Help on mepitel film

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  • FLClover
    FLClover Member Posts: 1,535
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    @Louise64 hello again 🙂. I finished my rads yesterday. At the beginning, my onc told me she doesn’t really work with Mepitel, and a lot of the therapists and nurses weren’t familiar with it. Yesterday, they were all commenting on how good my skin looked and told me they were actually starting to recommend and use it regularly due to the great result on me. So I’d definitely recommend you use it and try to stick with it. It wasn’t easy at all, and I’m still wearing mine for another week, but it’s so worth it. It’s very fiddly, and comes off quite quickly at certain places, like the chest and armpits. But they can always patch those places up. Showering is not easy either and you have to try to avoid getting it wet as much as possible. I also sweat a great deal, even from just walking, and that didn’t help either. I was not very optimistic during my first week ghat it would succeed but I was persistent and it paid off. The sections under my armpits weren’t covered well and now they’re very red and painful. My breasts, which were always covered, are still mostly white and no pain or itching. Just a bit tight from the radiation which you can’t avoid. Hope you can make it work! Good luck 🍀😘
  • Louise64
    Louise64 Member Posts: 112
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    FLClover said:

    @Louise64 hello again 🙂. I finished my rads yesterday. At the beginning, my onc told me she doesn’t really work with Mepitel, and a lot of the therapists and nurses weren’t familiar with it. Yesterday, they were all commenting on how good my skin looked and told me they were actually starting to recommend and use it regularly due to the great result on me. So I’d definitely recommend you use it and try to stick with it. It wasn’t easy at all, and I’m still wearing mine for another week, but it’s so worth it. It’s very fiddly, and comes off quite quickly at certain places, like the chest and armpits. But they can always patch those places up. Showering is not easy either and you have to try to avoid getting it wet as much as possible. I also sweat a great deal, even from just walking, and that didn’t help either. I was not very optimistic during my first week ghat it would succeed but I was persistent and it paid off. The sections under my armpits weren’t covered well and now they’re very red and painful. My breasts, which were always covered, are still mostly white and no pain or itching. Just a bit tight from the radiation which you can’t avoid. Hope you can make it work! Good luck 🍀😘

    Thank you for that. The nurses were discussing options on phone yesterday. So many decisions- just want best outcome.
    take care of yourself 🥰
  • FLClover
    FLClover Member Posts: 1,535
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    @Louise64 thank you ☺️. 
    I think Mepitel is def best outcome 👌🏻😘
  • ddon
    ddon Member Posts: 349
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    I used strata gel because I felt that I sweat too much (jogging) to keep it on properly and I wanted to be able to wash properly. Maybe mepital would have been a better choice because I ended up with a large broken mess around my collarbone/ neck area which has been very painful and difficult to deal with. It depends on your skin type too I think - others on here will have good advice I am sure. 
  • FLClover
    FLClover Member Posts: 1,535
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    That sounds painful @ddon, I hope it heals completely very soon 🍀
  • ddon
    ddon Member Posts: 349
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    After 13 days it’s now healing fast. I turned the corner on day 10. I seriously underestimated how bad it could get and it’s been a miserable experience. 
  • FLClover
    FLClover Member Posts: 1,535
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    @ddon oh dear 😐. I’m fearing the same for my armpits. My onc did tell me the peak will be at about 14 days and she prescribed painkillers for me in case I need them. But we are on the way forward 💪🏻😊
  • Sister
    Sister Member Posts: 4,960
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    Sorry to hear that you've been having some problems @ddon and @FLClover .  I was amazed at how well the film worked - as you say, a bit difficult with showering and a bit of getting used to - but when I saw the change in colour on my skin from a tiny gap in one session, I realised how protective it was.  I found the Moo Goo Udder Cream to be best in between times and afterwards but I know that a lot of people use others with success.
  • FLClover
    FLClover Member Posts: 1,535
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    Hi @Sister, actually the film on my breasts worked really well. They’re hardly affected and no pain. My onc said she’ll start using Mepitel with other patients cos it was so good. It’s just the area in my armpits where the film wouldn’t stay on that got affected, because it wasn’t covered. I’m using QV cream, Aloe Vera gel and Flamigel cos I couldn’t find Moo Goo cream. 
    Mon Xx
  • Leia
    Leia Member Posts: 39
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    I found the Strata XRT good. After applying it’s like a very fine film. It will wear off, or wash off, so the manufacturer suggests applying it twice daily. I used a moisturizer about an hour before due to reapply. I got quite pink, but the staff all said it went very well.
  • FLClover
    FLClover Member Posts: 1,535
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    Hello @Leia, yes, if the Mepitel didn’t stay on properly the Strata cream was the next thing on the list to use 🙂
  • Locksley
    Locksley Member Posts: 911
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    HI @FLClover thank you for posting this.   Do you need a script for medafil or strata or just find at the chemist?  Cheers xxx
  • FLClover
    FLClover Member Posts: 1,535
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    Hello @Locksley, no problem at all. Your hospital or clinic should supply both. In my case, I needed to supply it in the beginning and I didn’t need a script. The problem was I couldn’t find a chemist that had it so I had to order it online. The website was Independence.com. But please ask your onc first because they should do that and it is expensive. Good luck 😘
  • Leia
    Leia Member Posts: 39
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    I had to supply it, but the clinic gave me a code to use which gave 40% off the listed price, so do ask. It had not arrived for the start of my radiation, the rad nurse gave me some samples to start with.
    bcna pointed me to a clinical trial that showed the Strata is ‘not inferior’ to Mepitel
  • FLClover
    FLClover Member Posts: 1,535
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    Thanks @Leia. I guess clinics do it differently. I have heard the Strata is just as good as Mepitel Xx