Efudex-40 (fluorouracil) (Page 2)

Need all information about this medication please.

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Will using Efudex three times daily on facial AKs speed my treatment up? I am going away in 3 1/2 weeks and don’t want to look scary! I started using it at Christmas.

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I'm going to start Efudex in January. One place is the tip of my nose, but the other is right on the bridge of my nose, very close to my eye. How can I protect my eye from being affected?

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I'm just starting Efudex. Will it cause skin damage? If the skin isn’t damaged will it still turn it red and crusty as the days of use pass?

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Has anyone just used the Efudex cream on certain areas of the face, rather than all over? I am reluctant to use the cream all over as I know where the spots are. Or, should I do the whole face? My abrasions are on the nose, chin and side cheek.

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I am on week two and have found some valuable information on this site that has put my mind at rest that my treatment is going ok.

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Re: Dave O (# 19)

"Still wondering if it's possible that there would be no further outbreaks in this lovely new skin."

I'm just completing the Dynamic Duo treatment - Fluorouracil + Calcipotriol/Calcipotriene for 7 days (after 3 days of Fluorouracil solo before I found about the combo) - including my lips. (I'll stick with the combo treatment for subsequent applications; they say 4 days is enough, but I think I can easily handle 6-7 days without much fuss.)

My understanding is that the lips, especially the bottom one - cop a huge amount of sun damage so it's worth doing them I think, though I do see a lot of photos on posts elsewhere where they have avoided them for whatever reason. Going by the reaction I've had - some blistering and cracking, but not unbearable - I'd do it again. And probably will do a 4-6 day repeat in a few months, after I finish the rest of my abused skin (chest, arms/hands, back, etc).

Most of my sun damage came from stupid tanning in the 70s/80s and a long bike ride up the east coast of Australia in my 20s - not a drop of sunscreen, out in the tropical sun for 3-6 hours a day for 9 months. Eeek!

A dermo once told me that the skin can actually heal itself to some extent; I once had an AK appear out of nowhere on my shoulder, turn bright red, scab over and fall off in the space of a week, eventually disappearing completely on its own. Doc said that that can happen. But I wouldn't depend on it! I wish someone had told me about this treatment years ago, before the burning, freezing and cutting began! Definitely try the combo - it's WAAAAY easier, faster and actually seems to work better.

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Re: Marlene (# 24)

"I am reluctant to use the cream all over as I know where the spots are."

You THINK you know! This treatment, as you're probably aware now that you've done it, highlights damage in the skin that you didn't even know was there. So I think most people would recommend that you treat the whole area, whether it be your face, chest, arms, whatever.

Personally speaking, I see lots of photos of people who have treated their face but not their lips or ears or neck. I know a lot of dermos say to keep it away from your eyelids but I took the cream in quite close and it drew out a lot of damage within 1/2cm of my eyes, especially the outer corners and below the eyebrows.

And I think doing your lips is a no-brainer; they cop a LOT of sun and have less natural protection that other skin. Just my opinion.

And definitely do the fluorouracil + calcipotriol/calcipotriene combo treatment; it's a breeze compared to the fluorouracil on its own and is much faster - 4 days* compared to several weeks. I'm not sure how I'd have coped with the fluorouracil-only regimen - it looked brutal. And it seems it can result in persistent post-treatment reddening according to quite a few posts here and elsewhere, maybe because of the severity and duration of the reaction.

* The Harvard study was for 4 days only and cleared around 90% of AKs compared to about half that with fluorouracil/Efudex/Efudix on its own. Personally, I do 6-7 days to try to get a higher clearance rate and because it's simply not that difficult to keep going for a few more days. This is NOT a recommendation; do your own research.

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Re: Comments Submitted (# 13)

Blue light sunburned my scalp at my part and it still sheds flaky dandruff-like skin. I'm doing Efudex now on my face having done it on my arms about the time I did blue light. In my opinion the pain from Efudex is less than the blue light treatment. It felt like a blowtorch on my face.

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I used this prescription on my forehead twice a day for 10 days. Removed all my ak's. Has now been about 1 year and ...

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Harvard Medical recently discovered a new treatment regime for AK. This new four-day Harvard Medical protocol is going t...

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I put this combo on face fro 5 days as prescribed. Pretty awful for 2 of the days but all clear after 2 weeks. HOWEVER, ...

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I'm having an unusually severe skin irritation when applying my Fluorouracil creme (5%) this time. This is the 3rd t...

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I am on effient blood thinner after a heart stent placement. I was just prescribed efudex. will this increase the blood ...

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Can anyone explain the stages and what to look for. I’ve been on Fluorouracil for 23 days suppose to do 4 weeks al...

I read that you should wash the site before application. Are you to wash your hair everyday, twice a day if you apply Fl...

I've just completed 10 days of fluorouracil + calcipotriene/calcipotriol treatment - in my case, being in Méxic...

How and when should I apply Efudex to my face? ## This is a drug used to treat certain types of cancer. How often and ho...

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How to use and side efects ## please give me detailed description of how to apply and how long to apply efudex-40 ## I w...

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