[TommyDale]

I thought Ben Gay was that guy who drove a chariot and wore pink tights.

[Phantom Lord]

Note To Self: Get wife a case of IcyHot for anniversary.

[bcsco]

"I am glad this shows (Arielle) didn't die of her own doing."

Huh? If she applied the cream and died from its affect, then she died of her own doing. Unwittingly perhaps, but from her own doing.

[Islander7]

Never Ben Gay.

[elizabetty]

Why was she using so much? I wonder if she wasn't drinking enough water.

Anyway, this is so very sad.

[the_devils_advocate_666]

But this is a tragedy that could have been avoided

Sounds like a lawyer telling her what to say...

[Red Badger]

Ben Gay?............not lately.......

[ravingnutter]

Hmmmm...I had a dog years ago that ate a tube of Ben Gay and I called the vet and he said not to worry about it. The dog lived, I guess humans must be more sensitive to it.

[krb]

Poor thing. RIP

[beaversmom]

Wow, didn’t know Ben Gay could do you in.

[operation clinton cleanup]

"I am glad this shows (Arielle) didn't die of her own doing. But this is a tragedy that could have been avoided," her mother, Alice Newman told the Advance.

I smell lawsuit!

[mikeus_maximus]

I remember back in the day when my glutes were sore from running, so I lathered 'em up with methyl salycilate right before an afternoon football game in the hot Florida sun.

That was a mistake.

[Slings and Arrows]

Ben Gay

These days he calls himself benburch.

[WWTD]

So will this one get nominated for a Darwin award?

[GoldCountryRedneck]

...speculation her death was linked to a party she had attended...

Hmmmm....no word on where, how much, or with what, the fatal dose(s) were applied.

Suspiciously sounds like an internal use...

[windcliff]

ping

[Coleus]

I saw this on the news tonight; her mother is doing a great public service.

Toxic dose of BenGay killed track star

Topical pain relievers killed track teen, mom says

Medical Examiner's report: NDA track star died from rare toxic Overdose

Pain cream overdose killed track star

Teen's death has coaches on edge over sports creams

Teen Dies From Muscle Cream Overdose

[SunkenCiv]

Methyl salicylate, also known as oil of wintergreen, can be toxic if overused, but deaths from topical application are extremely rare. Borakove said this was the first case she had come across in 20 years at the medical examiner's office.

All essential oils are poisonous, but some are much more so than others; meanwhile some are useful and used for various things (such as ointments, breath mints, flavorings, air fresheners, mosquito repellents, etc).

[sono]

Topical salicylates like Ben Gay have a very good safety profile. This young woman suffered a perfect storm leading to salicylate intoxication. Take home message is that over the counter medication is still medication and there is always the possibility of untoward effect. A very tragic loss and my prayers and condolences to her family.

[Spiff]

When my daughter was 2 or 3 years old, she got to the little bit of Vicks (or some other brand) that we put in a little tray in her vaporizer made for that purpose. It was mostly evaporated, but it had methyl salicylate in it and when we called the poison control people they said to take her to the ER. At the ER we said that she’d ingested a tiny amount (just what she could have got on her fingers) of the stuff and they freaked and forced her to drink activated liquid charcoal. It must be pretty poisonous if both poison control and the ER acted like that.