AVOCA CAUSTIC PENCIL 95% W/W CUTANEOUS STICK

Package leaflet: Information for the user

AVOCA

Caustic Pencil 95% w/w Cutaneous Stick
Wart & Verruca Treatment 95% w/w Cutaneous Stick
Caustic Applicator 95% w/w Cutaneous Stick
Caustic Applicator 75% w/w Cutaneous Stick
Caustic Pencil 40% w/w Cutaneous Stick
Silver nitrate

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start using
this medicine because it contains important
information for you.
Always use this this medicine exactly as described in this
leaflet or as your doctor, pharmacist or nurse has told you.
•
•
•
•

Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
Ask your pharmacist if you need more information or advice.
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or
nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this
leaflet. See section 4.
You must talk to a doctor if you do not feel better or if you
feel worse after 3 days for wart treatment or 6 days for verruca
treatment.

3 How to use Avoca
Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist
has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are
not sure.

The recommended dose is:
Apply once daily for 3 days for wart treatment. Apply once daily
for 6 days for verruca treatment.
If your symptoms carry on or do not improve after this number
of applications, you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

You will need the following before you start:
•

A small amount of clean water such as tap water. Do not
use saline solution or water known to contain salt or
chlorides

•

A clean non-absorbent surface such as an upturned
drinking glass or steel cup

•

A paper tissue

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Petroleum jelly

•

A firm surface to work on such as a table. Spread the
newspaper over the table. Do not use your medicine over
bathroom or kitchen fittings or carpets. Most surfaces
touched by silver nitrate dissolved in water will be stained
black or grey.

•

Newspaper or similar to protect the table from drops of
water containing silver nitrate

What is in this leaflet:
1
2
3
4
5
6

What Avoca is and what it is used for
What you need to know before you use Avoca
How to use Avoca
Possible side effects
How to store Avoca
Contents of the pack and other information

How to apply this medicine:
1

Put a single drop of clean water on a non-absorbent
surface such as an upturned drinking glass or steel cup
(see Figure 1)

2

Dip the tip in the drop of water. Gently move the tip in the
water for a minute (see Figure 2)

3

The tip is now coated in water containing silver nitrate (see
Figure 3)

4

Do not allow the water or tip to touch healthy skin or
tissue

5

Protect healthy skin around the area to be treated with a
thin layer of petroleum jelly (see Figure 4)

1 What Avoca is and what it is used for
The name of your medicine is Avoca. It is available in the
following packs:
Avoca Caustic Pencil 95% w/w Cutaneous Stick
Avoca Wart & Verruca Treatment 95% w/w Cutaneous Stick
Avoca Caustic Applicator 95% w/w Cutaneous Stick
Avoca Caustic Applicator 75 % w/w Cutaneous Stick
Avoca Caustic Pencil 40% w/w Cutaneous Stick
All packs are called Avoca in this leaflet. Avoca contains a
medicine called silver nitrate.

6

Avoca is used for removing warts including verrucas and excess
tissue, for example tissue that forms during the healing process
of wounds.

Roll the tip on the area to be treated to transfer water from
the tip to the surface of the area (see Figure 5)

7

Allow the treated area to dry before contact with any other
surface (see Figure 6)

Avoca works by destroying tissue on the surface layers of warts
and verrucas.

8

Using a paper tissue, dry the tip of the pencil and the
non-absorbent surface. Dispose of the paper tissue

9

Over 24 hours and following exposure to light, any surface
touched by the water or wet tip may be stained black

10

After 24 hours, the black surface of the treated skin should
be filed away with a course nail buffer or fine emery board.

11

The remaining wart/verruca should be treated again.

2 What you need to know before you use Avoca
Do not use Avoca:
- if you are allergic to silver nitrate or any of the other
ingredients of this medicine (listed in Section 6).

Warnings and precautions
Do not use near your eyes
Do not use on genital warts
Do not use on sensitive areas of your body
Avoca is caustic (can burn) and can cause staining. Do not use
Avoca over bathroom or kitchen fittings or carpets.

Other medicines and Avoca
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are using, have recently
used or might use any other medicines.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding
If you are pregnant or breast feeding, think you may be
pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or
pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

Avoca contains potassium nitrate

Turn over

If you use more Avoca than you should

Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer

If you use more Avoca than you should or you swallow it by
accident, tell a doctor or go to a hospital casualty department
straight away.

Bray Group Limited
1 Regal Way
Faringdon
Oxfordshire
SN7 7BX

Take the medicine pack with you. This is so the doctor knows
what you have used. The following effects may happen: burning
or stinging.
If swallowed you may also have pain in the mouth, produce
more saliva, diarrhoea, feeling sick, being sick (vomit may be
stained black), loss of consciousness or fits.

If you forget to use Avoca
Do not apply a double dose to make up for a forgotten
application.

4 Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although
not everybody gets them.

Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or
nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this
leaflet.
You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card
Scheme website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.
By reporting side effects you can help provide more information
on the safety of this medicine.

5 How to store Avoca
•

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

•

Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is
stated on the label and carton after EXP. The expiry date
refers to the last day of that month.

•

Store protected from light and moisture.

•

Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or
household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away
medicines you no longer use. These measures will help to
protect the environment.

6 Contents of the pack and other information
What Avoca contains
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The active substance is silver nitrate
The other ingredient is potassium nitrate

What Avoca looks like and contents of the pack
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Avoca Caustic Pencil 95% w/w Cutaneous Stick is available
in a carton containing a blue plastic container and push-on cap.
•
Avoca Wart & Verruca Treatment 95% w/w Cutaneous Stick
is available in a carton containing a blue plastic container and
push-on cap. It is supplied with 1 emery file.
•
Avoca Caustic Applicator 95% w/w Cutaneous Stick is
available in a carton containing 100 applicators. Each applicator
is a 15cm long flexible blue plastic handle with a treated tip.
•
Avoca Caustic Applicator 75 % w/w Cutaneous Stick is
available in a carton containing either 50 or 100 applicators.
Each applicator is a 15cm long flexible yellow plastic handle
with a treated tip.
•
Avoca Caustic Pencil 40% w/w Cutaneous Stick is available
in a carton containing a red plastic container and push-on cap.

Telephone +44 (0) 1367 240 736
Email info@bray-healthcare.com

This leaflet was last revised in March 2014