Acne After Efudex?

Im on day nine of stopping efudex (twice a day for three weeks).  My face is getting covered with an acne type breakout, with alot of small red bumps and whiteheads. No pain, just itchy and a little warm feeling. (I have never had acen or even a pimple in my life, so not sure what this is)  

 

Has anyone else experienced some breakouts while in the healing stage? Ive got a call in to my Derm, waiting to hear back.  

 

On 3/16/2007 Fleet12 wrote:

Im on day nine of stopping efudex (twice a day for three weeks).  My face is getting covered with an acne type breakout, with alot of small red bumps and whiteheads. No pain, just itchy and a little warm feeling. (I have never had acen or even a pimple in my life, so not sure what this is)  

 

Has anyone else experienced some breakouts while in the healing stage? Ive got a call in to my Derm, waiting to hear back.  

I read with interest your problem with your skin after Efudex. I am also almost 2 weeks after efudex and am healing very well. I was wondering if your skin condition was caused by Vaseline if that is what you are putting on your face, as I find the Vaseline is not really absorbed directly into the skin and can cause cloggled pores, this has happened to me in the past but this time around I have hydrocortisone cream added to the Vaseline and it is working well. I find that if I use any other moisturizer my skin becomes very red but does not hurt. What did your Dermo say????

I agree with the other comment that the vaseline probably is responsible for the acne. It causes my skin to develop big red bumps. For this reason even though my derm suggested using vaseline while doing the treatment, I opted not to do so. It's a fact that some people have no problem with the vaseline, but some do. Anything I put on my face hurts now. I am at day 13 of the treatment. I find that about an hour after I apply the cream that the stinging abates, so I am putting nothing on my face but the effudex. I already have scabs forming on the AK areas that I knew about. The rest of my face is just red and swollen, with lots of red spots on my forehead. The right section of my face closer to my ear is hardly red at all, and I apply the cream all over my face. I was told by the derm if there were no precancerous skin cells, there would be no reaction from the cream. I'm  going to see my derm as soon as she can work me in, and will ask as many questions as I can and share the answers with you all. I have read all the comments and will try to ask some of those questions.

Burning in Alabama 

 

Hi, Just like you, I had not had even a spot of acne since the ninth grade. I am 45 years old and just recently underwent an efudex treatment for 4 weeks on my entire face. I completed the treatment the first week of Feb. The healing began and my face began its return to normal. Suddenly at about 10 days my face began to break out in bumps that appeared to have issues deep beneath. They were all over my face and even began to appear on my neck and chest, which were places I had not even used the efudex. I saw two different dermatologists who prescribed this and that and it only got worse... HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS... I went to a third dermatologist, one I had used for two of my children. He looked at my face and immediately diagnosed me with "Rosacea". I had the small little spider viens in the creases of my nose on each side of my nostrils and slight little red viens visable on my checks. He was amazed that neither one of the other dermatologist even mentioned to me that I had the condition. Apparently Rosacea has 3 levels, he considered me at the time of my visit to be at the top of 1. He also said that efudex can and does trigger rosacea in patients who are genetically pre-disposed to it and have never had a symptom. I suggest you go to this website www.Roscea.org which will be very helpful for you to read and to determine if you have been over looked in your treatment as I was. Over 14 million people have rosacea and over 72% of them do not realize it because their symptoms are so mild as were mine. I am currently using these three products: A cleansing cream by La Roche-Posay called "Toleriane", Followed by a RX ointment called Finacea, and last but not least "Rosaliac" a skin perfecting anti-redness moisturizer cream by La Roche-Posay. My doctor will see me back in one month to follow up, as there is also an anti biotic treatment specifically designed for rosacea as well which is used if the results are not adequate. I have been using this combination treatment for 2 days and already I can see the difference. Physically and mentally I am so elated. I wanted to share this news with you and hope that it has been somewhat helpful in your quest to find a cure. Best wishes and good luck, Suzanne