How to manage radiation-induced diarrhea?

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  • zsazsa1
    zsazsa1 Member Posts: 568 Member
    #22
    Culturelle seems to be working!

    CheeseQueen57, I think the Culturelle is working!!!!! I started it today.  For the past few days, I've had very frequent horrible diarrhea - the only way to slow it was to not eat at all.  Now it seems to have stopped!  I ate Chow Fon rice noodles with beef for dinner, and four hours later, nothing yet!  Thank you.

  • zsazsa1
    zsazsa1 Member Posts: 568 Member
    #23
    The Culturelle definitely is

    The Culturelle definitely is helping, much less diarrhea, but it is still virtually all diarrhea.  At least I can eat.  Jan, I will order the Ultra probiotic you used.  Until then, I'll continue with the Culturelle twice a day.  

    And No Time, thanks for the study.  I just hope it's not too late for the probiotics to help me.

  • Jairoldi
    Jairoldi Member Posts: 221 Member
    #24
    zsazsa1 said:

    Thanks.  I just took a look

    Thanks.  I just took a look at it.  I can do that.  I just hope it helps.  I have only gotten through about ten of a planned 28 treatments so far!  I don't know how I'm gonna make it!  The worst is that I have to have a full bladder and an empty rectum for treatment - which is very hard to achieve, when I'm having such bad cramping from diarrhea.  I'm thinking that maybe I just won't eat until after radiation treatment each day.

    Not eating..

    I tried not to eat or not to eat too much before radiation each day. I used Metamucil and probiotics at the suggestion of my radiologist. I also went straight

    home. Fortunately I didn' have to work while undergoing treatment. I used long term disability and did what work I could from home on the computer.

  • EJCB1
    EJCB1 Member Posts: 1
    #25
    Banatrol

    I also had terrible diarrhea for a few weeks during treatment. The nutritionist at my cancer center recommended Banatrol... banana flakes... to add bulk. Seemed to help, but I couldn't always stomach it. Also recommended peanut butter and marshmallow (couldn't stomach that either, so did peanut butter and jelly). The diarrhea got the point where I had to use adult diapers for a while. But at some point, it seemed to peak and then get better. Hope yours also lets up! Hang in there!! 

  • Donna Faye
    Donna Faye Member Posts: 427 Member
    #26
    Immodium is my friend

    I was taking up to 6 Immodium a day from the 3rd week on, and am never w/o it even today a year out. I found the liquid to be better to take and seemed to act quickly. I still have 3+ BMs a day so if have a special day planned, take the Immodium in the morning after b'fast. so I can have a nice day w/o worry. I can eat almost anything now but I do pay the piper if it is too rich or spicy. I do take a probiotic.  

  • zsazsa1
    zsazsa1 Member Posts: 568 Member
    #27
    Still with diarrhea.  What I

    Still with diarrhea.  What I do is I take a Culturelle when I get home from radiation (I've got 9 treatments left to go), and I don't eat until after that.  I have crampy diarrhea, mostly very very soft or liquid, several times a day.  But it's a lot better than when it began - then I was passing stool constantly, even to the point of a bit of rectal prolapse.  

    I am hoping that it will get better after the radiation treatment is over.  I was always very constipated, so I was kind of hoping that I'd be at worst just a "normal" once or twice a day person after radiation.  But even if I am left with chronic diarrhea at this level, I'll manage, as long as the UPSC/clear cell doesn't come back!

  • zsazsa1
    zsazsa1 Member Posts: 568 Member
    #28
    I'm doing a lot better,

    I'm doing a lot better, finally, almost a month after external beam radiation was completed.  If I eat only protein (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, etc) and rice, white bread, I'm pretty good.  I'm cautiously adding in melon, banana, things that are considered constipating.  I avoid all fiber.  Hopefully, it will only continue to improve, and hopefully I won't have the late side effects.

    Eating out is a challenge - sometimes I get very bad diarrhea afterwards.  But I can usually find something safe on the menu, so that too is improving.

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