Skin sensitivity? (head, chest, arms)

OKCnative
OKCnative Member Posts: 326 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Just wondering if anyone else who went through radiation and chemo if they experienced unusual skin sensitivity post treatment. I'm 2 months post and for the last 5 days I've noticed in parts of my body with hair that I've developed some soreness.

Specifically; the top and back of my head, both arms and across my chest.

Feels like a sunburn that hasn't blistered but is still very sensitive. Enough so that I notice it when I lay my head on my pillow, scratch my head or put a shirt on. It actually almost hurts when I shampoo my head.

Anyone else experience this?

In addition, the last two days I've noticed both hands (palms and fingers) are sore - as if I've been gripping something for a long period of time.

Other than that, recovery has been unexpectedly great! I work full time, am back to my hobbies and eat anything and everything I want.

(SCC BOT Stage IV)


Comments

  • Andy13460
    Andy13460 Member Posts: 115
    edited November 2017 #2
    Skin sensitivity

    Yes I did it lasted for a couple of weeks and went away mainly head and neck. started week 15 after treatment was gone by week 17 worst area was base of skull at the back.

  • christine2080
    christine2080 Member Posts: 71
    #3
    Thanks to both of you for

    Thanks to both of you for posting about this. I hate to hear that you are experiencing pain, OKCnative. I'm happy to hear you are eating anything you want at two months post treatment though!

  • Drivingdaisy
    Drivingdaisy Member Posts: 263
    #4
    Skin sensitivity

    I never had pain except ripping off bandaids, etc.   More of highly sensitive to being touched all over.  Now I also have cold sensitivity, over a year later.  But I did lose 50 lbs so No body fat to keep me warm.

  • OKCnative
    OKCnative Member Posts: 326 Member
    #5
    Andy13460 said:

    Skin sensitivity

    Yes I did it lasted for a couple of weeks and went away mainly head and neck. started week 15 after treatment was gone by week 17 worst area was base of skull at the back.

    Consulted with my doctor and

    Consulted with my doctor and she said it wasn't common but was still a normal, but temporary, reaction post treatment. Sure enough, it has already pretty much gone away. Lasted about 2+ weeks.

    One thing I've noticed about this treatment; every day can be the beginning or end of some symptom. For me, very few have been gradual. I wake up and go "wow, that's new" or I wake up and go "wow, that symptom is gone."

    Wife asks me every day what I'm experiencing because it changes so often.

  • AnotherSurvivor
    AnotherSurvivor Member Posts: 384 Member
    #6
    A year after start of

    A year after start of treatment I still get small sores on my arms that usually go away on their own.  Many less than when under treatment, but just about the time when I'd think I was all done they show up.  My neck is hyper-sensitive to pretty much anything.  The skin that got toasted has to get daily moisturizer or it gets dry and hard.  Any sun exposure on it, even briefly,  and I know about it for the next couple of days. 

    I started out wearing thin neck gators, but as it's gotten cooler I pretty much live in a woolen scarf, inside or out.  The effect on my lymphedema from keeping my neck warm is amazing, I'm becoming a scarf fashionista.  Also, hats, woolen fedora.  The 1950s/early 60s rock!   And the 40lbs weight loss leaves me noticing cold more, but that can also be thyroid related so TSH plus Free T3/T4 tests should be standard.  Some docs will just do TSH but you really ought to also get T3/T4 as well.  Basically, I am finding that all the stuff my care team and this website mention as common side/after effects really are common side/after effects. 

    At the start I said I was in for 90 days and a bad time.  Ninety days found me on oxygen moving by wheelchair.  Six months ago I was saying it would take a year to full recovery, and a year leaves me functional and stable, but with stuff I suspect is going to be permanent.  I thought I'd breeze thru, climb out and move on.  I struggled thru, crawled out, and seem to have attached baggage.  But life is not unpleasant, just a good bit less robust.  At 65, that was on the horizon anyway.  Now when I go to the rec center, it's for Tai Chi for geezers instead of the climbing wall.  I'm still not doing Pickleball, those people are crazy. 

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