Hello. My husband is undergoing radiation therapy. All has started well but now he is having problems with urine retention prior to being zapped. 3 strikes and you’re out. Yesterday this happened and so his treatment is extended by an extra day. Is there anything that he should be eating or doing to ensure he is treated each day. It is a long journey into London and return each day. He is 82. Thanks
Hi Brenda,
Thank you for getting in touch with us and welcome to our online community. I hope you find it helpful and supportive.
My name is Adrienne and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists at Macmillan.
I’m sorry to hear about your husband’s problems with urine retention prior to his radiotherapy. It’s completely understandable that you want to ensure his treatment continues without any further delays, especially as it’s such a long journey.
I’m not sure whether you mean your husband is struggling to keep his bladder full or struggling to pass urine so forgive me when I cover both of these situations.
Urinary retention is when someone has trouble emptying their bladder. If your husband is having problems with this, whether due to a narrowing of the urethra, inflammation or damage to the nerves, the radiographer should be addressing this and offering advice and support. It’s important to avoid things that irritate the bladder, such as caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods and smoking but sometimes medication is needed, such as tamsulosin or alfuzosin. If he cannot pass urine at all or is in pain, it’s important that he seek medical help straight away as he may need a catheter inserted.
If the problem is that your husband is struggling to keep his bladder full for the radiotherapy (as radiotherapy for prostate cancer usually requires an empty bowel but full bladder), it may help to readjust the timing of when he drinks. Think about what he’s drinking and when and how long he is able to hold the urine for, then plan his fluid intake around the appointment. Reducing the fibre in his diet can help, so the bowel doesn’t fill up with gas and push on the bladder. Things like beans, leafy vegetables (e.g. broccoli), cabbage and onions can cause bowel gas. Don’t cut fibre out altogether though as this can cause constipation. Also, avoiding those bladder irritants I mentioned above can help, so not having tea or coffee for the duration of his treatment.
It's important for your husband to talk to his treatment team and ask for help and support with this going forward. It may be that your husband has to get to the appointment a bit earlier so he can empty his bladder then drink some water to fill it back up again. I know that it’s a long journey for him and it may be that his appointment times need to be adjusted but the team should work with him to ensure he continues with his treatments with as little interruption as possible.
It might be helpful to give us a call on the support line. It can help to talk things through and gives you the opportunity to ask any questions that may arise. We are here every day, from 8am to 8pm and it’s free to call on 0808 808 0000.
I hope this information is helpful.
Take care and best wishes,
Adrienne
Cancer Information Nurse Specialist
You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.
Ref: AMc/SS
