Radiotherapy side effects

Hi Clarabell123. I have just completed (2 weeks ago) 20 fractions of radiotherapy. My side effects have been:

* After about 12/14 fractions fatigue. This is now much better.

* After about 12/14 fractions the need to use the toilet - numbers 1 and 2 increased - this is now slowly decreasing.

Don't forget we are all different and I am a 67 year old with no other issues (type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure being well under control).

I wish you and your dad well - if you want anything else, just ask.

Kind regards - Brian.

Clarabell12,

I have spoken to a few men who didn't have any side effects at all, myself it was the fatigue after about 15 fractions that got me.  I didn't give into it.  I kept working, this was a personal target.  I only live about a 6/7 minute walk to work.  It was taking me over 30 minutes.

As Brian said, it all decreases in time.

I don't regret it at all, it done the job.  Now I am 1 year into Remission.

Keep us posted on your Dad's journey.

Hi Clarabell, my husband has just completed day 11 of the radiotherapy and my anxiety levels are through the rook! I am driving him daily 60- 90 mins there and through city traffic and the same back. We are both very tired so I think the exhaustion, brain fog and headaches he is feeling might be due to the radiotherapy and hormone therapy but could be due to the travelling and stress we are both experiencing? There is a strong sense that cancer has overtaken our lives and our freedoms.

he is experiencing headaches some afternoons but they have advised him to drink more.. we are warned the side effects are cumulative and the fear of that is very much with us both!

so, basically, so far the side effects are more psychological than physical and nobody warned us of this!

hth 

Hi, I rarely respond here, sometimes I don’t read these because at the beginning it was many doom and gloom. So I left. I’m now 6 months after diagnosis and treatment so I feel I’m in a better place, as I said, I read and rarely respond. 
But radiotherapy is interesting. For info I’m 3b, possible 4 they are still looking. Im on 3 monthly Zoladex hormone implant, Tamsulosin daily. 
Radiotherapy finished just before Christmas. 
Getting radiotherapy is a breeze. Arrive, drink, lay down, go home. Painless, my radiotherapy room had music I could hum along to as a bonus, the choice depended on the therapist on duty!!

The actual treatment builds a little bit each day, after day 10 or so I just knew that I felt ok, but not as ok as yesterday. And so it was each day, just a little more uncomfortable each day. Not huge. Just a tiny bit. 
Then as it progresses the need to pee more each day. Until in the final week on my way home I’d have to stop twice to find a tree, quite urgently. Like you it’s an hour journey at least, luckily for me rural. Everyone I spoke to at the hospital daily, said the same. 
Now 10 weeks later, it’s fatigue. I think my reaction may be different from others but it is what it is. I used to walk everywhere, 15 to 20 thousand steps a day. Now I’m lucky to do 2 to 3 thousand, and if I over do it, I feel it next day. I’m seizing up, getting up is awkward but once sorted I’m fine, just restricted. I’m 65, if you saw me you’d say I look fine, until you watch me move around and you’d think I was 80. That may be because it’s escaped elsewhere and we are still looking, bone scan next week, or it may be just the delayed reaction to treatment. They did say with my treatment it will get worse before it gets better and whilst I didn’t beleive them (it’s illogical), they were right. 
im hoping it’s just time, I keep moving, walking and am sorting our summer trip to Italy so it better improve!!!

So in reality, I radiotherapy is ok. Nothing to be afraid of, but it will affect him, just know it’s better to have it than not, it’s not interfered with anything my family have asked me to do or be part of yet. It’s just adapt. If I feel the same in 3 months it might interfere but hopefully from what I’m told and have read, it should start to subside. The pee situation is already better, bowels still affected, just aches!!! 

Like you I’m an hour or so each way. The worst thing was the drinking. As treatment progressed I’d need a per straight after treatment, in the last week or so sometimes I would drink and couldn’t wait the half hour or so before treatment, I’d have to go just before and start again. 
You should identify places to stop on the way home! Even though I’d run to the loo straight after, by the time I walked to the car and got out the hospital, I’d drive and need a wee again! And occasionally once more. Luckily I’m rural, lots of trees! But do find somewhere you can go about 45 minutes after treatment(close to hospital on the way), such as Tesco or McDonalds, or if my sat nav sent me a different way, a lay-by to stop. Nothing worse than needing to go and not knowing where, it’s for me the worst thing. And another half hour or so later. Be ready. 
it does take control. The need to be close to a loo restricted me. It still does to a degree, 2 months later. But you can adapt. If I want to go out in the morning, I restrict my cuppa and breakfast until later so we can travel. For me it’s fatigue and aches like arthritis that’s the issue but I try not to be restricted. I’m sure time will fix it all. 
Just please, for his sake, find those places he can pee. It’s that that has affected my mindset more. 

Hi

As others have said RT is not too bad, with the hardest bit trying to hold ( in my case) 600ml of water in, if they were running late. I would suggest, however, that you ask for a diet sheet and stick to it rigidly. In short, low fibre everything, no cabbage like veg and no alcohol. I ignored it Christmas Day and it really wasn't funny. The RT irritates the bowel and  its best not to irritate it anymore hence low fibre.

Regards

Stuart

In a nutshell. Follow the instructions regarding diet to the letter. They are important. The full bladder instructions are a bit of a challenge but the staff are very used to it all and will be helpful. You get used to the daily routine. For me, the only side-effect of any consequence was profound fatigue which came on suddenly and lasted for about four months. Plenty of advice available with prostateuk. I wish your Dad all the very best.

Thanks for this! He has to visit the loo before leaving the hospital but so far managing to get home. I bought a travel urine bottle for him on the advice of a friend in case we are anywhere where we can’t stop the car. As we, as a family, are working together to do the driving he can always put a towel over his lap and pee into the bottle if he needs to. Have bottle will travel

I'm hoping the fatigue won’t get worse but it sounds as if it might. It’s the side effects that scare me so much - far more than the treatment itself.

Wow - our radiotherapy sessions were empty bladder before treatment. How different is that, And I am lucky I only live just over a mile from the hospital!!

Malnik -it's good to se you posting - that's a sure sign things are better - and yes I agree with you 105% that that fatigue can catch up with you. You take care pal and best wishes.

Brian

I had prostate removed last september and the first things I bought after were a plastic urine bottle and pads from Age Uk. Urine bottle was about £3 I think and was invaluable. Before it arrived I used an emply coffee jar which was really just as effective.