Does anyone else get terrible bowel cramps just before you have to poo? (Sorry if TMI! It's so embarrassing this stupid PRD :o. )
I thought I had the diarrhoea under control only to now get terrible cramps nearly every day; usually just before supper or just as I'm eating! I then have to rush to the Loo (sometimes twice within 10 minutes). It's so annoying. I understand that crampy pain is quite common with IBS, and PRD is essentially radiotherapy-induced IBS, but it's never been this bad. To be fair, I had cancer treatment Winter 2008-09 for a rare endo-cervical adenocarcinoma, and the PRD only kicked off in September of 2018, so it's not been that long. I'm trying to control the diarrhoea with charcoal tablets, Enterosgel (a natural 'binder'), and Loperamide. I read on the NHS website that you usually get trapped wind or crampy pain if you're constipated, but that's never my problem! Wtf? Can you get diarrhoea and be bunged up at the same time!? Bah, it's horrible this damn condition. Any advice or anyone going through the same shit? (literally! lol )
Cheers!
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RoseTyler
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I can totally relate!...and nothing is TMI on here so don’t worry 😄
I used to get this and it was horrendous, obviously there are other causes of bowel cramps but I think mine were caused by adhesions. Medication and diet can help to control symptoms. Anti spasmodics like buscopan can help with the pain associated with bowel muscle contraction.
Unfortunately it caused an obstruction in my bowel and had to have emergency surgery to have an ileostomy. (This is reasonably rare though so please don’t think surgery is in any way inevitable!)
It could also be “overflow diarrhoea” caused by constipation. This is basically when you have a solid stool and only the watery stuff can get around it.
Have you mentioned your symptoms to your healthcare team? It’s worth them checking it out (point out you think it’s related to your radiotherapy).
The best pain reliever I’ve ever found for these cramps is a hot water bottle!
Hello RoseI too get abdominal cramps and diarrhoea or frequent thin stools . Just spoken to my friendly dietician and she was worried about me using Loperamide as it can result in what Betty was describing - constipation with overflow diarrhoea.
If you want to go out then Loperamide is a useful tool to stop your gallop. For severe diarrhoea I take 2 capsules then one with each successive bowel action - never more than 4 altogether. It may take several days for things to get back to normal after that. I try to eat a normal diet with fruit and veg each day but never any onion family! I drink plenty of fluids including tea and water.
At present I am being more cautious about taking loperamide, but one Buscopan will help get rid of colicky pain as can a heat pad. I use a wheaten cushion - heated for 1.5 mins in my microwave. A hot water bottle is equally comforting.
We each have to learn how to manage our symptoms and you will become your own expert. My pharmacist is a wonderful ally.
I had an aggressive uterine cancer in 2010, which had spread to my cervix. Had surgery in December 2010 then radiotherapy for 6 weeks in February 2010 with 2 lots of brachytherapy,.
PRD reared its ugly head around 2015, when I was told I was cured of my cancer but a scan showed a loaded colon! I was constipated +++.
Still coping and often glad to be at home. lol and best wishes
Oh yes the Loperamide 'blow back'! as I have heard one IBS sufferer call it! lol It's great to take when I have to go to work in the Field, or out on my Pony all day, but when it wears off, it's a bloody pain in the arse (literally!) 🤪
Yes, I suffer from cramps and a terrible feeling of being bloated. Then comes the gas and the constant feeling that I have to empty my bowels. It's very frustrating. Hang in there
Yes I get cramps and severe pain before and during needing to open my bowels and always urgent. Have you been seen by a gastroenterologist and been investigated for bile acid diarrhoea or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth etc.?
I've not seen Gastroenterologist yet as I'm trying to wait for the pandemic to subside or be more under control before I go to Hospital. I was meant to go to a Late Effects Clinic last Spring, but the damn plague scuppered that plan :/. I reckon I may have BAM but am not keen on going to Hospital yet, despite having my jabs, I'm just not comfortable with it unless it's a dire emergency :o. I'm hopeful I can go next Spring!Thanks.
That’s understandable although you are probably safer now going for an outpatient appointment than going to a shop as they are still ensuring people distance and wear masks in hospitals xxx
I still wear a mask in shops ;). Oh and my local Hospital isn't offering the late effects clinic yet either. It was meant to open last Spring but due to Covid, they couldn't. My Oncologist is meant to keep me informed, but he doesn't expect it until the Spring. :/ Stupid plague.
Good that they are setting up a late effects clinic. I’m in North Devon and there’s nothing in Devon and Cornwall either but I’m hoping that will change in the near future 🤞 xx
Hi,Yes, I get stomach cramps and I hear the wind “gobbling” around, for which I take a Rennie or a Polo Mint. Sorry I can’t bring anything else to this discussion.
It awful we have to put with this and there isn’t much in the way of help out there.
PRD is little understood and I hadn’t even heard of it until earlier this year. Why? Because no one at the cancer hospital mentioned it! Which would be a good idea if they did. Yes, I know some people don’t get it and some people may not have treatment but it would have been nice to be made aware of it.
Sending love and good vibes,
Lisa xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I've reverted to taking no Loperamide unless it's absolutely critical (i.e. if I'm going mountain hiking or at work and there isn't a loo for miles 😳), and the cramping seems to be less. Figure that out! I am just taking a Buscopan if needed and being more careful about my diet. It might not last, but I take what I can get. 🙄
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It's so annoying. I understand that crampy pain is quite common with IBS, and PRD is essentially radiotherapy-induced IBS, but it's never been this bad. To be fair, I had cancer treatment Winter 2008-09 for a rare endo-cervical adenocarcinoma, and the PRD only kicked off in September of 2018, so it's not been that long. I'm trying to control the diarrhoea with charcoal tablets, Enterosgel (a natural 'binder'), and Loperamide. I read on the NHS website that you usually get trapped wind or crampy pain if you're constipated, but that's never my problem! 
Wtf? Can you get diarrhoea and be bunged up at the same time!? Bah, it's horrible this damn condition. Any advice or anyone going through the same shit? (literally! lol ) 
How can I get a PRD diagnosis when my GP is useless 
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