Hi, I am Maz and I am 76 years old, I still work but from home now. I have suffered with multiple sclerosis for over 40 years although apart from the early years it hasn't bothered me too much until 2013 when I was diagnosed with anal cancer stage T3.
I underwent some chemo and a great deal of radiotherapy, 36 sessions as far as I remember. Following successful treatment I discovered that I have vaginal stenosis, obviously very unhappy about that but, hey I'm alive. After the treatment I was prescribed with imodium and told that I would have to take it for the rest of my life. About one year ago I started to have severe bowel and bladder problems and assumed these to be related to MS, having carried out further research I found PRD Association. The posts I have read have convinced me that this is the problem. I have made an appointment to see the specialist who looked after me during the cancer period.
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Maz131
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I had radiotherapy for 35 sessions to my pelvic area it has left my small bowel damaged I have been diagnosed with radiation enteritis, I have scar tissue which causes many bowel blockages. I’m now of a very restricted soft food low residue diet. I can’t count how many times I have been sick because of this and hospital admissions.
I had 30 sessions of radiotherapy nearly 50 years ago to predominantly the right and central parts of my pelvic area, and like Beau63 now have small bowel damage as a long term side effect, including a (fortunately) sub acute blockage. I also have bile acid malabsorption which causes difficult bowel problems, similar I imagine to what you're having. Thankfully I don't have significant bladder issues.
hi maz before my radiotherapy I had sling fitted as prostate removal left me incontinant, was assured radiotherapy would not effect it but here I am again incontinant after radiotherapy 14 months ago . So the answer to your question is yes radiotherapy would have caused your incontinance I’m afraid to say . My only saving grace was mine was just bladder incontinance. Hope you get the help you need to have a reasonable life after radiotherapy good luck steve.
Hello Maz131 Sorry to hear about your bladder and bowel problems, I think they are almost certainly the result of radiotherapy. Radiotherapy, to the pelvic region,comes with a very real chance of serious damage to both bladder and bowel and the risks are rarely explained by clinicians. Good luck with future consultations
Yes my poor husband had 33 sessions of pelvic radiation in 2021, following a biological recurrence of his prostrate cancer having had his prostate removed in 2018.
Five months after finishing his radiotherapy he experienced a very heavy rectal bleed and also has pain on passing urine.
He has been told that he has radiation bowel proctitis which causes up to 7 bowel movements a day, usually with urgency and bleeding.
He has recently had a cystoscopy that confirmed radiation damage to the bladder, causing pain, leakage and bleeding.
As you can imagine this means going out is difficult and has to be organized around toileting, let alone the constant discomfort and distress this causes him.
I wish you well and hope that your symptoms improve. Best wishes
has he access to hyperbaric oxygen treatment. I had same issues as him and it helped me a lot. Good luck.
Go for it. I too had 36 treatments of radiotherapy for anal cancer in 2015. My sister had MS and was catheterised for about 5 years before her death so I understand the issues you have. Having said that there are so many more treatments now and I think you’re right to check out your symptoms with the oncology department as well as your MS consultant. I have nothing but praise for PRDA and if you can’t find any help between the different consultants just shout a bit louder and a bit longer. You will get the help you need eventually. Good luck 🌞
Like Beau 63, I underwent treatment for anal cancer 17 years ago, and have small bowel damage and scar tissue. I have discovered that I cannot eat more than 2 grams of fiber in one meal. If I do I will have diahreah. If i have coffee or who knows what? I have constant fecal dripping ( i use cotton rounds folded in half to catch the discharge and pads) and if I have 4 grams or more I will have blockages which are extremely painful and set me back for about 4 days w diarrhea and an inability to eat anything except basmati rice. So, I am super careful about what I eat! The docs sont understand it really. You are your beat researcher
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Possible longer-term effects of pelvic radiotherapy
Difficulty emptying bladder
How can I get a PRD diagnosis when my GP is useless 
what kind of specialist do I need? Likely PRD after pelvic radiotherapy!
