Just finished Cyberknife

[rf3rf3]

So i just finished my 5 days of Cyberknife at NYU Winthrop. The week of treatments wasn’t horrible..just have to do the daily laxatives and enemas, eat same foods at same times , etc... Started getting fatigued around Wed/Thur and Radiation ended Friday...i was able to workout Saturday but got super super tired and dehydrated . Now I am getting the expected but still worrisome symptoms of urinary pain/burning and urgency and even grosser—the rectal urgency, loose stools, etc..

How long do these symptoms last? I’m going to proactively take Flomax and AZO for the urinary symptoms. Not sure what to do about the rectal...my god i hope i don’t have to wear depends for weeks!

[Tall_Allen]

Side effects lasted about 2 weeks for me. My rectal symptoms were minor- maybe because my RO instructed me not to have enemas or use laxatives. I didn't have any fatigue. Your fatigue is probably from stress, not the radiation.

[rf3rf3 in reply to Tall_Allen]

Could be, Tall. after the HIFU failing and now doing the Cyber i’m probably repressing some stress. So far erectile function is ok (although I think HIFU shrunk me a little) but i know the true ED after radiation comes a couple years later.

Interesting about the enemas/laxatives/special diet. The diet was basically no red meat and no fiber and no ‘spice’. i asked about the rationale for all of the prep and they said they wanted to ensure consistency of bowel size to keep the radiation consistent.

[Tall_Allen in reply to rf3rf3]

Laxatives and enemas increase bowel motility. Bowel motility is the opposite of what you want when having radiation.

ED after radiation, if it's going to occur, will occur within 9 months.

pcnrv.blogspot.com/2016/08/...

[cybertreated2019]

I am five months out from Cyber. My 5 treatments were over two weeks. Worst of the bowel urgency and loose stools was over in three weeks but stayed on a low dose of Imodium and double dose of probiotic for a month or so. I had the wthe SpaceOAR and still had the issues. I still have some urgency with bowel but never had any leaking or accidents. I had no luck with Flomax for BPH, but did take a low dose of Cialys for 30 days before treatment and 90 days after. Some conflicting studies on whether this prophylactic use helps later devel of ED but my radonc was supportive. He said frequent erections are important during recovery and cialys produced those. Would have just stayed on it if not for the side effect of a terrible metallic taste. Fatigue was and is an issue even now. Not sure if that is just me or my body dealing with the dead or dying prostate inside me.

[cybertreated2019 in reply to cybertreated2019]

One more thing, the cialys was pretty effective on BPH. Stopped getting up at night to pee the whole time I was taking it.

[tucker_man in reply to cybertreated2019]

So you had the metallic taste too? Nice to know I'm not the only one. I only take it now as needed due to that taste from daily usage.

[bakermanclt in reply to cybertreated2019]

I'm 12 months from my cyberknife treatment which was five sessions over one week. Initial issues...burning when peeing and pain during sex...disappeared in a few weeks.

Since then all is ok with no other annoying issues. Doing regular PSA tests and so far the numbers are good.

[tucker_man]

I had IMRT, not cyberknife, but similar symptoms for all RT patients. I took Flomax for about a month after the end of treatment and Imodium every other day for a couple weeks. Had minor regression after stopping meds but didn't restart and symptoms went away after a week or so.

[rf3rf3]

Thanks guys... So far I am having urinary and rectal urgency but not horrendous. Doc says side effects will peak in few days... Maybe I'll start the cialis now too

[cybertreated2019 in reply to rf3rf3]

I took the lowest dose of cialis. I think it was 2.5. My Insurance plan was really poor about covering it for BPH, but GoodRx got the price down to about $100 a month. Retail is over $200.