Consumer medicine information

CORTIC-DS 1% cream and ointment

hydrocortisone acetate


Consumer Medicine Information

What is in this leaflet

This leaflet answers some common questions about CORTIC-DS.

It does not contain all the available information. It does not take place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.

All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of using CORTIC-DS against the benefits this medicine is expected to have for you.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any concerns about this medicine.

Keep this leaflet with your medicine. You may need to read it again.

What CORTIC-DS is used for

The name of your medicine is CORTIC-DS. It contains the active ingredient called hydrocortisone acetate.

It is available as a cream and an ointment.

CORTIC-DS is a type of cortisone and belongs to the group of medicines called corticosteroids.

CORTIC-DS is a topical corticosteroid therapy for non-infective inflammatory conditions of the skin e.g. eczema, dermatitis. It is used to relieve the redness, swelling, itching and other discomforts of the skin.

Ask your doctor (or pharmacist) if you have any questions about why CORTIC-DS has been prescribed for you. Your doctor, however, may have prescribed CORTIC-DS for another purpose.

A doctor’s prescription is required for the 50 gram tube of CORTIC-DS cream or ointment.

The 30 gram tube of CORTIC-DS cream or ointment can be purchased without a doctor’s prescription.

Before you use it

When you must not use it

Do not use CORTIC-DS if you have ever had an allergic reaction to:

  • CORTIC-DS or hydrocortisone acetate.
  • Any of the ingredients in CORTIC-DS listed at the end of this leaflet.

Do not use CORTIC-DS if you have:

  • A viral skin infection (such as herpes simplex, cold sores, shingles or chicken pox)
  • A fungal skin infection (such as thrush, tinea or ringworm)
  • Tuberculous condition of the skin
  • Vaccinia (cowpox: a viral disease passed from cattle)
  • Varicella (a rare form of chicken pox).

CORTIC-DS should not be used if you suffer from poor circulation of blood in the skin region, as it may result in skin ulcers.

Occlusive dressings should not be used if you have a skin infection.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist to be sure that you do not have any of these conditions.

Do not use this medicine after the expiry date printed on the pack. It may have no effect at all, or worse, it may give an entirely unexpected effect if you use after the expiry date.

Do not use it if the packaging shows sign of tampering or the seal on the tube is broken, or if the product does not look quite right.

Before you start to use it

You must tell your doctor if:

  • You are allergic to any other medicines, foods, dyes or preservatives.
  • You have any other health problems
  • You are pregnant or breast-feeding.

Do not apply the cream or ointment to the breast before breast- feeding.

Using other medicines

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are using other creams, ointments or lotions or taking any medicine. This includes any that you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.

Some medicines may interfere with CORTIC-DS if it is used excessively or for prolonged periods.

Your doctor or pharmacist has a list of medicines that may interfere with CORTIC-DS.

If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell them before you start using CORTIC-DS.

Use in Children

Do not use in children unless your doctor tells you to do so.

How to use it

How to use it

Apply a thin smear to affected areas two to four times a day or as directed.

Occlusive dressings are not necessary unless advised by your doctor.

It is important to use CORTIC-DS exactly as your doctor (or pharmacist) has told you.

If you use it less than you should, it may not work as well and your skin problem may not improve.

Using it more often than you should may not improve your skin problem any faster and may cause or increase side effects.

Use CORTIC-DS at the same time every day.

How long to use it

Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you how long to use CORTIC-DS.

Reduce the number of applications as the disorder subsides.

If you use CORTIC-DS for a long time, the chance of side effects increases.

If you forget to use it

If you forget to use it, apply it as soon as you remember and then go back to your normal times for applying CORTIC-DS.

Do not try to make up for the amount you missed by using more than you normally use.

If you swallow it

Telephone your doctor or the Poisons Information Centre (phone 13 11 26) for advice or go to the Accident and Emergency Centre at your nearest hospital immediately if you or anyone you know swallows CORTIC-DS.

While you are using it

Things you must do

Tell all your doctors and pharmacists who are treating you that you are using CORTIC-DS.

Tell your doctor if you feel that this medicine is not helping your condition.

Tell your doctor if, for any reason, you have not used it exactly as prescribed. Otherwise, your doctor may think that it was not effective and change your treatment unnecessarily.

Tell your doctor if you become pregnant while using CORTIC-DS.

Things you must not do

Do not use CORTIC-DS under dressings or on large areas of skin unless your doctor tells you.

Do not use it in or near the eyes.

Do not give your cream or ointment to anyone else even if their symptoms seem similar to yours.

Do not use it to treat other conditions unless your doctor tells you. Your doctor has prescribed CORTIC-DS especially for you and your condition. If you use it for another condition, it may not work or make the condition worse.

Things to be careful of

Do not use large amounts of CORTIC-DS for a long time. If you use large amounts for long time, the chance of systemic absorption through the skin and the chance of side effects increase.

Ask your doctor (or pharmacist) if you are concerned about the length of time you have been using this medicine.

Only use CORTIC-DS under the arm or in the groin if your doctor tells you.

Side Effects

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you do not feel well while you are using CORTIC-DS.

This medicine helps most people with skin problems but it may have some unwanted side effects in a few people.

Side effects reported by some people using CORTIC-DS include:

  • itching
  • burning
  • dryness
  • acne-form eruptions.

In addition to the above side effects prolonged or over-use of this product may cause the following side effects in some people:

  • high blood pressure
  • elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood
  • eye problems e.g. cataracts, glaucoma and blurred vision.

If you have any other side effects, check with your doctor.

Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.

After using it

Storage

Keep CORTIC-DS where young children cannot reach it. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.

Keep your medicine in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C.

Do not leave it in the car or on windowsills. Heat can destroy some medicines.

Disposal

If your doctor tells you to stop using CORTIC-DS or it has passed its expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any medicine left over.

Further Information

This is not all the information that is available on CORTIC-DS. If you need more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Product Description

What it looks like

CORTIC-DS cream is a soft white cream with faint odour of chlorocresol.

CORTIC-DS ointment is a soft, yellowish-white ointment with a faint odour of paraffin and lanolin.

Both CORTIC-DS cream and ointment are packed in 30 g and 50 g tubes.

Ingredients

Hydrocortisone acetate (microfined) 1% or 10 mg/g is the active ingredient in both CORTIC-DS cream and ointment.

Inactive Ingredients

CORTIC-DS cream

  • white soft paraffin
  • liquid paraffin
  • cetomacrogol 1000
  • cetostearyl alcohol
  • chlorocresol (preservative)
  • purified water.

CORTIC-DS ointment

  • white soft paraffin
  • hard paraffin
  • liquid paraffin
  • wool fat.

CORTIC-DS ointment is preservative free.

The Australian Product Registration numbers are:

CORTIC-DS cream: AUST R 91051

CORTIC-DS ointment: AUST R 91052.

Sponsor

Aspen Pharmacare Australia Pty Ltd
34-36 Chandos Street
St Leonards NSW 2065
Australia

This leaflet was revised in September 2019.

Published by MIMS December 2019