Weird GI symptoms 4 weeks after chemo and 3 weeks after radiation

Hi 62yrold  I'm sorry to her you have this issue. I didn't personally suffer from this and I can't say I recall anyone posting about this issue either. The endoscopy should provide an answer. It all sounds very unpleasant and you don't need this after just going through treatment !  I hope t is sorted out asap. Bev 

Hi 62yrold, how was your endoscopy today?

I had indigestion followed by projectile vomiting 3 times in May but not caused by chemo which finished in October.  Maybe long term damage from radiotherapy played a part, it’s hard to be certain.

First time I was at a hospice to have a break, & experiment with painkillers & laxatives for tenesmus.  Second time was a week later at home, then again a few days after.

Since then I’ve stopped all medication.  I’m eating smaller evening meals, trying to eat more slowly & not lie down straight after - not easy as tenesmus makes me constantly stressed & uncomfortable, & sitting or standing is a problem, especially later in the day.  I’m trying to find a balance between lots of exercise & lots of rest to stay fit & mentally healthy.

As a retired nurse, you’ll know whether stress is a contributing factor for you.  Hopefully the endoscopy won’t show any other problems, so you’ll be looking at stress- or diet-related triggers, with an open mind that pelvic radiotherapy can cause unpredictable symptoms from time to time.

Please let us know how you got on today  x  toni

The endo showed a bit of erosion but nothing that would account for the amount of vomiting I was doing....so they admitted me and yesterday I was diagnosed with gastroparesis. I wondered how different that is from your tenesmus? How are you managing it? Seems like it will be trial and error to find the dietary items that will help manage this and I could use all the information there is.

The NHS website describes gastroparesis as: “a long-term condition where the stomach cannot empty in the normal way.  Food passes through the stomach slower than usual.”

Tenesmus is an intense feeling of needing to poo even when there’s nothing there.  I believe it’s caused by damage from the tumour to my sphincter.

The diagnosis is different but managing the symptoms may be similar - as you say, it’s trial & error.  Please have another look at my previous post (just above your one) - that’s how I’m managing it.

It’s a common sense approach which is really just having a healthy lifestyle, physically & mentally  x  toni