Efudex With Dovonex
UpdatedJust letting everyone know that I just did the newest Efudex treatment protocol which requires mixing 50% Efudex with 50% Dovonex (vitamin D) and it was very fast and easy. Four days of application of the combo "lit up" my face and 7 days later my face and scalp were virtually back to normal. Minimal pain, like a sunburn, and no scabbing, pus, etc.
I was really scared to do the longer treatment after reading blogs and looking at pictures, but the new treatment is a piece of cake.
Plus, according to related articles, it actually works better. A real win-win!
"SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. – A four-day topical combination regimen of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and calcipotriene removed almost 90% of facial actinic keratoses – significantly more than with 5-FU monotherapy, in a randomized, double-blind controlled study.
Calcipotriene (Dovonex) is a synthetic vitamin D3 derivative approved by the Food and Drug Association for treatment of scalp psoriasis. But calcipotriene is also an immunomodulator that induces thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), which suppresses the growth of early stage skin cancers, said Dr. Shawn Demehri, of Harvard Medical School, Boston."
https://www.mdedge.com/edermatologynews/article/109517/actinic-keratosis/adding-calcipotriene-5-fu-dramatically-reduced-aks
16 Replies
Sounds amazing! I’m supposed to start efudex tomorrow and am dreading it. Any other similar experiences out there?
Re: Marly (# 1)
Marly, PLEASE ask your doctor about this process - it is virtually painless and takes a couple of weeks. My skin is KSA free, tight and smooth as silk ;)
Re: Marly (# 1)
Cbd cream and lidocaine helped tremendously with my pain
I am on my 6th day also using this method on my face. It does speed the process up!
How are you doing? I can't wait to start healing!
Re: Dmarie (# 4)
Good for you! Start to finish for me was two weeks. After about a week I was really read faced but had already stopped the treatment so I just shifted to a thin coat of Vaseline and I was completely cleared up about week later. Nothing but smooth skin - kinda look like Brad Pitt now :). Seriously, though, it was very easy and virtually painless. A bit of itching at night, but nothing worse than a typical sunburn.
Good luck with yours!
Re: Marly (# 1)
I would ask for the newest treatment with the addition of vitamin D, wow that girl had a good experience above!! It wasn’t fun for me but i did top half first and bottom second... used cbd and lidocaine and covered with make up during the day when i went out as my son said “I looked like the joker”. LOL. Totally worth the pain....
I used this 4-day treatment for AK in Dec '18 and it works!! Save yourself from the 3 week Fluorouracil nightmare and do this 4-day treatment instead. I made this Youtube video of my experience with this protocol:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhEFAa9FUFc
The treatment resolves actinic keratosis in only 4 days. No longer is the pain and discomfort of the commonly prescribed 3 week Fluorouracil necessary to clear your skin of these pre-cancerous lesions.
Mix 5% Fluoroucil and Calcipotriene 50/50 and apply twice per day for four days. Both of these creams can be purchased through prescription. However, the Calcipotriene cream can also be bought on Ebay. {aff link}
Here is a link to a description of the Harvard study:
Adding calcipotriene to 5-FU dramatically reduced AKs
Re: psyched123 (# 7)
Excellent video! My face 'lit up' a bit more than yours, but I experienced basically the same timeline and the pain was very minimal, akin to a sunburn and only for a couple of days. As soon as the 4 day effudex was complete, I just started with a light coat of vasoline and within a few days late, I was all cleared up.
hi, thanks for all the great info. I am finishing up on the straight Efudex treatment. On my face for 16 days, head 18 days and forearms 21 days. As we know, I went thru all the efudex treatment affects. I am now post 1 month of applying. Healed over etc. BUT my one question, can anyone advise something to use to do with the lasting redness ?? please. I really experienced severe redness, blister - peeling in and around the nose and cheeks. Looking for some help to reduce the redness on a permanent basis. thanks in advance Don
Re: psyched123 (# 7)
Were both drugs in cream form? How did you mix them?
I did the "dynamic duo" treatment as well - except after 4 days with very little reaction, my dr. had me continue for a total of 7 days. Discomfort minimal and most redness and slight peeling resolved after 10-12 days. Best of all , after a month my skin color and tone look better than before; a real difference from within. My doctor says she will want me to repeat this treatment once a year. All of the evidence suggests that this treatment is superior to the effudex alone.This is nothing short of a miracle!
Re: Bob (# 10)
I mixed the in a small glass cup eyeballing an amount equivalent to about 2x the amt you put on a toothbrush - side by side so you can really see clearly the volume . Then I took a couple toothpicks and mixed thoroughly . That amount would last about 2-3 days then I’d mix again . This cream combination is superior clinically and certainly much shorter and very little discomfort .
Re: Marly (# 1)
Please self advocate and ask dr to look into effudex / donovex combo instead . It was so easy and superior results!
Tell me more please, just started and on day 3 Efudix, skin already reacting on forehead and ear - 21 days seems a long way off!
Re: Charlotte (# 11)
Really Charlotte, I am on day 3 of Efudix - any advice would be gratefully received
I did the combo Efudex (Efudix) + Daivonex cream... self mixed, full face, ears and neck and am just completing a 7 day treatment... Face started getting red over the nose and under the eyes on day 5... Day 7 and I am red all over... itches a bit, but not too bad where I have to slather in Aloe or Aquaphor as I have seen recommended... Stopped the last application this morning and hoping the redness goes down by end of the week (Sunday today).... I look like Deadpool 2 but not too much burn or itch... Let's see how the healing phase goes.
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