Diarrea and cramping

Lindy50
Lindy50 Member Posts: 3
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hi everyone.New to this. Have been reading alot of your stories and the struggles all of you go through. The love of my life has stage 2 rectal ca and will have his last radiation treatment and will be finished with his 5Fu chemo on Tues. Then a 5 to 6 wk rest period before his surgery. Here is my questiion. The cramps and diarrhea are pretty bad right now. All he has been taking (and it doesn't work) is immodium. I will tell him about the lomotil when he gets home from work today. How Long will this cramping and diarrhea last when he is off the chemo and the radiation. He is really feeling DOWN right about now but is hanging in there. Any comments will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Comments

  • PamPam2
    PamPam2 Member Posts: 370 Member
    #2
    diet
    Hi Lindy
    When I was on chemo and got bad diarrhea they had me go on the brat diet, bananas, rice, applesauce and white bread toast, it really does stop the diarrhea, you can ask the nurse or doctor if this would be appropriate for him. Milk products and meats aggravated this for me, especially the dairy, they told me the chemo can make you lactose intolerant, and if you continue eating dairy when on chemo it can be permanent. Hope he gets relief soon, I know it is miserable.
    Pam
  • Lindy50
    Lindy50 Member Posts: 3
    #3
    PamPam2 said:

    diet
    Hi Lindy
    When I was on chemo and got bad diarrhea they had me go on the brat diet, bananas, rice, applesauce and white bread toast, it really does stop the diarrhea, you can ask the nurse or doctor if this would be appropriate for him. Milk products and meats aggravated this for me, especially the dairy, they told me the chemo can make you lactose intolerant, and if you continue eating dairy when on chemo it can be permanent. Hope he gets relief soon, I know it is miserable.
    Pam

    diet
    Thanks so much. He has been drinking milkshakes alot. I will give him your suggestion. Again thanks. I hope all is well with you.
  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    #4
    diarrhea and cramping
    The BEST meds for the cramping diarrhea is hyocyamine (sic?) it stops it in its TRACKS! I only used it when the lomotil didn't work, but it always fixed it in 1 dose. 375mg, not the measly 125 they prescribe for other issues. You can get so dehydrated and malnourished when everything is running out so quickly, which is one response I ALWAYS had from chemo. I didn't have radiation, so maybe others will have something to offer on that end. Stay strong and there's light at the end of that tunnel!
    mary
  • Lindy50
    Lindy50 Member Posts: 3
    #5
    msccolon said:

    diarrhea and cramping
    The BEST meds for the cramping diarrhea is hyocyamine (sic?) it stops it in its TRACKS! I only used it when the lomotil didn't work, but it always fixed it in 1 dose. 375mg, not the measly 125 they prescribe for other issues. You can get so dehydrated and malnourished when everything is running out so quickly, which is one response I ALWAYS had from chemo. I didn't have radiation, so maybe others will have something to offer on that end. Stay strong and there's light at the end of that tunnel!
    mary

    treatment for the runs. (which is an understatement)
    I will let Dave know about the hyocyamine. He picked up lomotil today so I will see if it works at all. If not he can ask for a script for this med. His Oncologist is great. Thanks so much.
  • JDuke
    JDuke Member Posts: 438
    #6
    Lindy50 said:

    treatment for the runs. (which is an understatement)
    I will let Dave know about the hyocyamine. He picked up lomotil today so I will see if it works at all. If not he can ask for a script for this med. His Oncologist is great. Thanks so much.

    Oh the dreaded diarrhea...
    something in the Pam's post about the BRAT diet made me remember something one of the oncology nurses told me during my treatment. She told me to get some coconut macaroons and eat two a day, that it would help with the diarrhea. Did it or was it in my head? Don't know but Publix grocery makes the BEST macaroons and I did not need my arm twisted to go get a container and try it. There were days when they were the only thing that really appealed to my compromised appetite. Supposedly the coconut oil helps the digestive tract. I did experience an improvement. I continued to eat them throughout the healing process. Just a suggestion.
    Best to all,
    Joanne
  • karguy
    karguy Member Posts: 1,020 Member
    #7
    Pain
    When I had the diarrea,and cramping the radiation doctor gave me a prescription,and told me to take fiber pills,and eat alot of fiber.The cramps and diarrea went away a few weeks after I finished the chemo,and radiation.When the cramps got so bad,I just took the pain pills,and went to bed.I hope he feels better soon.
  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #8
    karguy said:

    Pain
    When I had the diarrea,and cramping the radiation doctor gave me a prescription,and told me to take fiber pills,and eat alot of fiber.The cramps and diarrea went away a few weeks after I finished the chemo,and radiation.When the cramps got so bad,I just took the pain pills,and went to bed.I hope he feels better soon.

    Mother nature and good planning


    The one good thing about having diarrhea and cramping at the same time,
    is that you're already in position to use the toilet paper.

    Things always work out for the best.

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