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Radiotherapy and sore bottom

User
Posted 06 Apr 2020 at 18:24

Hi all, 

Started this thread to ask specifically about a side effect of radiotherapy - sore bottom. Sorry if tmi. 

My husband was diagnosed last year with advanced PCa. He's on hormone injections, completed chemo at Christmas and currently on his 8th session of RT. He's having 37 in total. 

He has already started going to the loo more resulting in a sore bottom. At the planning session he was warned of this and told to report it to them as they have creams they can give you and was told under no circumstances apply sudocrem or vaseline. Today he has told the nurses about it and was advised to take a salt bath.

Does anyone else have any experience of anything he could use to provide relief as we expect it may get worse as time goes on?

 

Mrs MAS

User
Posted 06 Apr 2020 at 19:51
Hi Mrs MAS

I have not had RT but I do know how severe the anal pain and soreness can be. I suffered with piles and anal fissures for most of my adult life, absolute agony at times. I had surgery which didn't work and just made things worse. When I was told I need TRUS I was petrified as I had a flare up at the time. I saw a colorectal consultant/surgeon and he advised using Bepanthen a nappy rash cream for babies twice a day and after every movement. Had The TRUS (which is another story), which led to prostate removal. I stil use it as he suggested, he also said you can never use to much. I have not had a flare up, pain or soreness ever since which I never believed would be possible and that is after more than three years.

Sorry if there's to much info here but thought it might be useful to others as well

Cheers

Bill

User
Posted 07 Apr 2020 at 00:25
I was recommended 'Bepanthen' by radiographer doctor when I had my RT. It's very mild and used on babies for nappy rash and for burns. Boots and some supermarkets sell it - no prescription needed. I was told to apply it only by lightly dabbing and only using a small amount. I know other hospitals suggest other creams so you could ask yours. Use only mild non scented soap to the affected area in particular but preferably all over during ablutions.
Barry
User
Posted 07 Apr 2020 at 08:31
Hi Mrs Mas,

I had 20 sessions of RT last Spring, about halfway through got quite bad runs, particularly first thing in the morning and resulting sore butt.

My Onco prescribed fybogel to help bind the poos and also stressed the need to wash and wipe my bum after oblutions.

I also found zinc and castor oil soothing although this was off my own bat.

Maybe helpful to you to read Cheshire Chris's treatment plan thread. Chris was just ahead of me on his RT journey, it was helpful to read and prepared me for what's to come.

12 months on my bowels are pretty much back to normal, it's just a case of toughing it out.

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User
Posted 06 Apr 2020 at 19:51
Hi Mrs MAS

I have not had RT but I do know how severe the anal pain and soreness can be. I suffered with piles and anal fissures for most of my adult life, absolute agony at times. I had surgery which didn't work and just made things worse. When I was told I need TRUS I was petrified as I had a flare up at the time. I saw a colorectal consultant/surgeon and he advised using Bepanthen a nappy rash cream for babies twice a day and after every movement. Had The TRUS (which is another story), which led to prostate removal. I stil use it as he suggested, he also said you can never use to much. I have not had a flare up, pain or soreness ever since which I never believed would be possible and that is after more than three years.

Sorry if there's to much info here but thought it might be useful to others as well

Cheers

Bill

User
Posted 06 Apr 2020 at 20:22

I had a bad weekend when I thought I'd get away with eating a broccoli while on RT, and boy, was I wrong. Barely came out the bathroom for 36 hours. My arse was so sore after that - I wasn't sure if it was the RT or the constant shitting and wiping at the time. Radiotherapists gave me Hydrogel cream - it's basically water in some gel thickener. That fixed it after a couple of days, so it was caused by the shitting/wiping, and not the RT which was still ongoing. They also gave me a tube of Instillagel (normally used for lubricating catheters, and contains antiseptic and anesthetic), but I didn't need to go that far. KY jelly might work if they can't give you anything, but certainly where I was done (Mount Vernon) they leapt into action instantly to fix any problems you might get during the RT.

After that, had to stop eating anything with fibre in it to regain control of bowels. No vegetables except peeled potatoes, no fruit except peeled apples, peeled pairs, and bananas, no brown bread/pasta/flour, no nuts, only low fibre breakfast cereals (corn flakes, crunchy nut corn flakes was strangely OK too, porridge without bran).

User
Posted 06 Apr 2020 at 22:24
Do not put any cream or ointment on that hasn't been approved by the staff at your RT suite.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 07 Apr 2020 at 00:25
I was recommended 'Bepanthen' by radiographer doctor when I had my RT. It's very mild and used on babies for nappy rash and for burns. Boots and some supermarkets sell it - no prescription needed. I was told to apply it only by lightly dabbing and only using a small amount. I know other hospitals suggest other creams so you could ask yours. Use only mild non scented soap to the affected area in particular but preferably all over during ablutions.
Barry
User
Posted 07 Apr 2020 at 06:02
Best of luck with his chocolate starfish...

Cheers, John.

https://www.bad.org.uk/shared/get-file.ashx?id=120&itemtype=document

User
Posted 07 Apr 2020 at 06:52

Thanks everyone for your responses. I suppose theres no such thing as TMI with prostate cancer so thanks all for sharing!

Thanks for the diet tips Andy 62 and the document link Bollinge.

He has only used mild baby shampoo and Sanex 0% shower gel while on RT which we checked with staff about first.

 

Edited by member 07 Apr 2020 at 07:07  | Reason: Spelling

Mrs MAS

User
Posted 07 Apr 2020 at 08:31
Hi Mrs Mas,

I had 20 sessions of RT last Spring, about halfway through got quite bad runs, particularly first thing in the morning and resulting sore butt.

My Onco prescribed fybogel to help bind the poos and also stressed the need to wash and wipe my bum after oblutions.

I also found zinc and castor oil soothing although this was off my own bat.

Maybe helpful to you to read Cheshire Chris's treatment plan thread. Chris was just ahead of me on his RT journey, it was helpful to read and prepared me for what's to come.

12 months on my bowels are pretty much back to normal, it's just a case of toughing it out.

 
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