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Yervoy treatment and side effects (the ones that just drive you crazy)
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Yervoy treatment and side effects (the ones that just drive you crazy)

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Yervoy treatment and side effects (the ones that just drive you crazy)

  • Post
    • July 23, 2017 at 8:28 am
    bethom2005
    Participant
      Hello
      My name is Becky. I was diagnosed last Oct as 1a……. had surgery to move spot on my back. But my dr suggested to have a lymph node mapped and tested at the time. Thats were the second melonma was found in my left axillary lymph node. So that upped the aunty.
      Now, I’m cancer free and doing yervoy infusion treatments. I’ve had 2 treatments and the only side effect I have noticed is the infernal itching.
      If anyone could give me some advice. I’m losing a lot of sleep

      Thank uou

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    • Replies
        • July 23, 2017 at 4:47 pm
        jennunicorn
        Participant

          Oh the awful itch, so sorry you're experiencing it. The one thing that works best for me when it's at night and I need to sleep is Benedryl. It helps the itch and makes me sleepy. During the day some people have found other allergy meds like Allegra or Zyrtec to help. It doesn't help me other than with regular allergy symptoms. I also keep oatmeal lotion on me at all times. Most of my itch and rash are on my arms and hands… feeling the itch as I type right now. I lather up in lotion first thing in the morning and throughout the day. At night if my hands are super itchy, since they get eczema flare ups, I use a steroid ointment that was prescribed and keep that on all night, helps a lot. I will also take oatmeal baths if my whole body decides to feel itchy, usually at night before bed then I take a Benedryl and I will fall asleep pretty well.

          Hope this is the worst of the side effects you encounter 🙂

            • July 24, 2017 at 4:33 am
            Sharon93065
            Participant

              I took their advise and use Aveena for excema.  Went to dermatologist Fri and he gave me a topical steriod cream to use twice a day.  I coat myself with aloe vera.  Trader Joes sells body wash, shampoo and conditioner that is Tea Tree Tingle, Peppermint, Eucalytus.  I coat my body and hair with it and then shower it all off 10  min later that helps.  You are right about the not sleeping at night because of it.  I got a case on my botton so had to try to 'air' it out.  I use Allegra in the daytime because it is less drowsy.  Also there is a OTC Cortizone cream with aloe that helps.  I was at CVS today and today and looked at rash medications, wow there was a whole sections.  The main ingredient in most of them was 1% cortizone.  I have a shower not a tub so haven't try oatmeal bath yet. 

            • July 23, 2017 at 5:57 pm
            JaiLee
            Participant

              Sorry about the itching, but I hope this is all you have as well. I've also done a coconut / lavender / plantain blend that helps. But basically benadryl, and lots of it. My one and only infusion was about 6 weeks ago and I stopped due to nerve pain, although my Dr. didn't see it as a big deal. I'm still suffering horrible side effects, chest pains, random joint pains, sweats, chills, fatigue, the itching, headaches, my AST / ALT spiked. No idea where my thyroid is at because they didn't check it the last time I went in 3wks ago. Dr. said it didn't matter because if it went out they had a pill to fix it 🙁 I still think they should be checking it every single time!

              Hopefully you can get some relief, the side effects are no fun 🙁

                • July 24, 2017 at 4:34 am
                Sharon93065
                Participant

                  They check my thyroid before each Dr appt.

                  My ALT/AST also spiked. 

                • July 23, 2017 at 7:42 pm
                mrsaxde
                Participant

                  I'm surprised your doctor didn't start you on steroids. I broke out in a lovely itchy rash after my first infusion and they immediately put me on prednisone.

                  I also got quite ill after the infusions were finished. A lot of gastric upset. I was unable to eat much of anything for about a month, but then it got better. At first the doc thought it was the prednisone, but I think they eventually decided it had been caused by the Yervoy. I hope you don't experience anything like that!

                  -Bill

                  • July 23, 2017 at 10:03 pm
                  Marksa2570
                  Participant

                    Hi… I am curious how deep and the clarks level of your 1A was?      Was your lymph node swollen or was the doc just being really proactive?    Was the lymph node a metastasis or a separate cancer?

                    I am 1A too.   Just WLE… no SNLB.   

                    Thank you   

                     

                     

                    • July 24, 2017 at 2:52 pm
                    KAF
                    Participant

                      My girlfriend is a pediatrician and when I told her about the itching I was having she told me to ask my doctor for a rx of Atarax.  Its a non-steroid heavy duty anit-histamine.  It worked like a charm and I stopped having the itch the next day.  Now I take it whenver I feel a flare-up and its gone almost immediately.

                      hope that helps (my doctor had neve even heard of atarax but it did a great job)

                        • July 25, 2017 at 6:03 pm
                        Sharon93065
                        Participant

                          I googled it, doesn't it make you tired?

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