Angry Rash All Over My Face

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MommaZilla
MommaZilla Member Posts: 7
edited July 2016 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment

So, I am one of the lucky few who get to experience every side effect in the book ... and am now discovering a few new ones. Most recently a very angry rash on my face that pops up on or around day 12 after my chemo treatment. I'm currently on cycle 4 of 6 of TCHP, and will continue HP until 18. The rash wasn't too bad cycles 1-2 but seems to be cumulative. It spreads further and gets more angry with each treatment. At first, it was on my cheeks and now it has spread to my neck, back, chest, shoulders, and now the back of my left leg. On the plus side, it usually clears up after about 5-7 days. I have enlisted the help of a dermatologist to keep it under control. I'm using a topical cream (Triamcinolone Acetonide), which works great and really helps calm it down. They also have me taking an oral steroid as well. But they do not want me to take the steroid continuously every time, to avoid long-term risks of using too many steroids.

So my oncologist is concerned. He "THINKS" the rash "MAY" be an allergic reaction to the Perjeta and wants to discontinue that in my treatment plan. I'm don't think this is a good idea because we don't really know which drug is really causing the breakout. I'm super sensitive to all topical stuff. I have a tendency to break out in a hives/rash from most locations, sunscreens, shampoos, etc. anyway. I've been dealing with my skin sensitivities for about 8 years. My thoughts are, "who knows what is really causing it?" From what I've read Tamoxifen can cause a rash too. The Perjeta is a big part of my longterm treatment plan. I am not a vain woman. Having an oozing rash on your face is certainly not desirable but I understand the big picture. If I can proactively treat it, keep it calm, it'll be no more bothersome than having all my hair fall out. I can deal with it for a week. I can not deal with my cancer coming back and having to do this all over again.

So I'm reaching out to all of you. Have any of you experienced this? What was the cause? What did you do? I am having a hard time with the treatments. Am I being bull-headed to push back? The rash does get worse with each treatment. I certainly don't want to risk having a severe allergic reaction that could be harmful to me. I know he has my best interest in mind. But I am committed to my plan. If I can suck up being so sick, I'm bed ridden for ~5-7 days, I can certainly deal with a rash on my face. I'm sure this is also why my Oncologist is concerned, this is not my only severe side effect. I've had extreme weight loss and have issues keeping my hydration/magnesium/potassium levels up, which causes my whole body to crash and shutdown. We've already adjusted the doses of each treatment. It is much better than before but I still get very weak after each treatment.

With all this being said, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I still want to do all 18 cycles as planned. This is my life, my future, we are talking about. I've come to far to back off now. I don't want to ever go though any of this again. And I want to know I did everything possible to make sure it doesn't.

Thank you for your time and comments. I sincerely appreciate any advise or insight you may have.

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  • Maya15
    Maya15 Member Posts: 323
    edited June 2016

    Hi, I have the same problem, my MO says it's because of the Perjeta. Apparently it kills off cells with Her 2 receptors in your skin that normally keep bacteria in check. She says its folliculitis (and not allergy) and prescribed topical clindamycin, which didn't work. Also tried topical erythromycin and that didn't work either. Then she said she might give me a break from Perjeta, but I told her I prefer the rash to the cancer. Then last week I had surgery and they gave me antibiotics (IV, then cephalexin pills) to prevent infection from the drains, and the rash cleared up completely within 48 hours! And I'm with you, I don't want this cancer again, so I want to do the full treatment.

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  • MommaZilla
    MommaZilla Member Posts: 7
    edited June 2016

    Hi Maya15,

    I'm glad I'm not alone but am so sorry your going though this. You'd think we were dealing with enough to not have to wear it on our faces as well! Since you haven't had much luck with tropicals you may want to try the Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream. It worked great for me and feels so good when it's angry!!! Kind of like rubbing butter on your face, lol. It instantly relieves the pain and I notice a huge difference with each application. The blemishes decrease by half each time. It doesn't stop the breakout but it at least makes it somewhat manageable. My dermatologist said that it ultimately was the prochlorperazine (steroid) that ultimately cleared it up though. Was there a steroid in your IV? That may have been what cleared it up for you too. But my doc doesn't want to keep giving too many of these to me so I'm going to have to figure out some other ways to deal with after my treatment next week.

    Hopefully, others will post and give us more insights.

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  • rosiesgirl
    rosiesgirl Member Posts: 89
    edited July 2016

    I had the same problem! For me they suspected the Taxol. I was switched to Abraxane for the last of 12 doses. I didn't make a difference. My rash started with the face, and by the end it covered my arms and part of my feet. Mine was painful like a really bad sunburn. I used aveno oatmeal bath and made a paste to cover my arms. That gave me temporary relief. I almost called it quits. I was in tears most of the time. I finished the regimen and the rash subsided several weeks after I finished chemo. I continued Herceptin and Perjeta for 12 months and had no problem with the rash after the Taxol was done. I feel your pain. Maybe see if it could be the Taxol. There are some alternatives available. Hang in there!

    Joy

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  • jmwier77
    jmwier77 Member Posts: 2
    edited July 2016

    i had a painful rash appear on my outer arms, chest, neck, and shoulders. I went to my dermatologist and found that doxorubicin activated the pre-cancerous (actinic keratosis) cells in my skin. It is common for fluorouracil but there are rare cases caused by doxorubicin. The dermatologist said this is good because it is also treating these areas and would have appeared on their own later in life without the chemo. My oncologist consulted with my dermatologist and agreed to continue my treatment. Bottom line, get a dermatologist involved because my oncologist was considering changing my treatment. The dermatologist prescribed a corticosteroid cream to alleviate the discomfort

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