Erbitux? How soon did you develop the rash?

ByeByeCancer
ByeByeCancer Member Posts: 54 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hi, for those that had Erbitux, how long did it take for you to develop the rash?  My husband had his first round 3 days ago and no rash yet!  I feel like I want to see the rash to know that the stuff is in there and working! Not sure if there is anything to that or not...I've seen opinions on both sides.

Comments

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #2
    Erbitux

    BBC,

    I don’t rember the exact timeline, but it was in the first week or two and then it is acne and cracked fingers for a few months.

    Matt

  • DanceSkater
    DanceSkater Member Posts: 62
    #3
    Erbitux

    I don't think I got the "rash"  until at least week 4 or 5.  My rash actually got worse after the treatment was over.   I had the rash all over my head, neck, and chest.  A few spots showed on my arms and legs.  My eyelashes got very long and strange looking too.  

  • Ferg61
    Ferg61 Member Posts: 12
    edited September 2017 #4
    Erbitrux

    Hi,

    I had 8 weeks of Erbitrux once a week never had rash break out. Just my neck getting burned up from radiation twice a day for 65 rounds of radiation.

    Stay strong and continue to be strong for your husband.

     

    Hugs

  • dw195
    dw195 Member Posts: 43 Member
    edited September 2017 #5
    Erbitux Rash

    Mine started the second week and by week 5 was so bad I couldn't complete all 7 treatments. I'm 6 months out and have to be very careful of the sun and wear sunscreen any time I'll be outside for any length of time. But, I wouldn't change a thing as I believe it really helped in conjunction with the radiation treatments. Good luck to your husband and it will get worse before it gets better - but hang in there it's worth it.


    Don

  • jbrenna8
    jbrenna8 Member Posts: 7
    #6
    My husband had his first

    My husband had his first infusion of Erbitux this past Monday and has not had a rash or skin eruption develop as of yet. Also, just for clarity, there has been no clinical evidience to support that rash equals efficacy.  Erbitux can be working without a rash.  Keep the faith.

     

  • ByeByeCancer
    ByeByeCancer Member Posts: 54 Member
    #7
    jbrenna8 said:

    My husband had his first

    My husband had his first infusion of Erbitux this past Monday and has not had a rash or skin eruption develop as of yet. Also, just for clarity, there has been no clinical evidience to support that rash equals efficacy.  Erbitux can be working without a rash.  Keep the faith.

     

    Thanks everyone for the replies!

    Thank you everyone for the replies.  It is beyond helpful to read everyone's thoughts on this stuff.  My husband doesn't have a rash yet (1st Erbitux this past Monday) but says his skin does feel funny around his upper arms and upward.  Maybe the rash is on its way.  I have read newer articles that say rash doesn't necessarily equal efficacy...but I've also read some that seem to imply that it does.  So much conflicting info out there!  My husband's oncologist also has him on Doxycycline preventively so maybe we won't even see a rash.

    jbrenna8, it looks like our husbands are on the same schedule.  Is your husband doing radiation too?  Mine starts that, along with Erbitux does #2 on Sept. 25th.

     

  • jbrenna8
    jbrenna8 Member Posts: 7
    #8
    My husband did get the rash

    My husband did get the rash (and mouth sores) two days ago after mowing the lawn and getting hot/sweaty.  They flared up initially, but have subsided some by this morning.  No radiation this time as he has four separate lesions in his lung.  If radiation plays a role in his treatment this time (he had 35 treatments initially last year), they will do so if/when he only has one or two spots.  We will have some prognostic tests done after 2 cycles (6 weeks of his 3 week regimen) to determine next steps.  In the meantime, we continue to play whack-a-mole with side effects and our emotions.  One day we are able to stay focused on the moment or issue at hand and others we're just a big mess.  And so it goes.... 

    thank you for mentioning doxycycline.  I'll look into that.  -- jan

  • Azzamsaid
    Azzamsaid Member Posts: 3
    #9
    How many cycles we should

    How many cycles we should take from cituximab

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #10
    Azzamsaid said:

    How many cycles we should

    How many cycles we should take from cituximab

    erbitux

     

    Azz,

    Standard treatment is 1 initial loading dose and 7 weekly doses.

    Matt

  • christine2080
    christine2080 Member Posts: 71
    #11
    Cetuximab (Erbitux) rash

    My husband broke out in a full blown rash all over his face and chest today. He looks miserable. We have a prescription cream we are putting on it, but it must take some time to kick in. He had his second chemo infusion on Monday. He had an allergic reaction to it & has to get Benadryl each time. I wonder if there is a connection between the allergic reaction and the rash? Thanks for mentioning Doxycycline; I plan to ask his oncologist about it tomorrow. Has your husband developed the rash yet, ByeByeCancer?

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #12
    christine2080 said:

    Cetuximab (Erbitux) rash

    My husband broke out in a full blown rash all over his face and chest today. He looks miserable. We have a prescription cream we are putting on it, but it must take some time to kick in. He had his second chemo infusion on Monday. He had an allergic reaction to it & has to get Benadryl each time. I wonder if there is a connection between the allergic reaction and the rash? Thanks for mentioning Doxycycline; I plan to ask his oncologist about it tomorrow. Has your husband developed the rash yet, ByeByeCancer?

    Erbitux

    C2080,

    I had the rash over my torso and face.  It looked bad, but did not really itch. My eyelashes and eyebrows and hair on my belly grew and my fingers cracked and to finish, my big toe nail fell off.

    A really bad reaction is Tim6003 (see below).

    Matt

    tm

  • ByeByeCancer
    ByeByeCancer Member Posts: 54 Member
    edited October 2017 #13
    Yes, we got the rash!

    Yes! My husband got the rash on day 6 after the first Erbitux.  He still has the rash all over his head and has now spread on his chest and stomach.  It is actually driving him nuts.  He gave up on the cream because it didn't seem to help, but still takes the doxycycline even though he doesn't know if its making a dent or not in the rash.  He finished radiation #20 today!

  • christine2080
    christine2080 Member Posts: 71
    #14
    ByeByeCancer said:

    Yes, we got the rash!

    Yes! My husband got the rash on day 6 after the first Erbitux.  He still has the rash all over his head and has now spread on his chest and stomach.  It is actually driving him nuts.  He gave up on the cream because it didn't seem to help, but still takes the doxycycline even though he doesn't know if its making a dent or not in the rash.  He finished radiation #20 today!

    Congrats on #20! My husband

    Congrats on #20! My husband finished #13 today. He doesn't feel like the cream is helping either, although he still patiently allowed me to put it on him. Between the rash and thrush, I don't know how he's doing it.

  • philipbacon67
    philipbacon67 Member Posts: 1
    #15
    ByeByeCancer said:

    Thanks everyone for the replies!

    Thank you everyone for the replies.  It is beyond helpful to read everyone's thoughts on this stuff.  My husband doesn't have a rash yet (1st Erbitux this past Monday) but says his skin does feel funny around his upper arms and upward.  Maybe the rash is on its way.  I have read newer articles that say rash doesn't necessarily equal efficacy...but I've also read some that seem to imply that it does.  So much conflicting info out there!  My husband's oncologist also has him on Doxycycline preventively so maybe we won't even see a rash.

    jbrenna8, it looks like our husbands are on the same schedule.  Is your husband doing radiation too?  Mine starts that, along with Erbitux does #2 on Sept. 25th.

     

    I'm on erbitux had one

    I'm on erbitux had one treatment and I broke out within 5 days they gave me doxycycline and it's not working. What else can I do?

     

  • christine2080
    christine2080 Member Posts: 71
    edited October 2017 #16
    philipbacon67 said:

    I'm on erbitux had one

    I'm on erbitux had one treatment and I broke out within 5 days they gave me doxycycline and it's not working. What else can I do?

     

    Alternative to doxycycline

    My husband was never prescribed doxycycline, so I can't speak to that. He was prescribed minocycline, but it was totally ineffective. We just got a prescription for prednisone yesterday and the rash is much better today. Yesterday the rash was bright red and even purple in places. Today the color has gone down and many of the bumps are gone. I expect it to be gone completely soon (or at least until he gets his next infusion).

  • ManOfSteelMan
    ManOfSteelMan Member Posts: 13
    #17
    Rash

    I got mine pretty early on, within the first week of treatment. The second one stalled which will be in another post so I can't tell you how bad it will get only that it came within days.

  • christine2080
    christine2080 Member Posts: 71
    #18
    Prednisone

    My husband's rash was so bad that they prescribed prednisone. It has had an immediate effect on the overall appearance although he says his face is still sore and it looks like he has the measles. He hasn't completed the course of steroids though.

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