Residual side effects after CAPOX treatment

Hi Alrambo

I have a few thoughts which may or may not help. Your normal bowel bacteria take a battering with chemo, antibiotics can do the same and taking either probiotics or those actimel drinks can help. They helped me (I think) but it is hard to tell as it did get better when I had them but it might have been coincidence. Also your large bowel removes the liquid in your faeces making it firmer and if you have had most of it removed then a more liquid stool might be the new normal. Have you been put on regular loperamide? it does help slow it all down which should result in firmer stools. I would also be trying a low fibre diet to minimise excitement down there and restarting more wholesome food slowly a bit at a time.

Finally have a chat to someone, GP perhaps? My hospital ran an incontinence/bowel disorder clinic which could play around with medications to help you get some normality back. My oncologist said that it takes 6 to 9 months to get over chemo so it is early days for you. 

I hope that some of the suggestions help

Nicky

Thanks Nicky - what you've written does make a lot of sense. I guess I'm being too impatient and expecting more!

I've experimented with lots of different foods and noticed that whatever goes in comes out the same, so didn't focus too heavily on diet or avoiding fibre but may try that again as well as look into the probiotic drinks.

Re the new normal comment, there was such a small space of time between surgery and chemo that I still don't know what normal is although I did feel it was moving in the right direction and was 'firmer' than it is now, so hoping to get back to that at the very least.

I took Loperamide during treatment as and when required, but nothing since then.

Thanks again for the reply.

Al