Hair, skin and weird body changes after chemo and rads.

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  • Kgc
    Kgc Member Posts: 11
    edited September 2008

    Hello priane, my mother had cancer (not bc) and we also knew that her hair would be falling out.  Soon after she started her treatments, I was talking to her on the phone and she told me it was coming out in clumps by the handful.  I never imagined that it could happen that quickly, but it does.  It was pretty devasting for her but the best thing to know is that it WILL grow back!  Hang in there....

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  • bbsoulful2
    bbsoulful2 Member Posts: 6
    edited December 2009

    One thing I read about the nose dripping thing is that it can mean you've lost your nose hairs. I never thought about it until I read that -- my nose started dripping about the time my hair started thinning (13 days after my first treatment), and hasn't stopped. Nose hairs would prevent that, wouldn't they?

    My skin is much dryer --  need lots of creams on hands, face, body and lips. After my 2nd tx (taxotere/cytoxan), it was about a week then i lost a major portion of the rest of my hair. My scalp hurt, then the hair would fall out. I have an itchy rash on my scalp. I've been putting caladryl lotion on my head after I wash up for bed, then let it dry before I put my hat on for the night.

    I didn't get mouth sores, but did get a very sore mouth (if that makes sense) - switched to a baby toothbrush and toothpaste for sensitive mouths, because my gums bleed. My tongue feels like it was burnt by hot coffee all the time. I know this will happen because about 4 days after my chemo, my mouth will feel like it has a coating, and I will lose sense of taste. Then at about 7 days, all hurts. I do, however, get sores in my nose - quite painful.

     I hope this helps someone.

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  • bbsoulful2
    bbsoulful2 Member Posts: 6
    edited December 2009

    Steroids are multipurpose with chemo. They help your veins to not leak with some of the more caustic chemos (taxotere can cause your blood vessels to leak). Steroids also help fight the nausea that goes with some chemo. The onco usually prescribes them for before, during and after your chemo, loading you up before chemo, then fading them out. They can cause heartburn (big problem for me), and make it hard to sleep w/o a sleeping aid. I take zantac and ativan to counterract the steroids. Never had any nausea after 2 trts, and only one minor vessel leak after the 1st treatment, but crashed big time after the last dose, so the doctor extended my steroids one more day, to get me thru the work week.

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  • terry1457
    terry1457 Member Posts: 2
    edited December 2009

    i don't know about everyone but it's been 1 yr. since treatment stopped & i still have no hair on right side of my body i look at it this way i only have to shave 1/2 as much lol hated treatment but got through it still learning ! my prayers r with all of you

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