Radiation question, please

My husband is 3 weeks into his radiation treatments - two places on his spine and radiating the prostate bed.  He is having quite a bout of diarrea and has some "soreness" in his sides and scrotum.  Is all that related to the radiation?  He was going to ask the doc today, but he wasn't in.  Thanks

I can't speak to the soreness but diarrhea is a common issue with radiation. He should have received some dietary advice at the beginning just in case this occured. He should eat a low-residue diet (no salads, low fiber, etc.) Eat foods high in potassium (bananas, etc.) If it is bad, he should take some Imodium but be careful that he does not swing too far in the direction of constipation when taking Imodium. As always, keep his doctor/PA up to date with his status on this and follow their advice. Take care.

SC

My RO told me to stay on literally the same diet the whole time to avoid any intestinal issues. She did not care what it was, just that I absolutely not eat anything that would upset my bowels. I did that, and did have issues where she advised immodium, but remembering what a hard stool would do to my surgical site, just kept going (that wasn't intended to be a pun, but ...). The bowel issues were certainly result of the RT (GP & Uro said yes, RO said no).

No new spices, no trips to unusual restaurants, no testing of new wines or foods. It was a pretty dull eight weeks in that respect. But the fatigue had set in by then, and I was out cold on the couch by the end of the 5:30 news most nights.

Fiber was not mentioned.

But even if the doc isn't there, insist that the staff contact him. Having any issue continue could be a dangerous sign.