Yew Salve [Discontinued] by New Sun

INSUFFICIENT RELIABLE EVIDENCE to RATE

• Anal fissures. Preliminary clinical research shows that topical use of a mixture of honey, olive oil, and beeswax for 12 hours reduces pain, bleeding, and itching associated with anal fissures (34100). It is unclear if these effects are due to beeswax, the other ingredients, or the combination.
• Burns. Preliminary clinical research in individuals with second-degree burns shows that applying a dressing containing a mixture of beeswax, olive oil, and alkanna once daily reduces healing time by almost 4 days, decreases pain during dressing changes, and shortens the duration of hospitalization by about 6 days compared to using a dressing containing nitrofurazone and rifamycin, applied once every 2 days (96328). Other preliminary clinical research shows that using a topical product containing beeswax (Medilixir, Medilixir Pty Ltd) for 14 days decreases the severity of itching, lengthens the time until itch recurrence, and decreases the use of anti-itch medications compared to standard aqueous cream (Biotech Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd) in individuals experiencing post-burn itch (96329). Poor study designs limit the reliability of the findings.
• Diaper rash. Preliminary clinical research shows that topical use of a mixture of honey, olive oil, and beeswax four times daily for 7 days reduces symptoms of diaper rash by more than 75% (34094). It is unclear if this effect is due to beeswax, the other ingredients, or the combination.
• Hemorrhoids. Preliminary clinical research shows that topical use of a mixture of honey, olive oil, and beeswax for 12 hours reduces pain, bleeding, and itching associated with hemorrhoids (34100). It is unclear if these effects are due to beeswax, the other ingredients, or the combination.
• Oral mucositis. Preliminary clinical research in children with severe chemotherapy-induced mucositis shows that applying of mixture of honey, olive oil-propolis extract, and beeswax topically three times daily until healing or for a maximum of 10 days, along with standard oral care, reduces recovery time by almost 3 days compared to using benzocaine 7.5% gel. However, the mixture does not appear to reduce recovery time compared to benzocaine in patients with moderate chemotherapy-induced mucositis. Additionally, applying honey alone 0.5 grams/kg (maximum 15 grams), appears to be more efficacious for both moderate and severe mucositis than either the honey mixture or benzocaine gel (55245).
• Radiation dermatitis. A small clinical study in patients undergoing radiotherapy shows that applying a topical ointment containing beeswax, olive oil, calendula oil extract, and St. John's wort oil extract to the treated area nightly during radiotherapy and for two weeks post-radiotherapy, while also applying a topical cream containing aloe vera gel, calendula oil extract, and St. John's wort oil extract to the treated area three to four times daily, reduces the intensity of dermatitis and improves quality of life scores when compared to baseline (105769). The validity of these findings is limited by the lack of a comparator group. Additionally, it is unclear if these findings are due to beeswax, other ingredients, or the combination.
• Tinea corporis. Preliminary clinical research shows that topical use of a mixture of honey, olive oil, and beeswax three times daily for 4 weeks achieves clinical response in 75% of patients with tinea corporis (34092). It is unclear if this effect is due to beeswax, the other ingredients, or the combination.
• Tinea cruris. Preliminary clinical research shows that topical use of a mixture of honey, olive oil, and beeswax three times daily for 4 weeks achieves clinical response in 78% of patients with tinea cruris (34092). It is unclear if this effect is due to beeswax, the other ingredients, or the combination.
• Tinea versicolor. Preliminary clinical research shows that topical use of a mixture of honey, olive oil, and beeswax three times daily for 4 weeks achieves clinical response in 86% of patients with tinea versicolor (34092). It is unclear if this effect is due to beeswax, the other ingredients, or the combination. More evidence is needed to rate beeswax for these uses.

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There is insufficient reliable information available about the effectiveness of yew.

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LIKELY SAFE ...when used orally in amounts commonly found in foods. Beeswax has Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status in the US (4912). ...when used orally as a medicinal agent (11)....when used topically (11,55245,96328,96329).

PREGNANCY AND LACTATION:
There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of medicinal amounts of beeswax during pregnancy and lactation.

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LIKELY UNSAFE ...when used orally (6,18). All parts of the yew plant are considered poisonous (5604). Ingestion of 50-100 grams, or 0.6-1.3 grams/kg, of yew needles can cause death (18,5604,105514,105515). Yew can cause severe gastrointestinal irritation and can cause the heart to beat dangerously slow, fast, or irregularly (17,159,5604,86746,86756,100036,100037,100038,100039,100040,105514,105515). Many of the reported fatalities have occurred after ingestion of large amounts of plant material, especially yew needles (5603,5604,5605,86755,86756,86758,86763,100037,100041,105514,105515).

CHILDREN: UNSAFE
when the berries or needles are used orally. One chewed berry is potentially lethal (159). Ingesting the berries or needles can cause the heart to beat dangerously slow or fast (86753,86760).

PREGNANCY AND LACTATION: UNSAFE
when the needles are used orally. Yew needles have been used as an abortifacient (16,18).

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General ...Orally, beeswax is well tolerated. Allergic reactions to beeswax are possible in some patients (11).
Topically, beeswax may cause allergic contact dermatitis. In most cases, this reaction is likely caused by the propolis component of beeswax (55245,102517).

Dermatologic ...Topically, beeswax may cause allergic contact dermatitis. In most cases, this reaction is likely caused by the propolis component of beeswax (55245,102517). While this reaction is thought to be rare in the general population, one cross-sectional study found that 18% of patients with a history of cheilitis or facial dermatitis experienced positive reactions to beeswax. While most of these patients also had a positive reaction to a propolis patch test, some did not, suggesting that a substance in beeswax itself may be involved in this sensitization (102517).

Immunologic ...Orally, beeswax may cause allergic reactions (11). Topically, beeswax may cause allergic contact dermatitis. In most cases, this reaction is likely caused by the propolis component of beeswax (102517).

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General ...Orally, symptoms of yew poisoning include queasiness, dry mouth, (18) vomiting, vertigo, severe abdominal pain, weakness (5604,5605,100036,100037,100038,100039,100040,105514,105515), nervousness, trembling, dyspnea, incoordination (5603), tachycardia, bradycardia, arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation, hypotension, unconsciousness, coma (5604,86746,86756,100036,100038,100039,100040,105514,105515), dizziness, seizures (100038,105514), respiratory depression (100037), mydriasis, reddening of the lips, pale and cyanotic skin (6,18,5605), and death secondary to cardiac arrest (5604,105514,105515). Usually, gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms occur early, within 30-90 minutes, followed by cardiovascular symptoms and death within 24 hours (100038,105515). Some people are allergic to yew following airborne exposure (86745,100014).

Cardiovascular ...Orally, symptoms of yew poisoning include tachycardia, bradycardia, arrhythmias, hypotension, ventricular fibrillation, and death due to cardiac arrest (5604,86746,86756,100036,100038,100039,100040,105514,105515). Usually, gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms occur early, within 30-90 minutes, followed by cardiovascular symptoms and death within 24 hours (100038,105514,105515).
Treatment is usually related to supportive care, however, arrhythmias are often resistant to standard pharmacologic treatments and transvenous or external pacemakers (100040,105514,105515). Lipid emulsion therapy and digoxin-binding antibodies have also been used to treat yew poisoning, but the effects are unclear (105514). Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) has been used as a bridge during taxine elimination and cardiac recovery (100039,100040,105514). VA ECMO has typically been used for 72 hours or less (105514).

Dermatologic ...Orally, symptoms of yew poisoning include reddening of the lips and pale and cyanotic skin (6,18,5605).

Gastrointestinal ...Orally, initial symptoms of yew poisoning include queasiness, dry mouth, (18) nausea, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain (5604,5605,100036,100037,100038,100039,100040,105514,105515). Usually, gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms occur early, within 30-90 minutes, followed by cardiovascular symptoms and death within 24 hours (100038,105515).

Immunologic ...There is at least one known case of a patient with yew allergy associated with airborne exposure to yew trees (100014). Based on this case report, it was also determined that people who are allergic to yew might become hypersensitive to docetaxel, which is derived from yew (100014). Pollen from yew has caused nasal allergy in 18 patients (86745).

Neurologic/CNS ...Orally, symptoms of yew poisoning include vertigo, weakness (5604), nervousness, trembling, loss of coordination (5603), unconsciousness, coma (5604,100036,105515), dizziness, seizures (100038,105514), respiratory depression (100037), and mydriasis (6,18). Usually, gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms occur early, within 30-90 minutes, followed by cardiovascular symptoms and death within 24 hours (100038,105515).

Pulmonary/Respiratory ...Orally, symptoms of yew poisoning include dyspnea (5603).

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