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How Much Water To Drink Before Prostate Radiation

Mix It Up To Stay Motivated

What to Expect Before Starting Radiation Treatment for Prostate Cancer

If you cant tolerate the taste of waterit may have a metallic taste if youre receiving chemotherapy treatmentthere are many ways to enhance the flavor. Try adding fresh ginger, cinnamon, mint, cucumber or citrus slices, berries or a splash of fruit juice to give your water subtle flavor. You can also mix up your routine with a variety of beverages.

Sparkling water, smoothies, juices, milk, tea and even coffee count toward your daily fluid goal. Its important to limit caffeine, which may increase urination and loss of sodium, making it more difficult to keep your body hydrated. Alcohol also is actually dehydrating and should be avoided.

External Beam Radiation Therapy

After completing external beam radiation therapy , urinary and bowel side effects may persist for two to six weeks, but they will improve over time. You may need to continue some medications.

Some patients report continued, though lessening fatigue for several weeks after treatment. Other minor problems may include dry itchy skin, a sensation of heaviness in the perineum, anal and rectal irritation, and flare-up of hemorrhoids. However, patients are usually well enough to continue with normal daily activities.

Diarrhea And Rectal Discomfort

Many people develop diarrhea within the first few weeks after treatment begins. Its also common to have cramping, pressure, and discomfort in your rectal area. You may also strain to have a bowel movement with no results.

There are some ways to help you manage these issues. Start following these guidelines if and when you begin to have symptoms. Continue them until your bowel movements return to your usual pattern. This may take 2 to 4 weeks after your treatment is completed.

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Frequent Urination Burning With Urination And Difficulty Urinating

These are the most common complaints. Occasionally the urinary stream will weaken. Generally these symptoms are managed with medications to help the bladder function better or eliminate burning. Rarely, your doctor may order a urine test. Symptoms will resolve after the end of treatment. Contact your doctor if you see blood in your urine or if you are unable to urinate.

The Day Of Your Marker Placement

For that Healthy Glow, Drink Radiation! Popular Science column by ...
  • Do a Fleet® enema 3 hours before your procedure. You can purchase it at your local pharmacy without a prescription. Follow the instructions on the box.
  • Youll need to take an antibiotic to prevent infection from the procedure. Your doctor or nurse will tell you which antibiotic youll take.

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Nutrition During Radiation Therapy Treatment: What Patients Should Know

Many cancer patients lose weight unexpectedly during radiation therapy because they struggle with side effects caused from treatment. Maintaining proper nutrition during radiation therapy can increase your chances of successful treatment and improve your quality of life during and after treatment.

We spoke with senior clinical dietician Haley Deas to answer common nutrition questions asked by patients facing radiation therapy. Heres what she had to share.

How important is protein during radiation therapy?

Getting the right amount of protein is very important during radiation treatment. Each meal or snack should have some source of protein. This will help spare lean muscle mass while repairing damage from radiation.

Some good protein-rich foods to try are:

  • eggs
  • poultry
  • fish

If youre having trouble eating solid foods, try meal replacement drinks to make sure you get enough protein.

How can I stay hydrated during radiation therapy?

Staying hydrated makes side effects less severe and lowers your chances of missing or delaying cancer treatments. Its important to avoid dehydration during treatment to protect your organs from long-term damage. Our goal is for patients to drink enough liquids to allow for normal body functions.

Is it OK to take supplements during radiation therapy?

Let your care team know about any supplements you are taking. Antioxidant supplements should be avoided during radiation therapy because they may end up protecting your cancer cells.

Vitamins And Dietary Supplements

Many people ask about taking vitamins during treatment. You may take a daily multivitamin, if you wish. Dont take more than the recommended daily allowance of any vitamin. Dont take any other vitamins or any supplements without talking to your doctor. This includes both nutritional and herbal supplements.

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Changes To Your Blood Cell Counts

Bone marrow is the substance inside your bones that makes blood cells. You have 3 kinds of blood cells. White blood cells fight off infection. Platelets help your blood to clot when you injure yourself. Red blood cells carry the oxygen you need for energy.

You may have lowered blood cell counts when large areas of bone marrow are in the area being treated. If youre also getting chemotherapy, it can also impact your blood cell count.

We may monitor you throughout your treatment with a blood test called a complete blood count . If your counts drop, we may stop your treatment until the level increases. We will discuss this with you.

Your Role On Your Radiation Therapy Team

What is it like having Prostate Radiotherapy treatment?

You will have a team of healthcare providers working together to provide the right care for you. Youre a part of that team, and your role includes:

  • Arriving on time for all of your radiation therapy sessions.
  • Asking questions and talking about your concerns. We have included a list of possible questions at the end of this resource.
  • Telling someone on your radiation therapy team when you have side effects.
  • Telling your doctor or nurse if you are in pain.
  • Caring for yourself at home:
  • Quitting smoking, if you smoke.
  • Following your healthcare teams instructions to care for your skin.
  • Drinking liquids as instructed by your healthcare team.
  • Eating the foods suggested by your healthcare team.
  • Maintaining your weight.

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‘just Cant Wait’ Card

You can get a card to show to staff in shops or pubs etc. It allows you to use their toilets, without them asking awkward questions. You can get the cards from Disability Rights UK or the Bladder and Bowel Community. They also have a map of all the public toilets in the UK.

You could get a key to disabled toilets if you need to access them quickly. You buy the RADAR key from Disability Rights UK. But this should only be used by people who need quick access to a disabled toilet due to a disability or medical condition.

Why Do I Need To Have An Empty Rectum And A Full Bladder

Your course of radiotherapy will be planned on an individual basis using special CT Planning scans.

The organs within your pelvis, for example the uterus or prostate will naturally change position slightly, depending on how full your rectum W bladder are. Therefore, in order to give radiotherapy directly to the identified area, it is important that it is in the same position for all your treatments as it was for your CT planning scan. The most effective way to ensure this, is for you to have an empty rectum and a comfortably full bladder for each appointment. This will be checked with daily imaging before your radiotherapy, to ensure positioning of the treatment is accurate. You may have more than one scan if your bladder and bowel positions are not suitable. An empty rectum does not mean you cannot eat regularly. Please continue to eat regularly as you normally do.

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Add Electrolytes To Your Hydration Plan

Beverages with electrolytes may be helpful to patients struggling with side effects, such as vomiting, diarrhea, hot flashes/excessive sweating and/or fever. Electrolytes are minerals, including sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium and calcium, that are critical in maintaining key body functions. While many sports drinks are supplemented with electrolytes, watch the sugar content of these flavored beverages.

Healthier options that also contain electrolytes include coconut water and bottled water with added electrolytes. Some foods, like citrus fruit, are also rich in electrolytes. Speak with your dietitian to discuss which foods high in water and electrolytes might be worth adding to your nutrition plan.

Things To Avoid During Radiation Therapy Aloe Vera

The Importance of Hydration During Chemo and Radiation

Many cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy arent aware of the precautions to take, and will utilize aloe vera to deal with some of the unpleasant side effects that come along with it. People typically use aloe vera to deal with low-level sunburns and things of the like. A popular misconception of this useful plant is its effectivenessfor burn care for radiation treatment patients.

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Bladder And Bowel Preparation For Prostate Radiation

Is there an alternative for a Fleet enema every day before prostate radiation? I an scheduled for 28 radiation treatments, and my oncologist wants to ensure a full bladder and an empty rectum in order to increase the accuracy of my treatment and reduce the possibility of side effects from the radiation therapy.I am on the hormone therapy and also had the SpaceOAR procedure done. I understand the prccaution for the bladder and the rectum, but an enema every day if a natural bowel movement does’t occur each morning seems like a real hit to the system. Any over the counter alternatives that would be applicable here?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Prostate Cancer group.

Have completed 19 of 29 proton treatments and had Space OAR. Only preparation each day is filling bladder with water one hour before treatment. Most of the time I am in the range and maybe 4 times have had to drink more and wait 10- 20 minutes before treatment and a few times have had to drain some off. Slightly uncomfortable not being able to pee when you choose to but easily tolerated. I try to have a bowel movement before I go so as not to have excess gas that has to be released by the nurse. So far, I am batting 1,000.Preparation is actually easily done.

University Of Michigan Radiation Oncologist And Pcf

If you are about to undergo external-beam radiation for prostate cancer, you may find that the treatments themselves are easy. Preparing for the daily treatments, however, may take some getting used to but you can do it!

Here with some tips is University of Michigan radiation oncologist and Prostate Cancer Foundation -funded investigator, Daniel Spratt, M.D. The most important thing you can do, Spratt advises, is to familiarize yourself with the anatomy of the pelvis your doctor may have literature with an illustration that will help. If not, heres one that will give you a better understanding of where the prostate is, and the important anatomy nearby.

Seeing the big picture literally will help make it clear why your doctor is asking you to come to your treatments with a comfortably full bladder and an empty rectum, Spratt says. Having a full bladder is going to move the intestines upward and away from the radiation, and having a rectum about the same size every time the way we planned it before your treatment helps us be very precise, to make sure were giving all that dose to the prostate and not hitting the rectum, or that were avoiding the rectum but also missing some of the prostate. It allows us to use very tight margins, treating every bit of the cancer but not harming the normal tissue. Every program has a slightly different protocol, but the main thing is to keep things generally about the same every time.

  • Copied

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Swelling Bruising Or Tenderness Of The Scrotum

Symptoms generally resolve on their own within three to five days. Oral anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen are usually sufficient for pain relief, if necessary. You should avoid hot tubs and Jacuzzis for at least two to three days after the procedure. Postpone bike riding until the tenderness is gone.

Travelling To Radiotherapy Appointments

Prostate Radiation Therapy

You might have to travel a long way each day for your radiotherapy. This depends on where your nearest cancer centre is. This can make you very tired, especially if you have side effects from the treatment.

You can ask the therapy radiographers for an appointment time to suit you. They will do their best, but some departments might be very busy. Some radiotherapy departments are open from 7am till 9pm.

Car parking can be difficult at hospitals. Ask the radiotherapy staff if you are able to get free parking or discounted parking. They may be able to give you tips on free places to park nearby.

The radiotherapy staff may be able to arrange transport if you have no other way to get to the hospital. Your radiotherapy doctor would have to agree. This is because it is only for people that would struggle using public transport and have no access to a car.

Some people are able to claim back a refund for healthcare travel costs. This is based on the type of appointment and whether you claim certain benefits. Ask the radiotherapy staff for more information about this.

Some hospitals have their own drivers and local charities might offer hospital transport. So do ask if any help is available in your area.

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Benefits Of Water For A Good Prostate

words Al Woods

Prostate cancer is becoming more common among oldermen today. If the disease is not diagnosed early, prostate cancer can be fatal.

Unfortunately, this type of cancer is commonlyrecognized late when it has already progressed to a more dangerous state. Beforeyou get this kind of disease, its best to keep your body healthy and preventprostate cancer and other diseases.

A balanced diet and doing regular exercise are some of the ways to keep the body in tip-top shape. Regularly taking supplements, such as Prostagenix, may also help you keep your prostate healthy. Lastly, drinking plenty of clean water is also essential in keeping a healthy body.

Prostate Problems

To understand the benefits of drinking clean waterfor the prostate, its worthwhile to know what happens to a person who hasprostate problems. If you have a swollen prostate gland due to benign prostatichyperplasia , it can place pressure on your bladder. This leads to areduction in the volume of urine the bladder can hold, and the person feels theurge to urinate more frequently.

Sometimes, a slight movement of the body cansuddenly increase the pressure and you feel the sudden need to urinate. Butwhen you urinate, you usually find that very little urine comes out since thereisnt a lot of urine in the bladder.

Benefits of Clean Water for the Prostate

Now that you know how a person with prostateproblems feel regarding urination, here are the benefits of drinking enoughwater.

How Much Water Is Enough

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Things To Avoid During Radiation Therapy

Suffering with cancer comes with a host of different challenges and obstacles financially, mentally, physically, and spiritually. Throughout the course of your treatment, you may have begun, or are currently undergoing radiation therapy. Radiation therapy works by creating small breaks inside of the DNA of cells. These breaks help disrupt the growth and division of cancer cells, causing them to die. This article will focus on things to avoid during radiation therapy.

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Patient Population Simulation Procedures And Target Volumes

Following Institutional Review Board approval, data were obtained from medical records of 85 consecutive patients treated with 5-fraction SBRT to the prostate from September 2014 to August 2015 at our institution. Each patient underwent a 23 mm slice thickness simulation computed tomography in the supine position with thermoplast immobilization . To maintain an adequately filled bladder for simulation and treatment, patients were instructed to drink 2 cups of water 1 h prior to each session. Strict rectal protocol of fiber supplementation, simeticone, and rectal enemas 3 h prior to simulation and each treatment was advised. During the course of this study, rectal spacers were not used in this patient cohort. Based on the simulation CT and fusion of available pre-treatment prostate MRI, clinical target volume was defined as prostate gland plus proximal1 cm of the seminal vesicles. The planning target volume was defined as CTV expansion of 5 mm throughout except for 3 mm posterior.

Sore Skin In The Treatment Area

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Your skin in the treatment area might get sore, or redden or darken. Following these tips can help with this:

  • Wear loose fitting underwear and clothes. Natural fibres can be more comfortable than man-made fibres.
  • Gently wash the area each day. Use mild, unperfumed soap and warm or cool water. Try baby soap or liquid baby wash but check with the radiotherapy staff first.
  • Gently pat the skin dry with a soft towel. Rubbing the skin can make it sore.
  • Don’t use perfumed lotions on the area. Use only creams or dressings recommended by your specialist or radiographer.
  • Don’t use talcum powder because it can contain tiny metal particles. The particles can make the soreness worse.

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Ask About Your Medications

You may need to stop taking some of your medications before your procedure. Talk with your healthcare provider about which medications are safe for you to stop taking. Weve included some common examples below.

Anticoagulants

If you take a blood thinner , ask the healthcare provider doing your procedure what to do. They may or may not tell you to stop taking the medication, depending on the reason youre taking it.

Examples of blood thinners include:

  • Apixaban
  • Tinzaparin
  • Warfarin

Do not stop taking your blood thinner medication without talking with a member of your care team.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Read the resource Common Medications Containing Aspirin, Other Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs , or Vitamin E. It has important information about medications you might need to stop taking before your procedure and what medications you can take instead.

Pain medications and antianxiety medications

Tell your healthcare provider if youre taking any pain medications or antianxiety medications. Its important to keep taking these medications on schedule, even during your treatment. You may be able to take them on the morning of your procedure, if needed.

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