Post Radiation Urinary Side Effects

The last 10 days of treatment, I begin to experience same symptoms as you. My RO said start azo, I did and helped about 50% or so. Then my case manger said to try doing Kegel excercises and walking more, she had good success with her patients. I was skeptical to say the least and just continued with azo. At end of treatment it got more uncomfortable and the urgency was a pain while out and about. So I started the kegels and it helped pretty quickly. Now 3 weeks out I’ve Tapered off azo keep up the kegels and the urgency is less. When the urgency hits I do some kegels and most of the time that stops it.

Hi John.

I am not you, you are not me, we have had different courses of treatment. I have, however, received about 80 Grey of radiation to the gut and groin for prostate cancer and am willing to tell you about my experience a little.

The side effects from the radiation treatments began to get noticeable maybe a couple of months after they were finished. Since they kinda washed in over the side effects from the surgery, the urinary SE's were all just lumped together. I couldn't tell if I had to go or not and it sure burned when I peed. Leaked when I sneezed or coughed etc, peed frequently.

The cooked colon SE's stood out distinctly. Intestinal distress and cramping, and frequent loose, explosive bowel movements. I spent a lot of my mornings on the toilet. I did kegels then for entertainment......

Those side effects ramped up in intensity up to the "side effect nadir" a little over 3 years after the radiation treatments ended. I spent all of Oct, Nov and 1/2 of Dec 2016 pretty much centered on my SE's. My colon considered the mere sight of a clean toilet to be a challenge. A follow-up colonoscopy found I had radiation colitis and moderate intestinal diverticulitis.

Now, it still burns when I pee and I am not always sure whether or not I have to pee or poop on an every-day basis. I still have the cramps and touchy colon, but the severity has backed off since the SE nadir.

I have a friend who tells me that the SE's continue to abate over the years. I am looking forward to that, though returning to PCa treatment is gonna suck IMHO.

If you put your details in your sig line like the rest of us it would help us to see where you are at.

hate to tell you this, but you need think of recovery in terms of months, years, or never. 8 days is nothing.

Urgency for me was the worst at about 3 months post RT and has gotten a little better over the years. I don't have to get up at night to pee, but during the day it's every couple of hours (about 96 minutes after I drink tea or coffee). And when I need to go, I need to go, NOW.

Sadly, it will not be 100% like it was before. As with all PC things, there will be some loss, some adjustment as normal changes.

Only three things to do: Drink plenty of water, walk a lot (plus other exercise), and adjust your lifestyle to the new normal.
Andrew

Like Trailguy above (/www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=4034418&g=4034435#m4034435 I had RP followed by RT a year later, and in between was put on HT. Somewhere in there I went from dry nights to leaking all the time, and I had to start sleeping with a dry washcloth tucked in my crotch to keep from wetting the sheets. I get up to pee more often as well. "Frequent nighttime urination" is listed as a SE of Lupron, and urinary incontinence is not uncommon following EBRT. At this point I'm not even sure whether or not to call this an AUS problem (1 in 4 implant recipients need to still wear protection... and naturally, I was one of the one in four guys).

Of course, also like Trailguy, I have been most concerned about the radiation colitis. My GI says it should clear up "with time". But considering how crazy things were a year or two ago, this is easily dealt with. If you've ever had "real" incontinence, a little inconvenience is nothing. Give it time, it will get better... either that or you will learn to live with it.

"hate to tell you this, but you need think of recovery in terms of months, years, or never. 8 days is nothing."

my doctor told me that in 2-3 years I would feel normal again. that's about right. I had beam and seeds so I had months of urinary issues but I have never been incontinent. after seeds and after IGRT I probably got up at least six times a night to dribble. I also had bowel urgency for months but again never incontinence. about two years out I was pissing blood clots and when I urinated it burned. that cleared up in weeks and returned again in a milder form.

but around the 3 years mark there were no more issues and I did feel normal.