How long do side effects of salvage radiation last after completing course of radiation?

[Brooktrout]

Still getting severe stomach cramps and diarrhea about every other day. It's been 2 weeks since last radiation treatment. Just wondering what others have experienced after radiation and how long before side effects went away. Thanks

[Tall_Allen]

Everyone's different. It can be a couple of weeks or a couple of months.

[pjoshea13 in reply to Tall_Allen]

In my case, It took a full year for serious bowel issues to abate to the point that I could eat at a restaurant & not rush to the toilet a couple of times before the food arrived.

& it took a further year for my condition to no longer be bothersome.

Probably an extreme case.

[Magnus1964]

I was told radiation last 6 months after the last treatment. But in diminishing affects.

[cesanon]

See if you can get a prescription for trental. Preferably a long term prescription.

It's sort of like metformin in that it has a lot of off label positive side effects.

[RCOG2000]

I m six months post eight weeks of abdominal and pelvic radiotherapy. Side effects have greatly diminished at this point. The Bowell problems and mild nausea were gone within a month post treatment

I have always w

Enjoyed very Spicey food. . Think jalapeños and habaneros. That is not tolerated well.

Often feel like I have a little stomach ache on relatively bland diet. Appetite was back to normal by three months

Strangest thing was I lost all taste for alcohol, but that has returned slowly. A lot of thing I used to enjoy just don’t sound good anymore.

So I listen to the body and go from there.

Radiation has been very successful so far in controlling lymphatic Mets so it has been well worth the discomfort

[j-o-h-n]

Now this is me... we all are different... From an old post of mine...

I had 8 weeks of salvage radiation to "the bed". 5 days a week (not weekends) for 8 weeks minus 1 day for a total of 39 sessions. The actual radiation was like getting an x-ray by my dentist. I never had any side effects during the whole 39 sessions. However 2 years later my left urinary tract was "fried" as per my urologist (or from passing prior kidney stones he was not sure). So i had to have a urinary stent placed up my urinary tract (through my willy which is really nothing - sounds terrible but it's nothing) to aid in passing my urine (which was never a problem anyway). So I had stents in and out every three months for many years and now I'm stent free, However today 15% of urine from left kidney and 85% from right kidney, but not a problem. So make sure you get a good radiologist.

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Thursday 06/27/2019 7:18 PM DST