Internal creams. Are there any?

Hello Rainieday

I used Strata XRT externally and had very little skin damage from 30 radiotherapy sessions. I missed an area around my coxix and it was the only area to flake. I also moisturised the whole area with a familiar non scented, hypo allergic cream pre treatment (where your knickers would cover).

I did not use cream inside and am not aware of any suitable creams during radiotherapy, but if it exists this group will be aware of it.

Just to mention Strata goes a long way, I had the same tube through treatment and some left after treatment stopped. I used baby nappy rash cream with calandula after radiotherapy and everything got back to normal very quickly. Sudocrem is very popular and many of our members have had great results using after treatment.

Very best of luck with your treatment.

Ally

Hi Rainieday,

As far as I know there are no creams or pessaries that protect internally. The skin on the outside of your body is different from the lining of your anus and vagina so putting these creams inside you wouldn't help, and I don't know if anything will.

The best I can suggest right now is for you to moisturise the whole area from your vulva to your bottom. Once you meet the radiotherapists, they may give you some creams to start using - I was given Flamigel RT, and then Flaminal hydro gel which were fine for me. I did suffer a bit of skin burning in week three or four, but it was ok, and soon recovers once you stop.

Good luck, 

I used Strata XRT externally too and had only one very small patch of broken skin just on my anus. I had half a tube left that I donated to a friend who is about to undergo radiotherapy for prostate cancer. 

I asked the nurses where to apply, and they told me all in my bum crack up to the coccyx and along the groin at my knicker line at the front. My bum did very well. My groin went nearly black a week or so after treatment finished  - it didn't hurt at all and the black skin peeled off almost as quickly as it arrived. For the rest of the area where my knickers would cover I used Aveeno moisturiser. I did try the Flaminal gel that the hospital provided but it was really gunky and I didn't like it at all. It did help a bit with itching though, although a daily antihistamine was much more effective at that. 

I was a bit sore walking more than a mile or so for a few days after treatment ended but my main problem was itching. As soon as treatment finished I switched to Sudocrem and antihistamine and honestly it was miraculous and the itching stopped very quickly.

I wasn't offered any creams for internally. I didn't have any internal pain apart from for 2 days in the week after treatment finished where BMs felt like passing broken glass. But the pain didn't linger and was only for 2 days. I was offered opiates to take but was more worried about constipation so didn't take them.

Just remember that everything apart from Strata XRT has to be washed off before treatment each day. 

Very best of luck - it will soon be a distant memory. xx

Hello Rainieday 

I was given Instillagel with an applicator and used it once internally - I hit the roof.  And then I read the instructions which said it was NOT to be used on broken skin, so that gave me an indication of the condition of my anal skin.  I never tried after that, and I'm sorry I can't help but I have never heard of anything else that can be used internally.

Irene xx

Hi Rainieday  like the others ive not heard of anything to use internally. I would defo do tops of legs as that was where i had the most damage. Xx