Any tips for bowel after effects of proton therapy and ADT?

@jeffmarc thank you, Jeff....appreciate your help!

Thank you, Dave.

@brianjarvis He is nearing the end of the 8 week treatment. He has five more sessions to go. Yes, they put in a spacer before his treatments started. I believe the fatigue is coming from the ADT, but could be a combination. Thank you for the response.

FOR MY situation, the urgency to pee, was somewhat manageable by,
Doing "check pees"
( astronauts get notified when to go as gravity has a play in that feeling)
So if the feeling was there before standing up, urgency was also!
I would go before I felt I needed, as approaching the stool, it would hit, at least somewhat manageable! Good luck on your trip!

@ou14mejc Though it sounds counterintuitive, (load-bearing) exercise is the key to avoiding fatigue and most other side-effects of ADT.

Most side-effects of ADT are easily minimized/avoided with resistance-training exercise. Here are just a few sites that I’ve bookmarked:

> Drs. Scholz and Moyad talking about exercise and hormone therapy (at a virtual PCRI conference): https://m.youtube.com/watch

> A paper on The Benefits of Exercise During Hormone Therapy: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54c68ac6e4b06d2e36a4b8c9/t/55cb7275e4b0d97ae7ff60af/1439396469154/The+Benefits+of+Exercise+During+Hormone+Therapy_Insights+August+2015_PCRI.pdf

> A study about the benefits of exercise to counteract the adverse effects of ADT: (They describe a good resistance-training program): https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/fulltext/2023/04000/resistance_exercise_training_increases_muscle_mass.2.aspx

@ou14mejc Obviously I do not know your husband but I am going through this alone as a widower. Many days I have to fight the 'why bother' question. He is lucky to have such a caring wife.

I'm about to start treatment and thinking about a vacation as soon as possible after it ends. It gives you the hope that your life can somehow be normal again and provides motivation. Your husband will know whether he can actually take the trip when the time comes.

I took 3 trips in 3 months - before my MRI, before my biopsy and before I met with the radiation oncologist just to keep my marbles even though I travel alone.

Sorry you are having to go through this alone. Life is always better when you share it with someone. I would encourage you to start your treatment, even though you wonder if you should bother. You are worth it and I think you will be relieved when it's over. Then, you can reward yourself with a vacation!

I try to be as supportive as I can. We are in our early 70's, both trying to manage medical issues and take care of each other. He needs this vacation for his mental health, but it probably would be easier if he had a bit of recovery time. I am scheduled for back surgery in 4 weeks, so this will be the only time a trip can happen.

This seems like a good place to come for support and encouragement. A good friend or relative to confide in might help you get through this so you don't feel alone. Sorry for the loss of your wife and I wish you the best through treatment and recovery.

@ou14mejc, while @hadleym asked a similar question for a different type of radiation, you might find the tips in this related discussion helpful:

- Side effects of brachytherapy: Anyone have urinary and bowel issues?https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/side-effects-of-brachy-therapy/

Were you able to take your trip as planned?

@colleenyoung Thanks for the article...informative. His last proton therapy treatment was last week....yay! Hopefully, the side effects will start to diminish. As far as the trip, we had a bit of a "glitch." I am scheduled for spine surgery September 22nd and the trip was to take place before the surgery. I did not pass my heart clearance....Surprise! I had no idea I had heart issues. After a series of tests last week, I will be having a cardiac cath this Wednesday and a possible stent. I guess it's a good thing I had to get cleared or I would have never known. The question is my main left artery! Thanks for asking.

I used Oxybutynin for bladder urgency and it worked well. Bowel gas, urgency and loose stools can take some time. One of those, everyone is different kind of things. I used Imodium when I absolutely needed to shut it down. Perhpas try it prior to your trip. Started with a half. Doc stated it would work until it didn't. Prescribed 90 days Mesalamine enemas for colon lining irritation which worked well. Not a quick fix but set me up to heal. Sigmoidoscopy with cauterization for rectal bleeding from radiation proctitis which worked well. Lots of guys talk about exercise to help with ADT side effects and it worked for me. Always felt better after getting my heart up on my mountain bike. I no longer lift. After 16 months post treatment I am almost back normal.