help! Skin starting to blister and open...

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Lawgirl
Lawgirl Member Posts: 23
edited June 2014 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

week 6 of rads- my skin is really red, seriously itchy and tight. it's starting to blister including up the side of my neck where they are also radiating. I've just noticed the blister on the lower corner of my only boob has opened and gotten sticky and weeping. damn!



I use aloe Vera 100% gel, cavilon ( my ro told me to use it) and I've been using prescription silver sulfadiazine 1% as ro directed. grrr what do I do now, any ideas?



My rads are left side including axilla and clavicle, and up left side of neck to near ear.

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  • spendygirl
    spendygirl Member Posts: 231
    edited August 2011

    I'm so sorry - I know exactly what you're going through.  My radiation nurse told me to buy Domboro soaks, I got mine at CVS.  It is sooooo soothing.  I would come home, do one or two rounds with the soaks and really slather the Silvadene on.  It really seemed to help.  Toward the end my burns were so bad they gave me pain meds - that helped also.

     Hang in there - you're almost done.  All the best to you.

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  • shells43
    shells43 Member Posts: 1,022
    edited August 2011

    Lawgirl,

    When I was at the stage you are now I was told to go topless whenever possible (yeah right) with a fan on me to cool. I used 100% aloe and CVS aquaphor, and at the end the RO prescribed the silver cream 3 times a day. One problem I had was that he did not tell me to REMOVE the previous layer of silver cream with a warm washcloth before applying the next time. The result was it formed a plaster which got tight and cracked my skin. I guess I should have been able to figure this out myself, but obviously I didn't. The second week after the end of radiation was the worst and I couldn't wear a bra to work. Thank goodness for my lab coat. 

    CVS/Walgreens etc also have HYDROGEL pads which are cooling gel that sticks to the skin. They fall off after they use up the gel. These feel really good. A girlfriend used MEPILEX pads for the same reason. The hydrogel is only available in 2 x 2 pads, but at a surgical supply or medical supply store you should be able to get 4 x 4's which would be better for such a large area. They are expensive though. See if you can get a prescription and maybe your insurance will cover them. 

    It will take a couple of weeks to heal over. I know it is very painful right now. Take some pain pills, and don't be afraid to ask your RO for a prescription for that too. He should have offered if he has been seeing you regularly and knows you are having a skin reaction. I called into the nurses station and told them I needed something and he phoned in something good which also helped me sleep. I don't remember  now what it was.

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  • Elizabeth1889
    Elizabeth1889 Member Posts: 1,036
    edited August 2011

    One of the rad techs gave me some radiagel pads today and they work wonderfully.  They are probably like the hydrogel pads.

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  • Lawgirl
    Lawgirl Member Posts: 23
    edited August 2011

    Shellyj43- yepp I just got some pain meds yesterday and damn lol thanks that's why the cream is cracking... Good tip...



    You and Elizabeth18- thanks! Going to investigate that hydrogel pad today.

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  • sweetbean
    sweetbean Member Posts: 1,931
    edited August 2011

    Emu oil. Get some emu oil asap - the stuff is magic!

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  • pj12
    pj12 Member Posts: 25,402
    edited August 2011

    Law girl,



    So sorry you are suffering. I found the last week and the couple weeks after rads ended to be the worst. I took to wearing old, soft men's undershirts against my skin. If I needed to wear a bra, I wore it over top of the undershirts. Without a bra, I tucked the undershirts up under my breast as it was the skin on skin friction that was the most irritating. I thought the heavy duty creams caused more trouble than help and only used aloe toward the end.



    On an encouraging note... It amazed me how suddenly my skin healed and there was not a hint of scarring, even where I had had skin splits and open sores.



    Hoping things begin to improve for you soon.



    PJ

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  • 208sandy
    208sandy Member Posts: 2,610
    edited August 2011

    Lawgirl - so sorry you're suffering - I used silvadene cream only and it worked but was very messy - I wore very loose blouses with men's undershirts underneath when I had to be in public - otherwise I wore oversized t-shirts that I cut the sleeve off and shoot some of the time I just went without any top at all in the house - it may sound unreal to you right now but a couple of weeks later it was o.k. - but still devastating because I had come through chemo so well - know that there are a bunch of us out there who have been through it and are pulling for you.

    Hugs, Sandy

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  • coraleliz
    coraleliz Member Posts: 1,523
    edited August 2011

    I'm using a gel sheet called Coolmagic. It's made by MPM medical. I was given a 3 3/4' x 3 3/4" & a 6 x 8" sample by the nurse at my RADs center. I had to order additional ones from the mfg in Texas.  I take a 6 x8 & cut it in half & apply it to my flat BMX chest. It covers the worst areas(incisions & areas of previous sun exposure). It comes off easily when I take a shower. I put the same dsg back on for 3 days. It resticks! It also feels really good against my skin. I also read of women refrigerating the dsg before applying. Haven't tried that. But if I had a refrigerator in the bathroom , I probably would. Best of luck & I hope you find relief soon.

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  • shells43
    shells43 Member Posts: 1,022
    edited August 2011

    How are you doing LawGirl? Hope the worst is over. Hugs!

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  • tammy11
    tammy11 Member Posts: 1
    edited August 2011

    I understand just how you feel. Im at the end of my journey (friday will be my last day of radiation)  My skin is so painful. Being africian americian, it makes your skin really dark. My underarm hurts the most. Im using Aquafor (walgreens has it also) and it is really helping to releive some of the tightness. There is also a spot in my armpit that looks like it wants to split open so im hoping that using the ointment will prevent this. Hold your head up,.....it will get better

     Tammy

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  • shells43
    shells43 Member Posts: 1,022
    edited August 2011

    Hi Tammy, I had that spot in my armpit also, it must be really sensitive there. On me it sort of turned purple/reddish and then sloughed off. Take some pain pills and keep it cool, I used the hydrogel pads there a lot, sometimes a washcloth with an icepack in it. Such misery we have to go through. It will get better and heal, but it is rough, no kidding. My friend just went through radiation and she barely even turned pink. I don't know why some of us have a harder time than others. Hugs!

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  • Lawgirl
    Lawgirl Member Posts: 23
    edited August 2011

    I'm miserable:( more sores opened and got infected despite the massive amounts of silver creme,

    My axilla scar starting to peel, underarm is red and very blistered. I'm on a shirtless, baking soda mixed with water and glaxol base and silver creme plus antibiotics regimen. no radia or hydrogel seems to be around here ( London, Ontario) and an attempt to get duo derm something I thought similar was nixed by my RO. spent a couple days in hospital:( sadly the mx felt better than this. I'm now done- Friday will be a week since finished but i finally agreed to the percocets for the pain. Ughh this better be over soon. My neck is blistered and peeling, centre of chest raw and open, and clavicle blisters opened... underarm and axilla I am hoping are almost done their worst. never ever again rads! I thought was easy compared to my chemo, but damn I was wrong. Radiatherapists are as helpful as they can be just said "adverse effects", and all the baking soda advice. Which stings so. I hope helping.

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  • browniefranks
    browniefranks Member Posts: 87
    edited August 2011

    my sympathies Lawgirl! Now I am scared, just started week 2 and no blisters yet but I am warned that they are inevitable!

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  • goldiebelle
    goldiebelle Member Posts: 45
    edited August 2011

    Hi Lawgirl

      Hope you are doing better.  I just finished Rads last friday and I too am in a lot of pain.  I am african american and I thought foolishly that I would not burn as much because of my darker skin.  I am burnt from my neck down.  The rads went through me and my back is also burnt.  Freaked me out when I saw that.  I am using silverdine or whatever it is called and  taking pain meds.  This too shall pass.

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  • DiamondGirl
    DiamondGirl Member Posts: 1,046
    edited August 2011

    Hi Lawgirl, I just saw this thread.  I had the exact same thing happened to me several months back on the last week of my radiation.  It was blistering sooo bad.  I ended up seeing a doctor at an urgent care.  He told me I had "radiation dermatitis" and I was given a RX of Hydroxyz HCL 25mg tab one week supply.  I was also given steroids to take for 7 days.  Don't remember if I also took Zyrtec or not.  It took me several weeks to get all that to calm down.  It was so itchy and painful at the same time so I truly sympathize with you.  Out of all the gels and Calendula cremes only Miaderm worked best and at the final week, it didn't do a thing for me.

    Good luck and God Speed!

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  • Lawgirl
    Lawgirl Member Posts: 23
    edited August 2011

    Browniefranks don't let me scare you I'm told not everyone gets it like this I just seem to have a body attraction to all the worst side effects. Honestly ive seen lots of others doing rads here that dont have it the way i do. Im very fair skinned and maybe thats my problem. Lol well what doesn't kill me makes me stronger. Hugs



    Diamondgirl- I have some miaderm my friend brought me and I'm trying that. Yes I start my steroids tomorrow for a week. Must be we both had/have the same reactions. I tend to get nausea from steroids so I had to have some iv antibiotics firsT because sores are open and infected. All in all I'm hoping to never see rads again







    Goldiebelle- so sorry for you! thank god for the pain meds. Hugs

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  • NannaBaby
    NannaBaby Member Posts: 510
    edited September 2011

    I took warm baths and rinsed off my radiated area with a cup of cool water with 1tsp baking soda.  I applied aragn oil, which is similar idea than emu oil.

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  • browniefranks
    browniefranks Member Posts: 87
    edited September 2011

    The blisters started already, just looks like a darker rash! Oncologist says just keep rubbing the radioplex creme dutifully. I have scaled back all my exercise to zero intensity to avoid multiple showers a day.  Let's see if it gets worse or better. 

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  • Lawgirl
    Lawgirl Member Posts: 23
    edited September 2011

    im finally doing better!!! :):) my skin is starting to heal. what helped was frozen peas icepacks (thank you nurse margo), the steroids and steroid cream, miaderm (thanks Diamondgirl as well as my friend), baking soda and water...pain medication.....that silver creme was useless....i have lots of skin peeling but the lobster coloring and skin cracking seems to have finally tapered off:):) my only ominous note is dr ordering a mammogram and ultrasound on my other breast, because of something off in my bloodwork and a reddened breast.....hoping so much that its nothing. 

     browniefranks how are you doing? 

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  • mrsnjband
    mrsnjband Member Posts: 1,409
    edited September 2011

    Hoping you continued to do better. I burnt to a crisp so I understand what you are going through. NJ

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  • Elizabeth1889
    Elizabeth1889 Member Posts: 1,036
    edited September 2011

    Good luck, Lawgirl.  I hope everything comes back B9 on your mammogram and ultrasound.

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  • shells43
    shells43 Member Posts: 1,022
    edited September 2011

    Yay, LawGirl, you made it! We "burnt to a crisp" girls are tough!

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  • browniefranks
    browniefranks Member Posts: 87
    edited September 2011

    Lawgirl thanks for asking, hope you're doing better. Myself, the burns are worse but the onc says that's normal have just 9 sessions to go! I hope you mammogram and ultrasound were negative...

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