Radiation Burns -help!!

JJOntario

I finished rads yesterday! So glad it's done. Most of my radiation sisters have done well but unfortunately my skin has not. Last night my aerola was bleeding and the rest of my breast is white, peeling and just so sore. I'm using cortisone cream, polysporin, aloe and a prescribed anti fungal cream. Is there anything else I can do? My RO tried to be helpful by telling me this is normal but I'm just so sore and frustrated with how this feels. Will cornstarch be okay on open skin? Should I just leave the water blisters alone

Moderators

Hi JJOntario!

Congrats on finishing your radiation treatments!

From the main Breastcancer.org site's page on Skin Reactions to Radiation:

"If you have peeling skin and/or wet blisters, the skin may have slowly started to grow back while you were getting treated. Now that you've completed treatments, pearly-pink colored patches of new skin will grow back much faster in the affected areas. The new skin is very delicate as it grows. You might still have a blister or the overlying old, dry, flaky skin covering the new skin. Don't pick at the blister or the old skin. They're protecting the new skin underneath. If you experience problems or have questions as the new skin is growing, call your radiation oncologist or nurse."

We're sure others will be by shortly with their advice, but we hope this helps in the meantime!

--The Mods

Kicks

I burned VERY bad after last rad. I have 'good' scars to prove it. Thankfully, I never got any infections in the area which was the entire irradiated area (some deeper than others).

Leave the blisters alone!

Did he give you pain meds? As time goes on, if you're continues as mine did you will need them. Thankfully the deepest of my burns were under arm where is some nerve damage from UMX so I didn'/couldn't feel the deepest of the burns. The ones up the side of my neck (next deepest area) did definitely hurt even after there was healing in most of the area and no longer needed pain meds for those areas. I tried/did everything Dr suggested (I'm allergic to Sulfa so Sulfadene/Silvadene were not options but they wouldn't have helped anyway) and nothing helped. The fluid just poured out and could not keep burn dressing on it. What finally healed it was Domeboro soaks (Dr's orders). It is an astringent (drying agent) and as soon as I started doing them, healing started though the deepest took longer. My last rad was early March and the last scab came off under arm on June 29.

The only regret I have is that Dr didn't have me start Domeboro a LOT sooner. If your burns do not resolve relatively soon, you might want to ask about using Domeboro soaks. Sometimes it takes 'drying' to heal rather than more 'moisture'.

I was told no cornstarch and definitely no talc because of it's shape - sort of like a sandspur.

If your Dr approves Domeboro soaks, it does not need a script - is OTC. At most pharmacies, you do have to walk to the counter and ask for it as it seems for some reason that I don't know they keep it behind the counter. (A lot of other things it's good for too.)

Keep on top of it!

Nancy2581

ask your doctor for Silvadene cream. My RO prescribed it for me after my skin blistered. It helped a lot. Don't use cornstarch when the blisters are open.

Nancy

Sam2U

Mepilex dressings really helped me.

 

Sorry your are having so much trouble--healing vibes coming your way!!

JJOntario

Do you keep the burns moist or dry? I wore a thin night shirt last night and woke up in a panic as the burns had split andbled and my night shirt was embedded in my skin. I felt like passing out trying to get it cleaned up. Today I'm keeping it moist but this is insane.

Bippy625

JJ!

Demand pain meds. i had to, also, I was burnt black and in awful pain. They will not give them out as they should, thanks to all the freakin pillheads. But, they help greatly. I also walked around sans any shirt for days, to let the heat escape. No cream helped me except silvadene, and only after it blistered open. Coconut oil is the best for the burn for me now, it makes the skin softer and quells dryness.

Sorry you are suffering. I cannot forget that experience, but it gets better. Stay out of the sun, hydrate and get some mild painkillers. Hugs!!!!

slcarson

Hi I All

R1R2 is the most fantastic gel based solution. R1 used immediately after radiation to cool the area down and followed by R2 over all areas which are likely to get burnt most especially the back. This cream prevents burnings like some have experienced. Check out www.R1R2.com.

Also don't let them use any tape on your skin to hold the bolos in place. They must tape over towel. I'm using these creams and am spinning, gyming and running. Haven't had any burning compared to some. My back's so burnt, But since using since using more R2 it has healed well

Evilmidget

I also was prescribed the silvadene cream about 2 weeks into my 36 treatments due to the open raw patches under my arm. I didn't have reconstruction, and so had a bolus on my chest for every rad treatment. Surprisingly, when the started the 8 boosts, the major portion of my chest started to heal immediately with peeling (which revealed nice smooth skin...kind of like a very painful and expensive chemical peel...Ha!!). After the rads, my scare started to ooze and so I had to go back on the silvadene cream and I would wear very tight t-shirts and wound bandages that wouldn't stick. My worst time was at night because the bandages would wander and the oozing would get all over my sheets etc.

Luckily it only lasted a couple of weeks and it wasn't painful at all because I still don't have any feeling where my incision is.