Persistent redness 4 months after treating with Efudix

Hi FaithA and a very warm welcome to the group which I hope you'll find is both an informative and supportive place to be.

I haven't been treated with Efudix but I noticed that your post hadn't had any replies yet. Responding to you will 'bump' it back to the top of the discussion list again.

There are lots of posts in the group mentioning Efudix and clicking here will take you to them. You could have a look through them to see if any mention the persistent redness you're experiencing.

Thanks, Latchbrook

It’s been a while since I’ve been on this forum so will have a look . Thanks, too, for bumping my post to the top of the list - much appreciated

I have been treating with Efudex  for nearly  3 years and if the treatment hasn’t completely worked then some months later  the area became slightly rough again to the touch.  I have just retreated areas without advice as extremely difficult to see anyone in NHS and have had to pay for most of my treatment.  Sometimes a small patch has started up  on the perimeter of the treatment and I now cover a larger area and not just put it on the actual AK. It takes absolutely ages for the redness to fade and not sure it ever does completely but if the areas you  treated are feeling all  smooth then that’s a good result.  

Hi Mandy123

Thank you so much for your reply. That’s so reassuring to know!This is my first time using Efudix but I’ve been ‘warned’ that the AK I treated could reoccur, or another occur in a different place.

Good to hear you’re making your own decisions about when to retreat too. Do you ask for a new tube of cream each time or do you continue to use the same cream beyond 90 days after opening? I was told that, as long as it wasn’t past its expiry date it should be ok but if I had any concerns to call my GP and ask for a repeat prescription.

I must admit I have been considering booking a consultation with a private dermatologist to have my skin thoroughly checked in person (my husband’s no David Bailey when it comes to taking photos) but it does feel smooth so I’ll hang fire with that for now.

Thanks again. As an Efudix novice, it’s great to hear firsthand from someone who’s experienced in using it

Glad info was useful.  I googled extensively about how long Efudex stays effective and many sources say years.  I am still using the same cream but check it out if you have concerns.  I went to see a consultant privately who works for dermatology at Queens as well and he was so much better at his job than the dermatologists I saw under the NHS and gives lots of advice and educates you.  Although he is at the same hospital I doubt he sees many patients unless they think it’s really serious possibly like melanoma.  It cost me £7000 to have a large fast growing basal cell infiltrating removed from  forehead/scalp with graft from my shoulder used.  Alot of money to find when you’ve also paid contributions into the NHS during your life but it seems the NHS is broken totally in some areas.  I know a lot more about skin cancer now and if anything looks serious  I don’t even try to get an NHS appointment I go  privately and just pay to save my sanity. If you need any more information please feel free to ask and if I can help I will.  Someone on here helped me a lot because they had had a similar operation to mine and I was in such a bad place. It was a bit of a lifesaver.

Very useful - thank you! 

Sounds like you’ve had a bit of a time of it and hope you’re over the worst of it now.

I’ve had more dealings with the NHS over the past two years than in all of my other 60! Had major abdominal surgery 15 months ago due to a suspicion of cancer. Was just getting over that when the AK thing reared its ugly head.

I do have private health care but the insurance company wouldn’t cover my abdominal issue since it all kicked off at what should have been a routine appointment TWO DAYS before the policy start date so was classed as a pre-existing condition .  Haven’t investigated whether or not they’d cover my AK since I was actually seen quite quickly by Dermatology post GP referral. The excess is high so no point asking if they’d cover the cost of an initial private consultation but, if further treatment is required down the line, I’ll certainly look into it. If they say no, I’ll probably go private anyway, like you, to preserve my sanity. What price peace of mind? 

I’ve been lucky in that I’ve dealt with some great NHS staff over the past two years but agree the administration itself is broken. Sod’s Law that you pay national insurance all your working life, the system collapses just when you need it! 

Anyway, I’ll climb down off my soap box now . Thanks again, Mandy123. Your advice and support is truly appreciated.