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HBOT therapy for radiation cystitis

Posted by 403211th @403211th, Dec 3, 2024

Has anyone done hyperbaric oxygen therapy for radiation burn in the bladder? My doctor says it is the best option for me, But I am claustrophobic. To lay in an eclosed tube for an hour a day or twice a day is blowing my mind. I would try this in a heartbeat if it was not for that. Has anyone had this and how was it?

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negmol | @negmol | Sep 21, 2025
In reply to @negmol "I am a 77 year old and diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023. I decided to..." + (show)
Profile picture for negmol @negmol

I am a 77 year old and diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023. I decided to be treated with Proton radiation and six months of hormone therapy. I was left with ED, but not incontinence ,Thank God.
After a recent visit to my urologist and a Cystoscopy, she noticed that my prostate still very irritated and somewhat enlarged. She told me that at UCSD health, the practice is to offer the hyperbaric oxygen therapy . I would like to know if somebody in the group has gone through this treatment successfully?
By the way, my PSA is 0.02 .
I would really appreciate any comments.
Thank you
Jorge in San Diego

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Hi friends,
My question is about the Hyperbaric oxygen treatment experiences after Proton therapy or radiation. My urologist said it takes a long time for the prostate to recover from the irritation and the above treatment accelerates the process.

Thank you again,

J

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markbobp | @markbobp | Sep 25, 2025
In reply to @negmol "I am a 77 year old and diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023. I decided to..." + (show)
Profile picture for negmol @negmol

I am a 77 year old and diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023. I decided to be treated with Proton radiation and six months of hormone therapy. I was left with ED, but not incontinence ,Thank God.
After a recent visit to my urologist and a Cystoscopy, she noticed that my prostate still very irritated and somewhat enlarged. She told me that at UCSD health, the practice is to offer the hyperbaric oxygen therapy . I would like to know if somebody in the group has gone through this treatment successfully?
By the way, my PSA is 0.02 .
I would really appreciate any comments.
Thank you
Jorge in San Diego

Jump to this post

I had radiation damage resulting in scar tissue inside my bladder. On April 15, scar tissue started producing blood clots, resulting in urinary retention. After 2 weeks in the hospital, and a procedure to cauterize the bleeding, my urologist recommended hyperbaric oxygen. Did 40 treatments this summer, am now back to work with no restrictions. While there's no sure way to determine the degree of healing, I am not passing blood.
The treatments were 2 hours a day, either taking a nap or watching TV.

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negmol | @negmol | Sep 25, 2025
In reply to @negmol "I am a 77 year old and diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023. I decided to..." + (show)
Profile picture for negmol @negmol

I am a 77 year old and diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023. I decided to be treated with Proton radiation and six months of hormone therapy. I was left with ED, but not incontinence ,Thank God.
After a recent visit to my urologist and a Cystoscopy, she noticed that my prostate still very irritated and somewhat enlarged. She told me that at UCSD health, the practice is to offer the hyperbaric oxygen therapy . I would like to know if somebody in the group has gone through this treatment successfully?
By the way, my PSA is 0.02 .
I would really appreciate any comments.
Thank you
Jorge in San Diego

Jump to this post

Hi Mark,
I am glad that you are doing better. I had an episode of bleeding , and that was the reason my urologist recommended the HBOT. I will let you know whether
Or not HBOT will work in my case.

Thank you,

Jorge

REPLY
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deedee74 | @deedee74 | Jan 31 3:26pm
In reply to @brianjarvis "You probably mean hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). It can be used for radiation-induced proctitis, cystitis, colitis,..." + (show)
Profile picture for brianjarvis @brianjarvis

You probably mean hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).

It can be used for radiation-induced proctitis, cystitis, colitis, and enteritis. Which one(s) are you looking to resolve? I have information on each of them.

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@brianjarvis
Do you have info on HBOT for enteritis? NO appetite, losing weight after pelvic radiation and bracchytherapy ( four rounds) a year ago. Not sure insurance w ill cover it.

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markbobp | @markbobp | Jan 31 4:52pm

Sorry, maybe Colleen can add some guidance.

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brianjarvis | @brianjarvis | Jan 31 6:10pm
In reply to @deedee74 "@brianjarvis Do you have info on HBOT for enteritis? NO appetite, losing weight after pelvic radiation..." + (show)
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@brianjarvis
Do you have info on HBOT for enteritis? NO appetite, losing weight after pelvic radiation and bracchytherapy ( four rounds) a year ago. Not sure insurance w ill cover it.

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@deedee74 There is much literature on this topic. Here are two:
> https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12549627/

> https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12662559/

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jrs619 | @jrs619 | 1 day ago
In reply to @josgen "Great question. Intuitively, the time in chamber for each treatment might be based on the ATA..." + (show)
Profile picture for josgen @josgen

Great question. Intuitively, the time in chamber for each treatment might be based on the ATA available. So if it is, say, 1 hour 50 minutes with 2 ATA, one might want treatment to last 2 or more hours at 1.3 to 1.5 ATA. Personally, if there was a 1.3 ATA treatment available locally I would go for it.
I just finished 35 of 40 2ATA HBOT sessions that I had to travel 450 miles round trip for. Fortunately I was able to stay with my son who lives a 20 minute walk from the facility.
I plan on doing the remaining 5 sessions next month but at a facility 200 miles roundtrip from me. What I wonder about is if there is any drop off in effectiveness when the treatments are discontiguous. My 35 treatments were over a 13 1/2 week period because I suffered a pneumothorax after a bad fall and had to postpone treatment for a month while it healed. My remaining 5 will be after a 7 week hiatus.
I had two reasons to seek hyperbaric therapy. First was to counter the effects of IMRT on my prostate and pelvic lymph nodes and hopefully overcome radiation proctitis symptons. The second reason was to counter some negative effects on my right leg after a total knee replacement wounding. A side benefit was to experience the rejuvenating effects (anti-aging?) of the treatment.
Time will tell more but at this point in time I have not had a resolution of my radiation proctitis symptoms, my right leg has more "life" in it now but with room for more improvement and the anti-aging effects will be subtly expressed as I continue to age using future blood tests as a barometer.
I just received my first "electro-acupuncture" treatment for "overactive bladder" so I am hopeful that I will see improvement over the next several treatments. Fortunately, that clinic is only 70 miles round trip!
Best wishes to you.

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@josgen
Hi I’m sort of new I don’t read the info and comments on the site every week. But I saw your post, posted 2024. I was interested on the out come of your situation. Did the electro therapy for your overactive bladder work. I was looking into different avenues of therapy.
Thanks if you’re able to answer this post

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1 reply
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markbobp | @markbobp | 1 day ago
In reply to @jrs619 "@josgen Hi I’m sort of new I don’t read the info and comments on the site..." + (show)
Profile picture for jrs619 @jrs619

@josgen
Hi I’m sort of new I don’t read the info and comments on the site every week. But I saw your post, posted 2024. I was interested on the out come of your situation. Did the electro therapy for your overactive bladder work. I was looking into different avenues of therapy.
Thanks if you’re able to answer this post

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@jrs619 I did 40 HBOT treatments a year ago. Back to work full time, doing well.

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negmol | @negmol | 1 day ago

Hi,
I went for 37 Hbot tratments and apparently worked for my prostate irritation.
My PA did not have an answer for me. The terrace by is long and tedious , you have to be patient.

Jorge

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1 reply
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403211th | @403211th | 1 day ago
In reply to @negmol "Hi, I went for 37 Hbot tratments and apparently worked for my prostate irritation. My PA..." + (show)
Profile picture for negmol @negmol

Hi,
I went for 37 Hbot tratments and apparently worked for my prostate irritation.
My PA did not have an answer for me. The terrace by is long and tedious , you have to be patient.

Jorge

Jump to this post

@negmol Hi I did 80 hours in the hyperbaric chamber I purchased. It was 1 hour a day, 5 days a week. The chamber cost me less than going to the place that was closest to me. The place would not except Medicare insurance. It was a mild pressure chamber only 3.2. I had to do more treatments because of it. I have to say it absolutely worked. I no longer have any blood or problems with bleeding. I am planning on starting more treatments to see if it helps with incontinence. When I was bleeding the doctor had put a catheter in for 10 days before I could see a specialist and that ruined my holding urine. I have heard it is suppose to help. I hope they are right.

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