Too much anti-inflammatory cream kills athlete

An anti-inflammatory muscle cream has been blamed for the death of a 17-year-old athlete in New York.

A medical examiner has stated that Arielle Newman, 17-year-old track star died from using too much anti-inflammatory muscle cream.

The cross-country runner at Notre Dame Academy on New York's Staten Island, died after using topical medication to excess says the medical examiner and the girl’s heightened metabolic rate might have contributed to her death.

A spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office says this was the first time that her office had reported a death from using a sports cream; she says Newman's body absorbed high levels of methyl salicylate, an anti-inflammatory found in sports creams such as Bengay and Icy Hot.

The athlete was apparently using adhesive pads containing the anti-inflammatory, as well as an unspecified third product containing the chemical and also spreading the muscle cream on her legs between track meets.

The products were used over a period of time and the chemical was absorbed; Methyl salicylate poisoning is uncommon and deaths from high levels of the chemical are rare.

Newman died on April 3rd after going to a party the night before; when she returned home she spent hours talking with her mother.

Her mother Alice Newman says her daughter admitted her level was six times above the safe levels, and said that Arielle had recently sought a doctor's help because it was taking her a long time to recover between races.

Alice Newman is advocating better regulation of the product and says it's use should be monitored by a doctor.

Others point out that the product has been on the market since 1898 and is safe and effective when used as directed according to the product’s label, which includes a warning label.