Has anyone taken Doxepin (Sinequan) for rash/itching?/Ipi anxiety

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Has anyone taken Doxepin (Sinequan) for rash/itching?/Ipi anxiety

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    • July 24, 2011 at 5:49 pm
    NYKaren
    Participant

      Hi everyone:

      Hi everyone:

      As most of you have read, I'm due for my last dose of Ipi on Thursday.  My stomach side effects are being managed well, but this rash/itch is pretty bad.  I know other side effects from other treatments make a rash seem like child's play, but it's bad, and last time I met with Dr. Halpern (dermatologist who co-heads Melanoma program at Sloan) he prescribed Doxepin, 25mg.  Aparently it's an old antidepressant, wich he said they use a lot on severe rashes with good results.  I already take 1 Zyrtec daily plus a short-acting antihist. every 4-6 hours.  Plus steroid creme, menthol creme, powder after sweating, etc.  

      The instructions are "1 at bedtime, after tolerated and still pruritic after 5 days, add morining dose, then after 5 more days, may introduce 3rd daily dose."

      I just started adding the morning dose.

      So, I was just wondering if anyone here has had any experience with the drug.  It certainly makes me sleepy, so I'm curious if I can stay awake today after just starting the morning dose!

      The only visible change in the mel is that there is some white running through it, but nothing has flaked off as Dr. Wolchuk hopes–he did say that the Ipi could work, but I would still have the pigment, but he does hope, as do i, that it will flake off.  I also notice that some small spots have increased slightly running from the mel (on my temple) towards my eye.  It figures that I won't see Dr. W. for my last infusion (I guess he'll be away) as I always have, but I will try taking a picture of it Monday and emailing it to him.  I'm so anxious about whether this will work or not, possibly "advancing" to stage IV, etc.  I guess we all experience that with any treatment, but it's still so scary.

      Hope everybody's keeping cool,

      Karen

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        • July 24, 2011 at 6:03 pm
        Vermont_Donna
        Participant

          Hi Karen,

           I got a rash with Ipi but not bad enough to treat so I have no personal information regarding that. I did have success with Ipi..I am considered a complete responder and all my cutaneous and sub q's completely disappeared….only one "flaked" off…the rest just grew flatter and eventually disappeared although the purplish color on my skin stayed for a while, but even that eventually disappeared. I had a fairly rapid response also…….even though for the first several treatments I was still seeing new melanomas appear, that stopped and by the time of my PET/CT two weeks after my 4th infusion I had a lot of inflammation per the Ipi working and at 12 weeks past that appt, my PET/CT was completely clear. I will be rescanned in a few weeks.

          So look for flattening, whitening, thinning,  even inflammation can happen, as the ipi works.

          I hope you are a complete responder too.

          Vermont_Donna, stage 3a, NED

          • July 24, 2011 at 6:03 pm
          Vermont_Donna
          Participant

            Hi Karen,

             I got a rash with Ipi but not bad enough to treat so I have no personal information regarding that. I did have success with Ipi..I am considered a complete responder and all my cutaneous and sub q's completely disappeared….only one "flaked" off…the rest just grew flatter and eventually disappeared although the purplish color on my skin stayed for a while, but even that eventually disappeared. I had a fairly rapid response also…….even though for the first several treatments I was still seeing new melanomas appear, that stopped and by the time of my PET/CT two weeks after my 4th infusion I had a lot of inflammation per the Ipi working and at 12 weeks past that appt, my PET/CT was completely clear. I will be rescanned in a few weeks.

            So look for flattening, whitening, thinning,  even inflammation can happen, as the ipi works.

            I hope you are a complete responder too.

            Vermont_Donna, stage 3a, NED

              • July 24, 2011 at 7:01 pm
              NYKaren
              Participant

                Thanks Donna.

                 I seem to have a lot of trouble internalizing that we won't know if I have a  response until after the 4th infusion.

                Be well,

                karen 

                • July 24, 2011 at 7:01 pm
                NYKaren
                Participant

                  Thanks Donna.

                   I seem to have a lot of trouble internalizing that we won't know if I have a  response until after the 4th infusion.

                  Be well,

                  karen 

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