Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Radiation Enteritis

[Penguin52]

Has anyone been treated for radiation enteritis with hyperbaric oxygen therapy? If so, how successful was the treatment, how difficult was the treatment, and would you do it again?

[Romian]

Hi,

Penguin 52. I was treated with hyperbaric chamber oxygen, due to heavy bleeding from radiation in 2019/2020. I had radiation proctitis per my US gastroenterologist. 60 - 2 hr - 5 days/ week treatments. Piece of cake, never watched so many movies. The result was very positive, no more bleeding. A side effect, my vision got worse, I am near sided. Normally it is reversible, not for me. A curious thing, the Israeli scientists found that this amount of treatment increases the life expectancy on the cellular level, the telulleric cells get elongated and helps with mental health. Good luck. I am no longer in the USA, I live in Paris now.

[Penguin52 in reply to Romian]

Thank you for sharing your experience with hbot. I’m glad to hear that it was successful. There seems to be quite a few references in the literature to hbot use for radiation proctitis and cystitis but very little for the treatment of enteritis.

[Newseason]

Hello, I've had Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy, for fragile skin due radation damage. After treatment for anal cancer.

DDRC in Plymouth who are amazing charity. And excellent medical experts who know there stuff. They have various publications so worth looking up.

I was referred from colorectal and late effect clinic. As a charity they make decisions where they able to treat .

It's 40 sessions, 2 hours a day in a big Hyperbaric Chamber often with other patients. Very intense, but the have attendant with you all the time.

Basically your in enclosed space , taken down to depth of 15metres . Have a tight ring round your neck . Once at depth then a plastic bag put over your head and Oxygen is pumbed in and exhaust is pumped out.

This sounds terrible, but they are amazing how they guide through the process. Plus other patients who started before you help with coping the treatment.

Outcome was my skin has improved to the extent that I'm not in constant pain or fear going to toilet.

Silver lining it improved my eyesight no longer wear glasses.

DDRC are centre of excellence, I am truly grateful to them .

I hope this useful to you .

[Perido in reply to Newseason]

Good to hear about your improvement and thanks for the prompt about DDRC HBOT research. Just to share what I found: ddrc.org/research/clinical/

[Penguin52 in reply to Newseason]

Thank you for your detailed experience with hbot. I’m glad to hear that it was very helpful. I read a lot about hbot use with proctitis and cystitis but not so much with enteritis.

[Mariecapp]

Hello. I had Hyperbaric Therapy 8 yrs ago for anal bleeding after treatment for cancer. It helped so much. If you don't have claustrophobia and your ears can take the pressure you'll be ok. I had to have tubes inserted in my ears and after that I was fine. Very positive experience for me. God bless, I hope you have positive results

[Penguin52 in reply to Mariecapp]

Thank you for your response. I’m glad to hear that the hbot treatment was successful. It seems to work well for proctitis and cystitis but little available info on it’s use with enteritis.

[SGH-Aspro]

Hi...... yes I had 10 sessions of Hyperbaric O2 therapy maybe 18 months ago for radiation cystitis. I paid for this privately as it was not available in Scotland under NHS. I felt re energised after a couple of sessions but long term benefits have made no difference.

Hope you benefit if you go ahead.

[Penguin52 in reply to SGH-Aspro]

Than you for your reply about hbot. I’m sorry that it didn’t help much. I have been told that insurance might not cover it and that the treatment might not work for enteritis.

[SGH-Aspro]

Oh dear sorry I can't be of any more help.

Regards Christine

[Networking]

I had radiation damage to gut, pelvic, etc. after 5 dys of intensive radiation to shrink the tumor so it could be operated on. No one explained the damage, and I was mostly dead when I found online thru a friend about hyperbarics since our small area drs. didn't know about any of this. It saved my life for sure, 40 2 hr treatments 5 dys per week in individual chambers and the best wound care ever. After 2 staph and MRSA and c diff I healed up in 2 weeks but finished the program and it was great. My eyesight improved a lot. My gut has still been a mess for 15 yrs and after 10 yrs my sacrum broke in 2 places, both hip sockets, and a few public bone breaks. So crippled now, couldn't even do more hyperbarics and 78 now. The radiation doctor suggested trying pentoxifylene and 400 units of vitamin E three times a day. No doctors here had heard of it but one prescribed in since no good options. It changed my life and saved my life. Still can't walk without walkers but gut is so much better, digest food, and I want to live now. It's super hard but alive.......

[Penguin52 in reply to Networking]

I am sorry to hear about your difficulties but glad to hear that you have improved. I am still hoping to hear from someone that was successfully treated with hbot for radiation enteritis.

[Gtuva in reply to Networking]

I’m also taking pentoxifylline and vitamin E. Do you take both 3x/day or the pentoxifylline 3x and the vitamin E 1x. Some studies have shown an improvement in fibrosis that develops overtime. Hard to say if it is improving things for me.

[Networking in reply to Gtuva]

I take pentox 3 times a times a day and 400 units of e once a day.......it has has helped in so many ways. Within 2 weeks of starting both, the diarrhea I had had for over ten years was cut way down, amazing changes and so then I began to get more out of my food of course. Adhesions which were thick and all over the pelvic area started tearing loose more often in smaller patterns, painful and not fun but not so horrible and dramatic and tissues are softer and stretchier. Physical therapist noticed the difference also. I developed clotting risks and coronary vasospasms and drs and I all think the pentox probably kept me from getting worse. Good luck with your issues and let me know if I can be of further help. Also, warnings about gut issues with the pentox but me with lots of those already can take it even without food sometimes.

[Housebound]

HI Penguin52

I had hyperbaric treatment a year ago to treat radiation proctitis.

For the first month bleeding more or less stopped but then gradually came back again. The proctitis did not improve . When I saw a surgeon at a follow up meeting I was told that I should probably need another 30 days session at some time in the future.

I also found out that my eyesight had been adversely affected. Within 3 months of the completion of my hyperbaric sessions my driving license became restricted to having to wear spectacles and only being able to drive in daylight because I could no longer cope with nightime streetlight and headlamp glare.

It was a big disappointment not only because of the impediment to my driving but also because my proctitis is continuing to deteriorate.

Wish I could give a more positive response.

Regards

Housebound

[Penguin52 in reply to Housebound]

I am sorry to hear that your treatment was unsuccessful. I have also heard about the possibility with hbot that one’s eyesight can be affected. I am hesitant to do hbot because my doctor thinks it might not help and may not be covered by insurance. I am still hoping to hear from someone with radiation enteritis who has had improvement with hbot.

[Housebound]

As I mentioned my eyesight has been adversely affected Not only do i now have to wear specs all the the time when I am driving but also now I am restricted to driving only in daylight hours because optician picked up that I can no longer cope with any light that may be dazzling.

Housebound