Excessive Bowel Movements after chemo

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snowsogal
snowsogal Member Posts: 79
edited December 2016 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment

Hello:  Has anyone experienced excessive bowel movements everytime they urinate and stomach/bowel cramping after they eat after chemotherapy and radiation treatments?  It doesn't matter if it is bland or not.

What do you take for relief?  I am over two years out post treatment, and thought this would get back to normal onc treatment was over; but it has not resolved itself yet.


Everything GI dr gives me makes the cramping worse.

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  • blondedoris
    blondedoris Member Posts: 197
    edited December 2016

    Heya

    I take probiotic tablets (I'd need to be eating litres of live yoghurt to get the same dose). I took Inner Health Plus capusules in Australia, and in the UK I use the Bioglan brand - not sure if you can get those in the US but your pharmacist should be able to help.

    Hope you find relief soon x

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  • snowsogal
    snowsogal Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2016

    Hi Blonde Doris,

    I do take probiotics, and I have tried several kinds. Nothing has seemed to really work. What we don't go through just to be cancer free! So many people think after cancer treatments, that our life goes back to normal. I feel forgotten at times. How did you handle this type of thing?

    Thanks for responding,

    Cindy

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2016

    Snow- have you checked in with a GI Dr? Could it be something not related? I have GI issues, have had for years prior to all of this, so just a thought.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2016

    Cindy - Have you considered food allergies? I believe the author is a member here, Denise-G. You could try her. If not, I would try the Whole 30 program to rule it out. http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/

    Allergies and Allergic Reaction Before, During and After Chemotherapy

    UPDATE – since writing this post I have heard from so many people who have developed severe allergies 2 to 3 years out from chemo. Apparently it is not uncommon just from the letters I have received.

    It's been rather a lonely ride as to one aspect of the many side effects and residual effects of Chemotherapy. I developed severe food allergies and other allergies during and after Chemotherapy. Previous to Chemo, I had none of these.

    https://denise4health.wordpress.com/2012/07/22/all...

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  • Sjacobs146
    Sjacobs146 Member Posts: 770
    edited December 2016

    my symptoms are not as severe as yours, but my bowels have not been the same since chemo. Before chemo, I always tended to be on the constipated side and never got diarrhea. Now my stools are almost always soft and I'm going much more frequently than before. I haven't really tried to do anything to improve it, it's more of a minor annoyance right now

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited December 2016

    snow - I had diarrhea so much during chemo that I lost 60 lbs. That was really severe since I really couldn't stand to lose but 10. It took two years for my bowels to resolve back to my "old normal", mostly hard, and constipated if I don't make sure to eat salad &/or take prunes.

    I think you should push the doc for a referral. It's been long enough that you need to go to a gastroenterologist for comprehensive testing. Have you had a colonoscopy? Could be IBS? or IBD? Please don't put this off too long.

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  • Beatmon
    Beatmon Member Posts: 1,562
    edited December 2016

    The only thing that slowed my diarrhea was....Lunesta for sleep. It is my magic pill. Unfortunately, I still can't sleep

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  • snowsogal
    snowsogal Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2016

    How are you doing with your cancer now?

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  • snowsogal
    snowsogal Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2016

    Serenity,

    Yes, I have considered food allergies. I feel at this point no matter what I eat, gluten free, non dairy, or dairy products. Nothing seems to help. My stomach/bowels hurt no matter what I eat. It seems since they told me to take Fibrocon, just a (1/2 tablet) because a whole tablet was constipating me, and Phillips probiotic my stomach is some better. It does not hurt so much. GI doctors had done, colonoscopy, endoscopy, and they ruled out an Ulcer. They found nothing else. So it seems when they can't find an answer they say it is IBS. GI doctor nurse said bowels should be soft but formed and not going all the time. I wonder if the GI docs had chemotherapy how their bowels would be HMMM.

    Amazing what we go through to be cancer free!


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  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited December 2016

    snowsogal, way before cancer in my late 20's something was wrong and I was diagnosed with IBS. The GI doctor suggested I go to counseling. That is when I really lost faith in the medical community. So much is not understood, well I had my episodes with IBS but after 10 years it seemed to be gone. It still is knock on wood.

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  • snowsogal
    snowsogal Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2016

    Meow that is wonderful. I rejoice with you. I think sometimes these things are allowed to keep me close to God.

    I am glad I have him to lean on. I hope you know him too.

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  • snowsogal
    snowsogal Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2016

    Well, I am not happy you can relate. It also lets me know that this can happen, and apparently does happen more than we realize. I was hoping that all this would straighten itself out after chemotherapy, but maybe it will down the road. It is so easy to think it will last forever.

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  • snowsogal
    snowsogal Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2016

    Jacobs: I guess I need to believe that it might turn around, even though it has been almost 21/2 years. So, easy to think negative about all these issues. Please believe along with me if you will.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2016

    Snow - How about gelatin? During chemo I made sure my first meal after infusion contained gelatin. It's supposed to heal your gut. I would have homemade jello or bone broth.

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  • snowsogal
    snowsogal Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2016

    Serenity: What is bone broth, and where do you get it?

    Thanks for caring.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2016

    Bone broth is the result of simmering bones and cartilage to extract nutrients including collagen. It's the base of homemade chicken soup. Sometimes I would just have the broth from pho, a Vietnamese soup.

    http://wellnessmama.com/5888/how-to-make-bone-broth/

    Another food that's often used for healing is congee. You can use the bone broth in the recipe.

    http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-congee-226778

    I would often eat eggs and rice the first few days after infusion. It helps to settle stomachs for dogs, so I figured it would help me. Maybe you could try a few days of foods that are really easy to digest?

    Hope you can find relief soon.

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  • snowsogal
    snowsogal Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2016

    Hi Serenity: Thanks for the information in your posts. First of all, I am a survivor of over two years, so I am not receiving any chemotherapy, nor do I take Tamoxifen/AI. All these side effects have been way past my treatments.

    Thanks for caring.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2016

    Hi Snow - I understood that you are no longer under treatment. My suggestions were what I used to relieve/prevent GI problems that occurred immediately after my infusions. Any problems lasted a day or two at the most. It never got to the point that I needed medicine or a call to the hospital.

    Hope you find what works for you.

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  • mustlovepoodles
    mustlovepoodles Member Posts: 2,825
    edited December 2016

    I'm going to copy &paste something I posted on another thread.

    I had near-constant diarrhea during chemo and for 8 months after. I didn't want to eat anything, and especially not salads or anything fried. I mean I was going up to 7 times a day, hot water with bits; I never even had to engage my abdominal muscles--it just poured out (I know, TMI, but that's how bad it was.) Imodium was useless against it. There were many times that I didn't think I'd make it to a bathroom and, indeed, twice I DIDN'T make it. Thankfully, I was at home at the time. Shocked

    I finally went to see a GI doctor who said it was a micro-colitis caused by chemo. He prescribed Welchol, an old cholesterol drug not used much anymore because it's very common side effect is constipation. Constipation! I haven't been constipated a day in my life. Welchol has done the trick. I am not constipated, but my stools have returned to normal. If I forget to take the Welchol, sure enough, I'll start up the diarrhea again.

    Perhaps you can ask about Welchol. There's no need for diarrhea to be debilitating.


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  • snowsogal
    snowsogal Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2016

    Mustlovepoodle:

    Yes, I use to have diarrhea before chemo, and Welchol was wonderful. I was able to get off of Welchol, and just take probiotics to control it, but now probiotics are not working for these excessive bowel movements. Now I do not have constipation or diarrhea. I just have to many bowel movements in a day usually when I urinate. This was not like this before. Plus my stomach hurts too. GI doctor thinks it is IBS that flared up again after cancer treatments.

    My body system is so hypersensitive to medications now, that I take herbal supplements mostly. So far every med that the GI doctor has tried has made the stomach cramps worse.

    I think I might have something called (leaky gut), but I do not think doctors believe in this.


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  • snowsogal
    snowsogal Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2016

    S Jacobs: My stools are not soft, but hard. Although, I go every time I urinate a little, but I am not constipated. It just hurts to wipe yourself that many times during the day, and that area gets irritated and sore. Sorry for TMI just trying to explain how my digestive system has been after chemo and rads.

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  • snowsogal
    snowsogal Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2016

    Hi Clan,

    I mentioned your thought about maybe it is something else, but at this time the GI doctor does not think so.

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  • snowsogal
    snowsogal Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2016

    Hi Clan,

    Yes, I was concerned it was stomach/colon cancer, but they said I just had a all that checked a year ago; no problems with anything; so they did not really take to heart what I said.

    May have to press the issue next year.

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  • mustlovepoodles
    mustlovepoodles Member Posts: 2,825
    edited December 2016

    yeah, due to my gene mutations, i have to have a colonoscopy every 3 years. Lucky me.NOT.

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  • FightingTheFight
    FightingTheFight Member Posts: 75
    edited December 2016

    I still have one more chemo tx and completely relate to having excessive BMs. I was looking forward to my gut healing immediately after chemo. But I see now that might not happen.

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  • snowsogal
    snowsogal Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2016

    Fight,

    It may happen that your digestive system will go back to normal.  Do not lose hope yet.

    Everyone's system is different with these SE.

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