immediate side effects of radiotherapy

User

Posted 16 Dec 2020 at 11:20

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to get some advice on what side effects there may be when Ian starts his radiotherapy on January 13th? I know about ED, etc., but what about immediate ones like fatigue, bladder problems, etc. We have a 40 minute drive to and from the hospital every week day until the 1st of March. Ian would like to drive himself there most of the time. I was thinking of taking him in the beginning and then whenever he's getting too tired. His sessions will be at 12.15 every day. Also he will consider staying in the adjacent Holiday Inn sometimes, if things do become too much. What are your thoughts and experiences? How do the wives cope with it all?

User

Posted 16 Dec 2020 at 19:27

Hi Knodel,

Side effects can vary. I had HDR Brachy followed by 15 sessions of RT, I think your hubby is having about 30 so he may get more side effects than I had.

For me I had no side effects at all, I used a motorbike to get to hospital most days, and a car on a couple of days. I did look at near by hotels just in case but it turned out not to be at all necessary. I have heard of people needing to piss more often and I have heard advice to carry a bottle in the car and a coat or blanket to put over your lap to hide what your doing if you get caught short.

I think you probably should go the first couple of times, it can be a bit boring in hospital waiting rooms on your own, and obviously if he does start getting side effects like fatigue, but I think you will find your husband will be able to drive himself. I hope your husbands RT is as uneventful as mine was.

Dave

User

Posted 16 Dec 2020 at 19:34

As above, some people have no problems at all. John had his RT on the way to work each morning, worked full time throughout and carried on with the gym daily and playing his beloved rugby. Towards the end, he had an afternoon nap at his desk a couple of times but that's pretty much it.

I wonder if sometimes people expect problems and so it is self-fulfilling, J read nothing about it and was unaware that there might be side effects so he went into the process expecting to carry on as normal and that was what he did. Having said that, he was on bicalutimide rather than Prostap or Zoladex which may have made the fatigue less of a problem anyway?

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 16 Dec 2020 at 21:20

I went into RT without much prior thought only that I didn't know what to expect and thought it would have all sorts of effects and sort of panic about how I can get there and back every day will I be good to drive etc etc and I live 10mins away from Clatterbridge.

I was on Zoladex as well.

Anyway after 37 sessions I had no big issues or none that I couldn't handle I reckon even if I lived further away, I always made sure I emptied bladder before leaving the hospital just in case, if I lived further away I had a urinal thing in the car and I'd make sure I knew where I could stop to relieve myself.

Don't think I was any more tired than with the Zoladex alone BUT as said I only live 10mins away from the RT machines.

Peter

User

Posted 16 Dec 2020 at 21:59

I attended my RT sessions by foot and bus. I had previously found out where I could have a pee and plotted my journey accordingly. I felt quite tired but forced myself to walk part of the route. The worse thing was having to get up frequently to pee at night although this gradually reduced in frequency over maybe 8-10 weeks after RT finished by which time I was back to pre RT frequency.

Some men, including me, experienced some soreness in the nether regions. I mentioned this to the radio oncologist and was prescribed 'Bepanthen' cream which is a very mild ointment often given to children for nappy rash. I was told to dab it on sparingly and to not rub it in. Various hospitals suggest other preparations. Non scented mild soap should be used for washing/showering.

I agree, the above mentioned apart, I did not experience any side effects over HT.

Barry

User

Posted 16 Dec 2020 at 22:25

I had to drive an hour each way to Clatterbridge for my RT. Certainly no problem to do so, although I was having to stop for a pee on the way home in the last couple of weeks. I think most men (certainly as reported here) find the side-effects of RT relatively mild. I'd put mine into the category of annoyances rather than problems. As Barry mentioned, having to get up frequently during the night to pee was perhaps the most significant. I bought a plastic urine bottle so I didn't have to get out of bed and that helped with the resulting tiredness a lot.

Side-effects generally peak a few weeks after the end of treatment, and then gradually tail off. For me it took perhaps 6 weeks for the peeing to return to normal, but much longer (6 months to a year) for the bowel issues to calm down. Now almost two years after RT (it'll be two years in March), I still take Tamsulosin to help with urine flow (RT commonly results in a permanent swelling of the prostate) and I probably will for the rest of my life, and I have rather more frequent bowel movements than I did before, but that's about it. I've found it all relatively plain sailing.

Best wishes,

Chris

User

Posted 16 Dec 2020 at 22:25

Good point Barry! John has very dark skin but I understand that pale skinned men may suffer much more with sun burn around the midriff. PH neutral showergel or baby wash is really important.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 16 Dec 2020 at 22:41

Certainly not universal, though, Lynn. I have a pale complexion, didn't change my usual brand of soap or shampoo while undergoing RT (nobody suggested I should!) but had no issues with rashes or tenderness. Just pot luck, I think, like so many of these things are.

The chest-bud RT I had a year later, though, to stop breast growth, left me with vivid red saucer-sized circles on my chest which took months to fade 😁. That's a completely different sort of RT, though.

Cheers,

Chris

Edited by member 16 Dec 2020 at 22:44 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 18 Dec 2020 at 17:05

Thanks for all your replies. Hopefully, it won't be too bad. Ian might have more problems with his bladder since he still has some incontinence after his RAP? Also he's having a lower dose of radiation to the prostate bed, since this is salvage radiation and a higher dose to his cancerous lymph node. So he may have less side effects then with his bladder? Anyway, I'll tell him to wear his incontinence pants, nothing can go wrong with them!

User

Posted 18 Dec 2020 at 21:46

The EBRT rays are shaped to minimise collateral damage to vital organs, generally with a maximum limit to the rectum for instance. How easy this is to achieve can be down to where the tumour is located at this needs a heavy dose. Damage is also limited by directing the beam from different angles to the target, this way damage en route and after it is less concentrated and more spread, so the good cells recover more easily. The position of the tumour and focussing of the beams and collateral damage these cause can make a difference on the extent to which other organs are affected. I found that as well as some soreness, I lost most of the hair on my bum although this has long since regrown (unfortunately).

Edited by member 18 Dec 2020 at 21:50 | Reason: Not specified

Barry

User

Posted 09 Apr 2021 at 22:52

My Dad is 3 weeks in to his 4 weeks of radiotherapy. He has had terrible diorrhea that is keeping him up all night and tonight he cant stop being sick. I am panicking...he doesn't like to bother anyone to ask for help. Is this normal? I'm going to try to persuade him to speak to the nurses to see if there is anything that could be given to alleviate his symptoms. He is hard of hearing and with everyone wearing masks he finds it hard to understand people so doesn't want to ask for any help. I feel so bad for him.

User

Posted 09 Apr 2021 at 22:57

Vomiting and diarrhoea are not normal side effects of RT - speak to the GP in case he has food poisoning or a stomach bug. If you can't get a GP, phone 111

When someone is having cancer treatment it is easy to start assuming that everything is to do with the cancer but people do get other illnesses at the same time!

Edited by member 09 Apr 2021 at 22:59 | Reason: Not specified

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 09 Apr 2021 at 23:12

Thanks for your reply, my mam phoned weeks ago regarding diorrhea through the night and the nurse said this was a side effect of radiotherapy. I did a quick Google tonight and secondary to diorrhea sickness was a side effect. This is the first time he has been sick but the diorrhea started after his first week of radiotherapy and has been ongoing. The nurse said to take immodium which has taken the times he goes to the toilet through the night from say 8 to 4. I just wondered if anyone had experienced the same....the sickness could just be a coincidence as its the first time its happened.

User

Posted 10 Apr 2021 at 01:20

Having runny or mucous-y bowels can be a side effect of RT but doesn't usually start before the RT - if dad has had diarrhoea for weeks and is only in week 3 of his RT, something is wrong. Has he had his diet checked by the dietitian in the radiotherapy team? Perhaps he has gone too far with the high fibre diet? Have you sent a message to the oncologist?

Sickness is not a normal side effect of RT.

Edited by member 10 Apr 2021 at 01:21 | Reason: Not specified

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 10 Apr 2021 at 07:27

Thanks, he started his RT 3 weeks ago the diorrehea (only through the night) started 2 and a half weeks ago, he has been told by his team this is a side effect of the RT and to take immodium. Thanks for letting me know sickness is not normal side effect. It could just be a 1 off. Just wanted to know if anyone else was having these struggles, as I was reading it sounded as if a lot of people have no side effects but my dad literally cannot get off the toilet on a night, Never mind hopefully the sickness won't happen again and it will all be over soon.

User

Posted 10 Apr 2021 at 09:55

I agree with Lyn, it is easy to blame everything on the cancer and RT. Look for other things like change in diet, food poisoning etc.

Dave

User

Posted 10 Apr 2021 at 13:51

It's strange how men can react differently whilst having RT. Quite possibly in my case near constipation and small hard stools are likely to have been caused by a rather changed diet in a different country. (Sometimes I find that when away on holiday even in the UK it upsets my regular bowel habits excluding the time on RT, so for some people diet and change of water and intake thereof can make a big difference). Some RT centres are quite strict in requiring bowels to be empty and amount of fluid in bladder, so if not mentioned always worth asking.

Barry

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