Hi everyone

I'm new to the forum and would really appreciate some advice. My mum was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue just before christmas, and had the operation where they removed part of the tongue in february. Her lymph nodes were clear, so she went on to have 30 sessions of radiotherapy. She was very lucky through the treatment. She didn't get any 'burns', and managed to eat all the way through.

Two weeks after her tx ended, she started having diahorrea and occasional vomiting. She's now 5 weeks post tx, and still suffering from D&V. She does keep eating, but her weight has now dropped to 6 and a half stone, and she has zero energy. We've called the GP out to see her on various occasions, but he doesn't seem to know what's causing it, and he isn't doing anything about it either! All the family is very worried about her, she's wasting away and no one seems to be helping.

It's so frustrating because she had a textbook operation, recovered really well, and got through the radiation well too.

Sorry this is so long, folks, I just wanted to get the full story across, and wondered if anyone could give us some advice or had experienced anything similar. It would be a really big help.

Hello missy moo

You can find past discussions on nausea and radiotherapy here. Hope you find them helpful.

Best wishes
Vinod

Thanks Dr Joshi, but the main problem has been the diahorrea. My mum's being admitted to Pontefract Hospital this afternoon, so hopefully we'll find out some answers soon.

Radiotherapy for head and neck cancer doesn't cause diarrhoea. In fact, I don't think anyone here has mentioned it! So it is probably due either to an infection or medication taken (like antibiotics)causing the bowel disturbance. Let us know how she gets on.

Hi Missy moo

Like your mother i too had a problem with my bowels - bad diahorrea (it was put down to medication). I ended up in hospital with dihorrea, a bad bleed from my rear end and lost weight really fast. First of all they had to get the diahorrea under control which they did. Things eased up, they then carried out a stool test and a few other things. The bleed continued for another 4 weeks. I ended up going to the Endoscopy department and had a CT scan, basically they put it down to the medication (in other words they had no idea)

I can only suggest that you ask her GP for a fast second opinion, don't take no for an answer. My GP messed around for 3 weeks until i insisted i needed to get this sorted out one way or another - I ended up paying to see a consultant privately.

Hope your Mum starts to recover soon.

Tony

I dunno, it's one extreme or another! My problem was the opposite to D. At one point i hadn't gone for 3&half weeks!

Missy Moo, i think your mums now in the best hands. When things are getting that bad you need someone to intervene & get her better!
All the best to you all,
Michelle

Hi missy moo,

Sometimes diahorrea and constipation can be confusing, as bad constipation can partially block the bowel, and only liquid faeces can get past the blockage. Check with your mum that the root problem isn't constipation, which is a much more common side effect of radiotherapy & the medications commonly given to deal with the side effects. If this is not the cause then the problem could be stress related. One thing we have all found out on this forum is that we all react differently to the treatment. I'm sure the medical team will find out the problem, but do keep pestering them, as your mum needs your support at the moment.
It is quite common to go through a 'bad patch' after the treatment has ended, This is when patient care is handed over to a GP, who has probably never seen anything like this before, and has to research the best treatment. I don't think the NHS deals with this very well, and it would be better if there was more support from the specialists at the hospital.

Hi MIssy Moo,
The different medications Darrel was on would cause him the diahorrea and then the morphine would cause him to not go at all. So it was a pretty hard time because he had to have his medications.
Things have settled down now and hopefully now they will sort out the problems for your poor mum. Being in hospital will be the best place for her.
Good Luck,
Tracey

Thanks for all the replies. It's a comfort to know that my mum's not the only one who's gone through this. She was in the hospital for less than 20 hours (!), just had some bloods taken which came back normal, and now she's waiting for an endoscopy and colonoscopy.

Tony, how long did your diahorrea last for? I have a feeling we're going to get the same answer you did ie nada.

Joy

Hi missy moo

Sorry for delay have been away for a few days.

Diahorrea lasted 3 weeks, one thing I forgot to mention was to make sure that your mother is given plenty of fluids, evertime i went i had a rehydration drink (salt & minerals etc).

Jenni hit the nail on the head you can be constipated but still have diahorrea, very unpleasant business. Once I had got over the diahorrea I started using a suppliment called Threelac, which helps to replace the good gut bacteria, helped my stomach and also helped to reduce a bad case of mouth Thrush.

I hope your mother is feeling better dr's and hosptials don't always have the answers, it could just clear up on its own.



Regards


Tony