Chronic radiation proctitis: What specialty treats this?

@jime51 The best advise I got was to keep a food diary. I found that my radiation proctitis symptoms of pain and bleeding are triggered by palm oil, palm kernel, cured meats (bacon, ham, corned beef etc). More than 1/2 a cup of coffee or too much dairy in my diet increases urgency.

@ededed Thank you! Gosh, I hope I don't have to restrict severely my daily coffee habit. The rest you mentioned aren't currently issues for me. I wrote my GI about Mesalamine, which my insurance covers. They didn't pay for the Sucralfate enemas.

@jime51 Yes it is. Slowing down to 1 or 2 a day.

@jime51 Mesalamine has definitely reduce frequency and urgency, but if I use it for too long, I start to develop flatulence. Still working on finding the right balance. Doctor also said the most important thing is soft bowel movements, so as not to irritate the tissue. Fiber, particularly bran, and prunes have helped in that regard. Again, finding the right balance is key.

I have earlier responded to similar question. I am now 1 year past my second procedure at Mayo and it took at least 6 months for the bleeding to stop completely. Bowel leakage and urgency persist and GI doctor says it is just something I will need to live with, manage best I can. Ultimately after all the treatments mentioned earlier, it was a GI doctor, and as examining doctor said I will refer you to one of only several doctors at Mayo who have extensive experience with this. It is simply a condition that has become more rare. For me, suppositories, hyperpbaric, vitamins, diet APC by less proficient provider, none were beneficial until the procedure at Mayo. I did have procedure for Watchman device to allow getting off eliquis. I think that was important. All providers said benefit would be enhanced by being off eliquis but none suggested Watchman until I asked my cardiologist.

I am careful with diet, but could find no significant relationship

@jime51 ,gastroenterology.

@nikolai57 Thank you! I had diarrhea daily from March until December last year when I started taking Psyllium fiber and probiotic daily. The diarrhea is gone, and I'm trying to get help for frequency and urgency. I have tended to have flatulence since childhood but the radiation proctitis seems to make it considerably worse.