Creams for Radiation burns on face, how did you manage the pain?

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murphy97
murphy97 Member Posts: 7
edited January 2018 in Head and Neck Cancer #1

How did you cope and manage the radiation burns to your face and neck?

The burns on my face and neck are, very red, itchy, flaking, swollen, raw and downright painful that I don’t sleep.  When I put creams on the skin within a few hours they form scaly flaking clumps that are hard to remove when washing my face.

  • Over the counter products tried:  Aquafor, Vani cream, Lindi Skin, Bacitracin. 

 

  • Prescription:  Silvadene (Silver Sulfadiazine Cream 1%) I also found an article that this is not recommended for use on the face.  This cream needs to be put on 1/16” of inch thick.

Regardless of products I’m not able to get any relief from the pain.

Has anyone had any luck with getting their Doctors to prescribe Hydrocolloid dressings for night time use?

Anyone use Cool Magic Hydrogel Sheet Dressings?  If yes, did they bring any relief?

I’m miserable between the face burns and rashes that have broken out across my back and stomach around my PEG Tube.

Right now my face is very swollen making the mask fit super tight and this morning I could barely breathe.

Comments

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    #2
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    neck burn

    murphy97,

    For me, the neck burn was the worst pain (by far) for  my H&N adventure.

    It was not on my face and I used the Silver Sulfadiazine Cream with great results. When it was on, I had no pain.

    It is not for everyone, but for me it is one of my TOP 3 treatment aids and it is messy.

    After I started using it, I did not look back.

    The other products you will need others for application review.

    Matt

  • JAL23
    JAL23 Member Posts: 88
    edited January 2018 #3
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    My clinic prescribed a cream

    My clinic prescribed a cream called elocon, also known as mometasone furoate cream. Some studies have shown that it can reduce radiation side effects in addition to more traditional stuff like aquafor. I put a thin layer of elocon on the area being radiated and then slather aquafor over it. I do this twice a day. I am not sure if this has been working, but my skin has only gotten painful around my neck dissection scar.

    I have also heard that 100% aloe (even better if from the leaf) can help provide some soothing action. I might pick this up soon.

  • Sprint Car Dude
    Sprint Car Dude Member Posts: 181
    #4
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    Burns

    If the burns are open Silvadine Cream is your best bet. Once the burns start to heal I would use Aquaphor for the next 3-4 weeks.

  • SuzJ
    SuzJ Member Posts: 427 Member
    edited January 2018 #5
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    Rad Onc Nurse

    Talk to the Rad Onc people.

    They truley are the best in their field.

     

    My Drs nurse, took me and my son back to a treatment room after I showed up in tears because of all the goopy stuff sticking to me, my clothes my hair, etc.

    She cleaned it with "Ultrakleen" then spread "miaderm" over the open wounds, covered up with a kind of padded dressing, then it was all held on with a tube bandage. This was done every day, either by Kathy my wonderful nurse, or Kyle, my wonderful  son - after 2 weeks you couln't see where I had been burnt at all, everyone says its amazing. I say its the excellent care I got.

     

    So - ask the radiation people - they really know what they are doing.

  • abjolly
    abjolly Member Posts: 4
    #6
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    Please communicate your

    Please communicate your discomfort, repeatedly! It took several tries before I found the right combination of products (last of 35 radiation treatments was 3 days ago, January 10, 2018). For the "open" oozing places on my neck the Silver Sulfadiazine cream was amazing - cool soothing relief when my neck felt like it was on fire. I actually had to cut out hunks of hair and clothing that were stuck to my sores! Once those healed to a more managebale state, I was prescribed Triamcinolone Acetonide cream, and the results were just as good. Aquaphor did absolutely nothing for me, although all my doctors and nurses raved about it.

    Good luck!

  • Chicklette
    Chicklette Member Posts: 225
    #7
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    Domboro Soaks

    My husband used something called Domboro. It was a powder that you mix with hot water.  You soak gauze pads in it and then lay them across the burns.  His neck looked horrible and these helped a lot.  You can pick them up at the pharmacy.

  • murphy97
    murphy97 Member Posts: 7
    #8
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    Radiation burns on face, how did you manage the pain

    Thanks everyone that left a reply.  My docs have me using Aquafor on my face and silvadene on my neck.  I'm a greasy mess all these goop is stuck to my clothes, my hair, everything.

    It's the pain I can't get away from. I'm simply miserable.  I have awful mouth sores, I have rashes all over my body as well from the chemo, my back and stomach which has a PEG tube have worst of chemo rashes, scaly, itchy, weeping skin I'm using Lindi Skin balm on my stomach but it's not doing much

    I gargle with the salt and backing soda plus docs prescribed a magic moutwash but I can barely swallow hench the reason for the PEG tube. I would love to eat a real meal or even drink a glass of juice like a non-sick person. 

    The treatment complications seem worse than the cure. I don't know how much more of all these different side effects (can't eat/drink, rashes, burns, overall tiredeness) my body can take at one time. I'm quite a mess.  

     

  • EnergizerBunnyFrayed
    EnergizerBunnyFrayed Member Posts: 14
    edited January 2018 #9
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    Burn cream

    Aquafor did nothing for me. Having done radiation prior I knew binfine (hope spelt right) cured my burns in days. They now keep it on hand. 

  • murphy97
    murphy97 Member Posts: 7
    edited January 2018 #10
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    Some healing progress; pain

    Some healing progress; pain has diminished some which is good.  I wear a non stick bandage around my neck In a 3x8 size by Curad that I tape a few of together and load up with the Silvadene cream. It looks like a collar & rubs a bit causing some irritation but its the only way I can get the cream to stay on.  Most of the scabs have subsided some skin does bleed when cleaning the skin to change the dressing.  The rest of my body skin is ridiculously dry...

     

  • Billbo_Baggins
    Billbo_Baggins Member Posts: 2
    #11
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    What I used

     

    I was told to use clear aloe put it on twice a day no more than three hrs before your next appointment. It worked great for me. 

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