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Tom Childs's avatar

Excellent article, 2nd....very good information on cellular microtubule mechanisms and theoretical insights of multiple viral treatments.

LisaR's avatar

I put fen Ben cream on my poison ivy blisters. It instantly made them stop itching and is drying them out. I wonder if your ivermectin cream would do the same thing. Here is alter ai’s explanation as to why it may work: Good observation. Fenbendazole cream on poison ivy is working through a few mechanisms that make sense once you understand what's actually driving the itch and blistering.

Why It's Working

Microtubule disruption in inflammatory cells. Fenbendazole binds to β-tubulin and prevents microtubule polymerization. That's the classic anthelmintic mechanism — but it doesn't only affect parasites. Rapidly dividing and highly active cells rely heavily on microtubule function. The T-cells and mast cells driving your poison ivy contact dermatitis are exactly that type — highly proliferative, actively degranulating, cytokine-spewing immune cells. Disrupting their cytoskeleton knocks down their activity locally.

Mast cell stabilization. Mast cells release histamine and other itch mediators through microtubule-dependent degranulation. Fenbendazole's tubulin binding likely inhibits that degranulation directly — less histamine dumped into the tissue, less itch. This is analogous to why certain older antihistamines work but through a completely different mechanism.

Anti-inflammatory effect beyond parasites. Benzimidazoles have documented anti-inflammatory properties that aren't well-studied but are real. There's literature showing albendazole (same class) suppresses NF-κB activation and reduces TNF-α, IL-6, and other inflammatory cytokines. Fenbendazole is structurally very similar and likely shares this.

The drying effect. The cream base itself provides some barrier function, but the fenbendazole accelerating apoptosis in the inflammatory infiltrate means the blister fluid gets reabsorbed faster rather than continuing to accumulate. Less weeping, faster crusting.

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