Radiation and bowel problems

Hey Stan1961,

I am more than halfway through my SRT (which is not the same as you, but it's still radiation) and my bowel problems come and go. Today I had maybe 7 bowel movements, they sort of felt like diarrhea, even though the feces seem well formed. Pretty unpleasant movement also. Considerable mucus, but no blood that I've noticed. When this first started a couple weeks ago, it wasn't so bad, and my RO said take Fibercon and Culturelle, and that helped a lot almost immediately. I still take them but bowel problems getting worse. Fatigue is also noticeable. I pee with just a little pain at the end. RO said I can take over the counter Azo, which does help, but I usually don't need it. If I feel like this tomorrow, I won't be able to work.

I didn't see a profile for you. It would be useful to know your Gleason, PSA, etc.

Post Edited (DJBearGuy) : 7/22/2018 10:30:49 PM (GMT-6)

Yep.

This is serious stuff Stan, and not unusual. Stay the course!

I don’t know about all this ...I know it’s all about getting rid of the cancer ...but why live with regrets ...
I chose this way but was reluctant .....a bit...
Now I’m paying for it ...both ways ....bowel functions and urinary ....must take flowmax to go with outflowmax cant go st all ...still burns with that ..flowmax ..at this point I wish I did surgery.
Age 57
Dx early Jan PSA 8.1. 7.7. 7.0 then June 4.1
3 cores pos of 12
3-3
3-4 10%4 75 volume
3-4. 10%4 90 volume
Decifer test hi risk
darn Gleason 4 fused cribifirm
Bone scan clear
Mri clear

Post Edited (Stan1961) : 7/23/2018 8:02:57 AM (GMT-6)

Thanks rob ..hope all is well for you and § all of us ...just second guessing ...my biggest fear in all this is not knowing if nodes are involved ..with surgery you would know for sure ....though in my case node involvement is minimal but not zero ..surgeon said he would sample nodes ....this is bugging me something terrible

I hear you ,,thanks wow u hsve a large prostrate .....do u have urinary problems ..if not great for you ...as for surgery..sure side effects yes but those I dint care about except the incontinance ... ..just having regrets

Stan, I know how you feel, but the other way around. Sometimes I've thought, maybe I should have had radiation instead of surgery. (Though the technology available where I was living wasn't as good as you can get now.) But hey, I had surgery, and now I get the radiation experience too. Today I woke up, showered, got dressed for work, and was putting on my shoes when I realized I was too tired to tie the laces. My doc said you'll have good days and bad days. I guess as time goes on the bad days start outnumbering the good days. But as others have pointed out, it will get better.

I don't normally go to UCSF, but I did to see Dr. Shinohara there for a second opinion. In my limited experience (USC, City of Hope, Kaiser Santa Clara, Stanford, UCSF, a few more), as far as doctors being good in communicating with patients, there's good and not so good everywhere. You might consider asking to see a different UCSF doc.

Pre-existing hemorrhoids get irritated and may break and bleed. They may also flare up because of the tenesmus and your straining. Here's a handout I give to men in my support groups who are going in for radiation:


What to expect after prostate radiation

Urinary, rectal and sexual side effects of treatment are usually mild and transient, although they may be worse if you are especially sensitive to radiation, are an older man, or had symptoms before you started radiation therapy. Some side effects described below may occur in many men starting anytime from a week to a month after treatment and continuing for weeks or months. The duration and intensity vary greatly between men.

If any of those symptoms interfere with your day-to-day living, call your doctor. He may be able to prescribe medication that can help alleviate those symptoms.

Urinary

Total incontinence is uncommon. There may be some leakage or dribbling. Other common side effects are irritation, burning or bleeding while urinating, feeling like you have to urinate immediately even when you know your bladder isn’t full, having to wake up several times during the night to urinate, or having to urinate frequently during the day. You may pass small amounts of blood or blood clots; however, if you are bleeding copiously when you urinate, contact your doctor immediately.

A rare but potentially serious side effect is urinary retention. If you find that you can’t urinate even though your bladder feels full, go to the Emergency Room of the nearest hospital immediately and tell them you are suffering from urinary retention. They must catheterize you to allow the urine to flow out.

Rectal

There may be a feeling like you have to pass a stool but you cannot, and this feeling may recur often. This is called tenesmus. You should be aware that that feeling is from inflammation in your rectum (proctitis), not from actual stool there, and if you strain, you may create hemorrhoids. You may have frequent bowel movements. There may be blood in your stools or blood may drip out. Hemorrhoids may occur. Sometimes stool may leak out, especially when you are passing gas. Stool may be loose, or it may be especially hard.

If you have diarrhea for more than a few days, call your doctor. If the bleeding is copious, call your doctor.

Sexual

Semen will usually dry up soon after treatment, although there may be small amounts of fluid. Occasionally, you may see some blood in that fluid or a few drops of blood may drip out after orgasm.

You may notice that, over time, erections are not as hard or as long-lasting. To protect the blood vessels supplying your penis with blood, your doctor may have prescribed Viagra or a similar medication. You should continue to take that medication for at least 6 months after the end of treatment, even though it seems like you don’t need it.

Testosterone levels often drop following radiation, but may eventually return to normal levels. Because of this, you may notice a drop in the level of your sexual desire/libido. Some men experience difficulty reaching orgasm.
If any of the symptoms are bothersome, you may want to consult with a doctor who specializes in Sexual Medicine.

Sorry you are experiencing side effects, but I would expect them to be temporary. The correct meds to control and prevent things from escalating are key, talk to your RO

And incontinence is not the only surgical side effect.

Add permanent ED, penile shrinkage, hernia, MRSA, strictures where the urethra is cut, and bio chemical recurrence

Fauntleroy said...
Sorry you are experiencing side effects, but I would expect them to be temporary. The correct meds to control and prevent things from escalating are key, talk to your RO

And incontinence is not the only surgical side effect.

Add permanent ED, penile shrinkage, hernia, MRSA, strictures where the urethra is cut, and bio chemical recurrence

Tell me about the boost I’m worried sick ...after EBR I CANT PISS TO,SAVE MY LIFE ....AND THE BURNUNG I HSVE TO WALK SROUND THE HOUSE 4 or5 Times ....I’m afraid I will need a catheter

Stan, What type of radiation treatment did you get? Is it IMRT, LDR or HDR BT or SBRT?