Patient leaflet - Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub
1. What Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub is and what it is used for
The name of your medicine is Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub.
It contains the active ingredients cajuput oil, camphor, cineole, menthol and methyl salicylate. The properties of the five active constituents when applied externally are as follows:
- Menthol enlarges the blood vessels, causing increase in blood flow to the skin area and sensation of coldness followed by a pain killer effect.
- Camphor increases blood circulation and produces redness to the skin and helps to relieve pain.
- Cineole is a rubefacient (increases blood circulation and produces redness to the skin).
- Cajuput oil is a stimulant (enhances alertness, awareness or wakefulness) and mild rubefacient (increases blood circulation).
- Methyl Salicylate relieves pain.
Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub is used for the symptomatic relief of muscular pain and stiffness including rheumatic pain, fibrositis, sciatica, strains, lumbago and for the relief of the symptoms of colds.
2. What you need to know before you use Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub
Do not use if you are allergic to any of the ingredients or painkillers such as aspirin, ibuprofen and other NSAID. See section 6.
Not recommended for children under 3 months.
Take special care with Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub
For use as an inhalant
If you suffer from asthma please consult your doctor or pharmacist before use.
For use on skin
Avoid contact with eyes, mucous membrane (e.g. mouth, vagina, inside of nose etc.) or broken skin.
If symptoms persist or worsen after two weeks, please consult your doctor.
Consult your doctor before use if you are pregnant, breast-feeding, asthmatic or on any prescribed medicines.
Other medicines and Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including medicines obtained without prescription. Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub may react with other medicines like Warfarin (used to treat blood clots), Aspirin (used to thin the blood) and other products.
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.
3. How to use Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub
For external use only.
Adults, the Elderly and Children: Use as directed, two to three times daily.
If you accidentally swallow or use more Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub than you should please consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
- Always try on a small area first.
- Care should be taken in patients with sensitive skin or if used in hot weather or after a bath.
- Do not cover the skin with bandages, plasters or any other dressing.
- Always wash your hands immediately after use so that you do not transfer it to sensitive areas such as your lips or eyes. If this occurs, wash away with plenty of clean water.
- Stop using Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub if you get skin irritation or other unwanted effects.
If this product comes into contact with dressings, clothing and bedding the fabric can be easily ignited with a naked flame. You should keep away from fire when using this product.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Very serious side effects – If any of the following happens, stop using Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub and tell your doctor immediately or go to the nearest hospital emergency department:
- Asthma which can lead to shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing and tightness in the chest.
- Rhinitis (swelling and irritation inside the nose)
- Inflammation of the skin (skin burns, blisters, temporary redness, burning sensation and rashes)
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 at: www.mhra.gov.uk/ yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not store above 25° C. Keep the container tightly closed.
Do not use Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub after the expiry date which is stated on the label. The expiry date refers to the last date of that month.
Do not throw away any medicine via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub contains
There are five active substances in Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub:
- Cajuput Oil 2.5% v/w
- Camphor 2.5 % w/w
- Cineole 2.5% v/w
- Menthol 5% w/w • Methyl Salicylate 15% v/w
The other ingredient is paraffin white soft.
What Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub looks like and contents of the pack Menthol and Wintergreen Vapour Rub is a smooth homogenous off-white ointment, similar to white petroleum jelly and comes in white polypropylene jar with white Polypropylene screw cap (enclosed in a cardboard carton) in pack size of 500 g.
Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer:
Bell Sons and Company (Druggists) Limited,
Gifford House,
Slaidburn Crescent,
Southport,
PR9 9AL,
United Kingdom
Product Licence Number: PL 03105/0110
This leaflet was last revised in March 2024.