Strange smell from radiated armpit?

LVLinda

Strange smell from radiated armpit?

LVLinda

Hi everyone!  Well, tomorrow is my last radiation treatment, #33.  Everything was going pretty well, except for all of the itchy bumps and burning.  Today I noticed a funky smell coming from my radiated armpit.  I've been using spray neosporin, Dr. recommended it, after the skin broke open and was deep.  I can't use deod. on the area, too much peeling, raw skin.  I was just wondering, anyone else get a strange smell from their radiated skin?  I know it's gross, but thought I would ask.  This is a smell I've never smelled before, it's weird.  I shower twice a day...being very clean and careful.  I imagine it's a burnt tissue smell?  Nothing is infected.  I just hope it goes away!  I'll ask my Dr. about it tomorrow, but just wondered if anyone else experienced this type of thing.

Linda 

somanywomen

Linda, I am almost 7 months from end of rads (ended Jan)....I noticed a different type of odor from my surgery side underarm area...I had the odor (kind of a sour smell) first after surgery and it has just returned again this month...It is a very strange and different smell...I'm wondering if it has something to do with a small seroma that appeared after surgery or if I am allergic to the titanium clips that are clumped in one area (there were about 8 of them that showed in my follow-up mammo 6 months after surgery)...All I know is that I scrub the area like you, I wear Tom's (no aluminum) deodorant and nothing seems to help!....My surgery area is completely healed on the outside, but I wonder since I am still sore on that side if it could have anything to do with the above mentioned...Please let me know what your doctor says, my doctors tell me just to give the soreness time to heal (it's been 9 months since surgery) and have no answer for the odor...I think they think I am just exaggerating...

carolina138

wow amazing to see someone who had the same weired thing happen.I too had an odor unlike anything I could describe or ever had before.It has gone away, My last rad was end of March.Still itchy and skin is still discolored after 4 months after radiation ended ???Since then I was prescribed Tamoxafen took it for 5 days and found it unbearable.Called a renowned retired oncol in Texas who said since I had a radical hysterectomy and also am 73 I should be on Arimidex not Tamoxafen....I have artherosclosis (heart disease) as well and on meds for that.I'm forgoing the aromatase Inhibitors. Is anyone doing without them? I would love some input. I also read recently that women my age with BC can do without radiation.(I was stage 1) detected with a yearly mammo.

pj12

I had a similar experience during rads. It was on and off. I finally decided the smell, kind of like burnt sugar, occurred when I did not get whatever lotion I was using thoroughly washed off. Aquaphor seemed to always leave a residue and my skin was too tender and blistered to really scrub hard. I switched to Aloe only and no more smell. BTW, no one else could smell it.

Congrats on being near the end!

pam 

LVLinda

Hi again everyone!  Thanks for responding to my post.

Well, I asked my radiologist about it and she wasn't sure what it could be.  She said she had heard that before, but wasn't sure about it.  So, no answer there.  The odor has not been back for 2 days now....I'm hoping it disappears completely!  Yesterday was my last day, and I've not done much but lay around and spray my aloe spray on my chest and armpit, laying under the fan.

  Next up, getting my ovaries removed.....it seems to never end.  Oh well, I'm already looking forward to next year.

Linda

Rory

I'm bringing this old post back because I'm laying here in bed, on our last day of vacation, at 6:29 am, smelling my sour armpit.

No one else can smell it (trust me, I made them try), but that hasn't stopped me from obsessing over it. My last treatment was Thursday (left town the same day), and by Saturday my burns had basically exploded. Ooze. Pus. Pain and itching. Of course. Let's do that 3.5 hours from home (but I digress). But it's that smell that's getting to me. I kind of think it's pus-related (are you eating? I guess not anymore), but maybe it's all the Aquaphor. I shower daily, yet the smell lingers. I'm convinced everyone is lying to me about the smell, because I'm surrounded by gross men who pick their noses and fart, and probably have ruined their ability to detect odor.

Anyone else currently have a sour, sorta weird thing going on under their radiated armpit? Mama is displeased.

LoveMyFamily

Love your sense of humor, Rory... my rad team said that the effects of radiation can continue up to 2 weeks after the last treatment... I was questioning why the burn on my armpit got bad over the weekend, when I'm doing boosters now (no radiation to armpit now), and that's what they said. Re BO I'm not using any products under my arm (except for aloe vera) and so, yeah, there's BO, though my family, too, says I don't smell bad. Having my last radiation today. Yeah!

Truani1

i'm late to this discussion, but this is new to me. I too have the unpleasant odor in my armpit. It is only on the left side, where I received radiation. Others claim not to smell it, but like everyone else, I have a hard time believing it. I am supposed to get one more week of radiation, but as I suffered a cardiac incident that was apparently related to radiation therapy, I have decided not to continue the therapy and take my chances.

I believe the odor is from the dying tissue from the radiation moving through the lymphatic system, as the odor didn't arise until weeks into my treatment, and the cancerous tissue had already been removed, along with the sentinel node. I also believe the sentinel node excision plays a part in how fast and how efficiently the lymphatic system can rid your body of the dead cells, and it's removal likely slows the process.

Anyone receiving radiation therapy knows how damaged and sensitive the skin in that area is, so I am not putting anything on it as of now. No deodorant, corn starch, apple cider vinegar, etc. It's frustrating because within minutes of showering the smell is there. But I intend to drink plenty of water, especially with lemon or lime in it, and check with a medical professional about exercises I can do that will help the lymphatic system function as well as possible.

Hang in there folks. All in all, an odor is a small price to pay to be free of cancer. And I strongly believe it can be controlled with proper exercise and good hydration, or at least I hope so. I would caution anyone newly diagnosed with breast cancer to educate themselves before they agree to radiation therapy. Had I realized the possible dangers and side effects, I would have opted not to have it. My cancer was extremely small, and fully excised. It was also the most common and least aggressive breast cancer.So my chances of recovery were good without radiation.

gb2115

I was pretty normal there after and during radiation, but for a couple weeks after surgery, it was like a dead animal in there. Seriously. I'm glad that went away. I think our bodies just react to things in weird ways sometimes.

Hopeful82014

Truani1 - It would be helpful if you would make your diagnosis public (just change the setting in your profile). Without that information it's very difficult for others to put your experience in context. Thanks.

amarantha

I had that, then there was an explosion of pus, and from then on I had to treat an oozing open wound every day until the radiation was over, and wait until it healed before having the mastectomy.

letsgogolf

I also could smell something very strange after my surgery. I was told that it could be due to some sort of powder that they put inside the surgical area before they close you up. Don't know if that is right or not. I am 10 months out from surgery and the smell has finally gone away.

Anpanman17

I'm new to this board and can't find my exact question.

Has anyone had a red, swollen breast about 6 weeks after a lumpectomy. I've been to the doctor twice and she's says it's not infected... I do NOT have a fever or feel sick, but the red splotchy area is spreading.

The doctor said it's oozing INSIDE the breast. Just wait and do nothing.

It's so upsetting and a bit painful because of the weight of the oozing fluid. I'm not sure how do describe that any better.

codeyee

Hello All

I just started radiation last Monday and have had 7 sessions so far. I was using Tom's deodorant last week, but have discontinued b/c of redness. Last week I started to notice that I my armpits reek -- never have I smelled so bad in my life. I am not a sweaty or smelly person so I am not sure what is going on. Both armpits smell but my radiated side is much worse. My husband has also confirmed that he smells it. I shower twice a day and scrub with soap and when I get out I still smell. Does anyone know why this is happening? How bad it will get? I know I will not be able to be as clean in the future with blisters and what not. Any help would be appreciated!

edwards750

That is bizarre not to mention annoying.I would ask my doctor. I had 33 radiation treatments and never had that problem nor the people I know who had radiation either.

Diane

ksusan

Lots of people get stinky with surgery, chemo, or radiation.

Staceybee

One recommendation for the armpit odor is a calendula lotion. That is what my RO recommends for the skin anyway. Calendula is made from marigolds, not the sweetest smelling flower but the lotion has a fragrance. I have not used deodorant on my affected side since surgery in May as I did not want to aggravate the scar in my armpit,so have been keeping a travel pack of sensitive skin baby wipes in my purse for a quick wipe during the day to keep fresh. I stopped that during radiation as I have been applying the calendula and the fragrance from that is largely what I can smelll.