My neck has gotten blisters on the back and sides and seems to be going down further on my shoulder area and it itches like crazy. I had my RO to look at it and he said it was from radiation. My question is how would you be able to tell if it's actually from the radiation or could it possibly be from an allergic reaction to something I've used or taken? The reason I am asking is that it seems to be spreading and it is like small blisters that is itching me to death. Did radiation burns itch other of you like this? Thanks, Angel

It seems awfully early in your treatment for you to have radiation burns. I know everyone is different, but my husband's neck didn't really burn until the very last week of treatment. So my guess would be it's an allergic reaction to something you are taking.

The fourth or fifth week into TX I remember getting a couple small blisters below and behind my right ear.

At times they were a little itchy.

I showed them to the nurse and she told me not to worry about them or pick at them.

I picked them anyway -- finally managed to pop them, then they went away.

I assumed they were from the exit radiation.

Angel,

I didn't get any blisters or sores on my radiated skin until after my treatment ended, and even then it was pretty minor, but yes, they sure did itch! I assumed it was because the skin was so dry. Check with the nurses for some sort of relief - that is if the nurses at your treatment center were like mine - much better at managing the day-to-day stuff than the doctors.

- Margaret

My husband is in his 5th week (of 7) with radiation, and a few blisters and mild itchy feelings are there also. Keep slapping the cream on, use a saline soak a couple times a day too.

I appreciate all your input. I have had a blister on my ear previously from radiation but I don't think this is from the rads. I have chemo tomorrow and I will let the nurse look at it because it seems to be spreading outside of the radiation field.

Thank you,
Angel

Check the contraindications for the pain meds you are taking. I remember one that made me itch all over but I never had any blisters.

David, I think the cause is the aquafor. I washed it off last night and put benedryl lotion on it because I couldn't stand the itching and in 5 minutes after using the benedryl the itching stopped all night and today and it feels so much better. Everyone keeps saying at radiation that the rad's is causing it, and at chemo they say the chemo is causiong it. I think I am just allergic to what they gave me (aquafor) for dry burned skin on neck. It is healing up nicely today.

Now that I got that one fixed, I am having very bad nausea tonight from chemo. Every day it is something new. One thing about it it keeps me busy. lol Angel

I've been reading these posts back and forth and not seen this mentioned at all yet.

When I started rad treatment, I was told to use absolutely nothing but pure aloe. Anything else would react with the radiation and make things worse. I could use something else on the weekends if I really wanted to, but I would need to make sure that it was completely cleaned off before Monday am treatment.

When I moved into the patient housing, one of the other paitients went out and bought me some the next day. Now this was over 2 years ago and things may have changed since then, but I never had a serious problem with the burning of my skin. It was just like a sunburn and very dry, but not anything I was very troubled with. I know we are all different, and with different skin types too, so maybe I was never destined for a hard time with it anyway, but I just thought it might be worth mentioning.

Lani

I was started out with an Aloe cream but it didn't seem to work too well, so they switch me to Aquafor.

They also gave me Biafine to use if I went out and didn't want a greasy neck from the Aquafor.

I was told to always wash them off before daily treatments.

I never noticed the aquafor causing itching, but thinking back, the dry, burnt skin did seem to itch and tingle a bit at times.