Side Effects of Carac or Efudex

Here's some hopeful "Pain News" for some of you who are scared to start....

It's Day 17 of 2-a-days and I have yet to feel the pain many of you talk about. Boy, do I feel lucky. But my face has got to be as spooky-looking as anybody's. My forehead is 50 percent red splotches. My cheeks and nose were as splotchy, until they just recently turned more of a uniform red-purple -- and a little numb and swollen. The solar damage appears less ugly toward my jaw line.

Some small crusty areas are forming here and there. (Lesions dying? Oh, joy!) I get a little itchy at times, but not much.

I have become stir-crazy, because I am self-employed and live in the country. So, for sport, I go out on my wild, wooded acreage and start large bonfires at night -- it's the burn season here in Northern California. I find that while working in the cool evenings, I tend to forget my delicate condition and I start to sweat. If I'm not alert, the perspiration streams from my forehead into my eyes. Yikes! That's when I run inside to rinse off my face -- and give my eyes a waterbath. Even when it's been 10 hours since an application.

Hardly a fair trade to attain beautiful skin, but go blind in the process...

;-)

pam good luck with your treatment and yes i would say come thanksgiving you will feel like a very dry over cooked turkey ( just stay postive during treatment)   make sure your family reads the post on this board it will help them understand how u are feeling through treatment take one day at a time  cathy

Celtic here ! Am in day 16 of 21 for neck, ears, face and - agagh - lips. Also day 16 of 30 for fingers to upper arm. Am on tube # 2 Efudex which may just last the duration. I use rubber gloves to apply on the "neck north". Try to put it on thin to moderate. When applying to the fingers, back of hands and up to upper arms, I squeeze on dots then use the backs of my hand and arms rubbing together to rub in. This keeps efudex off the hands and fingers, saving washing, and virtually eliminates getting this firey lotion on other parts oft the bod. So far week # 3 much better than week # 2. I quit the lips at day 12 for they were blistered hamburger raw and the Doc agreed to stop. Am in day 6 of healing and they are about 70% normal. Still drinking with a straw (10 days) but hope to graduate to glass by day 12.

Since stopping the lips, have felt much improved but still have fire ants on the "neck north". Aquaphor still works great for moisening, itching and pain, is the easier to apply and can be applied as often as needed. However, it's soothing effects do wear off at night and sleeping has been problematic. However, my P.A. daughter convince me to try a hydrocortizone creme and antihistamine (for itching) prior to bed. Used Cortizone-10 and took one (1) Safeway Allergy pill and last night slept the soundest and best for weeks. Will repeat until it does not work or needed.

This post board, helpful hints and sharing experiences is just fantastic. Wish I knew about it in 2005. I wish all well as can be expected.

Celtic 

 

Welcome to an elite group Pam.  Good luck on your journey.  I just kept reminding myself that everyone says this treatment is so worth it.  It will also keep you from getting cancer.  So, this is a small price to pay.  If you have read most of the messages, then you are equipped with a lot of things to try to keep you more comfortable.  This is a great site.  I am not a blogger, but this got me through this ordeal.  Hang in there-maybe your experience will not be as bad as some of the ones that you have read about.  You can always hope.  I am 4 days post treatment and I actually feel fairly normal, but my face is still really red.  As a matter of fact, I am kind of shocked when I look in the mirror, because I am expecting it to look halfway normal.  I am just so glad to feel better, that at this point I don't even care what I look like.  Good luck Pam and keep in touch.   Joanie

Hey Celtic - Wow - you have got it bad and this is not the first time you have done this.  The lips would be the worst, I think. You only have 5 more days, right?  Hang in there.  Those of us on the other side will be cheering you on.  Keep taking the cortisone and antihistamine.   Joanie 

Hi everyone, thanks for your encouragement. I hope to use you as my lifeline during this treatment as I am not close to family and work pretty much alone. I was planning on getting this all over at once but my Dr. wants me to only do my chest and neck first, then my face and hands in December. Bummer, two months of seclusion. I haven’t heard anyone mention water intake, I was thinking about upping my daily intake to about 3 liters. Should help with dry skin, also going to take fish oil twice a day. Seems like most people are in post treatment, anyone else just starting? Later…Pam

Hey Pam just started Carac treatment this past Monday. So far no pain but face is turning splotchy red. I envy you guys that work at home...not looking forward to the strange looks I'll be getting on the train when this really kicks in. I think I might have to go down the same road as Celtic though for the other body parts. Arms neck and legs are wall to wall freckles so I'll have to talk with my dermatologist when I do a follow up.

Hey everyone - 5 days post treatment here and feeling good - no itchiness -no pain.  I feel so normal that I completely forget that my face is so red.  I am glad to feel good, but I wish the redness would subside some.  I was told to stop using my cortisone cream and just use a cream called Desidane, I believe.  It's just a moisturizer.  Maybe the cortisone has something to do with the redness???  Hang in there!  Joanie

i am now one week post treatment.... i feel great no pain just looks like i have sunburn very happy with how the treatment went after seeing the results this might sound funny but i think i lost some wrinkles... it was a tough three weeks but now that it is over you kind of forget how bad you really felt......    if going through treatment now all i can say is keep this board marked in your favorites it will help you so much

                     best of luck cathy

 

On 11/11/2008 Joaniepm wrote:

Hey Celtic - Wow - you have got it bad and this is not the first time you have done this.  The lips would be the worst, I think. You only have 5 more days, right?  Hang in there.  Those of us on the other side will be cheering you on.  Keep taking the cortisone and antihistamine.   Joanie 

Thanks Joanie,

Just Threeeeeeeee more days to go !

You are correct: the lips are just terrible ! This time around was not as bad as 2005, all around, but especially the lips. Keep using listick and lipblock. Thanks for all your support. Have a great recovery ! Keep using sunblock ! Celtic