Arms healing very slow, 4 weeks after

Your arm looks so much better still a bit red but I assume that will also go away over the next few weeks.  Did n't you say you used something prior to using the efudex?  that may have been someone else who posted.  I am calling my derm today,  I have been putting this on for over 3 weeks now and still nothing?  I don't know whats up but I think I have PK's (porokeratosis) and not AK's (actinic porotosis (sp?))  which I have read are harder to treat.  I dont' know but I'm stopping treatment even if he wants me to use somehting else with it becasue of my trip in April.  If he does want to do a different regime I will start when I get back the end of april. 

Have you heard of anyone else that has not had a reaction to the efudex?

Thanks,

Tanya

On 2/29/2008 tanyaec wrote:

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

I did it for 21 days as my Dermo instructed and nothing, beside a couple small spots that appeared and some burning sensations like a sunburn and hot flashes at night.  It did nothing to the spots that were already on my legs.  I did a little more research and found that it is effective on AK's but not PK's (porotkeratosis)  I think that is what I have.  There is no cure for PK's but it is not as threatening as AK's in turning into a more serious form of skin cancer.  I have not went back to my Dr. yet because of my trip schduled April 19, I will when I return and see what he says.  He may say try it longer I don't know and maybe I should have before quiting completely but I did not want to take the chance of being miserable on my trip.  So if he says do it again I will have to start over. 

I really thin it is not going to help.  I tell you what has helped with the look of it is Obagi and Triluma.  It has helped fade them.  I was using Obagi on my face any way and I said what the heck I'll try it on my legs and it has helped with the overall appearance.  Triluma is a cream my other skin specialist I go to gave to for fading a couple dark spots on my hands (I guess you call the age spots), so I am putting it on my legs too.  Keep me posted on your progress and if you have any reaction with this treatment.  I will let you know what the Dr. says when I go as well.  Hope it works for you this time!

Tanya

On 4/2/2008 tanyaec wrote:

I did it for 21 days as my Dermo instructed and nothing, beside a couple small spots that appeared and some burning sensations like a sunburn and hot flashes at night.  It did nothing to the spots that were already on my legs.  I did a little more research and found that it is effective on AK's but not PK's (porotkeratosis)  I think that is what I have.  There is no cure for PK's but it is not as threatening as AK's in turning into a more serious form of skin cancer.  I have not went back to my Dr. yet because of my trip schduled April 19, I will when I return and see what he says.  He may say try it longer I don't know and maybe I should have before quiting completely but I did not want to take the chance of being miserable on my trip.  So if he says do it again I will have to start over. 

I really thin it is not going to help.  I tell you what has helped with the look of it is Obagi and Triluma.  It has helped fade them.  I was using Obagi on my face any way and I said what the heck I'll try it on my legs and it has helped with the overall appearance.  Triluma is a cream my other skin specialist I go to gave to for fading a couple dark spots on my hands (I guess you call the age spots), so I am putting it on my legs too.  Keep me posted on your progress and if you have any reaction with this treatment.  I will let you know what the Dr. says when I go as well.  Hope it works for you this time!

Tanya

Triluma is a perscription that your derm can give you.  It is for melasma but mine said it would work on the spots on my hands as well.  So I decided to try it on my legs.  Obagi is over the counter with skin care or spa places it is not a prescription.  I will keep you posted on how it works.

Tanya

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

I have been diagnosed with 'dsap and was prescribed Soriatane plus effudex.  I haven't started the treatment because I am horrified by the potential side affects of Soriatane.  So I am curious as to how effective the Tazorac/Effudex has been for you--obviously, the healing time is long.  I've tried Levulan, CO2, etc already with poor results.

thanks.