Red breasts, any suggestions!!!

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Anonymous
Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
edited January 2018 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
Red breasts, any suggestions!!!
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  • Tigger51
    Tigger51 Member Posts: 14
    edited January 2018

    I've had 12 of my twenty rads,after number eleven My whole breast and under arm became very red. I am using aquaphor and 100 percent Aloe. My RO has little to offer in any other creams for relief which I find frustrating.

    So I'm reaching out to the experts for your advice. I've told my poor little boob sorry many times since this began. Promising it that I'll find some source of relief.

    Thanks

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  • gb2115
    gb2115 Member Posts: 1,894
    edited January 2018

    Hi Tigger,

    I don't really have much advice for you, other than to encourage you that it'll eventually get better. You're going to be red and burned. I think it's rare to not get burned like that. I did 32 treatments (or was it 36, I can't remember). I don't know. I was pretty red by the 3rd week, and ended up developing a severe allergic reaction to the lotion (Miaderm) they had me using. When they realized I was allergic to that, and also allergic to Aquaphor, they kind of gave up and had no suggestions. I was told "use whatever you want to." Very unhelpful. I, too, was frustrated.

    I have heard of some women using cool washclothes (wet in cold water and wring out, then put on your skin), as a cooling relief. You don't want it icy though. I did that for a bit but was so far gone skin wise that it didn't help--it didn't touch the severe itching. I eventually got a steroid shot which calmed everything down rather quickly. I was already to my boost treatments by the time it kicked in.

    Hopefully someone else will come along with some suggestions! Hang in there!!

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  • Tigger51
    Tigger51 Member Posts: 14
    edited January 2018

    Thanks, it helps to know I’m not alone as I lay here with a fan blowing cool air on my bare red abused breast. There only suggestion. I do say it feels good temporalily.

    I did try the cool wash cloth and that gave some relief. I guess I’m doing all that I can. It amazes me that they have no other options and not a solution to prevent burns in the first place.

    While the technicians have been great they don’t seem to appreciate me pushing the issue of finding relief.


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  • Georgia1
    Georgia1 Member Posts: 1,321
    edited January 2018

    Hi Tigger. You may want to join some of us over in the "January RADS" group where this is a hot topic, lol. My RO strongly recommended calendula cream and that helped a lot. I used it three times a day. Posting the instructions I got (Johns Hopkins) here too in case they're helpful. But having a posse go through it together was great so do search for that other thread. And know it will be over soon!

    image

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  • IntegraGirl
    IntegraGirl Member Posts: 147
    edited January 2018

    My skin held up well during rads (I used Miaderm) but weeks 2-3 post rads in December were brutal. I went to the radiation day clinic and the nurse walked me through delightful dressings. The dressings were hideous but provided massive relief. Lots of Glaxo base covered by gauze pads held in place by a burn net. The good news was when my skin started to heal , it improved very quickly. I am using an aloe lotion now 3 times a day as the healing finalizes.

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  • Tigger51
    Tigger51 Member Posts: 14
    edited January 2018

    Thank you for your suggestion, I will ask my RO about them. At this point they are not any worse but still painful and red. I have 5 boosts left and I hope my skin remains intact. The nurse instructed me to use a fan on the breast four times a day for fifteen minutes. This does feel wonderful. Too bad I couldn’t do it twenty four seven. Only it’s winter time.

    Looking forward to being done and my skin returning to normal

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  • MelisaNg
    MelisaNg Member Posts: 3
    edited January 2018

    If it's not back to normal, you should meet doctor

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  • scaligirl
    scaligirl Member Posts: 74
    edited January 2018

    In addition to using AVO cream, I use Aspercream when my skin bothers me. It has a little lidocane in it. It doesn't happen to often but I find it helps. The redness is just a rads side effect so nothing is going to cure that until you're done and your skin has a chance to heal.

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  • lyzzysmom
    lyzzysmom Member Posts: 654
    edited January 2018

    My RO supplied me with Elta Lite cream and told me not to use anything else. It worked very well for me.

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