Reviewer: Suzanne, 45-54 Female on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)

Comment:
I am using Zyclara for AK's on my chest. Am on day 10 of first 2 weeks and am having what I would call a pretty severe reaction. Have 40-50 red, raised, very irritated places now on my chest. Had no idea I had so many problem spots. This drug will definitely bring out AK's that were under the surface. Also have about 5 large ulcerated areas. Am pretty uncomfortable but going to stick with ... Show Full Comment

Comment:
I am using Zyclara for AK's on my chest. Am on day 10 of first 2 weeks and am having what I would call a pretty severe reaction. Have 40-50 red, raised, very irritated places now on my chest. Had no idea I had so many problem spots. This drug will definitely bring out AK's that were under the surface. Also have about 5 large ulcerated areas. Am pretty uncomfortable but going to stick with it. The presence of all these areas I had no idea about that were lurking under the surface has really scared me.
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Reviewer: NC_Redhead, 35-44 Female on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)

Comment:
I just finished my second two weeks this morning and I am so glad to be DONE. ;) I had a much stronger reaction this time, however I didn't feel as sick as I did the first two weeks. I ended up with a lot more sores on my face, but I didn't have the nickel sized open sores that I did last time. The old areas reacted again, but they were only raised, red sores instead of open, weeping ones. ... Show Full Comment

Comment:
I just finished my second two weeks this morning and I am so glad to be DONE. ;) I had a much stronger reaction this time, however I didn't feel as sick as I did the first two weeks. I ended up with a lot more sores on my face, but I didn't have the nickel sized open sores that I did last time. The old areas reacted again, but they were only raised, red sores instead of open, weeping ones. However, all of the new ones turned into scabby messes and were (are) very, very tender. I have had to take off most of this week from work because my face hurts so badly that it's hard to concentrate on anything else. I have also had the headache again and general fatigue, but I was only nauseous a few days this time. I had a couple of dizzy spells, but it was manageable. After doing this twice, for me at least, the side effects tend to depend on if you have open sores or not. If the medicine ends up in your blood stream, you are really going to feel rotten, but if it just sits on your skin (like it is supposed to), it's not a pleasant experience, but not nearly as bad as it could be. I do look awful, in fact strangers have been giving me looks of horror when I venture out in public. Also, when I went to the dermatologist, no one would sit near me, which is really saying something. If I ever have to do this again, I want to make myself a button that says "I'm not contagious". ;) When I saw the derm doc a couple of days ago and he said that I reacted strongly to the medicine, but he really thought that it would buy me a few years (at least) of not having to have areas cut/frozen off of my face. I sincerely hope he is right! Only time will tell of course, but I am hoping it took care of my trouble spots.
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Reviewer: NC_Redhead, 35-44 Female on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)

Comment:
I am a freckled redhead who had a couple of bad burns when I was younger and I'm now dealing with AKs on my forehead, temples and above my lips. I've also had a number of other areas frozen/cut off over the years and it looks like this will be a way of life for me. I've already tried Photodynamic Therapy twice, which helped some of the areas, but didn't seem to work very well for m ... Show Full Comment

Comment:
I am a freckled redhead who had a couple of bad burns when I was younger and I'm now dealing with AKs on my forehead, temples and above my lips. I've also had a number of other areas frozen/cut off over the years and it looks like this will be a way of life for me. I've already tried Photodynamic Therapy twice, which helped some of the areas, but didn't seem to work very well for me. (For those of you who want to try PT, it's not a terrible experience, but you REALLY have to stay out of the light for 48 hours.) As far as the Zyclara treatment went, I have only used it for the first 14 days and I'll be starting the second 14 day treatment this weekend. I put it all over the top half of my face at night and was careful to cover my lips with Aquaphor. I also purchased waterproof pillow protectors so that the cream wouldn't get embedded in my pillows at night. The first week, some small red spots popped up and my skin felt raw, but it really didn't too look bad. I did have a terrible headache, felt queasy and had some dizzy spells, but I could still work and do normal things. By the second week, I had quite a few nickel-sized open sores, which would weep (gross) and it really hurt to wash my face. I also felt considerably worse, I had no energy at all and I was freezing all of the time. I also ended up being very depressed, which is really unlike me, so that was another unwelcome side effect. Shortly before stopping Zyclara, I also ended up with flu-like symptoms for over a week, including sinus issues and general malaise. Surprisingly, the sores on my face did heal rather quickly once I was done with the treatment and I used Polysporin on them to help fight infection. I am still dealing with quite a bit of flaking and I have large red areas on my face, but I can easily cover them with makeup. Overall, I think it's an effective way to deal with skin cancer without having to have surgery and I'm glad I had this option.
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Reviewer: Quackie, 35-44 Female on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)

Comment:
Was prescribed for precancerous lesions. I have just finished my first 14 days. I do have various sores on my face, but I feel that they are not too troublesome. What has been bothering me the most is that my lower lip is one giant cold sore. Never had a cold sore before. It is painful!! If not fully healed before I have to do the second round, I may delay the second round. Will be calling ... Show Full Comment

Comment:
Was prescribed for precancerous lesions. I have just finished my first 14 days. I do have various sores on my face, but I feel that they are not too troublesome. What has been bothering me the most is that my lower lip is one giant cold sore. Never had a cold sore before. It is painful!! If not fully healed before I have to do the second round, I may delay the second round. Will be calling my doc for advice.
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Reviewer: liltnt, 55-64 Female on Treatment for less than 1 month (Patient)

Comment:
As of this comment I am on day 10 of treatment. After four nights of no sleep I now apply cream during daytime hours. On the fifth day began with blisters on lower lip. If the raw lip and constant headache are the only side affects then I will make it through. The breakouts on my face are from mild to severe, but they do change from day to day. I plan on sticking with the treatment. that' ... Show Full Comment

Comment:
As of this comment I am on day 10 of treatment. After four nights of no sleep I now apply cream during daytime hours. On the fifth day began with blisters on lower lip. If the raw lip and constant headache are the only side affects then I will make it through. The breakouts on my face are from mild to severe, but they do change from day to day. I plan on sticking with the treatment. that's what I get for worshipping the sun.
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