Skin, itch, rash & swollen ankles.

My radiation ended Nov. 30th, my chemo a month before.  During chemo it was nothing for me go gain 12 lbs of fluid the day after treatment and then loose about 9 of it before the next treatment.  I am allergic to Benedryl so I had to take extra doses of Decadron the night before treatment as well as an IV during treatment.  After chemo was finished the fluid retention was up and down.  In Nov. I began radiation.  My ankles began to swell again but this time was accompanied with intense itching.  At first burning, stinging and then itching.  (This itching was the same as twice during chemo treatments  but was very short lived.)  This time however, it was unbelievable itching.  There wasn't any red in the area that itched but inside of the area it itched like itching powder under the skin.  I could also feel the fluid build up in the area that itched.  About a week later the calves were holding extra fluid and itching too.  Lasix did not help, support stockings did not help and may have caused the inital reaction as I am allergic to latex.  Testing showed no Hepatitis & Thyroid normal.   

Many nights I was up scratching and soaking in the tub with Aveeno.  I ended up at a Derm. He gave me some topical cream.  I returned to him one more time.  This time he gave me Clobetasol Propionate and said he had never seen anything like this.  I next went to an Allergist.  She took me off Claritan and put me on Allegra and prescription Pepcid.

Both the Derm. and Allergist said they believed the rash was from the radiation.  The chemo nurses explained to me that chemo messes around with your immune system and allergies and what you WEREN'T allergic to before treatment you might be allergic to now and what you WERE allergic to before you might not be now.  The Derm. and Allergist explained that radiation can rash you out anywhere on your body while you receive treatment somewhere else on your body.  Radiation compromises your immune system as well.   

If anyone out there is familiar with what I have shared here, please write back.  The doctor said to give it 3-6 months and the fluid should adjust.  I am still holding fluid and my weight goes up and down. 

Thank you.   

On 2/4/2008 Survivor07 wrote:

My radiation ended Nov. 30th, my chemo a month before.  During chemo it was nothing for me go gain 12 lbs of fluid the day after treatment and then loose about 9 of it before the next treatment.  I am allergic to Benedryl so I had to take extra doses of Decadron the night before treatment as well as an IV during treatment.  After chemo was finished the fluid retention was up and down.  In Nov. I began radiation.  My ankles began to swell again but this time was accompanied with intense itching.  At first burning, stinging and then itching.  (This itching was the same as twice during chemo treatments  but was very short lived.)  This time however, it was unbelievable itching.  There wasn't any red in the area that itched but inside of the area it itched like itching powder under the skin.  I could also feel the fluid build up in the area that itched.  About a week later the calves were holding extra fluid and itching too.  Lasix did not help, support stockings did not help and may have caused the inital reaction as I am allergic to latex.  Testing showed no Hepatitis & Thyroid normal.   

Many nights I was up scratching and soaking in the tub with Aveeno.  I ended up at a Derm. He gave me some topical cream.  I returned to him one more time.  This time he gave me Clobetasol Propionate and said he had never seen anything like this.  I next went to an Allergist.  She took me off Claritan and put me on Allegra and prescription Pepcid.

Both the Derm. and Allergist said they believed the rash was from the radiation.  The chemo nurses explained to me that chemo messes around with your immune system and allergies and what you WEREN'T allergic to before treatment you might be allergic to now and what you WERE allergic to before you might not be now.  The Derm. and Allergist explained that radiation can rash you out anywhere on your body while you receive treatment somewhere else on your body.  Radiation compromises your immune system as well.   

If anyone out there is familiar with what I have shared here, please write back.  The doctor said to give it 3-6 months and the fluid should adjust.  I am still holding fluid and my weight goes up and down. 

Thank you.   

         

Hi just reading your message,  my friend has the same reaction.  Finished radiation 2 weeks ago.   itchy skin from neck to thighs (started at neck and traveled downward over past 2 weeks).  no rash   only bumps under the skin, not red except from itching.  Driving her crazy.

We put Blue Yarrow Essential Oil and the itch went away, not sure for how long.

Wondering how you are doing?

Julie

I have had very good results with a cream called CeraVe.  It was reccomended to me by a dermatologist.  It comes in a large white jar with a blue label.  I cost about fifteen dollars and is available at drug stores.  I have gotten it at CVS and also on line from drugstore.com .  If I order it on line there is no tax and I can get free shipping if I order about twenty five dollars in merchandise.  I was amazed at the results.  The doctor told me to apply it to wet or damp skin.  He said it works better that way.  I use it a lot and a jar lasts a really long time.  This is the first moisturizer I have found that really works.  I have recommended to several people and they have all been pleased.  If you try it let me know how it works for you. 

I would like to add one comment to my message.  I have used this cream only for very dry skin.  I don't know if it will work for other problems.  I do have one elderly friend who had a lot of itching and she said it helped her.

I could put my husband's name on this post!!!  After his 2nd surgery and a HUGE brain infection, while on IV antibiotics, he developed a rash from head to toe.  Itched constantly and could get absolutely no relief.  He was miserable.  Finally his infectious disease doctor determined it was from antibiotics he was taking for the brain infection. They stopped them and after steroid injections of prednisone that didn't help but the rash finally cleared up in about 3-4 weeks. 

As for the fluid, he is dealing with that now, 16 months after his diagnosis and 10 months after his last treatment.  ( he isn't able to take any more treatment because of kidney failure from the previous infection)  We are taking a diuretic daily for the fluid and some days it isn't so bad.  His ankles and left forearm swell unbelievably.  No congestion heart issues, no blood clots ( had a tennis ball sized in the rt lung and several in the left), just this crazy, mean, beast called gbm.  I would imagine that if we took a survey of everyone that has or is being treated for gbm right now the list of side effects wouldn't fit on the pages of this site!!!  I really don't think anyone can list all that comes with this hateful monster.  Everyone seems to have some of the same and then there are those that have some that others never have.

It is a rollercoaster of massive size that we as caregivers, and God bless them, the patients.  I do hope that there is something can be done for you.  God bless you.

Oh by the way, by my calculations we used 7 boxes of 24 pills of benadryl and 12...yes 12 LARGE tubes of benadry cream...and nothing. 

Vickie

By the way, I read Peggy's post on the CeravE and our dermatologist gave us a prescription to add to it and us for the itching.  It does help some.  You just pour the liquid prescription into the jar of cream, stir it up and slather ( our dermatologist wording) all over the rash.  Good luck

vickie