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HDR side effects

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Posted 11/11/2015 11:06 PM (GMT 0)
I elected to have HDR BT and EBRT to treat my GS 7 (4+3) PCa. Prior to treatment I had a 3 month depot of lupron to halt the rise of my PSA (11.1). The HDR phase was completed on 11/6/15 in Santa Clara. While I was able to urinate within 4 hours of being released, I have had a troubling side effect. My penis is numb, and at first I thought the spinal hadn't worn off, but it persisted through the weekend. I decided to call my doctor about it on 11/9/15. His nurse took the call and called back later that day. She said the doctor believes I am experiencing a rare side effect to the treatment, and that it should go away in 5-6 weeks. I went online with another forum and a PCa patient, treated at the same place with the same HDR BT - EBRT protocol in place, responded. He said that he also experienced numbness for about a week and then it went away and all in all his treatment has been great. The nurse explained that his numbness was due to the spinal, but mine is due to the procedure itself. I am very anxious and troubled as I head into my CT planning session for EBRT (11/20/15) and the 16 session EBRT to follow beginning 12/07/15. Everything ahead falls inside the "recovery timeline" outlined by the nurse. The doctor does not believe I should engage in any complimentary therapies (accupucture, Chinese herbs, homeopathy) in the interim. That leaves only xanax for the daytime and trazadone for the nights. Any thoughts? Right now I feel as though I've had a virtual penile amputation.
Posted 11/12/2015 12:24 AM (GMT 0)
Dolphin: I am an LDR BT guy with very few SEs so I can't comment on your HDR situation. I do know that other HDR guys are on this forum and will no doubt chim in.
Posted 11/12/2015 12:30 AM (GMT 0)
I've had HDR brachy and did not have that SE. In fact, I was never aware that was a potential SE. I'm not a doctor, but the spinal wears off pretty quickly and I can't see how it could make one part of you numb without making the rest of you numb. I would try and get more information from the RO about this.

Good luck to you!
Posted 11/12/2015 1:36 PM (GMT 0)
I've only had the decreased semen, that I've talked about many times on here, as a side effect.

It'll be a year on Dec. 4.

There were some other SE's the first few months; urgency, pain after orgasm, burning urination, etc. but they all passed.
Posted 11/12/2015 3:24 PM (GMT 0)

Michael_T said...
I've had HDR brachy and did not have that SE. In fact, I was never aware that was a potential SE. I'm not a doctor, but the spinal wears off pretty quickly and I can't see how it could make one part of you numb without making the rest of you numb. I would try and get more information from the RO about this.

Good luck to you!

Ditto for me, but then again I'm not quite sure what a numb penis would feels like. Way back then I experienced a lot of first time SEs and with no Libido I couldn't comment on any other feelings.
Posted 11/12/2015 3:39 PM (GMT 0)
FoxRun,

A numb penis leaves you feeling as though there is nothing in your underwear; it is a very unsettling . I have some tactile sensation when urinating (I can control stream and essentially feel my urethra-stop and go the flow), but when I shake it out my penis goes numb-no feeling, as though the spinal is still in place. I've been taking long walks on the beach and that seems to help with circulation and sensation. I am going to keep working at it, but I have some unease about being a "rare side effect."
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