Hello all, Im 23 days after finishing 15rads,my skin in the ex-breast area is breaking and a golden liquid is oozing out and forming crusts. Ive phoned the R.T.dept and they said contact your
G.P.so Im going at 11am today. Does anyone know what she may prescribe,I dont have any rapport with her therefore very little faith in her,anybody out there who could compare notes?
Love mags xx
Hi woody
Do know skin break down is a common side effect of radiotherapy. I would think your doctor will probably provide some form of dressing and possibly a course of antibiotics to prevent infection.
If the golden fluid is clear then it is most likely the end product of your body trying to heal the wound (difficult to explain in words) like when you have a cut and theres a bit of a scab which comes off.
If its thick and more yellowish then there could be a mild infection so again antibiotics.
Hope all goes well, find it so depressing that some doctors are total s**ts,
thinking of you
g
I had something similar, my gp gave me some antibiotics and mepiflex dressings as it was very sore and rubbing and catching on my clothes.
Kathy
ask for flamizine and a hc creme…it worked for me
Hi,
I had some skin breakdown after rads as you still keep cooking for a bit after they’ve finished. I went to GP’s surgery and saw a really nice doctor who prescribed Fulcidin cream which is an antibiotic one that also has hydrocortisone in - my skin was/is prone to eczema anyway and I can’t have anything with petroleum type stuff in and I was even allergic to the aqueous cream they gave me at rads…Anyway, Fulcidin worked a treat in my case. Hope you get something that works as well.
Liz
hello again,many thanks to all 3 of you for replying,am just back from chemists,G.P.didnt seem at all sure what to give me,it was Fucidin H.in the end plus melolin dressings. Im also ezcema prone so it was good to read my last reply,made me wonder if in fact the aqueous has irritated the burn.Those ladies out there who had a bad
reaction,did any of you get a large burned area on your back as well,
its been described as an exit wound,makes it sound like a gunshot wound! Will try my new ointment now and give you all the verdict tomorrow. Bye for now Mags xx
I’m 5 days after finishing rads. I’ve had one area (below the breast)break up last week and it’s now oozing. Urgh! I’ve been changing the dressing with special packs and adding intrasite as given by the nursing team. I’m now booked to get a swab taken, possible infection!
Not noticed the exit area - was aware of it, but so far nothing. Phew!
Another area that is very red and itchy is my neck.
Helps to read what others have been prescribed, see how I get on tomorrow too…
Hi Mags,
Glad you got the cream and some dressings - hope it works as well for you as it did for me. Yep, I had an ‘exit’ area on my shoulder as well that seemed to appear at the end of rads and itched like eczema so I put the Fulcidin on that as well and it went comparatively quickly. They told me at the rads I may get an exit area as the rays have to go somewhere and although I was having 15 doses, a large area was being treated with a high dose (they also put a jelly pad on my chest as well). My rads finished in March last year and I’ve still kept the cream just in case I need it again !! Let us know how you get on.
Liz
hello everyone,
just as you all predicted,the Fucicin H has really helped although I now look like an extra from "Thriller"pop video,huge scabby areas,
yukky.The non scabby areas are still very,very inflamed,would you advise Fucidin on whole area or say,some E45 on non scabby bits. I`ve not been doing my exercises for 3-4 days because of soreness, can feel my shoulder stiffening up already,hope to get more mobile over the weekend,also get my bra back on,my remaining boob feels like its on my waist!
All best wishes to you all love Mags x
It`s me again,
forgot to ask “my experience”, how are your sore bits,plus what is
“intrasite” x
Mags,
Glad the cream seems to be helping - I noticed a very quick improvement too. Personally I put the cream over the whole area working on the principle that the antibiotic bit would help with any infected areas and the hydrocortisone would help with the dry/non-scabby bits and it did. My skin is so sensitive I can’t tolerate E45 either so can’t help with that query!! Is your pharmacy nearby and can they advise or can you ring the rads people ???
As far as arm stiffness goes, I had it then lymphoedema and was quickly referred to physio. They were brill and 18 months later I’ve got less lymphoedema and much more movement and have at last been discharged from there but it’s open for me to return at any time if it starts to stiffen again. I have to add though that they had to sort the lympho out then the frozen shoulder so it was more complicated and time consuming so don’t be put off !!
Liz
HI ALL
I am having awful problems, rads finished on 17th July, My skin under boob broke open 6 days ago, been going to my surgery every day to get it dressed, yellow stuff coming out,.
I could not sleep at all last night as I could not get comfortable at all, also I now have pain right across under my breasts, I wonder if this is what they call reffered pain, does anyone know?.
Sorry to waffle on, but I am suffering quite badly at the moment.
Take care all
Libby xxxxxx
Hello Libby51
I’m sure other users will support you in this but in the meantime you may find it helpful to contact our free Helpline service on 0808 800 6000, hours our Mon - Fri 9.00 - 5.00 and Sat 9.00 - 2.00, or maybe you could contact your breast care nurse.
best wishes
June, moderator
@Libby 51 - feel better soon
I’m 11 days since finishing rads and my skin under the breast has broken down. I saw a nurse last week who took a swab and prescribed flamizine to “dab” onto the area. It is still open and reading this post has reminded me that they were going to call with the results of the swab they took - they haven’t. **goes to make follow up call**
I do find sleeping a problem and have an extra pillow to rest my arm and poorly breast onto during the night. I’m still extremely tired - if I do too much one day I end up sleeping the majority of the next. 40 winks actually turns out to be 3 or more hours!
Still in the 2 weeks after rads time hoping this all clears very soon.
@Woody24 - intrasite is a clear gel that I had to dab onto the area - it was quite cooling. The nurse didn’t explain what it did! I didn’t ask either - all I can say is it didn’t really have an impact on my skin repairing.
Finally - be glad when it is all healed as I’m currently bra-less and having to wear what can only be described as a stretchy net boob tube!
I can recommend Allevyn non-adhesive dressings - they sorted my weepiness by just protecting the skin from rubbing and helping dry it out…really it cleared up within days. BCN gave me some and I asked my doctor for prescription for more.
I had a nasty breakdown of my skin , about 10 days after my rads finished…I went back to the Hospital and the nurse there gave me some Allevyn non adhesive dressings too. I can totally agree with chipper…they were brill and helped my skin to dry up really well.
I got some more on prescription from my GP ( they are really expensive ) and wore them until my skin was completely back to normal. I found they helped to stop my bra from rubbing as they are like sheets of thin sponge.
Hope you find things improve soon.
hugs, Jill
Hi all,
Not sure where my other replies have gone.
After finishing 15 days of Rads on the 24th July, I find that my skin under the boob has become very sore. At first the Practice Nurse at my GP’s prescribed some intrasit conformable which were like kitchen roll pieces (not quite as big) filled with the intrasite gel. These were great at first, cooling and relieving pain but later as day wore on, were iritating the skin quite a bit.
Yesterday had to go back to the Nurse as my skin had broken up a lot more, was very red. It appears now that I may have a fungal infection so am on anti-biotics and today will be picking up some more pads to go under the area. They had to take a swab of the area yesterday to go to the lab.
I was wondering if anyone could let me know what they used on their scar, where the lymphnode was removed as that is getting really uncomfortable, I have been using the aqueous cream for months - since before I had my op. in April. I know some of you use the bio-oil but not too sure where I would get that from. Can anyone tell me what the Radiance Gel from the Penny Brohn Clinic is like.
I have rather a large bust 42+, finding a bra which doesn’t have high sides is a bit of a problem to finding a comfortable one, can anyone recommend for the larger lady.
Didn’t have any problems when I was having the Radio Therapy except from the tiredness from all the travelling but that soon righted itself after the first week.
Regards,
Whirlwind
there’s a bio oil /radiotherapy thread which might help as it mentions radiance gel
Whirlwind - radiance gel is all natural (edible, in fact!) and the two principle ingredients are aloe vera gel and honey. I’ve been using it since starting my rads on 6th August. Once skin has broken down, though, you’re advised not to use anything on the broken areas. Radiance gel isn’t cheap: £16.50 for a 100ml pot. Despite googling, I’ve not found anywhere else supplying it apart from the Penny Brohn centre.
My skin is sore but unbroken, and I’m trying to avoid under-breast skin breakdown (currently using a hankie with cotton wool pads inside it, to keep the breast and chest skin apart). I plan on asking for something more managable from the RT nurses next week. I think prevention would be better than cure! Have your nurses been able to give you anything to replace the intrasite? Perhaps something with silver in it?
Bust size wise, it depends whether you’re in a large cup size as well as round the back. Personally, I like the high sides (large cup size, so I feel better supported). There are loads of places which specialise in bras and tops for women who have had surgery or rads etc for breast cancer. If googling generally doesn’t help, there are some sites you could google for specifically: eloise, amoena, and there may well be others which are local to you which your local breast care nurse will probably have or be able to find details of for you. A volunteer at my RT dept gave me a copy of the Amoena catalogue and magazine, and the mag has details of some other sites around the UK. Have you a John Lewis near you? Their bra fitting team are usually very good and helpful, and they are likely to have larger sizes. M&S may also be a possibility, if you have a branch that carries larger sized bras.
If your skin is still hot and sore, you’d probably be better not using oils on your skin for now, although once that’s past, I’m sure you can use bio oil (you can get it from loads of stockists, including boots), which can help with the appearance of scars.
Thanks all,
This is about my 3rd try in writing a reply !!! Don’t ask.
Well last week, after having another prescription of the wrong sort of dressing - I had said to my practice nurse that the adhesive ones were pulling at my skin too much.
I rang up my BCC nurses at Gloucester, she said she would ring up my Practice Nurse and explain that I needed a non-adhesive, non-adherrent dressing.
My Practice Nurse rings me back to say that a prescription has been made up by the Doctor when I finally get to get them the next day (as they had to be ordered in) they turn out to be the Allevyn ones but Soft Gel Adhesive. It still takes yr. skin off, anyway have had to either fold them over or use them with the other incorrectly order Mepore dressings.
I don’t suppose that I will get a follow up call from the BCC but if I do, they will be told.
I see from other posts that the Allevyn are very expensive, I guess thats why I didn’t get them, on the weekend I looked up on the internet and could see lots of other dressings from the same makers.
The Doctors must think we are totally stupid.
I am on the mend now - my skin isn’t red - I expect the antibiotics have helped too.
Does anyone know what else you can get on Prescription for FREE other than the Tamoxifen/Cancer Drug. I am on a pre-paid card and didn’t know whether or not I was paying for my dressings at the time or not, if I’d been I would have got really annoyed with all their silly mistakes.
Regards,
Will try and be in touch shortly !!
Whirlwind