Seriously. Thanks for this info. I always kind of assumed it was a non-steroidal, OTC, weak sister preparation commercially named to ride the coattails of Cortisone. Your post made me look deeper: [link|http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sci/A0824711.html|Hydrocortisone at Infoplease]. I think you're very right that intense itching made me shut-off the risk-assessment parts of my brain.

I'm not one for medication--I think I average fewer than eight aspirin tablets per year. The only time I've ever used this stuff was on a rash on my neck that broke-out from spider mite bites. I only used it once-a-day (before going to sleep) for three days.

The human version of it was somewhere around $10 per ounce while the pet version was about $5 for a big 'ol pump spray bottle. I liked the pump spray because my reaction to the mite bites was such that even the application of the cream was irritating.

Thanks again.