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Brachytherpy Post Effects Depressing Feeling

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Posted 2/9/2018 11:38 PM (GMT 0)
I went into my Brachytherapy procedure with the most optimistic outlook I'm one week out and not feeling or in my opinion doing well am i alone. I know people who are doing well don't go looking for questions so hopefully fellow Brachy patie4nts can chime in and tell me its just time .

I'm one week out and haven't had a good night sleep , I'm lucky i got 3 hrs one night but am up about every hour to 1 1/2 having to pee .. and I'm not peeing much about 100- 150cc or about 4oz I been keeping track. This has been the most frustration .

I had my Bracy on Wed the 31 Jan went home with the catheter on Friday morning I went in and had it removed went home about 5 I got tired and took a nap got up at 6:15 with massive pain and could not pee had to rush to hospital and have the catheter put back in , I returned on Monday and had it removed once again went home and have been here now about a week , I have been peeing about every hour about 100cc or 4oz its pretty consistent last night i got up at 130 and had a hard time peeing between 130 and 8am i peed 900 CC i do get a slight burning but its not been as bad as it was,
I can barley go it , also I have this rectal pain or pressure feeling like i always have to go but i know I don't , feeling depressed id putting it mildly can someone shed some light on this am I the only one or is the common for some and not all ... just wanted to hear I'm not alone ..

I know people come here for answers maybe someone can help thanks guys just feeling alone tired and frustrated.

John
Posted 2/9/2018 11:59 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to HW, sorry you're having a rough time.

It will get better with time. Complain loud and long to your doctor. There are meds that might help. Likely you've got some kind of inflammation/infection from the brachy - that can take awhile to resolve. Are you having any fever?

Depression post treatment is common for many reasons. The radiation dose can mess with your body/mind/everything. Not sleeping well is a classic problem. Some guys need treatment for that, and for some it just gets better with time.

Other than calling the doctor until the help, there are a few things you can do: drink water, walk, do something fun - watch a movie, read a book, go somewhere for the day, work on a hobby - anything that distracts your mind for a little while. Personally I use large power tool cut wood into small pieces and glue them back together. Just do something.

Having radioactive seeds shoved in your body is a big deal, take care of yourself. Others will be along soon with other ideas/suggestions.

Peace,
Andrew
Posted 2/10/2018 2:34 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Andrew , I'm having to pass urine today about every 30 min I'm 8 days post Brachy it is frustrating , it just doestn feel normal my Dr has me on Flomax and Finasteride.. and Phenazopyridine so i just trying to stay positive and hope this passes. 55 reads and no comments , I was told that now days Brachy was the most requested option for PC , I'm sure there are others out there like me , maybe there in the bathroom peeing

John
Posted 2/10/2018 2:39 AM (GMT 0)
Friday night is a slow night on the forum.

Those meds should help.

Hang in there.
Andrew
Posted 2/10/2018 2:51 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome "Brachy Brother"! For me walking was the key to relief from any and all of the side effects that accompany BT. Burning Pee, urgency, sore penis, fake poops, crotch pain, etc. Walking relieved all of these issues. I am not your Doc and don't profess to be. That said, be cautious about Flomax and its side effects. I say this because I had more issues with Flomax than with BT.

The good news is, you will get better and better with time. Before that happens, try walking and stay in tune with your Doc. Best wishes and keep us posted.
Posted 2/10/2018 4:49 AM (GMT 0)
My RO had me on this drug regimen following Brachy, call your RO to see if they can offer other options for relief.

Methylprednisolone 4mg 6 day dose per package instructions
Hydrocortisone suppositories 25mg every other day
Ibuprofin 400mg 3 x day for 6 weeks
And Pyridium as needed

I was also on finesteride 5mg and tamulosin

The other factors to consider, the expertise of the practitioner, the type of seeds you had, some burn brighter initially and grow weaker more rapidly, causing more symptoms initially, but symptoms decrease faster, and just as important, what kind of symptoms you had prior to the treatment. By the time the Brachy portion of my treatment took place, my prostate was shrunken by radiation and ADT, and a green light laser trim off the top, leave the mullet please, otherwise I would have been in trouble

I also drank plenty of water and did light exercise, Things gradually improved with time, hard to recall the exact time frame, but I healed rapidly from it
Posted 2/10/2018 2:20 PM (GMT 0)
I am 4 days post round 2 HDRBT. Are you on flowmax, it gave me severe insomnia? Doc shifted me to an alternative and sleeping well. Lack of sleep is a big contributor to feeling down. Denis
Posted 2/10/2018 3:43 PM (GMT 0)
John, i am not a brachy guy, i did surgery, but i thik i should chime in anyway. After my surgery, i was pretty depressed for a month or two. I think its normal, i think it was just the feeling of , ok, i treated, now what? Like i wasnt able to take any more action to defend myself against the beast. Plus the fact that i wasnt feeling right, getting over the effects of surgery. Over time, the depression passed. And so did the side effects.

I think you should talk to your doctor about your issues. But its probably normal. Hey you just bombed your prostate and turned it into Hiroshima. You have to expect some effects, however temporary.
Hang in there, we all go through cr@p with this crummy disease. You'll be ok. We are all here for you
Posted 2/10/2018 5:35 PM (GMT 0)
Take a long walk!

I had my brachytherapy a day after you. I was in a funk the next day thinking there was nothing to look forward to over the next few weeks/months. Then, wondering what I could do to change my predicament I realized I hadn't taken a long walk. I was much happier afterwards.
Posted 2/10/2018 6:38 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks you everyone , for your suggestions , I not sure on the long walk , I have emphysema so not sure on long walks for me.. I feel a bit better today no peeing to much but not trying ot drink to much anyway I know its as process but I'm happy to be here and have support and maybe help someone else my details prior to BT were

DOB 1954
New York

PSA
14.05 Feb 2017
11.01 Aug 2017
7.58 Nov 2017
8.02 Dec 2017

GS 4+3 =7 3 of 14 Cores Pos

BT 31 Jan NJ 78 Seeds Iodine-125

thanks
John
Posted 2/10/2018 7:56 PM (GMT 0)
Below is a link to a handout I give to radiation patients in my support groups. Seeds are often especially irritating, especially in the first month, because the radiation is constant. All your side effects are normal and expected and are almost always transient. You can talk to your doctor about taking a sleeping pill for the next week or so - I think it aids recovery and outlook to get a good night's sleep.

What to expect immediately after prostate radiation
Posted 2/10/2018 11:46 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks you Allen pretty much where i been with it .. I think I read to many of the had Brachy and went back to work 3 days later post , guess this was not to be the case for me.

I need to exercise patience as were all different hopefully as the days go so will the effects as my work involves alof of international travel and I'm looking forward to going back to doing what i do. Thanks to everone here , one day at a time.

John
Posted 2/11/2018 4:09 AM (GMT 0)
FWIW, after my first session of HDR brachy I had to urinate all the time with a fair amount of irritation. It didn't last as long as yours--maybe 4-5 days--but it did go away. And for whatever reason, my second session I only had the irritation for a day or two. Now I had HDR brachy and I'm thinking you likely had LDR (seeds) so it's not a complete comparison, but the irritation did go away over time.

I agree with the comments above seeking meds that could help. In my case Urispas, coupled with some sitz bath seemed to help a little.

Good luck. I'm pretty sure it will get better!
Posted 2/11/2018 5:43 PM (GMT 0)
General question for the guys here , was it normal to not get a full night sleep the most i've had is maybe 3 hrs before having to get up to urinate.. and i have tried to not drink anything after 9PM also almost having to pee like every hr or so during the day... or do you just fite the urge and wait ???

just curious if this is the norm for the 1sy 2 weeks

Post Edited (JohnMorales) : 2/11/2018 11:48:55 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/11/2018 11:51 PM (GMT 0)
Guess I was really lucky with almost a total absence of side effects with my LD Brachytherapy. Received the procedure on a Wednesday (8 years ago) rested the next day and the following day(Friday) drove from Chicago back to Colorado. Never did have any problem peeing but did feel like I was sitting on a golf ball for the entire trip.
Just about a week ago, had the tri-monthly blood test and results of the PSA still hangs at 0.14, that’s ZERO point 14. When I was considering all the possible treatment, I chose the Brachytherapy due to possibility of fewer side effects. Never have regretted my choice of that decision.
Posted 2/12/2018 5:00 AM (GMT 0)
In six weeks it will all be just a bad memory. Metamucil works well as does high dose of ibupropin.
Posted 2/12/2018 5:36 PM (GMT 0)
Hi guys just back form seeing my RO and he has increased my Flomax to twice a day as he says I'm not emptying my bladder enough and try this , I don't want to use a catheter for an extended period he also , he said the rectal pain is what he called rectal sunburn form the radiation and gave me some ibuprofen to try and see if it helps so , he said were killing the cancer and each case is different I guess the radiation is affection me a bit more that others so i will try to stay positive and hope the effects start to subside I'm only 10 days psot the BT.. thanks again for your support ifd anyone know ir had the rectal sunburn would entertain any ideas on how to treat it .

John
Posted 2/12/2018 6:42 PM (GMT 0)
For the proctitis, you may find Anusol with cortisone may help. There's a drug called mesalamine that's sometimes used. Probiotics may help too.
Posted 2/13/2018 5:42 PM (GMT 0)
For MY bout with radiation proctitis after Brachytherapy, I received an Rx for Anucort-HC, 25 Mg. This was a suppository to be used only for rectal use. This was used quite some time ago and it certainly worked for me.
Posted 2/13/2018 6:55 PM (GMT 0)
Eliminate caffiene, carbonated and acidic drinks. Water and green tea are the best for your urinary system. Get moving, walking even if it is slow is very beneficial. Worst thing you can do is to sit around. Reduce red meat. You will get better. All these will also help you sleep better. Avoid TV and internet after dark as it will make it tougher to get to sleep. Rather,read a good book and some light music. Much better to do that in order to get to sleep. Also take 5-10 mg of melatonin about an hour before bedtime. Very effective. Do not drink anything after about seven pm.
Posted 2/14/2018 11:31 PM (GMT 0)
Well todays report , thanks to everyone for there suggestions. and support .. but I have to say the frustration continues , I'm not very patience and my wife says everyone is different so I am 2 weeks today post and , just seam to keep peeing small amounts every hr or so, did get 4 hrs sleep last night ,

I started to walk today did twice around the block so my wife is walking with me i will keep everyone posted , as i go on this would like to hear from some guys who Brachy recovery took some time I have had to cancel work for next few weeks anyway thanks again ... for your support
Posted 2/17/2018 10:10 PM (GMT 0)
John,

From reading this thread and one other on this site it appears the common statement is all symptoms should diminish over time. Since we are all different, as was also said, our reactions will vary. It will get better, just takes time.

I am two and half weeks from the time of the radioactive seed implant and experiencing much of the discomfort described by others. Based on what I read my reaction, although not pleasant, is not nearly as bad as some. Frequent need to pee, day and night, being the most annoying. Average 3 times a night. And the area where the seeds were inserted is pretty tender. Would not want to ride a bicycle.

I take long morning walks and had the impression it helped and from reading I see it was not just wishful thinking. Will have to eliminate coffee for a while based on what I read. That and anything acidic such as orange juice. No mention of wine though.

My PSA was 5.14 at the time of the biopsy. The Gleason score 3+4=7.
Brachy January 30th.
Catheter removed 31st - that was a treat
Will see the Dr. February 28th for a follow up
Age 79, health excellent, family history of longevity
Posted 2/17/2018 10:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hey GreyDog , thanks I had my procedure on the 31st so i guess we are one day apart, outside of the issues with urination i am feeling much better , it is annoying to constantly feel like i have to pee and not get that much out , I have stated this week taking walks everyday as yes they say it helps here.
probly one of my bigget m istakes i measuring my urine , as its quite posibe its alwasy been like this I had an enlarged prostate goign in and was a bpardeline canidate for the LDR, but i did it , the pain is almost gone from the insertion point, I do have some rectal disconfort the dr says its liek internal sunburn I been taling Ibpofrin and it seams to help now if i can get this need to pee to go away i will be better, are you slatesd for beam radiation aftwords . ??? Id liek to keep intouch and see how we progress.
my emails is (personal info removed by moderator)
Best of Luck to both of us...

John

My PSA was 13 at time of Biopsy and 7.9 at time of LDR Gleaseon 4+3=7
Brtachy Jan 31
Catherter removed Feb1 .. had or be put pack in and removed Feb 4

Post Edited By Moderator (Tudpock18) : 2/18/2018 11:32:12 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/17/2018 10:48 PM (GMT 0)
John,

No further treatment is scheduled. Will learn more when I meet with the Doc. Yeah, rectal pain where I was poked but minor, just annoying. Before they let me go the day after the procedure, and the catheter was removed, a device was used to measure what was left in the bladder after peeing. Dr. said 27% was good as was anything 30 and under.

I too have BPH but no idea to what degree. I am taking Ibuprofen whenever I remember. Three 200mg three times a day with meals was recommended. I just forget. That and a months worth of Flomax was prescribed.

Do you think you could get a bladder scan to see how well you are doing?

Will let you know as thing progress. I think things are improving but it is so slow and subtle it is difficult to measure.

Good luck and speedy recovery.

David
Posted 2/17/2018 11:00 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks David , i added my6 email to the others post if you want to contact me there.. I'm just very frustrated with the constant urge to pee.. its not as bad as it was but its still there, I'm just trying to fight it , don't feel like peeing every 30 min to hr .. this is the frustrating part if not for this i would be ok

John
(Personal info removed by moderator)

Hi John. I deleted your email address from the body of your two posts. We ask that members not reveal personal info in the posts themselves -- too many spammers/bad guys. You CAN add your email in your profile and it will show up when someone clicks the little envelope on the left side of our posts. Jim

Post Edited By Moderator (Tudpock18) : 2/18/2018 11:34:32 AM (GMT-7)

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