Diseases & Conditions Blog

Teen Track Star Dies from Sports Cream Overuse - Thursday, April 1, 2010

A New York medical examiner has blamed using too much over-the-counter muscle cream on a 17-year-old track star's death. Arielle Newman, a cross country runner from Staten Island, died after her body absorbed toxic levels of methyl salicylate, the anti-inflammatory found in sports creams such as Bengay or Icy Hot These creams are used to soothe muscle aches and stiffness.

A spokesperson for the medical examiner who performed the teen's autopsy said the teen used "topical medication" to excess. The young athlete's death is the first reported death in New York from using a sports cream. Methyl salicylate poisoning is highly unusual, and deaths from high levels of it are rare. The medical examiner said the girl either used the cream way too often, slathered her body with it, or used a normal amount and her body absorbed an abnormally high amount of methyl salicylate.