Hi all,

Lindane is commonly prescribed for lice treatment. It is also used as a
seed treatment in agriculture. We have long opposed its use because it
is a neurotoxin and a probable carcinogen. The article below describes
hundreds of cases of accidental poisonings with lindane prescribed for
lice. For those in clinics, it's important to ntoe that there are many
non-insecticidal treatments for lice now available. Products like Lice
B' Gone and others are safe, non-toxic alternatives. Shelley




Reuters Health


Lindane poisoning can cause severe illness

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Lindane, a lotion used to treat lice, can
cause vomiting and seizures if accidentally swallowed, investigators report.

Because of its poisonous nature, they advise in the Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report, published by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, lindane should only be dispensed in small amounts and it
should only be used when first-line treatments haven't worked or are
poorly tolerated.

Dr. J. Sievert, with the Texas Department of State Health Services, and
associates analyzed 870 reported cases of unintentional lindane
ingestion collected from 1998 to 2003.

Symptoms associated with poisoning included nausea and vomiting,
abdominal cramping, headache, cough, seizures and confusion. Illness
severity was high in 1 to 15 percent of cases and moderate in 8 to 23
percent.

Some cases of poisoning seemed to be caused by mistaking lindane for an
oral medicine, because some pharmacies are in the practice of
repackaging bottles of bulk lindane into smaller bottles resembling
those used for liquid oral medications.

Therefore, "pharmacists should not transfer lindane to other containers
and should only dispense lindane in manufacturer-provided 1- or 2-ounce
containers," the report authors advise.

The three other FDA-approved treatments for lice -- permethrin,
pyrethrin and malathion -- should be tried first, they add. If lindane
is used, it should not be repeated and it should be avoided altogether
for anyone weighing less than 110 pounds.

SOURCE: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, June 3, 2005.

http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2005/06/03/eline/links/20050603elin031.html