Efudix. Can anyone advise?

[WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants]

Hi

I was prescribed Efudix for a solar keratosis on my nose - to apply daily, fir a month & told to expect strong inflammatory reaction

It's been weird. Sometimes the cream hurts, but not the skin more like an ache in my nose, but it hasn't had much effect on the SK it's a little more red & it hasn't formed a flaky top as it was before it seems like it might be starting to do something now, but I've already been using it 5 weeks.

I'm just interested to know if continuing to use it would do any harm or if it's ok.

I was prescribed the cream by the consultant at the hospital, not my GP. He said to expect a strong reaction & if it was too sore, not to worry about missing a day.

Thing is there's barely been any reaction?!

It's very near my eye, so I've had to be careful not to get it in my eye, so I haven't rubbed it in, I've just dabbed it on.

I was only supposed to use it for a month, then leave it for a month and contact them
If it hadn't gone.

I'm happy to use it for another month unless anyone tells me that it's not a sensible/safe thing to do. As I said it's small so it's only a tiny dab of it, but 🤷🏻‍♀️

Any advice gratefully received 💐

Oh. GP surgery has begged us not to contact them unless it's URGENT as they're short staffed, getting the vaccine rolled out & trying to see URGENT people ASAP. They've switched off e-consult. They've made it clear they're here for anyone that cannot wait, but begged not to contact if it can wait. Hence trying to get advice about cream elsewhere.

Shameless Bump.

Sure my mum had to use this on her nose and was told it would get worse before it got better. She continued with treatment and it healed up really well ( only someone else's second hand experience tho..)

@123rd

Sure my mum had to use this on her nose and was told it would get worse before it got better. She continued with treatment and it healed up really well ( only someone else's second hand experience tho..)

@123rd

I missed that you'd replied!

Do you know how long your mum used it for?

I ended up ringing a pharmacist & she freaked out a bit about me using it fir 5 eeeks when it's not supposed to be used for more than 3-4 & told me to stop & make an appointment at the GP or through the hospital.

Originally I was told to use it for 4 weeks, leave it 4 weeks & get in touch if it's not gone

So I decided to stop (after 5 weeks) then give it 3 weeks to see what it's like - so a slight change to the original 8 week plan.

But I'd be interest in knowing how long your mum used it for, how long before it appeared to actually be doing anything & at what point it improved etc. IF you happen to be talking to her & don't mind asking. Totally understand if you don't want to 💐

I'm 99% sure it was only for 4 weeks. She would have stuck to the letter too.
She had a little blemish type on the bridge of her nose for a few months before seeing the dr. But once the four wks was up it did heal really nicely and you wouldn't know anything was there now

I used it a few years ago for a small skin cancer on my nose. I got a reaction after about a week. Magic stuff. I think I was supposed to complete 3 weeks of treatment before stopping. I was encouraged to call the hospital Dermatology specialist nurse if I had any questions/worries. They later said I should thereafter use remains of tube to try it on any areas I was suspicious of thereafter and there would be no reaction if they were benign (perhaps that is why you have had no reaction?). Can you call Dermatology Dept nurse for advice?

@123rd

I'm 99% sure it was only for 4 weeks. She would have stuck to the letter too. She had a little blemish type on the bridge of her nose for a few months before seeing the dr. But once the four wks was up it did heal really nicely and you wouldn't know anything was there now

Thank you 😊

Mine is on the side of my nose,quite near my eye (not getting the cream in my eye has been very difficult). I'm just confused because the consult was at great pains to tell me it would have a strong reaction and that if it hurt too much it was ok to skip a day if the cream. Then the letter noted that I had been told that & yet nada, zero, zilch...🤷🏻‍♀️)

Thanks for your reply & im glad your mums healed nicely!!

@mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork

I used it a few years ago for a small skin cancer on my nose. I got a reaction after about a week. Magic stuff. I think I was supposed to complete 3 weeks of treatment before stopping. I was encouraged to call the hospital Dermatology specialist nurse if I had any questions/worries. They later said I should thereafter use remains of tube to try it on any areas I was suspicious of thereafter and there would be no reaction if they were benign (perhaps that is why you have had no reaction?). Can you call Dermatology Dept nurse for advice?

Thank you for your post.

Would you mind/are you able to describe your reaction?

I wasn't encouraged to call or even given anywhere I could call, but I have the follow up letter (2 different things seen to, one surgically removed). I was told I'd get the confirmation that the other one was a basal cell carcinoma & hopefully confirmation that no further treatment would be necessary. They said that would arrive within 3 weeks. It'll be 6 weeks this Thursday (but Covid & Christmas🤷🏻‍♀️) do I might ring about both in Thursday if I still haven't got a letter)

I guess it could be why I haven't had a reaction (benign) & that's a good thing

The tube of cream is large, you can barely tell I've opened it!! I have lots of freckles & things...

It has hurt the skin under my eye where, as hard as I tried,I was unable to stop it going.

@mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork. Have you used it again?

I used it for 4 weeks as prescribed for skin cancer. It’s gets worse before it gets better, it was burning, itching hell for me. Plus I was actually sick after the first week which can happen.

WitchesBritches

Mine was thought to be a "hyperkeratotic actinic keratosis" and suspected to be a squamous cell carcinoma, which it later histology proved it to be. On my first visit to Dermatology they removed it as best they could. When I went back for a check of the area six weeks later, they said there were some other possible suspicious areas, which is why they gave me the Efudix to treat them with. The reaction was that the area became very angry red and a bit sore, a bit like a bad sunburn and started peeling and was like that for the next two weeks or so. You would not want to go to a social occasion whilst like this. I did try it on most of my face in stages (you are not supposed to do it over too large an area at one time) and I think I did get another reaction somewhere else on my face (it was 3 years ago, I see from checking, so can't remember exactly) and some unreactive bits. I still have it (not sure if it still works now but consultant said I could use it past the use by date - not sure for how long). In an ideal world, I'd like to do all of my shoulders and upper back as I recall being badly burned there lots of times when young, (They told me that the skin cancers I am getting now are most likely to be from when I got burned as a child and not due to anything I have done more recently. Trouble is, I can't see to do it (live alone!).

Just to say, - yes, do ring them. I have had lots of hospital treatment in the last 5 or 6 years for various different things (getting older is a bit of a nuisance in that way) and I have found everyone unfailingly helpful if I had any questions about my treatment/symptoms. They just want to make sure your medical problem is sorted out. No-one has ever minded my contacting them with a genuine problem/query.

@Tier10

I used it for 4 weeks as prescribed for skin cancer. It’s gets worse before it gets better, it was burning, itching hell for me. Plus I was actually sick after the first week which can happen.

That's pretty much what I was led to expect.

The only thing I've had is a weird feeling in my nose, but not at the actual site & very 'internal' not external. Hard to explain, but a bit like I'd been hit on the nose.

I m not sure whether to just wait until the end of the month or what.part of me feels like I should keep using the cream until it does something & part of me thinks I just need to give it time to heal now?

Like I say, might chase the letter fir the BCC on Thursday & mention this at the same time 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thanks for your post 💐

@mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork.

Thank you so much for your posts 💐

They didn't remove any of mine at all, just said the cream should treat it. I just want to do the best thing in the hope i can avoid them cutting anything out as it's on the hard part of the side of my nose (feasibly the only part of me that has no fat!) and they said they'd need to graft it if they did.

The wound on my arm isn't healing very well, I don't think it was stitched very well.

However, I'm less concerned about a scar than I am about going to our local (over run with Covid) hospital at the moment.

I lived overseas for many years and spent most of it sunburnt! I'm 51 now & back then, other than it hurting a bit it wasn't considered a big deal. I fear this might be something that I keep having to deal with.

I had my GP & the consultant check me over fully, they say nothing else is a worry tight now. But to keep an eye on it. Yep not easy to do yourself. I think I'll make an annual
Appointment to get checked over.

Mind you the one on my shoulder I had had checked out a while ago & was told it wasn't a problem 🙄 shame as they woukdnt have had to go so deep if it had been removed then

Thanks again & have to agree about getting older is a bit of a nuscience. All kind of old injuries etc resurfacing and bits falling apart! My 92 yo great aunt has less 'faulty bits' 🙄