#80386 09-13-2008 07:42 PM | Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 1 Member | OP  Member
Joined: Sep 2008 Posts: 1 | This is my first posting. My husband has had 2 weeks, 3 days of radiation, and he's had terrible diarrhea for over a week. He was even hospitalized & had 3 samples cultured for bacteria, but all were negative. He's taking the limit of Immodium, with limited relief.
I could find nothing about radiation for oral cancers causing diarrhea by Googling. He hasn't had chemo for 2 1/2 weeks. Does anybody know anything about this and/or have any advice?
Jeannie, wife of Mark, Stage 4 Squamous Cell tongue base CA, diagnosed 6/26/08; receiving IMRT; chemo when tolerated. Had NO risk factors!
| | | | | Joined: May 2008 Posts: 551 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: May 2008 Posts: 551 | Jeannie,
Has your husband changed his diet since starting treatment? You didn't mention if he has a PEG tube or not.
- Margaret
Stage IV SCC lt lateral tongue, surgery 5/19/08 (partial gloss/upper neck dissection left side/radial free flap reconstruction) IMRT w/weekly Cisplatin & Erbitux 6/30/08, PEG 1 6/12/08 - out 7/14 (in abdominal wall, not stomach), PEG 2 7/23/08 - out 11/20/08, Tx done 8/18/08
Second SCC tumor, Stage 1, rt mobile tongue, removed 10/18/2016, right neck dissection 12/9/2016
Third SCC tumor, diagnosed, 4/19/2108, rt submandibular mass, HPV-, IMRT w/ weekly Cisplatin, 5/9 - 6/25/2018, PEG 3 5/31/2018
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 | It could be from nerves or fear as well. Is he taking any anti-anxiety meds?
Gary Allsebrook
***********************************
Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2
Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy)
________________________________________________________
"You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | How old is he? Did they discuss HPV with you? The Big D can be caused by many things as the other posters have mentioned and based upon my time associated with this site it's not to common but his doctors need to solve this problem and fast as he can ill afford to deal with diarrhea with everything else that will happen. Make sure he stays on top of the hydration, electrolytes and calories throughout his Tx and recovery, especially now.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 |
Jeannie:
Your poor husband must be suffering so much. Does his stomach grumble all the time? Is he in pain?
I had the unfortunate experience of having the Big D for over 1 month straight. I ended up in the hospital for 10 days as the combo of the big d and low blood pressure isnt very good. I think I kept the immodium company in business as I took the max allowed daily for a month.
My nutritionist solved the mystery. It was the tube feeding product that caused it. I had used this formula steadily for 8 months without a problem. If he is using liquid feedings water it down with equal parts of water to start. Take a dose of immodium 1/2 huor before a feeding or eating. If that helps then start slowly reducing the amount of water every few days.
I hope that this will help your husband. There is also some over the counter things to try like yogurt w/ something called problic(?) in it.
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | | | | | Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 507 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 507 | I came down with diarrhea and nausea my last week of RT (over Labor Day, two weeks ago).
The diarrhea seemed to clear up after a few days and they gave me Zofran for the nausea.
Anyway due to the diarrhea they did lab work then put me on an IV to boost my hydration.
It sounds like poor Mark is having bad side effect quite early into his TX. Does he have a PEG?
Don
TXN2bM0 Stage IVa SCC-Occult Primary
FNA 6/6/08-SCC in node<2cm
PET/CT 6/19/08-SCC in 2nd node<1cm
HiRes CT 6/21/08
Exploratory,Tonsillectomy(benign),Right SND 6/23/08
PEG 7/3/08-11/6/08
35 TomoTherapy 7/16/08-9/04/08 No Chemo
Clear PET/CT 11/15/08, 5/15/09, 5/28/10, 7/8/11
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,128 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,128 | I was having the Big D also; turned out to be that I was taking the tube feeding food too fast! This is strange because my first time around with tube feeding during radiation, I was taking it in much faster than I can this time.
Besides the runs, my symptoms would be a lot of gurgling and grumbling from stomach and I would break out in a sweat. I tried several types of food and took meds against an infection, but it definitely stopped when the nutritionist told me to slow it down.
I switched to Nutren 2.0, which has 500 cal/can, so I need fewer cans per day to get the calories, and that's been working well for me.
Age 67 1/2
Ventral Tongue SCC T2N0M0G1 10/05
Anterior Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 6/08
Base of Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 12/08
Three partial glossectomy (10/05,11/05,6/08), PEG, 37 XRT 66.6 Gy 1/06
Neck dissection, trach, PEG & forearm free flap (6/08)
Total glossectomy, trach, PEG & thigh free flap (12/08)
On August 21, 2010 at 9:20 am, Pete went off to play with the ratties in the sky.
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