Rectal Bleeding

[RedCivic]

Rectal Bleeding after Radiotherapy Treatment. How long does this last? I finished radiotherapy at the end of last September, and still suffering, after Sigmoidoscopy found a rectal ulcer and further treatment under General Anaesthetic found Haemmoroids in the rectal region.

[Romian]

Hi, I was the same case minus the hemorrhoids. The bleeding made me anemic and it didn't stop on its own. I was prescribed 60 treatments in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber 5 days a week 2 hours each. The effect was felt about 3 months after the end of treatment. No more bleeding. Occasionally a tiny bit. I don't know if the ulcer has healed and I don't want to know. Later I will get whatever test the french recommend. I moved to France from the USA. Good luck. I don't know if the NHS covers the treatment, but insist. The equipment is expensive and not available everywhere.

[Perido]

I'm nearly 6 years post treatment and have had episodes of rectal bleeding throughout. Always associated with a bowel motion and, with just a few exceptions, fairly light bleeding.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy showed anal fissures, proctitis and a couple of small benign polyps.

I'm expecting to have rectal bleeding for the rest of my life but it hasn't troubled me too much thus far, so I'm not planning to get any treatment for it.

[456Sally]

A bit of bleeding straight after Radiotherapy can happen, I think, and clears up within a month or two. If the bleeding has started round about 6 months after the therapy then you probably have Radiation Proctitis (and it's possible to get Radiation Colitis too). If you don't bleed too much the docs don't bother much, they maybe check from time to time that you aren't anaemic but that's all. If you bleed quite a lot they may, if you push, eventually, put you on twice daily enemas of Sucralfate. Not painful but, if you are like my husband, quite tricky to do, so quite possibly your poor wife (if you have one) will be left doing it for you. Oh and they won't give me medical gloves any more, we have to pay for our own - in fact we ended up paying for the syringes too as they couldn't be asked to get these for us either. I found my husband collapsed on the bathroom floor with the whole place looking like a murder scene on two separate occasions. Both times I called 999. The second time the hospital gave him 2 units of blood as he was so very low. After more pushing the hospital tried a treatment called Formalin (I think) - I was told it takes two or three times to work - but they would only do it once. After 9 months of Sulrafate the bleeding slowed and stopped. Only to re-start a year later. We have now moved to a different area and the consultant is trying APC treatment, which again needs two or three goes. His second go is booked for next month so my fingers are very firmly crossed. If you are in the UK you won't get the Oxygen chamber treatment on the NHS. I don't know if you can get it privately or not. Try searching for 'Radiation Proctitis treatments'. Try the charity: prda.org.uk/ Don't bother asking the GPs - most of them don't know anything about it.

[Celticgirl1888]

hi my husband started rectal bleeding five months after finishing 33 sessions of radiotherapy to the prostate bed, after biological recurrence of his prostate cancer.

The bleeding started on one night in March of last year, really heavy bleeds and a trip to A&E.

After camera and investigation he was diagnosed with diverticular disease and radiation proctitis, which had caused the bleeding. He also has frequency of bowel movements and needs to go urgently.

He also suffers with radiation cystitis.

He has tried various medication including sucralfate enemas, none of which helped.

He was advised to have laser treatment and he saw the consultant who advised us the fissures on the bowel are in an awkward place but he feels confident that he can reach them.

However he was honest and said it doesn’t always work the first time, it may need several treatments, there is no guarantee that it will work and it could cause tissue damage.

My husband has decided not to take the risk at this stage. He has regular blood tests to check for anemia.

The bleeding is getting less and is not as often or as heavy so we are hoping things will continue to improve but we take each day as it comes.

So hopefully your bleeding will get better in time and wish you all the best.

J

[RedCivic in reply to Celticgirl1888]

Thankyou for your reply. I have been diagnosed as aenemic as well. I haven't been able to take iron tablets either, so trying to overcoome it with diet alone.

[Celticgirl1888 in reply to RedCivic]

yes my husband will be having another blood test next week to check his iron levels.

He has been taking a vitamin and mineral supplement, for men over 50. However on his last blood test, we were told that one particular iron was far too high and he was to stop taking the supplements.

This will be the first blood test having not taken the supplement so I am worried that he will now be anaemic.

I think we were rather ignorant of what radiotherapy can do to someone and I really don’t think they prepared us for any of this.

Good luck, best wishes.

J

[456Sally in reply to Celticgirl1888]

My husband got terrible diarrhea and, eventually, we got it settled with Loperamide (Imodium) and he's now on two tablets a day! This seemed a huge amount to me but the Doc said he could have up to 4 a day.

[Celticgirl1888 in reply to 456Sally]

Hi.

Yes my husband is experimenting with Loperamide at the moment. He tried two a day but got really constipated, which resulted in straining and more bleeding as a result.

One a day still seemed not to be right so he is now trying one every other day.

Although he isn’t going 7 times a day, as he was, when he does need to go, the need is still urgent and he still doesn’t have much time to get to the toilet, hence he is still nervous when he goes out.

I guess it’s going to be trial and error until we get the right balance.

J

[456Sally in reply to Celticgirl1888]

Not a nice option but he could wear incontinent pads - at least then he'd have peace of mind that if he didn't make it in time he wouldn't have too much embarrassment. We also go out with a "Rescue bag" with clean pants, stout plastic bag for soiled stuff, dry loo paper, wet loo paper, hand cleaner etc. So he can get clean (ish) if he can't get home straight away. Also you can buy the keys to disabled toilets so that, if there is one, he'd be able to use it. Again maybe useful in an emergency! It doesn't help our situation that my husband has Dementia as well and isn't good at sorting himself out!

[Celticgirl1888 in reply to 456Sally]

Thank you so much, what a good idea. I will get an emergency kit ready and I have ordered a key for the disabled toilets.

thanks for your advice it’s much appreciated.

Best wishes

J

[456Sally in reply to Celticgirl1888]

Also my husband started to be sick at really tricky moments! I bought special Sick Bags online and they have really saved the day a couple of times.