Side Effects of Carac or Efudex

Hi again Lucky Cat,
Seems that we are the only ones in the whole world who are discussing this subject. C'est la Vie :>)
My doc buddy had also suggested the 28 treatments total too, but I, in my infinite wisdom, :>) decided to extend it by 25-30% or so. And do the 2/day.
Today, I was out in the sun for a few minutes and boy am I paying now. Whew! What was that I wrote earlier about no discomfort? Hmmmmmm
I have decided to do the Vit E thing, and have started it on my upper inboard cheeks and nose. Amazing how quickly that feeling of heat goes away. But definitely greasy feeling. When I finally have my face back, I'll have to then get rid of all the debris that is building up below the surface of the skin and use exfoliators (sp), facial scrubs, etc. and all that stuff that guys hate to do. Just to have a reasonably smooth surface. Just no end to this stuff,---- sigh.
Am thinking about renting a burka, but then I'd have to deal with people "stoning" me. :>) The other problem with that idea is they are "gender specific." :>)
Anyhow, let's stay in touch, at least we can commiserate with each other. :>)
mike

MikeMike...We're definitely on the same page. I honestly considered the burka route myself. I thought; "...now I understand the use of such a garment..." Truly, I have become a little more hardened to the sideways glaces I get as I stroll through the day. I feel like I should explain myself to others and find myself doing it now and then. Out in the sun? EEK! I did that, too, and I was amazed that just a few moments indescretion could cause such a brightening of my already blushing face!!

Your approach to self medicating is similar to mine ie: of one is good; two must be much better. I have tried to do the ultimately proper steps using Carac in hopes that, if I adhere exactly to the directions I've been given; the greatest results will occur. On the other hand, as I understand it; after the initial two hours from applying the cream, there isn't much we can do to undo it's action.

Yes; apparently we're the only ones discussing this right now. This forum is helpful w/one respondant or several. I'm enjoying this.

Rumor has it that we will emerge w/baby soft skin but, beware, it will be more sensitized to UV/AV and so be careful. I've been told to stay out of the sun which is very hard as I am an outdoor person.

Ok...now your turn. ;>)

Hi Lucky Cat,
I too am enjoying our visits!
To heck with the rest of them!
Went to my GP Doc buddy today for my Flight Physical (he perscribed the Efudex), expecting a big pat on the back, and all kinds of platitudes only to find that he was like totally unimpressed. Some friend he is! :>) :>) :>)
We talked a bit about the Vit E thing and he thinks it may be an idea worth trying. Though he was luke warm about that too. Some friend he is. :>) :>) :>) Anyhow, I just couldn't take my self imposed gonna keep at it till Friday mode, so I wimped out and started the Vit E today, NO MORE EFUDEX FOR THIS KID! (At least for a year)
Oh, wait today is Friday. :>) :>) As for the "baby smooth skin" thing, that may look a little peculiar for my age. :>) :>) Am heading for MN tomorrow and am not taking the laptop, but will bother someone else to use their computer to keep up with our dialogue. Let me know what you are going to do post-treatment.
And now, assuming hopefully, (from an embarrassment point of view, if wrong :>) :>) you are of the gentler sex. love, Mike

Yes Mike. My name is Kathy and I'd love to continue our discussions.

I just applied my last Carac. I am so happy about this as it has been rather like a "house arrest." Though my skin is still very pink, I know that will lessen. BTW I have fount two truly great sun blocking creams which also cover nicely and look natural. These are Fallene COTZ which is SPF 58 and Fallene Total Block, SPF 65. Also, Ti-Silc Sheer Sunblock SPF 45. All great products.

And, You may email me --- Message edited by CancerCompass staff: for personal protection, email address removed. Please review CancerCompass Member Guidelines at http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html ---- Looking forward to hearing from you and hoping that your trip to MN is fun and productive and that you are healing quickly. I plan to take up where I left off (another lifetime, it seems) working on my home restoration project, going to Giants Baseball games, plays and music venues and generally having a good life. Let me hear that you're also having a great time. Kathy

Hope you guys continue to discuss your treatments. I am interested in your treatment experiences and post treatment experiences.

In 6 months my Dr. is considering efudex for me. Just starting to research it myself. So all the info is helpful.

I have had AKs frozen off last year and just the other day. I had 17 AKs on my head/face.

Anyways... keep the info coming.

Good Luck and thanks.

I'm on day 7 ( 2x a day). When does the redness start?

Hello all. My treatment lasted for 28 days; one application daily in the evening. The redness started around the fourth day and peaked during the third week. Though I was not diagnosed w/BCC, I did have a number of Actinic Keratosis lesions frozen off during the year previously. Let me tell you, for me, the third week was pretty awful. My skin and the individual lesions were terribly reddened and even "blistery" or very darkened and raised. About 17 days into treatment, my skin pealed (eroded is the term used in pamphlets, web sites, etc.) This happened towards the end of treatment and still continues to a lesser degree now, 4 days since my last application. My symptoms were/are a bruised type of feeling, stinging in concentrated areas where actual lesions were or even areas where AK's were not evident (the main reason this therepy is so good; it identifies faster growing cells and targets them; disallowing further growth). Now, themajority of my face is pinkened and there are remaining darker areas and continued pealing and ITCHING!! but, as a friend says,:..this, too, shall pass." Good luck to all. Just be sure to apply vaseline or something similar to the area to keep it from cracking from dryness (mine did before I started using he vaseline; it looked terrible). The petroleum jelly helps out greatly. Pretty strange to try to circulate in the world during this therepy but, it sure is superior to the alterative. Good luck to all. Kathy

So, I can start the vaseline now even though my face isn't dry yet? I'm on my 10th day (2x a day). I have two small dark spots and a few slight pink bumps on my forehead.(Nobody has noticed yet) It's funny, but every morning I get up exprcting the big red. Soon I hear.
Glad to hear you're on the downslope now.

Hi Jean. I was told that the carac/effudex would only effect those areas which are potentially cancerous; growing a little faster than normal skin. My prescription was once a day, at night, for 28 days. Directions vary per case, it appears. I could see during the treatment, the areas on my face which were frozen off prior to the carac treatments. They remained normal in color and texture while all the skin around them reddened and/or "blistered," etc. to varying extents. So, it appears that your skin is not in the same shape as mine was (years and years of exposure / suntanning/ etc. - stupid!!). Now my face looks fantastic! It's been 10 days since my last application and my skin is just a rosy pale pinkish and there is NO evidence of the prior AK's, lesions, etc. It looks GREAT!! We all have varying degrees of potential cancerous areas so, I imagine, yours is not quite as advanced a case as was mine. I used the vaseline starting around day 16 (I should have started sooner as my skin dried out quickly) and it helped so much. (Remember to wait a minimum of 2 hours after applying the carac/effudex before using vaseline on the area). I am now applying bacitracin (sp?)in the evenings, Cotz total sunblock during the day. I believe the discomfort I experienced would not have been so pronounced had I moistened my skin w/vaseline earlier in the treatment. Live and learn. Good luck to you

Luckycat,
What store can I find the sunblock that you're talking about? I would love to find it. I'm on day 12 at 2 x a day. Now I have a bunch of little red pimples on my forehead, nothing too much on my nose or cheeks. That's pretty good. (Sounds like you were in a war w/ your erosions) But today my derma called and told me my chest biopsy showed basal skin cancer. My past sounds the same as yours. In 9th grade, my new best friend was obsessed w/ tans. Then I became obsessed w/ that golden look too. We went to the beach almost every day in the summer and then some. I think I had this problem for about seven years. Thinking back, I remember one Easter vacation when it wasn't sunny. In fact it drizzled most of the week. I remember laying out in a bathing suit in a drizzle because there was a tiny patch of sun coming out of the clouds. That's sick!
I almost never laid on my stomach, because I didn't want to waste my tan on the back of me. Now at the age of 48 I have beautiful skin on my back and legs. But my front. Yuck!
I have a reunion coming up in October, do you think my face will be in chaos? I finish up w/ my 2x a day on August 16th. Anyway, thanks for listening. Jeanne P.S. Teenagers: I hope you're listening.