Changes after EBRT

[RenoPatient]

I just finished 45 radiation sessions and the oncologist and everyone else says that it takes 4-6 weeks to fully get improvement in urinary problems. What have been your experience? I am getting up 5-8 times a night and urinating during the day perhaps every half hour.

Thanks!

[Tall_Allen]

Yeah- it took about a month for me. It gets worse before it gets better. The radiation causes an inflammatory reaction. As the inflammation goes down, it gets easier to pee. Now I don't get up at night at all to pee, and I pee like a racehorse.

[RenoPatient in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thanks for the post!

[Murph256]

Let me suggest taking one extra strength Motrin or Tylenol at night before you go to bed, and one in the morning after you wake up. My radiologist suggested this to reduce bladder irritation and inflammation caused by ebrt. I noticed some immediate improvement in the frequency of my urination during and after radiation after taking the Motrin.

[RenoPatient in reply to Murph256]

Thanks and I will certainly try that.

[EdinBmore]

Annoying as hell, isn't it? Getting a decent amount of continuous rest becomes very difficult (if not impossible).

25 sessions here. Although anxious as hell, the procedure was uneventful. Initially, no change in pee behavior and then, wham, up 4 or 5 times a night. During the day, increased frequency and urgency (but no accidents. I was lucky). And, as suddenly as the symptoms began, they subsided. Doc had given me script for Flomax but, by the time it was filled and delivered, the symptoms had subsided somewhat.

Now, up 2x/night (or not at all). Awakened by hot flashes from ADT (these too are subsiding).

Take home message: your course sounds very similar to mine and to many. Tell doc about your symptoms; there are meds to help.

Hang in there. It WILL get better. Overall, it took 1-2 mos to noticeably improve (and still improving a yr later). And, if this is is the worst of it, I'm a lucky man.

EdinBaltimore

[RenoPatient in reply to EdinBmore]

Thanks!

[westof]

It took me about 2 weeks, after 25 days of IMRT (finished July 8th), to get back to normal. My RO prescribed Flomax (twice daily) and 20 mg of Sildenafil for the first month. Now I take 1 and 1 at night.

I still wake up at 3 am to pee, however, I was doing that long before my dx.

[Aiden14]

Took about a month to 5 weeks after 44 treatments. Up 2 to 3 times a night ( mostly 2). Peeing much better. Last beginning about a week ago (6 weeks after treatment) Once a night, or not at all. Good luck! Tylenol helpful for a week or so after completion.

[wuwei37405]

I have a friend who did not return to normalcy for a year.

[Don_1213]

It depends on your definition of improvement. Most of us would love to pee like we were 14 years ago again.. able to hold it for hours then pee hard enough to flush the toilet without touching the flush lever.

That's not going to happen. I finished my 45 IM/IGRT treatments at the beginning of April, so just about 6 months ago.

I seem to be cyclic right now. Saturday night I slept soundly for 8 hours, and never woke up or felt the urge to pee. Last night, Sunday, I was up 4 times, typically awakening with a hot-flash and figured I might as well go pee while I'm up.

The difference I can attribute this to - Saturday night I had very little to drink after dinner (where I have water with dinner.) Sunday night is our "night out" night - where we go to a restaurant to give my wife a break from the kitchen. I had a fairly large chicken breast and some chopped salad for dinner, accompanied by a 1 pint Guinness (my once a week drink), and a largish glass of ice water (I like water when I'm eating.) This was around 8:15 PM, and I got to bed at 1 AM.

My suggestion is - take the Flomax, it seems to help (I take 2 pills at bedtime).. and as you see improvement consider backing off on the dose.

[RenoPatient in reply to Don_1213]

thanks!

[RonnyBaby]

I had the same number of treatments that you report. Those ended in Feb of 2018.

Today, my urinary functions are normal - a huge improvement prior to my Dx and a TURP.

I recall, like most others that I had to go more often and too often for awhile, but it gradually got better. Hopefully, you'll be dealing with a relatively shorter period of time to get back to feeling better. I also recall some burning while urinating but that didn't last as long as the 'urges and the getting ups'.

I think there's more good news. I've read the narratives of other posters who had post- rad questions and comments about urination. The majority of the outcomes were good, given some healin' time . It is part of the manner in which way we treat the disease. Without surgery and it's complications it appears that there may be fewer long term negative side effects.

Keep up the good fight - it will get better.

[RenoPatient in reply to RonnyBaby]

Thanks so much!

[fldrifters1]

had 45 rounds too....been on generic flomax since the beginning...really no peeing issues unless i drink a lot after 7 pm in the evening...Ive been lucky in that area....been coming up to 2 years since the end of rads...good luck...David

[RenoPatient]

Thanks!

[jazzy53]

I had 40 treatments of external beam radiation. Initially, my urination was much improved - peed like a teenager. But about three months post-treatment, I started getting up 3-4 times a night and peeing frequently during the day. This only adds to the sleep disturbances caused by ADT. I take one Flomax daily, so maybe taking another would help. I'll see what my urologist says. Hoping for improvement.

[RenoPatient]

Thanks and I think things are getting a little better. Waking up 10+times a night now down to 3-5. Good luck!