Bladder urinary problems after radiaiton for Prostate cancer

Trew

I had robotics for prostate cancer on March 25. Diagnoised with positive margins at time of surgery (bladder neck/bladder) and received my first shot of Eligard 3 weeks after surgery in April 09 (6-month shot). Started proton treatment at Loma Linda U in southern CA middle of November- 15 of those, and then 24 photon radiation treatments that ended Friday, Jan 15.

This is the Wed after treatment ended and I am having a lot of trouble with difficulty urinating. I hope the swelling goes down soon. anyone expereince anything like this after radiation?

WHW

Been There Too
Trew,

I had my surgery on Sept 17, 09. I completed my Rad treatments Jan 15, 2010.

So I am in my first full week following rad. I was fully continent after surgery and all through rad. However since completing rad I have a real issue with urgency. Drink a cup of coffee and then make 6-8 trips to the john in the next hour. No real pain but definitely irritation. If I don't answer the call right away there is an issue of control, but so far so good with that. I did notice the presence of a little blood at the end of the stream a few days ago. I called the RO and told them what was going on and they assured me that it was to be expected as the rad really does it's work. It should begin to clear up in another week or two.

They only said I should call and come in if the bleeding worsened. So far so good.

So I don't think what you are experiencing is unique. But I would caution you that if you begin to have difficulty with voiding anything I would call them right away. It may be swelling and it may be the beginning of scar tissues developing in the bladder neck. That is something they will want to address as soon as possible.

Good luck with the outcomes of the treatment,

Sonny

60 years old when diagnosed
PSA 11/07 3.0
PSA 5/09 6.4
Diagnosis confirmed July 9, 2009
12 Needle Biopsy = 9 clear , 3 postive
Gleason Score (3+4) 7 in all positive cores
da Vinci 9/17/09
Post Surgery Pathology: GS 4+3=7
Stage: T3a
Tumor Volume 12.5%
positive margin, extra-prostatic extension
30 day PSA 0.4, 50 day psa 0.53, 64 day psa 0.6
IMRT completed 1/15/10 35 treatments- 70Gy

lewvino

Good luck on your healing. I
Good luck on your healing. I think with time you should improve. My dad was treated with Proton at Loma Linda back around 1996/1997. He had some trouble like you mention.

Larry in Tn

Trew

lewvino said:

Good luck on your healing. I
Good luck on your healing. I think with time you should improve. My dad was treated with Proton at Loma Linda back around 1996/1997. He had some trouble like you mention.

Larry in Tn

Proton/photon
Larry, I hope your dad is still doing well. The proton route is the way to go if you can catch your cancer soon enough. Unforgently for me, I ended up having to have surgery. When I got to LLU they gave me a combined treatment of proton and radiation. It is the radiation part that beat me up.

On the bladder problem it looks like I have solved it on my own. The oncologist putme on Flowmax to control the feeling of urgency but I googled the side affects of flowmax and found out it can cause one to be stopped completely. I have not taken any Flowmax now for over 24 hrs and I am getting a small stream back. Relief!!

I am still having a lot of diarrhea. I hope I get over that soon.

abiggerplate

Been there done that
I was treated about two years ago with protons only. I found my symptoms of swelling, urgency and difficulty in urinating got better everyday after treatment. One a scale of one to ten my problems were a .5. Two years later I am convinced protons are the way to go. My PSA continues to decline.

I should stay of coffee, but I love it to much. What's the point of being alive if you can't enjoy things in life.

For those of you having diarrhea or if you are about to start treatment, the best advice I got was to take pro-biotics every day before, during and for about a few weeks after treatment. If you think about it, Radiation kills fast growing cells and is bound to effect your digestive bacteria. The pro-biotics are cheap and easy to take. Good luck.

Ralphie62

abiggerplate said:

Been there done that
I was treated about two years ago with protons only. I found my symptoms of swelling, urgency and difficulty in urinating got better everyday after treatment. One a scale of one to ten my problems were a .5. Two years later I am convinced protons are the way to go. My PSA continues to decline.

I should stay of coffee, but I love it to much. What's the point of being alive if you can't enjoy things in life.

For those of you having diarrhea or if you are about to start treatment, the best advice I got was to take pro-biotics every day before, during and for about a few weeks after treatment. If you think about it, Radiation kills fast growing cells and is bound to effect your digestive bacteria. The pro-biotics are cheap and easy to take. Good luck.

Proton
Abig, Hi!! We are from GA and would really like to know a little more re your proton experience....we read the lit, "you can beat prostate cancer" and my husband is really feeling pos on proton.....we are closest to Fla...where did you go?? any other good advice?? were the people you met pleased as well......we've been on protonbob, but there is no blog or contact page....we are going to request contacts, but we love csn, and like the people here. There isn't a lot of proton action here, though.....we re waiting to see if our insurance will go for it......i'm worried because i won't be able to stay with my husband the two months...just weekends, because of my work...wanted to know about day to day effects??? Thank you so much!! Ralphie's wife

Trew

In early Feb. I was put on
In early Feb. I was put on the 6 day steroid pack for bladder swelling. Since then I am dripping almost continually all day but pretty dry at night. The urinary pain is now gone- one positive anyway.

I don't seem to be able to squeeze any muscles to gain control, either. I am trying to rebuild with about a 100 kegels a day, but it is very discourging right now. Spotting some blood today, too. So it goes.

RE Proton treatment, I had the proton treatment for 3 weeks- 15 treatments- and I met a lot of the guys on it and they were very pleased. From Loma Linda there is a fellowship of the BOB (short for the balloon LLU inserts into your rectum and fills with water before each treatment) and always very positive statements there.

Ralphie62

Trew said:

In early Feb. I was put on
In early Feb. I was put on the 6 day steroid pack for bladder swelling. Since then I am dripping almost continually all day but pretty dry at night. The urinary pain is now gone- one positive anyway.

I don't seem to be able to squeeze any muscles to gain control, either. I am trying to rebuild with about a 100 kegels a day, but it is very discourging right now. Spotting some blood today, too. So it goes.

RE Proton treatment, I had the proton treatment for 3 weeks- 15 treatments- and I met a lot of the guys on it and they were very pleased. From Loma Linda there is a fellowship of the BOB (short for the balloon LLU inserts into your rectum and fills with water before each treatment) and always very positive statements there.

proton
Thanks Trew...we really value your oppinion!!! I'm glad your pain is better. Hope we will be proton brothers in the next few months!! Ralph

Trew

Ralphie62 said:

proton
Thanks Trew...we really value your oppinion!!! I'm glad your pain is better. Hope we will be proton brothers in the next few months!! Ralph

Proton
Ralphie, Remember, I did get the combination package of protons and radiaiton so I am not an expert witness. Most of the men I talked to at the endof their treatment of either 40 or 45 sessions expressed to me they were having no ill effects. I talked to a retired dentist from WA who told me at the very end of 45 treatments he was having just a touchof incontenincy, but he was very happy with the outcome.

5 or 6 treatments into radiation and I was having intestinal troubles and had to stay very close to home. I had no such symtoms while getting the 15 proton treatments.

If you do go with the protons I don't think you will be disappointed. Like I mentined before, in the Dec newsletter of the Fellowship of the BOB they told the story of one form parent who just fathered twins- something yu certainly aren't going to do aftr any kind of surgery.