Muscle Cream Overuse Killed Girl ; Products Available Over the Counter

Jun 11, 01:16 PM

Current Headlines: By ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK The sudden death of a Staten Island high school track star was caused by the accidental overuse of over-the-counter remedies routinely used by millions of Americans to treat sore muscles and joints, the city medical examiner ruled after a two- month probe.

Arielle Newman, 17, a cross-country runner, died April 3 after her body absorbed lethal levels of methyl salicylate, a wintergreen- scented ingredient found in sore muscle treatment products like Bengay, Icy Hot and Tiger Balm.

In addition to spreading the muscle cream on her legs between track meets, Newman was using adhesive pads containing the anti- inflammatory, plus an unspecified third product with the chemical, said Ellen Borakove, spokeswoman for the medical examiner.

"There were multiple products, used to great excess, and that's how she ended up with high levels," Borakove said. The products were used and the chemical absorbed over time, rather than from a single instance of overuse, she said.

The methyl salicylate likely caused a seizure after the teen returned home and went to bed following a party in April. The dark- haired, popular senior at Notre Dame Academy would have turned 18 two weeks ago. She was one of four children.

Borakove said this was the first time that an autopsy in New York City had uncovered a death tied to products with methyl salicylate.

The teen's mother, Alice Newman, was stunned that her daughter's death was caused by products readily available without prescription at any drug store. Arielle had complained of fatigue and shortness of breath in the two months before her death, the mother said.

"I am scrupulous about my children's health," she told the Staten Island Advance. "I did not think an over-the-counter product could be unsafe."

Johnson & Johnson, the makers of Bengay, expressed sympathy for the family in a statement and reminded consumers about "the importance of reading the label on this and all over-the-counter medicines to ensure safe and proper use."

The label on Ultra Strength Bengay reads that the product should be applied no more than three or four times daily and advises consumers to stop using it and see a doctor if the condition worsens or symptoms persist for more than a week, spokeswoman Meghan Marschall said.

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