Aloe Vera... ugh..

taleena
taleena Member Posts: 1,612 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Okay.. I have been putting on my aloe vera twice a day... as instructed... however it has been sticking to my shirt... up until two days ago that was no big deal... just pull on it and it seperates from the skin... well... now to pull it off it hurts like a he**...how do you keep it from sticking to your shirt... ?? Any input would be great... it is almost becoming not worth it to use it but I know I need to... HELP!

~T

Comments

  • tjhay
    tjhay Member Posts: 655
    #2
    T ask you Rad Oncono of
    T ask you Rad Oncono of nurse what kind of cream you can use. They even usually have sample size creams for rad patints. Aloe is wonderful, but so are the other creams they have.
    tj
  • e_hope
    e_hope Member Posts: 370
    #3
    I was told not to use that..
    I was told not to use that.. but anyways... try shower or just getting your shirt wet. pealing it off in the shower the water should help from pealing you skin with the clothes. That's what we do at work with patients wounds when they stick we wet the area... and the dressing peals away without damaging the skin...
  • roseann4
    roseann4 Member Posts: 992 Member
    #4
    e_hope said:

    I was told not to use that..
    I was told not to use that.. but anyways... try shower or just getting your shirt wet. pealing it off in the shower the water should help from pealing you skin with the clothes. That's what we do at work with patients wounds when they stick we wet the area... and the dressing peals away without damaging the skin...

    Product Suggestion
    Hi,

    I went to a very good radiology clinic affiliated with Yale. They were very helpful and recommended I buy a CVS Brand of after tan which had pure aloe and no alcohol. It feels a bit sticky when I put it on but completely absorbs into my skin. I also bought a creme specifically for radiation called "My Girls". I found it online by a company called Lots To Live For and cleared it with my radiologist oncologist. I used it at night because it was oily but worked like magic to heal me at night. I had 33 treatments without breakdown. I feel your pain!

    Roseann
  • sgamtd
    sgamtd Member Posts: 124
    #5
    Aloe Vera
    Taleena Hi, looking at your avatar I figure you are a busy Mom, do you take time to let it dry before you dress? Pulling off the skin sound awful, I am so sorry you have this problem.
    I start Rads tomorrow, and since I am the kind of person with dry skin, I quizzed the doctor and techs last week during SIMS about what I could use, and was told aloe vera, and I could apply it up to 2 hrs before radiation treatment, and could start using it right away, in lieu of my usual lotion. (I know all centers have their own way of instructing us).
    I have been putting it on generously 2 times a day, but have found it takes about 5 minutes to absorb into the skin, but then I can dress, of course I have not had any treatments yet, but hope that does not change the way the aloe vera works for me.
    Good luck
    sgamtd
  • Moopy23
    Moopy23 Member Posts: 1,751 Member
    #6
    Rad Pain
    Hi, Taleena, I am sorry you're having pain from your tops sticking to the aloe. Like TJ, I suggest trying other approved creams and lotions. Aquaphor didn't stick as badly as aloe. And Vanicream was even less sticky. I wore the thinnest cotton shirts, which helped prevent sticking. But, of course, I got rads in the middle of the summer, so the thinnest shirts were fine.

    Another option is to place pads between your skin and your shirts. Ask your rad nurse for some, or get them from the first aid section of drugstores or Walmart.

    I hope some of the suggestions you get here will help.
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #7
    Moopy23 said:

    Rad Pain
    Hi, Taleena, I am sorry you're having pain from your tops sticking to the aloe. Like TJ, I suggest trying other approved creams and lotions. Aquaphor didn't stick as badly as aloe. And Vanicream was even less sticky. I wore the thinnest cotton shirts, which helped prevent sticking. But, of course, I got rads in the middle of the summer, so the thinnest shirts were fine.

    Another option is to place pads between your skin and your shirts. Ask your rad nurse for some, or get them from the first aid section of drugstores or Walmart.

    I hope some of the suggestions you get here will help.

    Aquaphor for the future
    Hi Taleena,
    I an very sorry. The most important to keep your skin intact and protect from infection. You definitely need to change the product. I had 36 treatments and used Aquaphor deep moisturizer. It is a very nasty cream but did work well.
    I whish get better soon.
  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    #8
    SWEEN CREAM
    My family always has used sween cream during radiation therapy. It helps to keep the skin intact and is soothing. Call your local pharmacist to see if they carry it or if there is a local store that does. If not it is available on amazon.com (I just checked). I had a total of 16 weeks of rads in a over a nine month period, this cream really helped! Hope you feel better soon!

    Hugs,

    RE
  • taleena
    taleena Member Posts: 1,612 Member
    #9
    RE said:

    SWEEN CREAM
    My family always has used sween cream during radiation therapy. It helps to keep the skin intact and is soothing. Call your local pharmacist to see if they carry it or if there is a local store that does. If not it is available on amazon.com (I just checked). I had a total of 16 weeks of rads in a over a nine month period, this cream really helped! Hope you feel better soon!

    Hugs,

    RE

    Thanks ladies... I will be
    Thanks ladies... I will be checking with the rad onco this afternoon... yes I do have a tendency to get dressed as soon as I finish putting it on, maybe this is the problem... I'll try waiting for it to dry... I will also ask about some of the other alternatives.... again thank you for all the input!

    Have a wonderful day... and thanks again...

    ♥ & hugs,

    ~T
  • fauxma
    fauxma Member Posts: 3,577 Member
    #10
    taleena said:

    Thanks ladies... I will be
    Thanks ladies... I will be checking with the rad onco this afternoon... yes I do have a tendency to get dressed as soon as I finish putting it on, maybe this is the problem... I'll try waiting for it to dry... I will also ask about some of the other alternatives.... again thank you for all the input!

    Have a wonderful day... and thanks again...

    ♥ & hugs,

    ~T

    Taleena
    I had the same
    Taleena

    I had the same problem with the aloe because I would put my bra and shirt on as soon as I finished dressing. Heck sometimes I would get dressed and then remember and just mush a handful in and around. And of course it was sticky and my bra would then adhere. At first, like you said no problem but then later, ouch. Once I started lathering first, air drying completely, and then dressing I stopped having the problem. I do like the suggestion of getting in the shower if it does stick. That would loosen it up and make removal easier. And if you want to save time you could wash the shirt and then remove it. Laundry, shower and pain free removal LOL. What more could you ask? Oh yeah, to not have to be doing this in the first place. Hope you find the right solution among all our suggestions.
    Stef
  • carol41
    carol41 Member Posts: 25
    #11
    fauxma said:

    Taleena
    I had the same
    Taleena

    I had the same problem with the aloe because I would put my bra and shirt on as soon as I finished dressing. Heck sometimes I would get dressed and then remember and just mush a handful in and around. And of course it was sticky and my bra would then adhere. At first, like you said no problem but then later, ouch. Once I started lathering first, air drying completely, and then dressing I stopped having the problem. I do like the suggestion of getting in the shower if it does stick. That would loosen it up and make removal easier. And if you want to save time you could wash the shirt and then remove it. Laundry, shower and pain free removal LOL. What more could you ask? Oh yeah, to not have to be doing this in the first place. Hope you find the right solution among all our suggestions.
    Stef

    Creams for radiation
    Having alergies to many skin products, I found that pure coconut oil slathered on at night
    and a light coating of shay butter in the morning kept me in good stead. After 35 treatments in seven weeks, I finished last Tuesday and have only superficial peeling. Are you still in treatment??
  • taleena
    taleena Member Posts: 1,612 Member
    #12
    fauxma said:

    Taleena
    I had the same
    Taleena

    I had the same problem with the aloe because I would put my bra and shirt on as soon as I finished dressing. Heck sometimes I would get dressed and then remember and just mush a handful in and around. And of course it was sticky and my bra would then adhere. At first, like you said no problem but then later, ouch. Once I started lathering first, air drying completely, and then dressing I stopped having the problem. I do like the suggestion of getting in the shower if it does stick. That would loosen it up and make removal easier. And if you want to save time you could wash the shirt and then remove it. Laundry, shower and pain free removal LOL. What more could you ask? Oh yeah, to not have to be doing this in the first place. Hope you find the right solution among all our suggestions.
    Stef

    Thanks Stef... good laugh..
    Thanks Stef... good laugh.. that's a new way to take care of an ageless chore... (laundry) I may have to give it a whirl... I did find that waiting to get dressed is the best solution to this problem... who would have thought... guess it must be the blonde in me.. no offense to other blondes intended, but I do allow myself that excuse at least once a year...

    Well, today was day 11... only 24 more to go... almost 1/3 of the way complete.... couldn't happen soon enough for my liking.... I assure you all!

    ♥ & hugs to my wonderful sisters.

    ~T

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