HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Bowel Urgency after RT

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 10/10/2023 7:40 AM (GMT -5)
My husband had his last radiation therapy (EBRT 26 treatments) three months ago. He has been doing well except about a month ago he started having bowel urgency problems. He needs to go three or four times a day (not diarrhea). Bowel urgency is one of the RT side effects on the list but people don't seem to talk about it as much as urination urgency. We are anxious to know if this will become a permanent problem, or it will get better but how soon. Thanks.
Posted 10/10/2023 9:43 AM (GMT -5)
Hello - I only had adjuvant radiation (post-surgery, more sessions, lower dosage) and the radiation field included the bladder and rectum by a small amount. This is one of the reasons full bladder and empty colon are emphasized. I cannot recall specific difficulties regard bowel urgency as my "systems" were not right going into treatment but I do recall increased urination urgency for a short time after completing treatments (1 month or so?)

I assume you have asked his RO about this situation? As long as there is no blood or constant diarrhea, I would think that is just annoying at this point and waiting is the best option but his RO should address the matter. RT can cause occasional problems that get worse with time or get better with time or are delayed in occurring so side effects are not the most predictable thing.
Posted 10/10/2023 10:10 AM (GMT -5)
i had bowel urgency that lasted in some form for probably a year or so. it progressively got better
Posted 10/10/2023 10:54 AM (GMT -5)
Summer, I had SpaceOar placement between my prostate and rectum before RA. I had urinary urgency for about three weeks after and bowel urgency for about a month, but that went away. My neighbor has had long term bowel issues since he was treated and is under the care of a gastro doctor. Hopefully your husband’s issues will pass, but certainly a question for the RO ASAP. My best wishes,
Jack
Posted 10/10/2023 1:28 PM (GMT -5)
Summer99,

I have had similar problems for several years now after salvage radiation.

Its loose stool but not diarrhea. Very squishy and pretty urgent.

Urgent meaning I have about 10 minutes.

What has helped is a glass of metamucil in the morning to stiffen things up a little. 3 tablespoons in a large glass of water once/day.

Also things like bananas.

The harder the stool is the more control I seem to have.

Good luck!
Posted 10/11/2023 7:16 PM (GMT -5)
I had salvage radiation several years after surgery. I had bowel urgency and many stomach problems for several years. Doctor prescribed me probiotics (over the counter). I am not sure it helped but continue to this day taking them. It ultimately got better but it would hit me without warning. Some days fine and others not so good.
Posted 10/12/2023 6:30 AM (GMT -5)
My post 2013 radiation side effects included frequent explosive diarrhea, severe cramping and much bleeding from my hemorrhoids. That started soon after treatment ended, got worse for about 3 & 1/2 years then slowly subsided over a couple of years. My RO warned me about this ahead of time.

This time around I have had more frequency, but not explosive diarrhea, merely loose stools. This is all in the AM, then it backs off. I take my Lab out for our daily constitutional when my colon allows that, drumroll every morning, but much more tolerable this time around.
Posted 10/12/2023 8:03 AM (GMT -5)
It sounds like bowel urgency may last for a year or even longer for most people. RO told us once that RT side effects stabilize in two years. That means anything can get worse between now and the two-year mark. I can only wait and see, and hope for the best for my husband in the next twenty months. Thanks to all for your comments. I really appreciate you for sharing your experiences with me.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply