Arms Healing Very Slow, 4 Weeks After

Well, now 4 full weeks after stopping the 5-FU, Efudex 5% two time a day, and below is a photo.  For us thick skin - arms/legs folks, this is really a slow heal.  Have used the Aquahor, etc., even wrapped light gauze to keep clothing from irritation, but this is taking so long to heal.  Still some open sore areas 28 days after stopping application.

Any others out there with experience on arms, and info. on healing time??

Thanks,  Whitey

Here is left arm today - 4 weeks after 4 weeks treatment:

http://i26.tinypic.com/34eep2o.jpg

have you seen a dermatologist.Did you have sunspot damage. As you may know, dermatologists use 5FU in a cream to burn off sunspots ( solar keratoses). I had significant sunspot damage which the 5FU has almost cleared up without anything like your experience ( my oncologist made an appointment for me between 1st & 2nd treatments0.

Hope you get some improvement.

Waynew, Yup - read my post again....I'm recovering from 4 weeks of Efudex/5-FU treatment 2 time a day and now 4 - FOUR - weeks later this is my "healing" stage.  My post is asking if others who did ARMS OR LEGS have experience in healing time. Most on this board are face/head treatment and using Carac. Very different protocal and reactions.

This was on last day of aplication, 4 weeks ago.  Mostly scabs, but not sores and swelling.

http://i26.tinypic.com/2nlgspl.jpg

Whitey,

My heart goes out for you.  My Gosh, this has to be torture for you. Alas, I am applying to face only but have found very thick skin on the flares of my nostrils that don't seem to want to peel like other areas. This 'thickness' makes it feel as if there is a coating of some dried substance on my skin.  After seeing what you are dealing with I can only imagine what will happen with my nose.

While I cannot offer any help I can offer sympathies and prayer.  I'll be watching this thread.  Thanks for sharing what you are experiencing.

Well that does not seem to promising for me I hope my skin is not as thick on arms and legs!  When I stop I will only have 5 - 6 week till my cruise. I am on day 9 of apply Efudex 2x a day still has not been too bad.  Are you using any antibotic oinmtent or cortizone cream to help the healing process?

My prayers are with you!  Keep us posted on your progress as I am curious to see how fast you heal.  I may be wearing long sleeves and jeans the entire time I'm gone.

Oh well!

Thanks,

Tanya 

October 06-Jan 07 I treated both my entire arms (at once) and then afterwards lower legs.  The arms healed up in about 6 months and the legs almost a year.  I was using a combination of remedies-For two weeks I applied tazorac to arms one time a day-After two weeks I applied efudex 5% 2 x's a day and got a brisk reaction-dc'd efudex treatment after 13 days-arms blistered and oozed- I then used tegaderm patches to expidite healing as well as Biafine (rx) it was awful scabbed and oozed crusted and etc....My legs I followed same protocol just took longer  but the reaction was the same oozzing,crusting,swelling once again I used tegaderm patches aquaphor and emu oil-  I was using this protocol for my skin condition dissiminated superficial actinik pokeratosis (dsap) it is linked to ak's well I have had verg good feel blessed resolution-I think you may be experincing something in where you need to get a second oppinion-When my 100's of lesions oozed,blisterd and scabbed they basically fell off and there was new skin exposed-I would get a second opinion-Best to you

 

On 2/25/2008 luvlivin wrote:

October 06-Jan 07 I treated both my entire arms (at once) and then afterwards lower legs.  The arms healed up in about 6 months and the legs almost a year.  I was using a combination of remedies-For two weeks I applied tazorac to arms one time a day-After two weeks I applied efudex 5% 2 x's a day and got a brisk reaction-dc'd efudex treatment after 13 days-arms blistered and oozed- I then used tegaderm patches to expidite healing as well as Biafine (rx) it was awful scabbed and oozed crusted and etc....My legs I followed same protocol just took longer  but the reaction was the same oozzing,crusting,swelling once again I used tegaderm patches aquaphor and emu oil-  I was using this protocol for my skin condition dissiminated superficial actinik pokeratosis (dsap) it is linked to ak's well I have had verg good feel blessed resolution-I think you may be experincing something in where you need to get a second oppinion-When my 100's of lesions oozed,blisterd and scabbed they basically fell off and there was new skin exposed-I would get a second opinion-Best to you

Wow, it took that long to heal, maybe it is because you used a combination of meds?  I am on day 11 applying Efudex 2x a day and last night was the first really "hot" night for me. I am doing the upper and lower part of both arms and legs.  Havent' had alot of spots show up yet a few and those that have been there for a long time it  doesn't  seem to be doing anything to them and those are the ones i wanted gone.  I am only doing this for 3 weeks because of my trip on April 19th.  I guess if I have to do it longer than 3 weeks it  is  going to have to wait until I get back home. 

Do you think i will be healed by April 19th?

Thanks,

Tanya

Tanya, what is your skin type?  Do you have darker pigmentation or very fair, etc?  It makes a BIG difference on the effect of 5-FU on arms and legs.  As I mentioned to you on an earlier note, my arms really had many AKs and I'm in my 50's, having worked in Florida sun, etc.  Your cruise in April will be very close to treatment - 5 weeks post - and you will not be "healed" by then, so expect to have some scabs and tenderness still.

You are undurgoing a very intensive chemo treatment, and should follow your doctor's advice.  I would not cut the treatment short just because of your vacation.  You will not be eager to do this again soon, so be sure to complete the full length as directed.  You are too far along to bail out, so best of luck and hopefully your side effects won't be too severe.

BTW, just today my scabs stopped bleeding and oozing - is that a word? But those who have been through 5-FU on arms/legs know what I'm saying.  So in my case it took just about 5 weeks to get to the fist level of healed skin layers.  What a ride!  Hope the AKs are dead. Image of my arm last weekend, I started New Year's day.

http://i26.tinypic.com/34eep2o.jpg

Whitey

Tomorrow will be day 15 and i'm beginning to think my Dr. misdiagnosed me dispite the two BCC i've had removed.  I still have not reaction.  The spots on my legs are doing nothing?  I have a couple of "pink" spots that have come up on my arms and legs but nothing more?  I'm only supposed to do this for 21 days.  I would have thought I would have more reaction.  I am wondering if these spots could be something else?

Tanya

For the past four days my arms finally have "healed".  The open scabs and sores have closed up and I've been able to wear clothing  on my arms without burning or using steroid cream for pain.  WOW!  Never expected (nor did my doc) that I would have such side effects and intense reaction to the flourouracil.  This is strong chemo.

I did 5-FU twice a day for 28 days on both arms and hands.  It has taken 6 weeks to heal over the open raw skin.  Still a few deep scabs, doc says are the serious areas and most likely BBC or worse, and redness will take another month or more to fade.  Doc says I cleared up perhaps more than 100 AKs and prevented cancers, but what a severe treatment.  Some posted that their doc recommends doing this once a year??? No way.  Mine actually said perhaps every 5 or 6 years maybe.

Hopefully they will develope the Dimericine type drugs quickly through the trials so folks won't have to endure this suffering.  Anyway, good luck to the rest of you in treatment! I'll be following the discussions. And I'll now be appreciating all of you who comply with full treatments and you'll have my admiration for your endurance!

Whitey

 Here are photos for comaprison

4 weeks after 4 weeks 5-FU:

http://i26.tinypic.com/2nlgspl.jpg

6 weeks after:

http://i26.tinypic.com/17tvnm.jpg