Struggling with RT side effects.

Kazzy, if your husband decides to to do similar I should point out that iron supplementation tablets tend to give you several times the RDA with potential side effects. This seemed to be the easiest way to ensure always getting enough. (The same is true of vitamin D, apparently helpful in lots of things where most supplements exceed the recommended daily amount - and of course if you take those multivitamin tablets you tick that box too).

EDIT: re-reading what I wrote yesterday I am not sure I was clear. Multivitamin tablets are a way of getting the recommended daily amount of each vitamin or mineral, supplementation for a particular component tends to give you several times that which is only appropriate if you have a significant deficit (and may cause side effects).

Edited by member 14 Mar 2025 at 20:43  | Reason: Not specified

RT side effects are delayed by about 2 weeks from treatment and are cumulative, so they are at their worse about 2 weeks after RT, and then slowly recover. A couple of the main ones are likely to be anemia because both HT and RT reduce your hemoglobin levels giving you a double whammy for 4-5 weeks after RT, and the RT does invisible damage which your body needs to heal, which consumes the body's resources - probably want to make sure he's consuming protein and carbs and sources of iron.

I finished the last of my 20 radiotherapy sessions 11th February 2025. Main side effects are fatigue which I deal with just by having a short rest. It's a weird feeling like dragging yourself thru treacle.

The other side effects were loose bowel motions but that's resolved itself now. Urinary incontinence, frequency and urgency are the worst for me. Prescribed Mirabegron by my GP. This worked for about a week and appears to have stopped working. Resorting to pads to protect myself from accidents.

Seeing the oncologist and urologist begining of April so will find out what they advise.

In my case I had 20 fractions (4 weeks) and for the first three weeks I took it in my stride and even cycled to the sessions. By the last week it was getting harder and I used the car, but it continued getting worse. For a couple of weeks after finishing I needed a lie-down in the afternoon, and then went to bed ridiculously early each night. And not much energy in between.

But after that two weeks I began to get more stamina, and at about six weeks was able to enjoy a holiday where the main activity was hiking. Things do improve!

I dont't know whether radiation of the bone marrow in the pelvic bones caused damage to red blood cell generation, or there was an effect on the gut and absorption of iron from the diet. Anyway my DIY response was to at least ensure I had enough iron by starting taking vitamin pills including iron at the recommended daily amount (available from supermarkets, in my case Tesco). My GP did a re-test three months later and haemoglobin had increased enough to be within but at the bottom end of the normal range. I have kept on taking those vitamin pills, but haven't had any more recent blood tests.