Radiation Proctitis

Six months after I completed IMRT radiation therapy ( 39 sessions) for prostate cancer, I have developed rectal bleeding whenever I move my bowels.This has persisted for 4 months now. I have had a colonoscopy done 2 weeks ago; and the cause of the bleeding is radiation proctitis : "----- in the distal rectum just proximal to the hemorrohoidal plexus and the anal sphincters was a ring of what appeared to be radiation proctictis".

This is due to the effect of the radiation treatment for my prostate cancer. My PSA reading is down from 9.6 when I  was diagonised  to 0.67, nine months after treatment. This is wonderful news; however, I have developed this new problem which is very worrying. Can anyone who has had a similar experience give me some guidance and help as to how best I can cure this radiation proctitis . My gastroenteroligist does not think there is anything much he can do to stop this rectal bleeding.  Thanks

Victor A.

On 7/15/2009 Bawanavic wrote:

Six months after I completed IMRT radiation therapy ( 39 sessions) for prostate cancer, I have developed rectal bleeding whenever I move my bowels.This has persisted for 4 months now. I have had a colonoscopy done 2 weeks ago; and the cause of the bleeding is radiation proctitis : "----- in the distal rectum just proximal to the hemorrohoidal plexus and the anal sphincters was a ring of what appeared to be radiation proctictis".

This is due to the effect of the radiation treatment for my prostate cancer. My PSA reading is down from 9.6 when I  was diagonised  to 0.67, nine months after treatment. This is wonderful news; however, I have developed this new problem which is very worrying. Can anyone who has had a similar experience give me some guidance and help as to how best I can cure this radiation proctitis . My gastroenteroligist does not think there is anything much he can do to stop this rectal bleeding.  Thanks

Victor A.

Victor,

I had the same problem. I found a french abstract that treated it with 2 enemas of carafate 10ml. 20 ml 2 times a day. It had a 96 percent success rate. Success rate is defined as improving 2 grades. It was successful in treating my bleading. Good luck in finding a doctor to prescibe it, since it is not considered standard medical practice. My holistic doctor prescribed it and even rig a syringe for me to use it. I beleive it is an effective way to treat it.

hope it helps

Dan

Victor,

  Clarification of the last post, thats 2 enamas a day, one in the morning and another at night.  A 30 day treatment should do the trick.

Dan

Hi Dan,

Thanks for sharing your experience. I will make an appointment to see my family doctor and will tell him about it so that he can get me started on it. Very grateful.

Victor

Victor,

Your welcome. Carafate is used normally for bleeding ulcers, it only makes sense that if works for the beginning of the digestive system it would work for the end of the digestive system.

Dan 

On 7/15/2009 Bawanavic wrote:

Six months after I completed IMRT radiation therapy ( 39 sessions) for prostate cancer, I have developed rectal bleeding whenever I move my bowels.This has persisted for 4 months now. I have had a colonoscopy done 2 weeks ago; and the cause of the bleeding is radiation proctitis : "----- in the distal rectum just proximal to the hemorrohoidal plexus and the anal sphincters was a ring of what appeared to be radiation proctictis".

This is due to the effect of the radiation treatment for my prostate cancer. My PSA reading is down from 9.6 when I  was diagonised  to 0.67, nine months after treatment. This is wonderful news; however, I have developed this new problem which is very worrying. Can anyone who has had a similar experience give me some guidance and help as to how best I can cure this radiation proctitis . My gastroenteroligist does not think there is anything much he can do to stop this rectal bleeding.  Thanks

Victor A.

I am not  a doctor or in any way medically qualified but I have had experiences similar to your own.  Consequently, I would suggest that, before taking any action on my comments , you discuss them fully with your medical adviser. 

About a year after concluding my radiotherapy I began to experience bleeding on bowel movements.  Eventually this became very severe and my blood count dropped to 9, at which my GP said that if it dropped any further she would have to arrange blood transfusions.  I saw a Gatroenterology consultant, who simply had no idea what the problem was, and spoke to my Oncology consultant who had no idea what action to take and said I should simply have to learn to live with it.

 On my GP's suggetion I searched for a solution on the Internet and came across a consultant in London, England who specialised on the subject and who expressed concern regarding the number of  supposed specialists who took this view and and had no idea of what remedial action to take.  Although I live in Scotland - some 400 miles away,  my GP arranged a consultation in London for me and after a detailed examination and colonoscopy the recommended Sucralfate enemas.  This cleared up the problem completely in three or four weeks and I have only had very occasional minor incidents since.

Hope this is of some help.

Because of elevated PSA ten years ago I had a biopsy and test came back negative.One year later another PSA was taken and was elevated and another biopsy was suggested, but I asked for another opinion.Went to Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo N.Y. and was seen by Dr. Robert Huben. After consultation it was decided to proceed with watchful waiting with six month interval PSA test.After three years of waiting with continued elevated PSA a noticable increased PSA, another biopsy was ordered. Test came back positive malignancy. Options for treatment were given and I opted for radiation and seed implant.

Only side effects were constipaton and struggled with it for five years.In December last year went to UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh for colonoscopy. Only observation was mild radiation proctitus.To alleviate the constipation it was prescribed to keep a soft stool by using benefibre and miralax.For the past seven months the problem seems to be solved.

After five years out of prostate treatment, ED developed and banalitus  became a problem. Because of not being circumcised as a baby the problemed persisted until on this past Monday, circumcision was performed at Hamot Hospital in Erie, Pa.and now awaiting biospy report.

On 7/23/2009 cccameron wrote:

 

On 7/15/2009 Bawanavic wrote:

Six months after I completed IMRT radiation therapy ( 39 sessions) for prostate cancer, I have developed rectal bleeding whenever I move my bowels.This has persisted for 4 months now. I have had a colonoscopy done 2 weeks ago; and the cause of the bleeding is radiation proctitis : "----- in the distal rectum just proximal to the hemorrohoidal plexus and the anal sphincters was a ring of what appeared to be radiation proctictis".

This is due to the effect of the radiation treatment for my prostate cancer. My PSA reading is down from 9.6 when I  was diagonised  to 0.67, nine months after treatment. This is wonderful news; however, I have developed this new problem which is very worrying. Can anyone who has had a similar experience give me some guidance and help as to how best I can cure this radiation proctitis . My gastroenteroligist does not think there is anything much he can do to stop this rectal bleeding.  Thanks

Victor A.

I am not  a doctor or in any way medically qualified but I have had experiences similar to your own.  Consequently, I would suggest that, before taking any action on my comments , you discuss them fully with your medical adviser. 

About a year after concluding my radiotherapy I began to experience bleeding on bowel movements.  Eventually this became very severe and my blood count dropped to 9, at which my GP said that if it dropped any further she would have to arrange blood transfusions.  I saw a Gatroenterology consultant, who simply had no idea what the problem was, and spoke to my Oncology consultant who had no idea what action to take and said I should simply have to learn to live with it.

 On my GP's suggetion I searched for a solution on the Internet and came across a consultant in London, England who specialised on the subject and who expressed concern regarding the number of  supposed specialists who took this view and and had no idea of what remedial action to take.  Although I live in Scotland - some 400 miles away,  my GP arranged a consultation in London for me and after a detailed examination and colonoscopy the recommended Sucralfate enemas.  This cleared up the problem completely in three or four weeks and I have only had very occasional minor incidents since.

Hope this is of some help.

Thanks so much for your response. I am so glad that these (Sulcralfate) enemas worked for you. My situation is identical to yours; except that my bleeding started 6 months after my radiation therapy. I will definitely  talk about the enemas with my gastroenterologist when I see him in a few weeks. I feel so relieved and comforted that there is a solution to this problem, that has worked, and I don't just have to live with it. Thanks once again. God bless.

Victor A.