Skin problems following radiotherapy

Hi Hollyberry12,

so sorry to hear your mum has been suffering with itchy skin.  I have just come off the telephone after speaking to the Doctor for that very reason.  However, I’m only one week and a day after completing my 5 week daily radiotherapy .  I have been using e45 cream, but last night I took one of my husbands anti histamine tabs as itching so bad.  Mine is mainly red spots on my chest,  back, arms and legs.  I have been referred for a blood test.  
I will let you know the outcome.  Wishing your mum done relief soon.  

Hi Hollyberry12

Sorry to hear your mum is still suffering with her skin and I have every sympathy.  I am 10 weeks post treatment and still have soreness in the delicate areas making sitting upright difficult! Also suffering from the itching and have red itchy patches in the pelvic area but nowhere else - for which I am taking anti-histamines. These seem to work for a few days then don't so stop taking a few days then start again.

My nurse rang to see how I was this week and said to keep using sudocrem (which I mix with 50 50 lotion I got from the GP after recommendation from district nurse as sudocrem is a bit thick on its own).  She wasnt concerned I was still sore said I was still healing and it is much better than it was!  Also she said the itching meant the skin was healing. Just wonder how much longer i'll be using the creams!

Hope your mum starts to feel better soon.

Carole

I had an allergic reaction to travel stockings flying to the States and within a day was amazed to find that my whole body was covered with red itchy blotches to the point I was using a hairbrush to scratch them.  It seems that sometimes a skin reaction can spread to other places, which it seems to have done with your poor Mum.  My doctor told me that anti-histamines are very effective and safe to use for itchy skin.  My weeping skin problems after radiotherapy were confined to my nether regions and I used large amounts of Flaminal Forte gel prescribed by the consultant but I don't think this would fit the bill for your Mum's problems.  I hope a member of the team treating your Mum can offer some better advice.

Best wishes to her (and you, taking good care of your Mum)

Irene xx

Hi Hollyberry12,

I’m sorry that your mum is suffering with skin issues. 7 weeks post treatment is still very early days considering she’s had this really toxic treatment bombarding her body for 5 weeks day in day out. 

The area of skin that has been subject to the radiotherapy will always be a lot more delicate than before & can be prone to rashes, splits & tears, I’m 4.5 years post treatment & still get these issues sometimes although the space in between does get further & further apart. I suffered what seemed like patches of very dry, itchy eczema on different parts of my body in the weeks following the completion of my treatment & asked in clinic could this be connected with the chemoradiotherapy but was told it was doubtful so I too would be interested if anyone else has had this happen soon after treatment. I was prescribed hydromol ointment by my GP & it did eventually go away & hasn’t returned. I also seemed to develope a strange reaction to my watch strap that I hadn’t had previously & again was red & very itchy. 

Nicola