it. Do not use this medicine during treatment with tretinoin (Altinac, Avita, Renova, Retin-A, Tretin-X). Using these medications together could cause severe skin irritation.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medicine.

It is not known whether benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I use benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical?

Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not use this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

Benzoyl peroxide can cause a rare but serious allergic reaction or severe skin irritation. Before you start using this medicine, you may choose to apply a "test dose" to see if you have a reaction. Apply a very small amount of the medicine to 1 or 2 small acne areas every day for 3 days in a row. If there is no reaction, begin using the full prescribed amount on the 4th day.

Wash your hands before and after applying this medication. Clean and dry the skin before you apply the medicine.

Do not use this medicine on sunburned, windburned, dry, chapped, or irritated skin. It could make these conditions much worse.

Do not cover the treated skin area unless your doctor tells you to.

It may take up to several weeks before your symptoms improve. Keep using the medication as directed and tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep the tube tightly closed when not in use.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Apply the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

An overdose of benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical is not expected to be dangerous. Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222 if anyone has accidentally swallowed the medication.

What should I avoid while using benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical?

Avoid getting this medicine in your mouth or eyes. If it does get into any of these areas, rinse with water. Also avoid using benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical on wounds or on areas of eczema. Wait until these conditions have healed before using this medicine.

Avoid using skin products that can cause irritation, such as harsh soaps, shampoos, or skin cleansers, hair coloring or permanent chemicals, hair removers or waxes, or skin products with alcohol, spices, astringents, or lime. Do not use other medicated skin products unless your doctor has told you to.

Avoid using sunscreen containing PABA on the same skin treated with benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical, or skin discoloration may occur.

What are the possible side effects of benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical?

Benzoyl peroxide can cause a rare but serious allergic reaction or severe skin irritation. These reactions may occur just a few minutes after you apply the medicine, or within a day or longer afterward.

Stop using this medicine and get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives, itching; difficult breathing, feeling light-headed; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using the medicine if it causes severe burning or excessive dryness or irritation.

Common side effects may include:

  • mild burning or stinging after applying the medicine; or
  • redness, dryness, or peeling of treated skin.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical?

It is not likely that other drugs you take orally or inject will have an effect on topically applied benzoyl peroxide and sulfur. But many drugs can interact with each other. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about benzoyl peroxide and sulfur topical.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2017 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 4.01. Revision date: 7/29/2014.

Your use of the content provided in this service indicates that you have read, understood and agree to the End-User License Agreement, which can be accessed by clicking on this link.