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Diarrhea
is a temporary side effect of some radiation treatments – especially those
targeting the abdominal and pelvic region - and many of the drugs used
to treat cancer.
Radiotherapy
During
Treatment - Nearly
half of prostate cancer patients receiving external beam radiation
experience diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping.
Two other groups of radiotherapy patients who have reported these
symptoms but in fewer numbers are Hodgkin’s and cervical cancer
patients.
Late
Occurring - These
symptoms are caused by radiation-induced injury to the small intestine. It may take years to develop, but late radiation injury
usually shows up from 8 to 12 months after treatment.
Chemotherapy
In chemotherapy
patients, the severity and duration of diarrhea varies with the drug
used, the dosing and schedule of administration.
Seventy-five percent of all chemotherapy patients report problems
with diarrhea.
It’s important that
steps are taken to deal with this problem.
Dehydration and metabolic imbalances can come on quickly.
Dietary changes are
the first line of defense and attack for diarrhea.
-
Eat bland,
low-fiber, low-residue foods.
-
Reduce the intake
of milk products by switching to low-lactose or lactose-free foods.
-
Try adding
“bulking” agents to your food such as psyllium fiber.
How much to take will depend on the quantity and consistency
of stools. You must also drink lots of water when taking
psyllium.
Your medical team may
prescribe anti-diarrheal medications to slow the contractions of your
colon and reduce stool frequency.
-
Loperamide HCI
slows down the small intestines transit time, increases bile acid
absorption thus decreasing the frequency of bowel movements.
-
Diphenoxylate
hydrochloride with atropine sulfate is effective in reducing colon
contractions, reducing cramping and the painful but ineffectual urge
to go.
-
And bismuth
subsalicylate is used for mild diarrhea.
You may need to drink
liquids specially designed to replace potassium and restore the
electrolyte balance to your system such as Pedialyte or Gatorade or
other sports drinks. Be sure to discuss the use of these over the
counter sports drinks with your physician before initiating.
Sometimes
“explosive diarrhea” can occur at the same time as fecal impaction.
In this case, the stool moves around the impaction.
The impaction must be removed. Patients who have an impaction may
become very confused and disoriented with a rapid heartbeat, sweating,
fever and high or low blood pressure.
This page was last
edited on 06/19/2003
Written
by Rachael Myers Lowe, cancerpage.com
Reviewed by Katie Mullaly, RN, MSN and Jane Quigley, RN, BSN
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