Side Effects of Carac or Efudex

hi, All!

I am now on Day 15, Carac x 1 to the face.  I've been out all day and haven't had too much time to inspect my face, which is probably a good thing.  The weather has been overcast or rainy here for the past couple of days and I am loving it!  Went to the grocery store (that was the only public place) and didn't feel like I was getting stares.  I did keep my head down and avoided eye contact.  I now look like a really bad sunburn, mostly on the apples of my cheeks (and also right between the eyes).  I put on a tinted sunscreen this morning before I left the house and that made the redness look a little calmer.  This is a sunscreen from Total Block that I ordered (it was recommended by LuckyCat in a post a long long long way back).  My sleeping is ok so far.  I am sure once the blistering starts that will all change (like it did w/ my lip).  I think I may be slower to react to the carac than most because before I started, I had one session of Leavulan/Vbeam/bluelight (in late January).  Since it didn't do A THING to help my lip AK and that was her main concern, my derm switched to the carac.  But maybe (?) it did do a little for the rest of my face.  That ALA-Vbeam session made my face red and swollen for maybe a week, if that.  No peeling or anything.  I was surprised that my hair part had such a reaction, but my forehead is not bad yet.  Now that I think about it though, when I play tennis, I often wear a visor instead of a cap.  I couldn't play in the spring league this year, but when I do get back to it, I will be sure to be slathered up w/ lotion and have a cap on the head.  I'd like to wear a big floppy sunhat, but that might look too stupid (but it just might throw the opponents off).

.....the Leavulan (sp) treatment was just on the face, not the hair part, I hope I wasn't too confusing.

I think the hair part reacted so fast (Day 6) because I was wearing a hat outside during the day and a plastic shower cap when washing my face and in the shower on days when I didn't wash my hair.  You know how in the literature it says not to cover an area you have treated.  well, that just made my head cook!

Sarla.....we are dying to know how your day at school went!  They probably thought you had been visiting a California spa!

Hi all,

I went to the derm today, he took one look at my chest and said STOP!! He actually said my chest had a great reaction to the carac and he was very pleased. Not sure why the reaction was so intense after only 18 days but he said it was because the damage to my skin was so extensive..woohoo!

He gave me locoid lipocream which has a steriod and some bionect cream to wear during the day under my cloths I guess. Today was the worst day yet, itching like mad. I am glad i can get to work to distract myself.

How's everyone else doing?

Galanae,

Were you doing just your chest?  Are you completely done with the treatments?  (I can't remember who is who, I've read so many posts in the last 3 days)  Eighteen days doesn't seem too bad.

All of you brave souls out there,

I'm on day 8 of Carac on my chest and face.  My chest lit right up and is extremely red.  My face has red dots all over it, some brown areas on either side of my mouth, and dark red areas under my eyes.  I was hoping it would be further along than this because I have this week off work for spring break.  I  to return to work on day 13.  I really shouldn't take more than a week off (later) but I am a high school teacher and I am not looking forward to explaining to 130 kids and a staff of 90 what is wrong with my face.  The other thing that I'm worried about is a staph infection.  They were running wild in the schools (including mine) earlier this school year.

Nan,

Bless your heart.  I don't know how you can do both the face and chest at the same time!  It is very good, though, that you will get it all over with.  My hat is off to you and all of the others who are doing so much at once.  We are here to help support you.  Staph is a very serious concern and I think you should take as much time as you need, if you are able to do that.

I look pretty much the same today (day 16/face), real red where I am red, but not red all over.  I just went through an unbelievable bout of stinging about an hour ago.  I was running around the house yelping and groping for my supplies (tylenol, q-tips, and aquaphor).  I used all and now feel much much better.

Hang in there, everyone.  And just remember, we are one day closer to the end of this unpleasantness! 

18 days was not bad. I have no idea why it got so bad after only 14 days, it looks like it was burned. He says it was a perfect reaction so I'm trying not to worry about it. The steroids are helping with the itching and the aquaphor helps a ton..

Nan,

You are my hero, face and chest at the same time? Hang tight, it will be over with before you know and the advice on this board is life saving stuff. My derm didn't tell me about the aquaphor until yesterday when he told me I could stop. It is by far the saving grace of this treatment.

On 7/28/2006 Luckycat wrote:

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

Hi All,

 Carrieann, thanks for asking.  My transition back to work has been just fine. It was good to see my supportive work friends again.  And from the people I don't know very well or with whom I'm not particularly close (you know who they are), during the first couple of days, I got a lot of stolen glances at my face.  I could tell that people were trying to see "where" I had "treatments" done.

 It's interesting that by the end of the day, my face is fairly flushed looking.  I'm not sure if it's the stuffiness of the building, the sun coming in all the many windows, or what. My new skin is obviously still sensitive.  Most of the people I work with have been just great and very kind about my absence.  I think the whole topic makes people a little uncomfortable, but also curious.  Today, a small group gathered around me to ask a lot of questions.  They were women my age or older, and they've all had concerns (or spots removed) and were really curious about the treatment, what brought me to it, etc.  Like me, most of them had never heard about it before.

 I'm glad that you are on the downhill side of your face treatment...finally!  I've been thinking about you and sympathizing with your journey since starting with your lips.  You are a trooper...and I admire your great attitude!  It sounds like you are coping just great. You go Girl!

Galanae, congrats on being able to stop treatment early!  You may have a rough couple of days ahead, but you'll get through it and won't believe how quickly it seems time will have passed when you are looking back at it!

Nan, you may want to keep your options open for staying away from school longer if possible.  That was one thing that I wasn't prepared for when I started treatment. (I did 14 days 2X of Fluoroucil.)  I wasn't given enough info. from my doctor and hadn't known about this message board.  I think you'll read that most people who've treated an area on their face have missed at least several weeks of work.  I began my sick leave on Day 5. Originally, I told my principal that I would be out at least a week.  At the end of that week, I called to say that I would be out one more week.  And at the end of that week, I called in for a third week with the knowledge that the week after that would be spring break, which gave me the time I needed to heal.  I wish I had been aware of the time-frame from the beginning so that I could have planned my absence in its entirety.  Everyone wants to think that their reaction "won't be that bad."  And I, like many people I've read, was surprised at how bad it got. There was no way that I would have gone in to work when my face was scabby, raw and blistered in the middle and toward the end of treatment.  Good luck with your decision.

Hi all.  Good to hear from everyone.   Galanae, great news that you get to stop the treatment!  Congrats, now it'll be over soon.

Nan,  Just take it a day at a time.  It would of course, be the best if you could take off several weeks.  I'm a nurse, and didn't have any sick time, and couldn't go without the pay, (unless I made some big sacrifices this summer), so I took it day by day, and managed to make it to work every day, through it all (28 days Carac).  We also have staph here, so I too, was concerned.  I am very obsessive about washing my hands, and NEVER touching my face, other than with sterile Q-tips.  As for all the nurses, doctors, patients, etc, it was a pain to explain it, but I lived through it.  It actually humbled me quite a bit, and any vanity I had before starting this tx, is now gone.  I never used to wear much make up, but after all of this, I'm thinking about going totally bare-face from now on, except for maybe a little blush after the pinkness wears off.  This is day 9 post-tx, and I am getting unbelievable compliments.  I really don't think I look much different from before I started, but after seeing me during the worst, everyone thinks I look so incredible. Do what's best for you, as far as work goes.  But if you have to go, you can make it throught it.

Sarla,  I'm glad to hear you're doing well at work. I looked for the "dry touch" Neutrogena at CVS and WalMart, but didn't have it, but they had many other neutrogena products. Where did you buy yours?

Carrieann,  It sounds like you're doing well so far.  Keep it up.

Redcat,  Haven't heard from you lately.  How are you doing? 

I'm here.  Doing fine, actually.  I have a few red places left, some look and feel like pimples!..and still putting Vaseline on the places where my glasses sit. My face is a little pink, and gets pinker when I'm out....and I don't mean out directly in the sun....just riding in the car will do it. But I feel fine.  I'm not seeing that beautiful skin I've read about from others, but may skin is somewhat flaky...so maybe when I lose that....I'll 'glow'....HA!  My friends can't believe how quickly I looked better.  I'm certainly glad I'm at this point in the treatment!!!!, since 2 weeks ago I was not a happy camper!

Hang in there everybody!!!