Need Input from Graduates of IGRT/IMRT

I just finished my 38th radiation session last Thursday and have the following observations:

1. I have increased my frequency of urination through out the day and now I am getting up a couple of times a night. I am going to be better at not drinking as much after 7 p.m. Question-How long does this last?

2. I have pain starting and stopping urinating and have a few drops of blood that follow after the little guy is tucked in. I assume this is from the uretha and ureter being irritated by the radiation. The last ten sessions were blasting the old and lonely prostate bed. I don't see blood in my urine (I did have a kidney stone removed years ago) so it has to be connected to the radiation. Two part question; (i) anyone else have pain starting and stopping? (it's not a bladder infection), and (ii) anyone experince droplets of blood after urinating?

 

I am a year out and the increased frequency started to resolve after about two months but I still need to go more often than before and sometimes still suffer a bit of urgency.

And +1 to Ray's suggestion - could be nothing but worth a phone call. I didn't have anything like that. I did have my hemmeriods act up lot (including rectal bleeding) for the first six months after treatment.

All the best,
Andrew

It sounds like radiation cystitis which is an occasional side effect of radiation. It's worth calling you doctor. He'll tell you not to worry about it. But nobody here should.

Give him a call.

When I wasn't having stricture issues post radiation, I was having burning pain attempting to urinate in the nature way. The only thing that every helped me on that was the generic drug pyridium. Ask your uro for a sample, most of them have tons in their med cabinets. If it works for you, it's dirt cheap to buy.

david

Thank you Gentlemen. I will call my R.O. tomorrow and ask about the blood drops. I bet he will say it is nothing and we just irritated the urethia and not to worry. I probably will wait a day or two and see if it stops. Something tells me it will.

As to frequency, it is what is is during the day and I will stop drinking so much after 7 to see if that helps. I hate not to get into the deep restorative sleep that we all need.

All great comments, and no one of us are alike with how we recover.

The only urinary problem I had was slight burning that cleared up two weeks after finishing. I had rectal soreness and that also cleared up after two weeks.

Devasted1 said...
I just finished my 38th radiation session last Thursday and have the following observations:
1. I have increased my frequency of urination through out the day and now I am getting up a couple of times a night. I am going to be better at not drinking as much after 7 p.m. Question-How long does this last?

2. I have pain starting and stopping urinating and have a few drops of blood that follow after the little guy is tucked in. I assume this is from the uretha and ureter being irritated by the radiation. The last ten sessions were blasting the old and lonely prostate bed. I don't see blood in my urine (I did have a kidney stone removed years ago) so it has to be connected to the radiation. Two part question; (i) anyone else have pain starting and stopping? (it's not a bladder infection), and (ii) anyone experince droplets of blood after urinating?

1. Not sure how long but it did eventually go away....anywhere between 6-12 months.

2. No blood but the pain(or it appeared to be) was there for the starting for the same amount of time.


Today I still get the urge to urinate whenever I hear running water.....weird or what!

I called my R.O. and left message for him to please call to discuss the blood spotting. He said while it isn't common, it rarely happens and should only last a few days maybe a week at the longest.

Funny, today there was no blood. Yeah!

Thanks for your experiences that you have shared.

I finished salvage IMRT last June and have had both urinary and rectal bleeding periodically since as well as burning on urination. I am up about 2-3 times a night to pee. Wear a pad during the day but no major leaking.

Meds were not helping on the burning but, as has been said above, steering clear of caffeine products and drinking lots of water helps immensely in cutting down irritation.

Rectal bleeding is likely hemmoroids but having a colonoscopy tomorrow (oh joy!) just to see if it is anything else. Did not have bleeding issues pre-radiation.

I do pass a number of blood clots in urine and sometimes this correlates with not getting enough water. Every once in a while, I will pee a whole bunch of red or maroon, usually in the early morning. My next uro appointment is May 31 and will talk with him more about getting scoped. He was not overly concerned at my November visit.

My observation is that issues did not really surface during the radiation period but developed in the months since. The RO said symptoms might take a while for onset so I was not surprised.

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Thank you all for your responses and support. Johnindallas hopefully your scope found nothing of concern. I will be patient as I experience the post blessings of radiation.

My cancer center has a wellness center that is so amazing. They charge a one time fee of $400 (fortunately my insurance picked it up). It includes a diagnostic exam from a orthopaedic doctor and a PT and then they go to work on creating an exercise prescription (aka plan). I have gone twice this week and have an amazing Exercise Trainer who implements the exercise plan. He has given me hope to get back and get going. His plan is to work with me for three months to get my base training built up, makes sure I do stretches twice a day to get the blood circulating in the burned pelvic region. He said i needed to stretch in the morning and evening to help the blood circulation and healing. He has even signed me up to ride in a Bike fundraiser ride to benefit cancer research. The ride is an out and back and has options for 25, 70 or 140 miles. AFter having surgery in December, ADT that commenced in January and just finishing up radiation, I am shooting for the 25 mile ride. Maybe next year, PCa cooperating, I may do the 140.

They also have a dietician that I will meet with tomorrow to help get rid of what I have added over the last two years.

My hope would be that everyone here has access to those kind of benefits, but I know it is the exception and not the norm.