Supplement Clarity

Australian Dream Review. How It Blocks Your Arthritis Pain

Joe Cannon

I must be getting old because one of my favorite stations on XM radio is the channel that plays the old-time radio shows (XM 148). I like it because I get to hear programs that my parents and grandparents listened to when they were around. One night, driving home, I heard a commercial for an arthritis cream called Australian Dream. The spokesperson for the commercial was Chuck Woolery, who many may remember from TV game shows like Love Connection. I've never heard of Australian Dream, so I decided to review it. As I drove home, eager to learn more about this product, I thought for sure I knew exactly what its active ingredient was. I couldn’t have been more wrong―which made me want to review it even more.

 

Australian Dream Research

From what I can tell, Australian Dream has no published peer-reviewed evidence to show it reduces arthritis pain or any other kinds of pain, better than a placebo or better than other similar products on the market. That's too bad considering the product has been around for over a decade. Because of that, let's now look at the ingredients in the product and see what we can figure out.

Australian Dream Ingredients

According to the product website, the active ingredient in Australian Dream is histamine dihydrochloride (at a concentration of 0.025%)—which, they tell us, is an external analgesic.

Other ingredients in Australian Dream include:

Since none of these ingredients are listed as active ingredients, I will assume that they are inactive and play no role at all in the effectiveness of Australian Dream. That said, if you look closely you'll see that this list includes 3 ingredients that people with arthritis pain are probably familiar with:

These 3 ingredients show up in A LOT of joint pain supplements, many of which I've already reviewed. That said, I want to point out that the evidence purporting they may help arthritis pain is based on taking them by mouth―not rubbing them on the skin. For example, I'm not aware of any proof that rubbing glucosamine on the skin helps arthritis pain.

So, I have to ask the question: Why are glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM in this product? The only reason I can think of is for marketing purposes. In other words, people expect to see them in a joint pain supplement, and they might not buy the product unless they see them.

As proof of this,  I even noticed websites specifically touting the glucosamine in Australian Dream. Whether they are present or not, I don’t feel they contribute anything to how well Australian Dream works.

For more on these ingredients, see these reviews:

Since histamine dihydrochloride is listed as the only active ingredient, let's now talk about it more and see what it does.

 

Histamine Dihydrochloride

Histamine dihydrochloride (pronounced hiss-ta-mean dye-hide-row-klor-ride) is a form of histamine—a compound that does many things in the body. For example, histamine is released by immune system cells during allergy season and is the reason for runny noses and watery eyes. Some people may take antihistamines, which block the action of histamine.

Tip. another name for histamine dihydrochloride is histaminum hydrochloricum.

On the product website, they say histamine dihydrochloride is an “external analgesic.” An analgesic is something that relieves pain.

As an aside, in some countries (not in the US), histamine dihydrochloride may also used to treat some forms of leukemia; although in this instance, it is injected rather than being rubbed on the skin. Rubbing it on the skin does not do the same thing as injecting it.

This stuff is also a vasodilator, which means it expands blood vessels. I think this is at the heart of its pain-reducing effects. As blood vessels open up more, there is a greater flow of blood to the area to which it is applied. The improved blood flow to the area might give the sensation of warmth, which temporarily masks pain sensations.

I think this is how histamine dihydrochloride works, because I'm not able to find any evidence that it directly reduces pain. I think the pain reduction is a byproduct of improved blood flow.  

If anyone can find evidence that histamine dihydrochloride directly blocks pain receptors, let me know and I'll update this part of the review.

 

Who Makes Australian Dream?

Nature’s Health Connection is the company that makes Australian Dream. This company is located at 230 Plummer Street, Campton, KY 41301, according to the Better Business Bureau file. I called Nature’s Health Connection and was told this is the address of the company headquarters but is not where Australian Dream is made.

The BBB gave the company an “A +” rating when this review was created. See the BBB file for updates and more information.

The BBB previously had another website for the company: “NHC123.com” (where NHC probably refers to Nature's Health Connection). This may be the original company website which is no longer being used.

The website for Australian Dream and Nature’s Health Connection is: AustralianDream.com.

Another address for Nature’s Health Connection: 121 Pelfrey Drive, Campton, KY—which is about 3 miles from the Plummer Street address. When I spoke to the representative at Nature’s Health Connection, I was told this address is no longer valid.

Contact Australian Dream

The customer service number is 888-600-4642. The contact page of AustralianDream.com also has an email option; however, I recommend calling them if you have a question. They have helpful customer service reps. The BBB also lists another contact number of  606-668-6533.

Is Australian Dream Sold In Australia?

Australian Dream is made in the US. As it happens, my friend and fellow health investigator, Bill Sukala, lives in Australia. I asked him if he's heard of Australian Dream. He said he hadn't. Nature’s Health Connection also informed me that the product is not currently sold in Australia.

Buy Australian Dream

This arthritis cream is popular. I've seen it at many stores. You can purchase it at Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Target, Walmart, Costco, Sam's Club, Bed Bath and Beyond.

How To Return Australian Dream

To their credit, the makers of Australian Dream have an “Empty Jar Guarantee.” For those who are not satisfied, they can return the empty jar along with their sales receipt and get a full refund. To return Australian Dream send the jar to: Australian Dream Refunds PO Box 609 Campton, KY 41301.

Australian Dream Back Pain Cream

The company also makes a Back Pain Cream too. The Back Pain Cream contains the same active ingredient as regular Australian cream (histamine dihydrochloride)  but at a higher concentration – 0.5%. Here's the concentration of the active ingredient for the regular cream, back pain cream and Australian Dream Hand and Wrist cream side by side:

 

Where Did the Name Come From?

I was curious about where the name “Australian Dream” came from, so I asked Nature’s Health Connection, the maker of the product, who told me that the name was chosen because the product contains emu oil, which comes from Australia.

I located one online source which notes emu oil used to be the primary ingredient in the product until the year 2000, when another ingredient―presumably histamine dihydrochloride―was added to the product.

As an aside Blue Emu Oil is another product marketed to help joint and arthritis pain.

Australian Dream And Migraines

This is not related to Australian Dream specifically, but as I was researching this product I uncovered an interesting clinical trial related to whether histamine dihydrochloride could help migraine headaches when it's placed under the skin.

As I wrote this review, the clinical trial had not yet begun, but I wanted to address it for those who may be searching for does Australian Dream might help with migraine headaches. For more on migraines see these videos on my Youtube channel:

What supplements help migraines

Why I don't like butterbur for migraines

Can CoQ10 help migraine headaches?

To play devil's advocate, one study from 1985 noted intravenous histamine dihydrochloride caused headaches.  That doesn't mean rubbing Australian Dream on the skin does the same thing.

 

Australian Dream Side Effects

I think Australian Dream is safe for most people who use it appropriately.  Searching online for side effects does not turn up much in terms of people saying bad things about it either. That said, some have said they have had side effects. For example, in the comments below, one person said Australian Dream worked but also made his skin itch.

I think most of these complaints may be linked to histamine dihydrochloride, which is the product’s active ingredient. Here is a list of potential / theoretical side effects based on the active ingredient. How likely any of these are to occur, I do not know.

This list is not complete.

Because histamine dihydrochloride vasodilates (expands/enlarges) blood vessels, it's possible that it may decrease blood pressure. This effect might be most noticed by those with low blood pressure or those who take medications for high blood pressure. When I searched online for side effects, I did see some people talking about how Australian Dream lowered their blood pressure, causing them to feel dizzy.

Histamine may be related to headaches but that doesn't necessarily mean rubbing a histamine dihydrochloride cream on the skin causes headaches. Still, headache-prone individuals should consult their doctor or pharmacist for more up-to-date and in-depth information.

Some people online reported having an allergic reaction shortly after using Australian Dream that resulted in itching, difficulty swallowing, and blisters. My guess is that this may be due to a histamine sensitivity/intolerance where some people may lack the ability to break down histamine.

Ads for Australian Dream say it is odorless, but some people online have noted that it has an odor.  Again, some people may be more sensitive than others on this issue. People with lung problems (asthma, COPD, etc.) should refrain from smelling the compound, and also use it in a well-ventilated area, just to be safe.

All that said, I think most people will probably not notice any unusual side effects from the product, but when in doubt, ask your pharmacist or doctor just to be sure. For more info, see this summary of the product.

Australian Dream Experiment

I do not have arthritis and so trying it on myself would not work. I did however purchase Australian Dream for a relative who is a 90-year-old WWII / Korean war veteran and formal postal worker whose route required he walked 13 miles a day for over 20 years. That's over 60,000 miles walked – just for the post office. That doesn't include his time in WWII or Korea.

Needless to say, he's got knee arthritis and while he walks, he's in some pain.

He tried Australian Dream and while he thought it might have worked after the first night, told me shortly thereafter, it was not helping him. Of course, it could be that his arthritis was too far advanced for the product to work? Walking all that distance for years plus being in the military will take its toll on anyone.

There are many nameless people on the web who give testimonials about products. I wanted to provide these insights for what they are, just a non-scientific experiment from someone I know and trust so you would have something to compare testimonials to.

Take it for what it is.

Does Australian Dream Work?

Looking at what research I could find I think it's possible some people may notice temporary relief of aches, pains, and joint stiffness. How does Australian Dream compare to other pain relief creams like Ben Gay or Aspercream? I'm not sure. The good news is Austrliam Dream is not expensive so it may be worth a try. If you've tried and it helped―or didn’t―do leave a comment below and let me (and others) know what happened.

Do You Have Any Questions?


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