The
“We treat
people, not just problems.”
John
L. Pfenninger, M.D.
Lori Oswald, P.A.-C.
(989)
631-4545
Visit
our Web site at: MPCenter.net
Dr.
Pfenninger’s approach at the
The advantages of injection therapy are that it is quick and there are
no scars from the injections or open sores to deal with. You can immediately return to full activity,
including swimming, sports, jazzercise, etc….
No special care is needed. With
injection therapy, the body’s immune system learns that that wart tissue is
abnormal. Unlike other treatments, if
the warts go away with injection therapy, they rarely ever return.
The side effects of injection therapy with Candida have been
very rare. Very rarely someone will
develop a rash, hives, itching over the
whole body, or swelling.
This indicates an allergy and will mean that the patient can no longer receive any further
injections. Itching and redness in the area of
injection is to be expected, however.
Rarely, there will be some mild blistering. Often the warts will turn somewhat black
and the crust will fall off. About one
third of the time a second injection will be needed one month later. Half of the remaining warts will respond to
the second injection. For those warts
that have not responded to the first two injections, a third one a month later
can be tried. (We don’t normally give
more than three monthly injections, but in some instances have given them up to
five times.) 85% of patients will have
cleared their warts after the third injection.
If all injections have failed, then another method will be needed.
If you notice a rash
after treatment,
please call our office as soon as possible.
If you develop hives take Benadryl immediately and call our
office. (50 mg for older children/100 mg for adults) For children less than 5 years old, check
with us about the dosage.
Generally
a follow-up visit is scheduled for one month after the first injection. If you are absolutely sure the wart(s) is/are gone, cancel the visit at least 3
days before the scheduled visit or
you will be charged a $50.00 “no-show fee”.
If you’re not absolutely sure it’s/they’re gone, keep your visit. Let us decide if further treatment is
necessary.
*Note:
Regarding the Candida solution – the
medicine used for the injection. For
your first visit, the medication will be taken from our supplies. However, if
further injections are needed, you will need to pick up a bottle from a
pharmacist and bring it with you to the second visit. On your first visit, the doctor will write a
prescription for you. Many times, one
injection is all that’s needed. Do not
purchase the material for your second visit until you find that it will be
needed. If it appears that the wart is not going away with the first injection,
then about 2 or 3 days before your next scheduled visit go to the pharmacist
with the prescription and pick up the material. The antigen costs around $100
and may not be covered by your insurance. Be sure the pharmacist knows it is
being used for treatment, not just testing. Candida
antigen (Candin) is not carried routinely by most pharmacies. The hospital pharmacy is more likely to have
it. Call beforehand to be sure they
do. Other pharmacies will usually order
it for you if you call them a few days in advance. Keep it refrigerated until your office
visit. No further purchases will be
necessary even if three or more injection visits are required.
If
Candida injections fail, we may try bleomycin injections, cryotherapy,
cantharidin liquid, or other techniques.
Warts are tough but we’ll try our best to resolve them the quickest way,
and also limit scarring. Help us by
eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and taking a multivitamin. We’ll be glad to answer any questions you
might have.