After a two-month investigation by the New York City medical examiner, thesudden death of the young athlete on April 3rd, 2007 has been attributed to the muscle-pain reliever Bengay, reports The Associated Press. The cross-country runner died after her body absorbed high levels of methyl salicylate, an anti-inflammatory found in sports creams like Bengay. The toxicology report revealed more six times the safe amount of methyl salicylate in the young woman's blood. The Associated Press also reported that detectives who first investigated Ms. Newman's death noticed a "faint minty smell...that could have been attributed to methyl salicylate, also known as "oil of wintergreen."
According to the Staten Island Advance, doctors couldn't recall any other deaths cause by topical salicylate poisoning, "But research into medical journals revealed a few reports of salicylate toxicity when absorbed through the skin." Symptoms of salicylate poisoning include nausea and vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, convulsions and agitation.
Methyl Salicylate is found in brand names BenGay, Icy Hot and Mentholatum Deep Heat, all used to relieve muscle and joint pain. Bengay (formerly Ben-Gay) was developed in France and introduced to the U.S. in 1898. It is now produced by Pfizer.
Bengay "Original" contains 15% Methyl Salicylate while "Extra Strength" and "Ultra Strength" varieties contain 30% of the chemical. It is used for muscle and joint ache and minor arthritis pain. Arielle was using Bengay Ultra Strength.
The label on Ultra Strength Bengay states that consumers should apply the product no more than three or four times daily and should stop use and see a doctor if the condition worsens or symptoms persist for more than a week. Still, it doesn't say how much can be applied.