Skin cancer: Has anybody had fluorouracil treatment?

I had fluorouracil treatment a couple of years ago on my forehead. It looked terrible for a couple of weeks but wasn't especially painful and it worked well.

On face each time. Derm told me to use it every couple years. So, I just get a prescription from local doc and do it.

I’ve done it 3 times on face over the years. Only one time was extra irritating. But, I was at 3 weeks, so, I finished up. I’ve had some nausea, headaches, itching, soreness, stinging, burning. But, all manageable.

Is photodynamic daylight therapy with Metvix available in the US and if so may I ask where. I have read about it and evidently significantly less pain that the usual regimen of PDT. Also, there were studies that if you did use the blu light - if you did the light immediately after applying the initial cream that makes your skin sensitive - it was also significantly less painful. My dermatologist still waits 1 hour after applying the cream and that is extremely painful. The daylight therapy seems like a good compromise. I was now prescribed the 4% solution of 5-fluor. But I am considering ponying up the very expensive price of the .5% solution brand name Carac. Wonder if you know anything about that as well.

Has anyone used the 5%, the 4% and also the carac .5% creams and have a comparison of what they experienced. I am particularly concerned with side effects that sound systemic but also concerned about the amount of skin trauma/pain. Any and all help is appreciated.

Can you get diarrhea and nausea from florurcil cream? I am on infusions for Waldenstroms but was given this for skin cancer and have had these side effect.

I currently use fluorouracil chemo cream daily for a spot and do not have those side effects.

I currently use fluorouracil chemo cream daily for a spot but eventually use Neosporin for the scab, which means pre-cancer cells are dying. Healthy skin grows back with time.

thanks for the update. The cream comes in different strengths. My doctor recommended the 4%, but online I see that there is a .5% that is milder but a lot more expensive. I am nervous about using the cream on my face - a larger area than you describe - so I am considering getting the .5%. There is very little that I can find about it. One thing is that it seems to less systemic than the 5% solution - which is known to cause side effects like stomach issues. I am trying to find out if the .5% percent is truly less of an irritation both to the skin and to the body in general. I have also read about daylight PDT which is available in Canada and also in many parts of Europe - but I cannot find it in the US - so trying to follow up on that as well. Curious - if it is just one spot - did they zap it with the freeze thing? I thought the cream was for stuff that had not yet surfaced.

I have just completed a course of this treatment and it does work but as some effects that can be alarming.
I started at the end of August and the cream was applied once daily to my face from the temples down the cheeks to below my ear lobes.
The skin became blotchy and sensitive after three days,after five days it started to swell,after ten days lesions appeared some joining up.
After two weeks the areas were scally red and bleeding on one area a piece of skin about 20 mm square lifted off revealing raw flesh which took two days to scab.
At three weeks there were scabs a peeling skin all over the treatment area which is when I stopped the treatment.
Ten days after stopping the treatment my skin is back to normal with a couple of very small raised areas that may need further treatment.
This is a very effective medicine and having had this problem for over five years it is a great relief to have a result att last.