Sports Cream Dangers

With Fall sports in full swing it is important to remind your teens about the potential dangers of over using any medicated product - including seemingly harmless sports creams like Icy Hot and Ben Gay.

At Sports Girls Play, Dr. Lorraine Williams, aka Track Mom, reminds us of the tragic and accidental death of a high school track athlete last year. Arielle Newman, a star of the Staten Island high school track team, died because her body absorbed high levels of methyl salicylate, an anti-inflammatory found in sports creams including Ben Gay and Icy Hot. Though commonly recommended for use by athletes, both exercise and heat can “accentuate absorption” of the drug, and chronic use is said to be more risky than one-time use.

Whether your teen is using a simple pain reliever, cough drops or a sports cream, they need to be reminded of the importance of reading and following the dosage and usage guidelines on these products.