Itchy Skin

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Pyro
Posts: 305
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2015 7:40 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ

Itchy Skin

Postby Pyro » Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:44 am

All right fam, I have a new one that doesn’t involve chemo or radiation. My skin looks like hell, peeling off and itchy, mostly confined to my head. It’s never ending, haven’t changed medication except I’m not taking chemo or vectibux. I’ve read if cancer blocks the bile duct in the liver this could happen. Well, I happen to have a tumor in my liver, not sure if it’s near a/the bile duct. It’s a simple blood test to tell, I was wondering if anybody else had this from liver issues?
Aug 2015- Stage 4 CC with liver Mets(38/m)
Sep 2015- Avastin/Folfox/Iron
Dec 2015-Not liver surgery candidate
Jan 2016- Erbitux/Folfiri, 2nd opinion at MDA in TX
Feb 2016 -MDA liver surgery
Mar 2016 -30% of left lobe rem, PVE
May 2016 - 70% of liver rem
Jun 2016-Rad
Jan 2017-perm colost @MDA
Jul 2017-Erb/FOLFURI
Nov 2017 -Lung & Liver ablations@MDA
Jan 2018 -Xeloda & Avastin mx
Jul 2018-Avast/FOLFURI
Sep 2018-Rad
Mar 2019 - Keytruda fail
Jun 2019 - FOLFURI
Aug 2019 - No more, quality time!

AmyG
Posts: 371
Joined: Tue Dec 25, 2018 8:08 pm

Re: Itchy Skin

Postby AmyG » Tue Sep 03, 2019 10:00 am

Do you still have your hair? That must suck balls to have your head itch all the time. Let's just call it dandruff and get some head and shoulders. :lol: I'm kidding, I'm sure it's not funny to you.

As an aside, you've stopped all treatment? Did the doctors give you an expiration date? Other than the f'd up head, how are you feeling?
42 dx @ 9wks pregnant w/baby #8 8/18
Sigmoid colon resection 9/18
Adenocarcinoma, G2, T3N0M0..or so we thought
KRAS/BRAF wild
Liver biopsy is malignant, stage iv now boys!
Delivered healthy baby 3/19
FOLFOX + Avastin 5/19
CEA 167 to 24 after 4 rounds
Liver resection 8/28/19
NED!! CEA 2.3
CEA 5.8 idk wtf is up with that, but everything else is clear!
CEA 3.7 make up your damn mind...
CEA 1.5 that's a new low!

Stage4jj
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2018 6:04 am
Location: Indiana

Re: Itchy Skin

Postby Stage4jj » Tue Sep 03, 2019 12:18 pm

Is it patchy? I’ve had a very similar past as you (including procedures at MD), and also have “patches” of dry, flaky skin. This seemed to of started right before I was diagnosed, and isn’t contained to my head. I went to a dermatologist and he assumed it was possibly psoriasis. I never heard the correlation between this and liver Mets, as I also had a bile duct tumor. So, I am curious if this would be why. I’ve asked my oncologist before and he just blew it off, saying they are not related. I have my 2 year scan next week and will be sure to dig further into it now.
I wish I had more of an answer for you, hopefully someone else can share more.
12/2016 - Stage 4 Sigmoid CC w/Mets to liver , Kras mutation
1/2017 - Colon Resection, 1 tumor removed from liver for biopsy
3/2017 - 6 rounds of Chemo (folfox, avastin)
5/2017- 2 more tumors on liver....removed via ablation
8/2017 - Liver resection, removed right lobe & gallbladder
9/2017 - Ned

bitchslapped
Posts: 1538
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2014 3:23 pm
Location: PNW/USA

Re: Itchy Skin

Postby bitchslapped » Wed Sep 04, 2019 12:26 pm

I think itching often times is due to kidneys. Don't recall my DH having itching due to liver/bile duct issues...& believe me, he had a lot of them. He did develop hives/itching to sulfa drugs. My DM had itching frequently due to congestive heart failure (water retention), diuretics. Had to limit her water & salt intake. I used OTC hydrocortisone cream & anti itching creams effectively to manage it.

Now I had head itching couple of years back (for whatever reason). I do suffer allergies. I bought Selsun Blue Anti-Itch Liquid (1% hydrocortisone, 1.7 fl oz bottle) @ the grocery store. Can be applied to dry head. Think I only needed to use it once.
Might be worth a try.

BS
DSS,35YO,unresect mCRC DX 7/'14,lvr,LN,peri,rib
FOLFOX+Avstn 4 Rnds d/c 10/'14
Stent 9/'14
FOLFIRI+Avstn 10/'14
Gone From My Sight 2/20/15
Me:garden variety polyps + precancerous polyp, diverticulitis
Carergver x2 DH,DM dbl occupancy,'03-'10
DH dx 47YO mCRC,'04-'07, lvr, billiary tree fried x HAI
DM dx CC 85YO,CC,CHF,stroke,dementia,aphasia

zephyr
Posts: 369
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2016 7:31 am

Re: Itchy Skin

Postby zephyr » Wed Sep 04, 2019 2:35 pm

A possible remedy until you find a solution ... I have a neighbor who developed severe head itching for some unknown reason. His dermatologist suggested Scalpicin and my neighbor said it helped.
Nov-2009 Early stage CRC, routine colonoscopy
2010-2014 F/U colonoscopies, all clear
Jun-2016 CRC during F/U colonoscopy, surgery, Stage 4, KRAS, MSS
Aug-2016-May-2018 Folfox, 5FU, Folfiri & Avastin
Aug/Sep-2018 YAG laser surgeries (Germany), 11 nodules removed
Nov-2018 clean CT scan
Mar-2019 New lung nodules
Apr-2019 Dec-2020 Xeloda/Avastin, SBRT, cont. Xeloda/Avastin
Mar-2021 Forfiri/Avastin
Mar-2022 Ablation & Thoracotomy
Feb-2023 Folfiri & Avastin
Nov-2023 Xeloda & Avastin

TinaFish
Posts: 178
Joined: Sun Jul 21, 2019 10:11 am

Re: Itchy Skin

Postby TinaFish » Wed Sep 04, 2019 10:49 pm

Clobex Spray is prescribed for many different itchy skin conditions. I had a patch of psoriasis on my scalp, and it was the only thing that gave me relief. The scary thing was that after I rubbed it into my scalp with my fingers, I noticed that it removed my nail polish! So obviously it's some kind of solvent, but this s*** is no joke. It works!
F 45, single mother to son, 7 and daughter, 3
DX: stage 4 Rectal Cancer June 2019
Tumor Location: ? cm above anal verge
Tumor type: Adenocarcinoma
Tumor size: 5 cm
Tumor grade: ?
TNM code: ?
Stage : Stage IV-B
# of cancerous lymph nodes: ?
Mets: Numerous mets to liver, lungs
CEA: 22 in July; 11 as of August 15, 7 as of Sept 20
MSI status: MSS
KRAS/BRAF status: KRAS mutation
surgery: TBD
Ostomy surgery: TBD
Radiation therapy: TBD
Chemotherapy : CAPEOX+Avastin, 6 cycles, with CT scans after 3rd and 6th cycle.

martd
Posts: 128
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2017 3:48 pm
Location: Phoenix, Az

Re: Itchy Skin

Postby martd » Thu Sep 05, 2019 11:12 am

The day after my liver resection my bilirubin numbers were elevated and symptoms was itching, it was all over not just one particular spot.
49 y/o male dx 11/2017 crc
Stage 4 with 17 liver Mets, cea 490
RAS, BRAF WT Tp53 LOF
12 rounds folfox , avastin
5/18 cea 2.8 liver resection and pve
7/18 part 2 liver resection, remove right side of liver
Surgical site mrsa infection, wound vac
8/18 cea .9 cCR, rectal tumor is gone
Rectal surgery postponed, watch and wait
10/18 clear scan CEA .7
01/19 clear scan CEA .9
04/19 clear scan CEA .9
07/19 clear scan CEA 1.0

Pyro
Posts: 305
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2015 7:40 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ

Re: Itchy Skin

Postby Pyro » Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:20 pm

Thanks for the reply’s guys, the oncologist went with antibiotics. The itch has been tamed for meow but I still look like I’m on erbitux with all the skin peeling. And yes, still have a head of very thick hair.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=62684&start=90

This was only a few short months ago, all the way at bottom.
Aug 2015- Stage 4 CC with liver Mets(38/m)
Sep 2015- Avastin/Folfox/Iron
Dec 2015-Not liver surgery candidate
Jan 2016- Erbitux/Folfiri, 2nd opinion at MDA in TX
Feb 2016 -MDA liver surgery
Mar 2016 -30% of left lobe rem, PVE
May 2016 - 70% of liver rem
Jun 2016-Rad
Jan 2017-perm colost @MDA
Jul 2017-Erb/FOLFURI
Nov 2017 -Lung & Liver ablations@MDA
Jan 2018 -Xeloda & Avastin mx
Jul 2018-Avast/FOLFURI
Sep 2018-Rad
Mar 2019 - Keytruda fail
Jun 2019 - FOLFURI
Aug 2019 - No more, quality time!


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