Hi, whoever found this web / thread. I have been taking Efudex twice a day for 16 days now, as part of a 24 day regimen. I certainly am enjoying it less for sure, and I disliked it from the start. Thought I would just write a few wry observations to encourage others, and suggest a few minor helpful things that I found.
I was not too well informed about Efudex when I started - just sort of innocently given a prescription and told to go out and use it and come back for a visit when it was over. Probably if you are reading this, you have found out that it is or can be a big deal to undergo the treatment.
First, the progress of the treatment has been very fast for me. The nurse said not much would happen for a couple of weeks. However, by the fourth day my face was red, dry, blotchy, and swelling. It did not get better for sure. Now it is red and extremely dry, and hard like an old hockey mask. Putting on the Efudex cream each time feels akin to gasoline, and now even water on my face feels similar. It is of course worse at night when I try to sleep, and feels like fire ants are grazing on my face. Such is life; I imagine most of you are less sensitive than I am, so feel no pain, but thought I would make you feel better by comparison.
I have found various things on this web blog and at other places that can help deal with the pain and treatment, so will list them if you all are new to this blog:
1) Take ibuprofren (Advil) as much as allowed.
2) Some people said you should leave the Efudex on without any creams for two hours before putting anything else on. Not sure about actual required protocols. But Aquaphor, as suggested by others here, is great when you can put it on. My nurse recommended Vaseline, but it is not nearly as soothing as Aquaphor.
3) I think you are supposed to avoid other facial creams and products, but I do use a small amount of original Blistex in a squeeze tube at the corner my nose and upper lip, which is unbelievably raw otherwise. Stings at first, but much better after a few minutes.
4) Washing my face was ok for a while, but soap feels like salt on a wound now, and cakes on afterwards. I have used Olay dual action cleanser + toner, which has no alcohol and no oil, and it is as soothing as it gets now.
5) You are supposed to use sunatn lotion, but find a creamy on if they exist. I tried some sport / alcohol one and torched my face. Never again.
6) Sleeping is vey hard, with all those fire ants running around. I do try to put on a lot of Aquaphor at night, and then put an old soft T-shirt over my pillow to absorb the greasiness. With luck, I can then get four or five hours of sleep after I get exhausted from tossing and turning.
Anyway, only 6 days to go for me now; hope it is all worth it in the end, and that I do need any other holes cut in my face for a few years.
Even as an outdoorsman, I have not found this to be a walk in the woods!
Good luck you all!