CancerCompass message board discussion started by Christy m on 3/11/2005 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,1694,0.htm Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ My sister is on Erbitux and Camptosar and is really broken out with acne. Has anyone had any luck treating the acne? Any help would be great! Christy m Fri, 11 Mar 2005 00:00:00 GMT Judith Lang - Bloch, Fachärztin für Allgemeinmedizin Langbloch@t-online.de I'm a doctor in Germany. I recently had a patient with severe acne after Erbitux. The drug had to be discontinued but the acne persisted. I would like to learn from you how your acne is or was, in the face and elsewhere. How the picture of this acne is. Salome Mon, 14 Mar 2005 00:00:00 GMT Saw your message on Erbitux and your sister. Do you know if she has any other side effects with Erbitux. Also, I have read where it is terribly expensive. Does ins. seem to cover it.? Is it by IV (such as chemo?) We fly to Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Zion, Ill. next week where the decision is to be made whether or not to go on Erbitux, Tarceva or Iressa. Big decision for me as already have such side effects with Arimidex. Jeano Wed, 01 Jun 2005 00:00:00 GMT I was on Iressa for nearly a year and it caused acne for 2-3 months and was not noticable noticable within 4 months. Although the Iressa stablized the disease, it did not send it into remission. My doctor changed me to Erbitux approximately 4 weeks ago. Yikes! Acne everywhere, face, beard, torso, legs, chest--anywhere there is a hair follicle. The facial acne has already shown marked improvement. The chest acne was worst--looked like a severe case of razor burn over my entire chest and hurt like heck--and just this week (no. 05) has started to clear. On my physician's advice, the only medication I've used is over-the-counter antibiotic creams such as neosporin. No ointments and no acne treatments. His experience has been that the benzoyl and salicytic acid treatments now popular, usually make his patients' acne much worse, nearly immediately. Lonestarmon Sun, 26 Jun 2005 00:00:00 GMT my wife is being treated with erbitux and only has cracks on her fingers. a friend or ours gave us a cream by mary kay that helped her maybe it will help? MARY KAY EXTRA EMOLLIENT NIGHT CREAM Bri-kat Sat, 07 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Just to add that the mary kay cream is a translucent moisturizing cream that forms a shield to minimize moisture evaporation and allow increased hydration of dryness. Dampen all areas with water then apply. Bri-kat Sat, 07 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT HiI had two erbitux treatments and my face turne red, broke out  on my nose and rest of my body with pimple like lesions. It was too intense with the radiation, so they stopped it for a while. I feel this drug has more long lasting side effects than normal chemo. It has been 4 weeks since my last chemo and I still suffer the some of side effects.  It seems to reduce some of your immunity they do not tell you about. best to you in your recovery,allen   Atvrider Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT I have an extreme acne rash from Erbitux all over my face, neck, scalp, chest and back.  It showed up 2 Days after infusion.  It causes a lot of constant pain.I discontinued the chemo 2 weeks ago and the rash has not even begun to go away.  The doctor suggested over the counter Benadryl. I have been trying it but it doesn't seem to be doing any good.Any suggestions? How long does it take to go away? My doctor has no idea since he hasn't seen this reaction before. He just says "eventually".  Well eventually I will die and it won't matter.Appreciate any adviceDonna Stage4 Wed, 11 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT Donna,The rash took a little over a month to go away for me. The erbitux stays in your system for about 30 days after infusion. (at least that is what my MO(medical oncologist) told me. So it will get better.<>I had a cream that was prescribed call triamcinolone and that helped the rash heal.  I also used a little hydrocortisone cream too. And  an antibiotic lotion called clindamycin phosphate.  I had a pretty severe reaction too. That is why I only got two infusions. However the doc said that the reaction was good. It meant that it was working. Ok, but it sure is a pain.....lol  Everything is a pain in treating this disease.I was told that my reaction was not as severe as others.The nurse in the RO office had erbitux and they said she had the worst rash they had ever seen, acne on top of acne and lots of pain. She evidently did the whole 10 treatments anyway. After a couple months she was fine. She assured me it would heal and it did. Hang in there and it will get better.  Do you have radiation yet to go?  Allen    Atvrider Wed, 11 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT  On 4/11/2007 Atvrider wrote:Donna,The rash took a little over a month to go away for me. The erbitux stays in your system for about 30 days after infusion. (at least that is what my MO(medical oncologist) told me. So it will get better.<>I had a cream that was prescribed call triamcinolone and that helped the rash heal.  I also used a little hydrocortisone cream too. And  an antibiotic lotion called clindamycin phosphate. I had a pretty severe reaction too. That is why I only got two infusions. However the doc said that the reaction was good. It meant that it was working. Ok, but it sure is a pain.....lol  Everything is a pain in treating this disease.I was told that my reaction was not as severe as others.The nurse in the RO office had erbitux and they said she had the worst rash they had ever seen, acne on top of acne and lots of pain. She evidently did the whole 10 treatments anyway. After a couple months she was fine. She assured me it would heal and it did. Hang in there and it will get better.  Do you have radiation yet to go?  Allen   I can not even imagine people continuing Erbitux after a severe reaction even though I have heard it so often, it kind of put me over the edge as far as chemo goes.  I swore I would not ever do anymore chemo but at the same time I realized I probably only felt that way because I was so miserable and when the rash got better I would probably change my mind  and I have.I have only agreed to a few more months.  The cancer has come back 3 times and is now in my lung so I am going to see what the scan looks like after a couple months and then go on many little vacations with friends and family before I decide if I will do anymore.  I am so tired of this crap preventing me from living.  It has been 3 surgeries, 3 organs involved and the 3rd time around for chemo. You know what they say, three strikes your out.  I don't want to wait until I am so sick all I can do is chemo and I am too sick to travel.Good LuckDonna R Stage4 Fri, 20 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT Ms Donna, my husband starts the Erbitux in 2 weeks.. He's had 19 treatments of chemo, First camptosor, next Oxiplantin, now this.. I dpn't know where to start. Probably best to read a journal if you like on www.caringbridge.org, then visit, terryhowell, all lower case.. if you have any other remedies, other than what you have posted I would greatly appreciate it.. I'm trying to have a heads up outlook and be prepared.. thanks for your time..Ms C Mscheryl103 Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT Ms C,The Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream worked best for me. The doctor also gave me anti-biotics which cause other side effects so I stopped them.Good Luck, The rash shows up within 3 days, then you have to figure out if it is minor and they can continue the drug or severe that they must stop immed.ThanksDonnaOn 5/1/2007 Mscheryl103 wrote:Ms Donna, my husband starts the Erbitux in 2 weeks.. He's had 19 treatments of chemo, First camptosor, next Oxiplantin, now this.. I dpn't know where to start. Probably best to read a journal if you like on www.caringbridge.org, then visit, terryhowell, all lower case.. if you have any other remedies, other than what you have posted I would greatly appreciate it.. I'm trying to have a heads up outlook and be prepared.. thanks for your time..Ms C  Stage4 Wed, 02 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT  On 4/11/2007 Atvrider wrote:Donna,The rash took a little over a month to go away for me. The erbitux stays in your system for about 30 days after infusion. (at least that is what my MO(medical oncologist) told me. So it will get better.<>I had a cream that was prescribed call triamcinolone and that helped the rash heal.  I also used a little hydrocortisone cream too. And  an antibiotic lotion called clindamycin phosphate. I had a pretty severe reaction too. That is why I only got two infusions. However the doc said that the reaction was good. It meant that it was working. Ok, but it sure is a pain.....lol  Everything is a pain in treating this disease.I was told that my reaction was not as severe as others.The nurse in the RO office had erbitux and they said she had the worst rash they had ever seen, acne on top of acne and lots of pain. She evidently did the whole 10 treatments anyway. After a couple months she was fine. She assured me it would heal and it did. Hang in there and it will get better.  Do you have radiation yet to go?  Allen   Thanks Allen,  This is the drug that started working on this rash. No radiation for me but in the last 2 years I have had 11 months of chemo, 3 major surgeries so about 6 mos recovering from surgeries.  In about a month I am doing something novel. It may kill me, I don't care.  I am taking a break from cancer.  No Scans, Doctors, Chemo, nothing having to do with it. I am going to travel, visit family and friends then my daughter gets married in October. After that I will do  a scan and reaccess whether to move forward or not.  I have known too many people dealing with this monster that planned on time way in the future that they never had. Either because they passed away or too sick from chemo to do anything.I am taking a break from cancer to LIVE something I have had in short supply since I was diagnosed. Good luck to you Stage4 Wed, 02 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT I was asked to participate in a clinical trial for Erbitux induced acne. I was given a tube of cream with 60 SPF and an over the counter acne medicine. (Vanicream) . I don't know if I received the placebo or the medication. 7 days after 1st treatment the acne really blossomed and it became itchy, burning. I was constantly aware of it. I dropped out of the trial and used the Clindamycin Phosphate gel my Doc had already prescibed. He also gave me Minocycline but warned me not to use it unless the acne became very bad. The Minocycline is an tetracycline antibiotic that can cause diarrhea and many other unpleasant side efects. Within hour of applying the first dose of Clindamycin my face felt better. Now, 1 week later, I have acne on about 50% of my face, on my upper back and chest. I am only treating my face. I have zero discomfort after starting the Clindamycin.  I do have acne, but as long as it's not causing me any discomfort I can live with it. The Clindamycin may not work for everyone, but it has been  Godsend to me. Miss Sophia Fri, 11 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT  On 3/14/2005 Salome wrote:Judith Lang – Bloch, Fachärztin für Allgemeinmedizin Langbloch@t-online.de I'm a doctor in Germany. I recently had a patient with severe acne after Erbitux. The drug had to be discontinued but the acne persisted. I would like to learn from you how your acne is or was, in the face and elsewhere. How the picture of this acne is.Hi,  I had my first treatment of Erbitux 2 weeks ago.  Erbitux alone to make sure I didn't have a severe reaction to it.  After 3 days I started getting the rash or acne on my nose and side of my head.  Within 3 more days I had it all over my head except my forehead and the area my glasses cover.  Now I have it on my head, shoulders, back, and chest. I also have a few in other areas but they are more random with like 2 on my arm, one on my leg etc.It looks pretty much like acne but with more infected areas like pimples.  Mine is very red and sore.  My Dr. prescribed me an antibiotic and also advised me to take benedryl.  Both make the itching worse as they dry out your skin.  So far no signs of improvement from the antibiotics.  Also most I talk to say the rash is suppose to be a sign the drug is working.  however, if too severe like you mentioned you have to stop treatment.  I hope in some way this was helpful to you.  I have a pmphlet on it and it says can come and go during treatment, usually takes 30 days for drug to get out of your system and then it goes away or there is the possibilty that it won't go away.  Stever1955 Thu, 17 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT Kind of depressing to think it could linger long after its out of your system. This rash is miserable. I quit after one treatment because it was an optional study drug. I will ask my doc for what you mentioned. Thanks,T D  Missus dx Tue, 29 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT Ms Donna, the rash is here.. He didn't break out till about the 10th day. He went back to dr Monday and saw another Dr Tuesday.. they prescribed the needed medicine.. Thanks so much.. I got desparate and found some over the counter facial wash and it is working well with his face... drying it up.. its call Zapzyt.. uses it every night while bathing.. works wonderful... he starts Monday taking it every week... don't know how long yet.. we'll see.. Ms C  Mscheryl103 Wed, 13 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT