Hi there - I am in the UK and by the sounds of it all you ladies are in the US. I have just started with Aldara (5 sachets in, used the last one on Monday just gone). I think Aldara is still relatively new over here for the treatment of Vin3. I had to see my GP yesterday as I was in absolute agony and she tells my that my vulva is badly ulcerated and has asked me to stop using the cream until she gets back to me - she is going to contact my consultant to see what he thinks (which won't be too much I don't think, as he had to take advice from elsewhere before prescribing it for me) and also see if she can get hold of any more 'specialist' type practitioners.
My vin3 is very widespread and I think the only option if this doesn't work is a vulvectomy - which the very thought of this reduces me to tears. I am apparently quite young to have it and I know what you mean by not wanting to explain to people what you have. As soon as you mention that it's the wart virus they all get the 'oh yes you must have slept around' look on their faces. To be honest, I thought that my husband had been doing the very same when I first found out. The US does seem to be more pioneering in some fields and I wondered if any of you ladies know of other options that may be available?
The side effects look horrendous when you simply read about them in the medication leaflet, it took me a fortnight before I started using it! It is also a contradiction in itself as it tells you not to use it if you have open sores, yet it causes open sores - so is it okay to use on the sores that it causes? (That was hypothetical, I wouldn't use it on the sores).
Anyway, I am going all over the place as I didn't plan to be posting messages, just stumbled across the site whilst looking for further info. It would be great if any of you could post further in response - even if it's just to let me know whether or not you have had success with Aldara, which would give me some hope that all this hassle may be worth it - or have you had worse side effects (there are some horror stories out there as well - esp from patients who have completed the treatment and side effects seem to appear much later).
Kind Regards
Sally