Blood in Urine

[RenoPatient]

I had EBRT about 7 months ago. A few days ago at night I found myself Urinating blood. The blood continued for a day or so and then went to tinted Urine. My Urologist did a Urine Culture and no UTI. Now it is back to normal after an incident a couple of days ago when two big blobs of coagulated blood came out. No UTI and my Urologist thinks it might be from the radiation. Has anyone experienced Urine bleeding so long after radiation. Please help! Thanks!

[Magnus1964]

Radiation can cause a weakening of the walls of the urethra. This causes the blood in urine. Don't panic it's normal.

If it persists contact your Urologist.

[RenoPatient in reply to Magnus1964]

Thanks for the advice.

[Tall_Allen]

Yeah, it happens. The bleeding occurs when scar tissue breaks off. It's kind of like a scab breaking off - the urine flow destabilizes the scabs. As long as it's not copious and it goes away, it is nothing to worry about. It will happen from time to time. Here are the expected acute side effects of radiation:

prostatecancer.news/2018/10...

[RenoPatient in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thanks Tall_Allen! Richard Hertz

[John438]

Hi, I finished radiation about 5 years ago and have occasionally had blood and blood clots since then. About 6 weeks ago I really started having problems, more blood and clots until one morning I was at the hospital to start a clinical trial and I couldn’t urinate. The pressure was becoming painful and I informed the nurse and the doctor who immediately took me to the ER. They put a rather large catheter in and I stayed in the hospital for 3 days, at the height of the pandemic in NYC. Not fun. As it turns out my radiation proctitis was now accompanied by radiation cystitis resulting in the clots and a UTI. On the up side after 40 days the catheter was removed and I started hyperbaric chamber therapy, I’m feeling much better now.

I’ve been told it may take up 100 treatments in the chamber to repair the bladder damage but it seems to be helping. Fingers crossed.

Keep in mind my oncologist told me that I have had the worst reaction to radiation he has ever seen, so don’t let my experience stop you from taking radiation treatments. I have been the outlier on every procedure I’ve had.

Hang in there and do what you feel is right for you.

[RenoPatient in reply to John438]

Thanks John and I appreciate your support. All the best to you.

[lavis in reply to John438]

Hi!

I also had the same situation as John.

Five years after Guided Radiation, I developed Radiation Cystitis.

It was a nightmare. I went to the ER 3 times because I could not pee, due to blood clots.

Finally, the ER Urologist went in and carterized the blood vessels, in my bladder.

I also spent 3 days in the hospital passing blood clots.

I had 40 treatments in the Hyperbaric Chamber.

That was 3 years ago.

Once in a great while i pee a small clot or will have some blood, in my urine.

I think this is pretty normal, as Tall Allen mentioned.

I still take Flomax but that is all.

Good luck and best wishes.

[RenoPatient in reply to lavis]

Thanks Lavis and I appreciate your help. I also take flomax. And yes it did really freak me out. If not for Covid I would have gone to the ER.

[Hidden in reply to John438]

Yours is just one of many accounts of problems and side-effects of radiation that I have read. As I mentioned in one of today's previous posts I was steered toward radiation but I chose full gland HIFU instead. No damage. No regrets over my treatment decision. My surgery was 3 1/2 years ago. I did have to pay out-of-pocket but insurance / Medicare might cover some of the cost now.

[RenoPatient in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the input!

[John438 in reply to Hidden]

Sadly I didn’t hear about HIFU until after my surgery. One of the guys in my prostate group had it done about 15 years ago and hasn’t had any problems since.

[tucker_man]

Great info from everyone. I posted a few months ago for the same concern. Freaked me out. It happened a second time about a month ago so now I’m getting a cystoscopy to see what’s up. Those first two times followed after vigorous sex but it happened a third time last week with no particular physical activity but it was very little.

[RenoPatient in reply to tucker_man]

Thanks for your input. I got a lot of helpful coments.

[tallguy2]

I woke up to one day of blood in the urine. Went to my urologist who scoped me to verify nothing going on in the bladder. Never happened again. For me it could have been the passing of a small kidney stone or as others have suggested some scar tissue from the EBRT.

[RenoPatient in reply to tallguy2]

Thanks for your input!