Skin changes after radiation

I had something like that, though it started during rads. Rad onc called it radiation dermatitis, but the stuff I got at the facility didn't help. I used a 1% cortisone cream (OTC) and it helped a lot.

Leah

I have finished my radiation treatment on May 17th...I am pretty burned. The skin under my arm and to the side of the breast area opened up and has been pretty painful. I have had to use Silvadine Cream on it and blisters are forming there as well as on the underside of the breast. I had seen the oncologist as well as the surgeon who looked pretty disturbed at the reaction. They are suggesting a visit to the radiation oncologist so he can see the reaction I have experienced. It has not been easy....I did not expect as much pain and burn from this and it has taken me into a spiral downward. I am not able to complete my reconstruction until about 6 months from now. My mastectomy (bilat) was done November 2009. I have expanders in right now and I cannot wait to part from them! I went through chemo but I have to say the radiation has been miserable. Hate to whine but I am just in one of those moods.

I had some kinda allergic reaction during rads. I broke out from my radiated boobie up to my and around my mouth. They never could figure out what it was except and allergic reaction to  something even possibly the gowns I wore there. Any hoot, they hooked me up with more steroids and an ointment.  I also got a pretty nasty burn. That was all over in November, and to this day I still have a square brown mark where the rads were focused and the flesh there is thicker. It's nothing bad, just different. I also used Silverdine. I have some left over and it came in handy when DH burnt his leg on a muffler.

xiaomei - I also get very, very itchy pink dots on my arms, neck and legs every time I try to exercise a bit.   Even an hour of slow walking before sun-up does it to me - even though it's cool outside.   It goes away within about an hour of resting.     Any suggestions that worked for you?   I finished rads two weeks ago.      

koshka1:     Do you know what the cream was?   I get the extreme itch and rash on my arms, neck and legs - and only after I am active for about 10 minutes.    It's just awful!   After I stop what I am doing, it goes away within 30 minutes-without cream.      Seems to be something to do with moving about a lot and/or temperature change in my body.    Can't seem to figure it out.     I"ve talked to the oncologist, radiologist and an RN about it - they all gave different ideas of what it might be-none with an answer to a solution.   I guess in time it will go away ...   

Hello psavast,

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles with the radiation. How are you doing now?

I also have expanders in, had Bilateral Mx with TE placement 1/10, then had rads on my right breast March-April 2010. I finished rads 4/12/10.  Was not fully expanded prior to starting rads. Had my first appointment for expansion 2.5 months after finishing rads.  The right is pretty uncomfortable. My skin is still darker on that side.

How does your TE on the radiated side feel compared with the other side?