Ongoing....

Hi podgeeadb9e1 Thats brilliant news so happy for you. I finished treatment nov 24 and while painful poos as such stopped about 11 days post if i remember right. I still at times have bad stomach pain and have to go quick, my oncologist isnt concerned and says these things take time, you are very early days yet you will get there. Sending hugs. Xx

Hi Ann,

I still had pain at 4 months and, in fact, still have pain now nearly a year after treatment. I would say that the pain is definitely tolerable though and much improved over the initial few weeks after treatment. That being said, everyone is a little different in how they react to treatment, so hopefully you will be one of those who recover completely and have no pain at all (recovery can be maddeningly slow).

Like Bungle1 I also suffer from urgency, which bothers me more than pain. I've had to make modifications to my lifestyle because of it (e.g., I don't go out early in the day unless there is a bathroom readily available, etc.).

Hope this helps. I'm very happy you got the three month all clear!

Hi podgeeadb9e1 , this is great news, it’s the news we all long to hear isn’t it?

I think at the stage you’re at I would still be expecting some discomfort when having a bowel movement to be honest. When the healing starts regarding the skin that’s taken the brunt of the radiotherapy it happens fairly quickly considering but I think we forget about what’s been going on inside too, I definitely did. Internally I felt I took quite a bit longer to heal & felt I had a lot of internal inflammation going on for quite some time after treatment had finished. I took stool softeners for a long time after my treatment just to make things easier & less uncomfortable when going to the loo. 

I hope things begin to improve for you soon & congratulations again on your wonderful news.

Nicola 

Hello podgeeadb9e1 

I am so happy to hear your brilliant news, you must be so very relieved and it really brings into focus the value of what can be a gruelling treatment.

I certainly had pain and it very gradually wore off after three months.  I think the back passage internally takes the brunt of treatment (understandable when we are talking about anal cancer) and I am guessing that it takes longer to heal.  So the consultant is right, it is early days for you yet. 

You will get there, honestly.  Maybe not exactly as before, a new normal, but good, none-the-less.

Irene xx

Hi Podgeeadb91e1,

Thats such good news and must be a massive relief. Waiting for those first results is nerve wracking so congratulations!

 I do agree with what others have said in that it’s still early days. Pelvic radiotherapy can cause a lot of internal inflammation and this takes longer to settle. I remember being told at 10 months by my oncologist that it was still considered early days and was surprised by that. It’s a gradual process. 

I am still taking a stool softener and I am coming up to 16 months post treatment. 
I hope that things improve for you soon.

xx

That’s such lovely news to hear, I’m so glad your check went well

Those early months after treatment can still feel quite sensitive, so you’re definitely not alone in experiencing some discomfort. It can take a bit of time for everything to settle, but it sounds like you’re doing all the right things.

Sending you lots of comfort as you continue to heal

I am 5 months post treatment and know where you are coming from with this. I too am struggling with pain and some light bleeding on bowel movements. It is better if I use a stool softener but will admit I haven’t been using them as I can’t seem to get the balance right. When I take just one it tends to send me the other way and I end up with leakage which is not ideal as I am now back at work so have been avoiding using them. Not really sure how to address this. 

Hi, I’m about four months post-treatment. At my three-month check-up, the MRI showed complete remission of the tumor, but there was still visible inflammation in the anal canal.

I’ve been on strong opioid medication since November and am now trying to gradually taper off. At the moment, I’m taking methadone (3 drops each morning) and still using Transtec patches. Bowel movements are still painful, although they are slowly improving month by month. My doctor reassured me that it’s still early and that healing varies from person to person.

I’ve been honestly shocked by how intense and persistent the pain has been since September 2025, and I’ve often wondered how others manage to get through this. If I had known how severe it would be—and that it could continue long after treatment—I might have pushed for a temporary colostomy to support healing and help manage the pain. It seems my case has been on the more extreme end in terms of pain, though as my doctor says, everyone’s experience is different.

This forum has been a huge source of support, and I’ve learned something valuable from everyone’s experiences.