Anyone with Health Anxiety ever use Efudex skin chemotherapy cream?

[lofwyr]

Not asking for drug advice, but about to embark on an unfun journey to treat some pre cancer (actinic keratosis). I was wondering if anyone out there with HA has used this stuff? It sounds very unpleasant, and has bundles of side effects, and then there is the actual effect of it eating the cancerous and precancerous cells off your skin, in this case my nose, forehead and cheeks.

Could use some perspective from HA sufferers if any have done this before I take the ride.

[Fishmanpa]

I highly doubt you'll find someone here that has. If you're needing to do this for those reasons, you may be better served on the skin cancer forum on the cancer survivors network forum.

Positive thoughts

[lofwyr]

Gotya. I am in a few, but was wondering about some anxiety approaches. I try not to bring too much of the anxiety to the support groups I am in if I can help it, but had a couple anxiety specific questions regarding this stuff. I do expect you are right, however, and addressing the side effects in the efudex specific group I am in should be easy enough.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Anxiety related questions can possibly be answered anyway as the treatment itself is less the issue than the anxiety? So you might get answers from both sides that fill some gaps? Considering some of the invasive treatments people on here have had I'm sure your anxiety is going to be understood or related to other med/treatment worries. You will certainly get support on here if you need it as I'm sure you will on other more relevant forums for the condition/treatment (and perhaps they will understand the anxiety too as it can't be nice to go through and they might have anxiety disorders as well even if not HA?).

[lofwyr]

Thanks Terry, actually very helpful. I just approached the efudex users group I am in and asked some questions, turns out my "anxiety" about the drug is no big deal and even people of rational mind pretty much share the concerns I have.

[lofwyr]

If people should look for posts about FU5, I will now post a follow up. It is pretty amazing stuff. It works by attacking cancer and precancerous cells, and is no picnic, but it was amazingly effective. Really love how well it did, now six weeks after I started treatment, and 3 weeks after my last application.

[ErinKC]

So glad to hear it's going well, lofwyr!