Side Effects of Carac or Efudex

I just got told that I have 6 precancerous spots on my face. So I feel fortunate to have found this message board. I brought the Carac cream home today and have real concern about starting. 1) effects of the warm weather 2) unanswered questions: will there be scarring after; will it cause hair loss; the 'look' of redness. 2) I was told to use every other day for 6 weeks. I probably am going to call the MD before I start. After reading on the internet, I am aware that the DERM MD told me nothing, except that my face will get red. So I look forward to the support from this site.

Day 19, facial Efudex treatment stopped on day 14. 5 days post facial treatment and I feel so much better. My nose isn't as swollen as it was before. I can wear my glasses again comfortably. A lot of the redness has gone down. I still have some flecks of dark brown which I didn't have before, and 1 eroded 'crater'.

It is day 13 and I have been putting efudex on neck, shoulders, arms, back of hands, upper chest and see 1or 2 red dots and 1 tiny spider web. Whenever I put the Efudex on those parts my face feels prickly and looks redder. There must be some absorption into the body for this to occur. The skin between the nose and mouth which was very red and burned looking is peeling. My bottom lip is still sore and I put no efudex on it. It isn't blistered now as it was in the short past. I am debating putting a dot of Efudex on the brown dots that appeared on my chin and appear to be doing nothing.The worst is over at least for the face.

I'm optimistic about the other parts however I am supposed to apply Efudex for 3 weeks on those parts (only 2 weeks on the face). I was told non facial skin is thicker. Nothing has appeared on my neck. I say this with some surprise because it was my neck where I had a melanoma. I would have suspected a lot of sun damage but nothing. Makes me more scared of melanomas since it appears they can be caused by less sunshine damage that other skin cancers if one's genes are such.

Hi aceace!  Glad to see you're still out there coaching folks through this. 

I finished Carac treatment a couple of months ago  (1X daily for 21 days).  I'm positive that I wouldn't have seen the treatment to the end without this board.  Lots of info and support here.  And I just wouldn't have believed that it's OK to experience that level of pain and skin rawness/blistering as a treatment.

Thankfully, I did finish the treatment.  I did my face all at once, and if I had to do it again...I would do it that way again.  My dr recommended doing my face in sections, but I'm soooo glad I opted to do it all at once.  It was very uncomfortable, but also isolating.  I got tired of the stares, so I'm glad I didn't prolong the pain and the unsightly-ness

I tried Tylenol and Darvocet for pain...neither helped.  I did get something to help me sleep....thankfully!!  I found that Aquafor helped during the day, but it also caused stinging.  Vaseline worked better for me, though it was a bear to wash off before applying the Carac at night.  I HAD to use it though....the pain would have been unbearable without it.   Also...I kept Q-tips in my pockets, car and all over my house to gently rub those itchy-burny places that I felt throughout the day.

Now that all that is behind me, I do have friends say that my skin looks better than ever.  I don't really see much difference though.  The areas that burned the worst with Carac...now turn pink quickly with any sun exposure.  I'm using Neutrogena Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 70.  I would like to settle on a different sunscreen, since my skin seems to be mildly sensitive to the Neutrogena (little bumps on my face.  No big deal, but they're not there when I don't use it)  I also wear hats when I'm outside for more than 30 minutes or so. 

For all of you in the middle of this treatment....hang in there...and use this board often!  THe board was MUCH more informative and supportive than my dr or his PA.....as is the experience with many other posters.  The survival tips you'll find on here will help you through this.  Oh...and btw...I have no scarring from the treatment...despite very raw, hamburger type reaction on my cheekbones, under my eyes, and at the crow's feet area.  I was worried about those areas scarring while I was going through the treatment....but...none! 

I'm 1 week 1/2 post Efudex 2x a day 14 days. I am still itchy from time to time especially in the pink areas around my nose. I keep applying petroleum jelly and then get my dog's hair stuck on it which makes it tickle all the more. I still have 2 distinct black-brown dots that weren't there before treatment. I wait for them to go away but so far I see no change. The white bump that appears is slowly receding. It's not an overnight healing. Has anyone experienced these brown-black dots? How long before they go away?

Thanks,

Norma Ohio 

Hi Aceace Great from NZ to have your experience to understand the challenges Got chopped last year 8 stiches in my face for a cancer issue Now 14 days Efudex , currently all cool, best to come Many thanks once again for your help , flying blind until then

I'm using aceace's slide show as a reference for healing from Efudix (Efudex). He reacted more and healed faster than me although I was on once a day for 28 days. I'm now on day 20 after stopping using it on my forehead and see the Dermo next week.

It was nothing like as red as aceaces but had a few largish dark red areas. These are clearer now but are still darker red in the middle and I'm hoping they clear altogether soon.

My Dermotologist seems to use whether the skin is smooth as one measure so from that perspective it is hopeful.

I made a webpage of my experiences to date and what I learnt including a BCC and a Bowens, both were grafted.

http://www.madeinpreston.co.uk/Petes2020/sundamagedskin.html

Hi Everyone,

I was a very active member of this message board back in March when I went through a 14 day TX of Efudex 2X day.  Just recently, I had my 2-month post-TX visit with my doctor.  She said that the treatment did exactly what is was supposed to do, it cleared up many questionable spots on my face, and she recommended that I have one more follow-up appointment in 6 months.  So for those of you questioning the effectiveness and value of this painful and uncomfortable treatment, please hang on to those results...and I hope it will be the same good news and relief for you.

Hi Everyone,

 I am 43ys and live in Sydney Australia, and just about to start Efudix tx 2 x day for 21 days. I wasnt too worried about it before reading this forum, but now I am!  I know it will be worth it though and I will just have to get into it and wait it out.

Many of you are recommending the Aquaphor cream however this does not appear to be available here. Is there anyone also doing the treatment in Australia that can recommend a similair product?

Thanks - wish me luck......

I found this website which contains loads of photos and advice on Efudex treatment. I was wondering if there's a place for these references.

 http://www.extremefacelift.com/

I'm doing my face a bit at a time because it has very little sign of AK and its summer. This is a January treatment.

Hi girlfromoz,

Vaseline is similar to Aquaphor.  Some people say Vaseline feels greasier, and some say that it doesn't sting as much. Good luck to you.