The Colon Club

I've had a mean Vectibix rash since beginning chemo last October.

Shortly after it appeared, the dermatologist started me on twice-daily doxycycline and application of topical steroids: desoximetasone and one other slightly less strong. A few weeks ago, it's like my face exploded again and the rash is now growing in other places on my body: chest, back, butt, etc. It's almost like my body developed tolerance for the steroid cream and it no longer works - except to make dark hairs grow all over!!

Has anyone explored something further to treat the rash? In reading online last night, it seems like retinols are sometimes used and I even saw several references to Accutane (which has a whole slew of side effects of its own). Just wondering if those are still being used and if anyone has had success with them?

Went to the dermatologist at the start of this week and wanted to update this in case anyone searches in the future.

She prescribed a stronger steroid cream - Clobetasol - and asked me to use it twice daily for two weeks. Then hopefully it will get knocked back enough to be maintained with Desoximetasone.

I’ll check back in in a month to see if things are better. And if not, Accutane might be the next step. She said she just prescribed that for a patient with an EGFR rash the other week, so hopefully she will have a sense of whether that works by the time I head back in.

ginabeewell wrote:Went to the dermatologist at the start of this week and wanted to update this in case anyone searches in the future.

She prescribed a stronger steroid cream - Clobetasol - and asked me to use it twice daily for two weeks. Then hopefully it will get knocked back enough to be maintained with Desoximetasone.

I’ll check back in in a month to see if things are better. And if not, Accutane might be the next step. She said she just prescribed that for a patient with an EGFR rash the other week, so hopefully she will have a sense of whether that works by the time I head back in.

If done all the above, the doxycycline works the best but found I had to start taking it the day before my first infusion. I had a steroid cream for my face, the name escapes me, and that seemed to help. The problem with the topical creams is eventually, your skin is so raw, it hurts too much to put on and I’m left with the antibiotic only.

Pyro wrote:
If done all the above, the doxycycline works the best but found I had to start taking it the day before my first infusion. I had a steroid cream for my face, the name escapes me, and that seemed to help. The problem with the topical creams is eventually, your skin is so raw, it hurts too much to put on and I’m left with the antibiotic only.

Oh yes, I’m on doxycycline twice a day too. And agree the cream is starting to make my face hurt; it’s one of the reasons I’m feeling like Accutane might at some point be a better option.

That rash sounds awful, I'm so sorry you have to deal with it. I'll embrace my side effects and be thankful I don't have to mess with that bullshit!

You might also find the use of Benadryl useful. Early on when dosing CI-1033 (Predecessor to several EGFr inibitors) our clinician's put clinical trial folks taking CI-1033 on Benadryl which helped a great deal with the rash. Your mileage may vary but what's really the harm?

Good luck

GrouseMan