1. < Colorectal Cancer

Effects of Radiation on Anal and Vaginal tissue.

Posted by cathrine @cathrine, Sep 23, 2023

Receving Proton therapy for anal cancer has caused me to develop hemorrhoids and sore, raw places around the anus and just inside the vaginal wall.
Aside from Sitz Baths with Epsom Salt, I've been using Aquafor on the skin lesions. Does anyone have any experience or a recommendation for what to use on the vaginal tissue to promote healing and help with the itch and burn?
Is Aquafor safe to use on the soft vaginal tiusue? I've considered aloe but am concerned about introducing any product that may cause a vaginal infection.

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Oct 16, 2023
In reply to @cathrine "Thank you, Coleen. I’m in my final 6th week of treatment, so side efffects are pretty..." + (show)
@cathrine

Thank you, Coleen. I’m in my final 6th week of treatment, so side efffects are pretty intense. I am treating the vaginal lesions with a prescription for sterile Lidocaine gel. For lesions around my anus, I’m using a barrier cream. These topical treatments plus pain meds are getting me through this intense period. No way around it: radiation causes collateral damage, so managing the symptoms is the best we can do.
Thanks for checking in.

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@cathrine, I hope you saw the helpful tips and suggestions from fellow members @srl5092 @laser and @rioa21 and hope something helps.

REPLY
EvaG | @2023badasseva | Oct 26, 2023

Hello all,
I wanted to share here what helped me the most with my anal and vaginal post radiation burns.
The best relief I got was sitz baths with sea salt and the extract from the leaves of smoke tree bush (Cotinus coggygria). I tried Epson salt and baking soda sitz baths, but the sea salt worked best for me. I found that the sea salt/smoke tree extract soaks relieved immediately the burning pain, reduced the itchiness, and helped me with healing the blisters and inflamed skin in the area. I continue to do them now as it helps with my hemorrhoids.
I had used soaks from the smoke tree bush to help healing stiches after the birth of my son, who is already a dad himself and made me a happy grandmother 😍 So, this home remedy came back to mind almost 4 decades later and proved to be helpful to me again.
The leaves of the smoke tree bush contain tannins and have antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. They have been used for generations in my native Bulgaria to treat various skin diseases including hemorrhoids, eczema, acne, perodontitis and gingivitis.
Sharing an article about the chemical constituents, pharmacological and toxicological potential of the Smoke tree bush (Cotinus coggygria).
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319562X15001138
I'd be happy to provide more details on the preparation of the soaks I use if interested.
Sharing best wishes for Faster Healing and Best results,
EvaG

REPLY
2 replies
cathrine | @cathrine | Oct 26, 2023
In reply to @2023badasseva "Hello all, I wanted to share here what helped me the most with my anal and..." + (show)
@2023badasseva

Hello all,
I wanted to share here what helped me the most with my anal and vaginal post radiation burns.
The best relief I got was sitz baths with sea salt and the extract from the leaves of smoke tree bush (Cotinus coggygria). I tried Epson salt and baking soda sitz baths, but the sea salt worked best for me. I found that the sea salt/smoke tree extract soaks relieved immediately the burning pain, reduced the itchiness, and helped me with healing the blisters and inflamed skin in the area. I continue to do them now as it helps with my hemorrhoids.
I had used soaks from the smoke tree bush to help healing stiches after the birth of my son, who is already a dad himself and made me a happy grandmother 😍 So, this home remedy came back to mind almost 4 decades later and proved to be helpful to me again.
The leaves of the smoke tree bush contain tannins and have antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. They have been used for generations in my native Bulgaria to treat various skin diseases including hemorrhoids, eczema, acne, perodontitis and gingivitis.
Sharing an article about the chemical constituents, pharmacological and toxicological potential of the Smoke tree bush (Cotinus coggygria).
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319562X15001138
I'd be happy to provide more details on the preparation of the soaks I use if interested.
Sharing best wishes for Faster Healing and Best results,
EvaG

Jump to this post

Hello EvaG - thank you for your post. I’m very interested in where I can get this extract from the Smoke Tree Bush, and also your specific instructions for how to prepare it.
Thank you!

REPLY
1 reply
EvaG | @2023badasseva | Oct 27, 2023
In reply to @cathrine "Hello EvaG - thank you for your post. I’m very interested in where I can get..." + (show)
@cathrine

Hello EvaG - thank you for your post. I’m very interested in where I can get this extract from the Smoke Tree Bush, and also your specific instructions for how to prepare it.
Thank you!

Jump to this post

Hello Cathrine @cathrinecathrine
I bought mine online, fairly inexpensive, an online store in England but the product was from Bulgaria, it came on time, this is the link: https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1362912404/organic-smoke-tree-leaf-cotinus
For the soak: Fill a cooking pot with water (approx 3-4 liters) and add 5-6 tablespoons of the crashed leaves, bring it to boil, and simmer for about 30 min with the lid on. After sraining it, let it cool a bit and it is ready to use. For one soak I usually use about 1/2 liter, and keep the rest in the fridge, and use it up within 2 to 3 days.
For the sitz bath: I put appr 3 teaspoons of salt (tablesalt or sea salt), add 1/2 l of the leaves soak, mix to dissolve the salt and fill up with warm (not hot!) water. I soak in it for 15 minutes, especially after bowel movement - it helps me with the itching due to the hemorrhoids. I tried scented sea salt crystals as well, although some sea salts have essential oils added to them, which I found irritated my skin; although my rear end smelled heavenly then, lol😉
I hope the above helps you.
Best wishes for speedy recovery,
Eva G

REPLY
scwest | @scwest | Oct 27, 2023
In reply to @2023badasseva "Hello all, I wanted to share here what helped me the most with my anal and..." + (show)
@2023badasseva

Hello all,
I wanted to share here what helped me the most with my anal and vaginal post radiation burns.
The best relief I got was sitz baths with sea salt and the extract from the leaves of smoke tree bush (Cotinus coggygria). I tried Epson salt and baking soda sitz baths, but the sea salt worked best for me. I found that the sea salt/smoke tree extract soaks relieved immediately the burning pain, reduced the itchiness, and helped me with healing the blisters and inflamed skin in the area. I continue to do them now as it helps with my hemorrhoids.
I had used soaks from the smoke tree bush to help healing stiches after the birth of my son, who is already a dad himself and made me a happy grandmother 😍 So, this home remedy came back to mind almost 4 decades later and proved to be helpful to me again.
The leaves of the smoke tree bush contain tannins and have antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. They have been used for generations in my native Bulgaria to treat various skin diseases including hemorrhoids, eczema, acne, perodontitis and gingivitis.
Sharing an article about the chemical constituents, pharmacological and toxicological potential of the Smoke tree bush (Cotinus coggygria).
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319562X15001138
I'd be happy to provide more details on the preparation of the soaks I use if interested.
Sharing best wishes for Faster Healing and Best results,
EvaG

Jump to this post

Eva,
I would love to know your source for smoke tree leaves and the preparation of the soaks. I’m finishing my third week of chemo radiation for anal cancer.
Thanks

REPLY
1 reply
EvaG | @2023badasseva | Oct 27, 2023
In reply to @scwest "Eva, I would love to know your source for smoke tree leaves and the preparation of..." + (show)
@scwest

Eva,
I would love to know your source for smoke tree leaves and the preparation of the soaks. I’m finishing my third week of chemo radiation for anal cancer.
Thanks

Jump to this post

Hello @scwest
I am sorry you are also on this journey, and I wish you All the Best outcome🤞

See my reply to @cathrine for preparation of the smoke tree leaves soak, I hope it also helps you to provide relief for the post radiation burns. Mine were in full blast a week after I finished my ChemoRadiation treatment but doing the sitz baths soaks 4-5 times a day and using the Flamazine cream (and later Penaten cream) the doctor prescribed, 4 weeks later the skin is already healed back to normal.
Re sharing the link for options to buy the leaves online:
https://www.etsy.com/ca/market/smoke_tree_leaves

Sharing positive thoughts and Best wishes for speedy recovery,
Eva G

REPLY
EvaG | @2023badasseva | Oct 27, 2023

@cathrine and @scwest
Adding the name of the online store from which I purchased my smoke tree leaves, it is called solar7cloud,
https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/solar7cloud
Details for the leaves here:
https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1156410877/cotinus-coggygria-scopfolk-names-of-the
EvaG

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