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Radiotherapy and short term effects?

User
Posted 14 Dec 2020 at 01:17

Perhaps my questions should be directed to the relevant NHS teams. However I'm after some advice and hope I can get this on here.

I was in remission, however I further scan identified a rectal tumour resulting in 10 radiotherapy sessions. It finished very recently ( Tuesday this week) 

The main areas

1. A lot of wind that actually pushed out some poo involuntarily. In addition the wind in prompting a feeling of bowel movements but is actually mucus / water that sometimes comes out or just goes back in. I also find it difficult to sit in a chair, being better to lie down or stand instead.

2. Constipation has gone in the sense that I have on average 6+ bowel movements. It sometimes occurs when the wind is pushing but again rarely does the water leave.

3. Some blood present today but has since calmed down and not visible. 

4. Since Tuesday, I have been unable to focus on anything apart from the distraction involved with bowel movement. Which is very disabltating... Basically the poo situation never ends. It affects my mobility as I cant walk properly when there's is a constant need to 'go'

I would be grateful if anyone is or has experienced this in anyway and if it a short term situation or not.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

 

User
Posted 14 Dec 2020 at 08:14

Donchadh 

Some of the things you describe I still have 3 years after salvage RT. Our hospital has a late effects team which also includes early effects.

There are treatments to helps the bowel situation. 

Thanks Chris

 

 

User
Posted 14 Dec 2020 at 09:38

The side effects you mention are all completely standard when the bowel gets exposed to radiation. The bowel wall gets irritated, and it assumes this is because of a bowel infection (which it isn't). This will initially give diarrhea, but that will subside into just excess mucus, and that will probably reduce and mostly vanish. Stools can change substantially - when the diarrhea subsides, rabbit dropping type stools are common initially (lots of tiny stools).

Side effects on the bowel tend to lag about 2 weeks behind the treatment, so you should expect peak symptoms about 2 weeks afterwards, and then it will start to subside. While you have diarrhea, reducing fibre in your diet will help. I had to cut out all fruit, veg, and brown flour until a month or two after radiotherapy, and then I could gradually reintroduce them. The mucus farts (as my oncologist refers to them) had gone by about 10 months, but farting was safe again well before this, in that I could sense again if a fart was going to be safe or not - that sense is lost during radiation, but like most of the other things, does usually recover.

This is the result of stray radiation when treating prostate - if the bowel is treated directly as in your case, then the side effects may be more extreme. (Bowel cancer patients may have more relevant experience.)

At a local support group in the last week, the topic of excess rectal mucus came up, and several of us a year or more out from treatment commented that we do still have more than we did (not to the extent of mucus farts anymore), and this does make it easier to take a dump than it was before the prostate cancer.

User
Posted 14 Dec 2020 at 11:49
I found that it took a good six months after I finished RT for my bowels to return to a reasonably normal state, so give it time. I’ll be 2 years post RT in March, and still occasionally pass excess mucus, but not to the extent where it’s problematic.

Best wishes,

Chris

User
Posted 15 Dec 2020 at 00:23

Thank you all for the replies.

Always a bit concerning when such changes happen. However what has been said is reassuring letting me know it does happen.

In the afternoon I had the usual routine, stomach going silly, some mucus and mostly a lot of stools. Odd as it does this everyday at about the same time. Totally drains me. However after all of that into early evening I had some normality. Managed to focus on the TV an even had a bit of vino with the better half. 

I'm sure it may happen again tomorrow but a bit of respite has been the best thing for some time.

Thanks again for reassuring with you posts, it's much appreciated.

 
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