1 month after last SBRT - one sort of a problem

[UnexpectedPC]

Hi everyone.

Went through 5 treatments and the last one on June 5.

as everyone mentioned I went through minor fatigue period and still experience a bit of difference urinating in urgency and less free flowing as it was before treatments. It’s getting better day by day.

However I still see blood in my stool 2-3 times a week. It’s not a huge amount I don’t think and is not accompanied with any pain. But it’s there and makes it look very red in the bowl.

it goes away for a couple of days and I think that’s it I’m done but the. It comes back for a couple days and then goes away.

How long do you guys think this will continue? I’ve asked my doctors and they said it’s normal to see a bit of blood after treatments but for how long?

It’s been a month? Will it go on for a long time? At what point should I go see someone and who do I see?

Thanks. My first blood test is in September by the way. Looking forward to some good results

[Tall_Allen]

It’s expected. Don’t strain. It will stop when it stops. Do nothing about it.

[UnexpectedPC in reply to Tall_Allen]

Hoping for it to away soon. Thanks

[Mascouche]

I began to have blood in my urine a few months after radiation and I think it lasted about a year. It was not every day or even every week. It would come and go. I don't believe I have had anymore blood in my urine for about a year now.

It could be due to radiation as it is an expected side-effect but if the oncologist prescribed Calcium supplements, then it is also possible that this created some kidney stones which can irritate the kidneys and urethrae and cause bleeding at times.

[UnexpectedPC in reply to Mascouche]

thanks for your response. I don’t have blood in urine. But in the stool.

[Mascouche in reply to UnexpectedPC]

That rules out the kidney stones but it is not abnormal for the radiation as TA mentioned.

[paladin7]

I had a similar problem, and it still recurs on occasion. However, my bleeding did not start until about a year after radiation treatment. That is not your situation, and I believe that Tall Allen's advice to you is very good. The condition will probably resolve by itself.

I do want to caution you about a mistake I made. Over many months, my bleeding gradually got worse, but I normalized it, like the boiling frog, until one day I thought I was having a heart attack. My primary care physician ordered a test for red blood cell count. It revealed my count was dangerously low. I needed two units of blood to bring it back to normal.

In your case, a few instances a week is not cause for panic, especially if the toilet water just has a reddish tinge. IF this continues for many weeks, it might be a good idea to keep a record of the days and severity of the bleeding, so you can make a data-driven decision, and to provide to your doctor if you need to seek guidance at some point. You might want to take a couple of pictures of the toilet bowl, as examples, so that you don't have to rely on your memory of the severity.

If the condition persists, mention it to your doctors. It would be prudent (and probably reassuring) to have your red blood cell count checked periodically.

Again, I don't want top alarm you when your condition is probably going to go away all on its own, but watch out for the boiling frog trap.

Best of luck!

[UnexpectedPC in reply to paladin7]

Thank you son much for great advices. I’ll start monitoring it closely. And will ask my Dr to order red blood cells count