Issues and Helpful Medications - for new folks to the board. (Anyone and everyone please add to the

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  • Marynb
    Marynb Member Posts: 1,118
    #22
    Sitz baths, Salt rinses, tylenol, Aquaphor
    Before my treatment began, the oncology nurse spent a lot of time with me teaching me how to avoid these issues. Also, the hospital had a class on dealing with chemo, which was great. I had my teeeth cleaned prior to treatment. I started with warm salt water rinses several times a day prior to treatment and continued throughout treatment. I never had any issues at all with mouth sores.

    I never took pain meds. My body does not react well to meds like that. I did use Tylenol before bedtime. I used the sitz baths several times a day! It helped soothe everything down there so much. I used it whenever I needed it. Room temperature water, nothing in it. I also, That handheld shower was so necessary. I kept that area clean as possible. The nurse told me that Dove Body wash for sensitive skin was evidence based. I used it sparingly in the shower. I seldom used the aquaphor cream, but there was one week at I used it every day.

    For me, the less chemicals I put into my body, the better I did.

    I did not blow dry my hair for 3 months. I used baby shampoo. I did not lose any hair (on my head).
  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #23
    kirby77 said:

    Proctitis after 2 weeks, terrible! urgency to poop or pee
    Last Friday, only two weeks in I began having symptoms of proctitis. Starts out with a not so normal soft BM to another and then the rest of the day by a lot of sitting. I am on the toilet because I have the constant feeling that I need to defecate. Sometimes it's a small amount of liquid stool and a several times mucous. Since Friday, it's been compounded by urinary retention, and frequency.
    I feel as if hemorrhoids are flared up too. I am applying the Aquafor externally, and sitz bathing too. In fact there are times to empty my bladder fully, I can only do so after Sitz bathing.

    My radiation doctor suggested preparation H, is there something more I could be doing. I have a long road in front of me. She plans to administer 36 treatments at 1.8 Gy. I am only at the beginning of week 3.

    I am tethered to the bed and home, I don't feel like I can walk or go any further due to the constant need to go to the toilet. It also hurts after straining or actually having a BM, I am hesitant to take pain meds due to constipation. Plus the pain doesn't feel severe enough after sitz bathing.

    I read a lot of good suggestions from the women, in terms of peri-bottles and other suggestions for the men among us. Does Proctofoam work?

    Kirby--
    I don't want to seem like an alarmist, but your statement that your doctor plans to do 36 treatments at 1.8 gy each is most troubling to me. In all the literature I have read, including the NCCN guidelines for treatment, the maximum amount of gys given should be 59 or less. My math tells me your rad onc intends to give you a total of 64.8 gys. You really need to ask her about this. I was told that giving more than the max dose would result in permanent damage to the anal area and sphincter, most likely resulting in bowel incontinence and necrosis. PLEASE print out those guidelines, read them and take them to your doctor. Too much radiation is not going to be a good thing.

    I had very painful BM's during treatment too, along with painful urination. I wish there was some magic resolution for this, but I haven't found one yet. You might try applying some Lidocaine cream to the anal area prior to a BM to numb things up a bit.

    My main concern for you right now is the radiation dosage. Please talk to your doctor about this tomorrow and get your hands on those guidelines.
  • Marynb
    Marynb Member Posts: 1,118
    #24
    StruTanToot said:

    This information is very
    This information is very helpful. I started treatment yesterday (Monday). How many days until the mouth sores present?

    Thanks!

    Prevention of mouth sores
    Try to start rinsing your mouth salt water rinses now to prevent mouth sores. At least 3 times a day. Warm water with 1 teaspoon of salt.
  • torrance
    torrance Member Posts: 118
    #25
    StruTanToot said:

    This information is very
    This information is very helpful. I started treatment yesterday (Monday). How many days until the mouth sores present?

    Thanks!

    Mouth sores
    I was fortunate in that I didn't have them. My chemo nurse had me drink some ice (super duper) cold water before the administration of the Mito. Once I drank it I chewed on ice chips for a little bit and throughout the adminstration. She explained that the fridged temp cause the blood vessels to dilate helping to keep the drugs from reaching the gums. It sure worked for me. I continued with the mouth rinsing as well. Hope that helps.

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