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Posted 7/12/2012 3:35 PM (GMT 0)
 Not sure if anyone has experienced this I had my radiation over 2 years ago and now I am having burning when I urinate mostly at the end and have started having more urgency.  Went to the doctor and he tells me this is common after radiation that the bladder get inflamed very easily and I need to stop all coffee, tea, fruit juices, spicy foods, etc.  He tested for infection all clear.  Well its been a few days and no better was wondering if anyone experienced this side affect.

Jerry1 

Posted 7/12/2012 3:44 PM (GMT 0)
Jerry -- i think i am experiencing more urgency like when i hear running water etc.  but it's not too bad.

ed

 

Posted 7/12/2012 3:56 PM (GMT 0)
I completed my SRT about 10 years ago.....6 months ago I passed a lot of blood for almost 8 hours then it stopped, was scoped doctor said radiation damage. This was the third time in 10 years that this has happened...not painful but quite scary.Radiation damage can show up many years after treatment.
Posted 7/12/2012 4:02 PM (GMT 0)
Yes - my burning turns out to be radiation cystitis. There is a section in the urethra near and into the bladder neck that is bloody and raw (seen through a cystoscope). Every 15-20 days I pee clots and drip blood for several days. This started 18 months out from the end of adjuvant RT. It has been cyclical since 1 Jan of this year.

They offer some options -

- get used to it, and take antibiotics when there is a lot of bleeding, just in case

- cauterize with a laser, but that seems to have as many complications as benefits

- Hyperbaric treatments, but with a very low success rate

Posted 7/12/2012 4:03 PM (GMT 0)
I had my radiation 5 months ago and I've noticed an increased urgency, especially after caffeine drinks - coffee, colas, and tea. It's really bad after I get my Saturday latte. My doc tells me that caffeine is a bladder irritant and that I should cut back on how much I drink (or make sure I am near a toilet about an hour later).

I have had occasional burning but not bad enough to complain about - yet.

I've been working on setting up a new diet for myself. Based on my research it's easy - if you like it and it tastes good you can't have it. Warm water and broccoli seem to be safe though. ;)

Andrew
Posted 7/12/2012 4:26 PM (GMT 0)
unfortunately, some of the worse side effects from radiation can takes years to manifest. when men go through rt or srt and seem to have few immediate side effects, they often think they have beaten it, but the bladder damage, urinary issues, rectal issues, can take a while to show up, and often, they can be permament situations for some. radiation is truly the gift that keeps on giving, whether we like it or not.

david
Posted 7/12/2012 4:48 PM (GMT 0)
Andrew,

I like the sound of your new diet! :)

Mike

Posted 7/12/2012 5:39 PM (GMT 0)
 

Thanks for the information so far I only had blood once a while ago but went right away.  This is only burning strangley it does not happen at night only during the day when I am active.  After surgery I had problems with surgerical clips they left behind that went to my bladder the burning then was terrible.  I had 3 clips removed and the had the radiation hope their are not more clips not sure how easy that would be to remove after the radiation.

Jerry1  

Posted 7/12/2012 5:52 PM (GMT 0)
I'm only a year out but have had little SEs. I drink 8 cups of coffee in the morning and eat spicy food all of the time. Grew up in New Mexico and I would hate it if I had to give up my chilies.
Posted 7/12/2012 7:16 PM (GMT 0)
Jerry, sounds exactly like what I had a few months ago.  No visible blood but much microscopic.  Urgency and painful burning at end of urination but very little urgency when sleeping or laying down.  Doc prescribed medicine that turned urine orange and after a few days it went away. I might add that I thought I might have passed a small kidney stone but not sure.   I finished SRT in June 2010. (sorry I can't remember the name of the medicine.)   The Old Sailor 
Posted 7/12/2012 7:17 PM (GMT 0)
Jerry....I had 45 days radiation myself about 9 months ago. Never felt a thing until a month ago I had some blood in my semen but it cleared up with a week of antibiotics. just 2 weeks ago I felt a burning sensation while urinating...so far 3 times now so it looks like its appearing. Felt like when I was a kid and got soap in there while taking a bath....OUCH!
Posted 7/12/2012 8:18 PM (GMT 0)
the med that turned your pee orange was probably pyridium, famous for that
Posted 7/12/2012 9:43 PM (GMT 0)
David, your right it was pyridium.  I keep asking Padre Pio to be with you, keep you strong and at peace.   Things will change.  Old Sailor
Posted 7/12/2012 9:50 PM (GMT 0)
thank you, old sailor my friend. we share are admiration of Padre Pio, I have collected many objects from him and about him over the years, i treasure them dearly. yep, pyridium is very effective and very inexpensive, i cant use it anymore since my bladder is disconnected, but still have a pretty good supply of the stuff.

my best to you as well

david
Posted 7/12/2012 10:12 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Jerry,

Thought I would add my experiences since we kinda went lock-step in our SRT.

Yes, just as I thought drips were behind me as of recent 6 months or so I'll have bouts where slight burning occurs (esp. after sex) but mostly the unexpected drop (or several drops, enough to quarter size wet my undies) when I make an unexpected move (a few times per day). The drop phenomenon comes more frequently lately. Definitely carbonated sodas and sometimes wine will correlate; I lay off the sodas and limit the wine.

I did bring it up with my uro and he prescribed imipramine hcl (50 mg). I've taken it at irregular times at reduced strength but it does seem to stop the minor dripping described above. I don't take it regularly because it tends to make me a bit constipated.... so I guess pick your poison.

Hoping this will pass for all of us. For me it is mostly just a nuisance that I could do without.

Our best to you and the rest of the gang,
Jake
Posted 7/12/2012 11:24 PM (GMT 0)
Jerry,

I also am about two years out. Am not having any blood or burning sensations...yet. Will keep my fingers crossed.

Joe 

Posted 7/13/2012 2:08 AM (GMT 0)
I'm 18 months out..No urinary issues but BM's take a while and I have to grunt and push to clear my bowels..I must guard against constipation. The sensation of needing to have a BM is very weak...
Posted 7/13/2012 3:15 AM (GMT 0)
I am 2 years out and haven't had any burning problems. Sometimes I have urgency but it's not too bad.

I started a new diet a few months ago in support of my wife who
wanted me to do it with her. She's diabetic so it was really important to her. I have lost around 40 pounds so far.
It's called the Harcombe diet for any who are interested. Sex
is a lot better now with the weight loss.
Posted 7/13/2012 1:35 PM (GMT 0)
 

Thanks everyone for your input it is strange but the urgency and burning only occurs during the day when I am active in the evening and at night no burning or urgency guess its gravity.  Jake doctor did say wine and dark liquor can cause irritatiom.

Jerry 1

Posted 7/15/2012 3:57 PM (GMT 0)
So yesterday, while urinating, I passed a table-spoon sized shot of nice red blood......Next urination was much better, just a trace, probably leftovers from the first time..Third and subsequent urination's have been clean..This has happened once before, about 6 months ago..No pain or discomfort involved.. Virtually the same thing as Ziggymonster described.

You hope you are done with this stuff, but in fact, I don't think we will EVER be done....
Posted 7/15/2012 9:27 PM (GMT 0)
Three years out from radiation, 3 1/2 out from RP........occaisional blood in urine.....burning sensation a few time a week, once in a while next to unbearable till I empty.....The Uro blames the Rad Doc, Rad Doc blames the Uro.....I'm 50/50 expecting a secondary cancer along the line.........life goes on...pills,pump and shots......
Posted 7/16/2012 2:43 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know if I'd call it burning, but I have noticed, more so during the day, more urgency when it's time to pee and there is a burning like sensation. I jusrt assumed it was related to my HT and my T levels being so low.
Posted 7/16/2012 3:28 PM (GMT 0)
Whoa...d*mn. I'm most likely looking at adjuvant RT in a few months and was hoping whatever side effects I'd have would be temporary. I guess the rad doc (who I thought was very thorough) didn't want to scare me off. I would imagine that not everyone has the same side effects...at least, I hope...

I'm a newbie to all this PC crap and I'm already tired of it. Can't I just take all my d*mned medicine now and be done with it?

Ted
Posted 7/16/2012 3:48 PM (GMT 0)
I believe the radiation guys really do soft-sell the SE. Well, mine did, but fortunately I did a lot of reading and the HW site was helpful.

I am now about 14 months past my IMRT completion. I do sometimes get urgency, but no problem, really.

But I do get the exact SE mentioned by Fairwind. Very weak feeling to have a BM (increasingly so the last few months) so I have to use muscles to expell the  stool. Also, bms are smaller. But, so far, not a major problem either.

Mel

Posted 7/16/2012 10:12 PM (GMT 0)
 

Well second trip to the doctor diet thing did not work and a little more blood.  This time saw the uro not the PA did another urine test and said some blood also did a bladder ultrasound which was clear.  doctor said from Radiation gave me a prescription said to come back in 10 days and if no better will scope bladder.  Well the prescription was for Urelle

the pharmacy said not covered by my Medicare Part D plan and was $280 for 1 month supply.  I told them forget it they then called the doctor's office and they said try Uribel which they had given me 2 samples of this that expired last year it was $127 so I filled this one because I need to try something.  These guys think we are made of money they have no idea what will work and just say try this and this is common after radiation.  No one mentioned this before radiation.  I have taken two doses so far and no relief will let you know how I make out. Anyone elso ever been on this drug?

Jerry1

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