Inulin fiber might help with prevention of RT side effects

Thanks, Mrs Surf. Does he take a single dose or a double dose in his smoothie? It says 2 scoops a day on the packaging. I was recommended Healthy Fibre from Healthy Origins, it is a non fermentable fibre (less gas) and has been working well, not only for me but also for my wife. I also take a pre, pro and post biotic twice a day. However I start RT in 3 weeks, and am intrigued with this after reading this very preliminary study; looking for all of the help I can get.

@carlsbadguy

It probably depends of manufacturer. I bought 2 kinds - one made from Chicory root and one from Jerusalem artichoke root and measurements are in tsps. About 1/2 to 1 tsp per serving , twice a day.

We have fiber rich diet so this was not added to his protocol for fiber increase but because this particular kind of fructan is specifically beneficial during any abdominal radiation therapy. Some studies showed that it even regulates gut immunity and helps with white blood cell recovery etc.

Yes, any bloating would be undesirable during RT so it is very important to try inulin well in advance.

So far my husband has no changes in his digestion nor extra gas or anything like that. He starts with his RT on Monday. We added inulin just because it supposedly protects guts from RT side effects.

This is good info. Thanks!

Also important to know that if they don’t hit the intestines with radiation, there won’t be GI problems. Always important to avoid overshooting the prostate.

@brianjarvis
Thanks Brian : ),
My hubby is having salvage and one positive node is very, very close to rectum, so it will be very tough not to have some "spill" possibly effecting rectum. But, with some luck 🍀🙏 this might at least make SA less prominent.

@surftohealth88 Will he be using a rectal spacer (SpaceOAR, Barrigel, or BioProtect)?

@surftohealth88 thanks for the clarification. I ordered a brand that is 100% from chicory root, it is a lesser amount of fibre, 10 grams per 2 scoops, compared to 13 grams per 2 scoops of the Healthy Fibre. I'll try a scoop of each, one in my morning tea, one in my lunchtime tea to see how my gut reacts. If there is a chance it helps lower the effects of RT on the gut, without increasing gas, and I tolerate it well, I will make the switch.

@brianjarvis
Hi Brian,

No, no Barrigel since my husband had RP. Most centers do not place anything for salvage RT after RP since it is very complicated procedure (it needs to be placed between very thin mesenteric membranes in that case ) and although studies show advantage, nobody is doing it.

The other factor is (as I described) that the node which needs RT boost is almost attached to the rectum so even if this center was doing barrier placement for SRT, it would not be possible for this particular case, unfortunately.

@carlsbadguy
How big are the scoops for chicory ? (how many tsp)
Mine says 1 tsp is one serving and it should be used twice a day as fiber supplement but I would guess that any amount would be beneficial since for RT purposes it's value is in being perfect food for good bacteria and not so much a gelling agent.

@surftohealth88 My bad for missing the “salvage” status.

In that case, I would fall back to the older pre-rectal spacer days of using an endo-rectal balloon for RT. Though not as good as using a rectal spacer (because it still leaves vulnerable the anterior lining of the rectum), it’s much better than using nothing.

@carlsbadguy Try to test it on a weekend, if possible. I was drinking a coffee substitute ((Tea-cheeno?) that contained chickory inulin and it made me very gassy.
Always have to test these things before you get on the table💩
Phil