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Pain from Beetle Juice Lingering

Q. I had a plantar wart on my heel. The dermatologist had her nurse scrape off the top of it and then painted it with beetle juice.

The beetle juice destroyed the wart, but a month later now I still have a painful heel. It feels like I’m walking on a thorn. Will it ever stop hurting?

A. Blister beetle juice (cantharidin) has been used to treat warts for decades. This compound is also known as Spanish fly and was mistakenly thought to be an aphrodisiac.

Cantharidin causes a blister that often cures warts, but the initial reaction may be painful. The discomfort should have disappeared by now, however. Please contact your dermatologist so she can evaluate what is going on.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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