When I was pregnant with my two I had terrible trouble with piles… bit of cream and a few applications later all was well.
After this last chemo my belly has been a bit harder than usual and I have noticed that I am bleeding when I go to the toilet proper…if you get my drift…
Now, there is nothing that is showing that I can apply cream to or anything like that but what I wanted to knoe is should I mention it to someone? What should I do…or should I ignore it…
They don’t hurt…no other trouble with the botty area other than when I go to the loo…
I would say you’ve got internal piles - ifs its fresh blood (i.e. bright red instead of dark!), then I really wouldnt worry. I suffered the same unfortunately, and like you had terrible piles when I was pregnant with my two too !
If you can, try and insert some cream inside (if you know what I mean!).
God this is so graphic, it’s making me laugh, I’m sorry !!
For the first time in my life I too am having a problem with farmer giles. I think it is the steroids and also the anti-sickness drugs. They make you constipated. Certainly they did me! Then Voila! Blood comes from my botty evertime I go for a didgery doo, even though I am soon due chemo again so no longer constipated and suffering the effects of the drugs.
Suggest you do as I am doing and invest in Anasol suppositories and use twice a day, it seems to have relieved the problem but know it will all begin again next thursday.
Also suffering with piles, we all seem to have all the same things in common. I use a chemist cream which can be inserted inside. It seems to be working. Mine is always worse the 3 days that i have to take anti-sickness and steriods at the start of each cycle. Then it settles down again. My nurse said not to worry as long as the blood was fresh like Julie41 said earlier. My surgery is brill and if i have any problems i just ring and ask to speak to the practice nurse. They know my situation so try to sort out as much as possible over the phone, they are fantastic. I am sure your gp surgery would give you advice over the phone if you don’t feel like getting up there.
No-one says anything about the indignity when they get you to sign that consent form! Hang on in there folks, it’ll soon all be a distant memory. Oh and you can ask for lactulose to help prevent the problem…
Sarah
XXX
My wife is on the TACT2 trial. She has had accelerated epirubicin and is now on CMF. Like some of you, since starting on CMF she has chronic piles, but has not got much relief from Anusol or Proctosedyl. Has anything else worked?
I would phone the surgery but there are some things that are far too personal! I live in a small place in the countryside… and if you know anything about Sweden you will know you can’t be anonymous in the countryside…LOL
This has made me burst into fits of giggles…so sorry… terrible things seem to be the funniest things sometimes.
I hope we are all pile free and able to carry on as normal VERY soon.
My tums never been brilliant, but chemo has dome me in completely. I’ve done my last chemo (last Weds, yipee) but after number 7 I was so constipated that I phoned my GP and wept like a baby. I think the whole sorry year all came to a head cause I couldn’t poo! Anyway, my GP was brilliant, and expalined what the Onc never has - apparently chemo inflames your bowel and slows down your digestive system, so constipation is likely anyway. Then, add your anti sickness meds and steroids, which cause constipation (hello, piles), then if you are anything like me, your diet is shocking - it gets me through the grim days to eat rubbish - and you aren’t doing much excercise (any wonder the little *"%! bleed). When I asked my Onc about the bleeding piles her view was that once chemo is over things will recover and there’s no point treating them now. I was prescribed lactulose, sennakot and movicol and the combo does the trick, keeping things moving.
Thanks a lot Jane - what you say fits. (No - the onc didn’t tell us either!)
Thanks for the reminder:
*** lactulose, sennakot and movicol - the combo does the trick - keeping things moving ***
When my wife was severely constipated and we asked for dynamite, the mix above certainly got her going again (although it seemed as painful as childbirth at the time !!!). She’s taking 2 sachets of Movicol a day now and it is certainly keeping her ‘soft’ and moving…
Just wish the piles responded to treatment - she’s got another 3 months of chemo …
I think this is a common problem and I’ve found the docs won’t take it seriously but it is totally horrendous - I wish I could inflict that pain on the docs who all say but they are very small piles - well you should have them I always think!!
I’ve used proctosyl suppositories and cream which used to work, then moved onto anusol on prescription as that has the hydrocortisone in which you need to actually shrink the piles. I’ve also been given rectogesic which is the same thing that is gi9ven for angina. It works really well but has a nasty side effect of a bad headache for about 15 mins and you have to use a gloved or clingfilmed finger to put it in but it works really well at shrinking them. I’ve also been given lignocaine gel to use when they were really bad so go back to the doc and ask for either anusol with hydrocortisone, rectogesic or ligncaine.
I used rectogesic for about a week and they’ve shrunk really well that I’ve forgotten they’re there now!!!
I get so anaemic on chemo and I don’t want to lose more blood each time I go to the loo!!
Good luck ladies
Kate
God I can relate to all of you - its a horrible horrible side effect - I thought my wee bum was going to rip open once - lol - thought I was giving birth - came out in a cold sweat and everything - sometimes we have to laugh - but sure was not laughing at the time.
Penultimate chemo tomorrow so hopefully not long before everything returns to normal - whatever that is!!
Ice helps when things are really bad - at least if your bum’s frozen you can’t feel much! The midwives at our hospital used to freeze water in the fingers of rubber gloves - just the right shape!
And for long term sufferers, I hear the surgery is a much easier option nowadays than it used to be…
Good luck for tomorrow, Fiona - can’t believe the end is in sight.
Sarah
XXX
I had awful piles while on chemo, it got to the ppoint where i was reduced to tears when needed the loo and i tried to avoiud eating. i found the cream was great but i also got prescibed suppositires which really really helped. you should tell doctor or nurse as they can advise you further. i know how uncomfortable piles can be and can assure you it dies pass. also drink lots of water and eat more fruit, ie apples, prunes, figs, pineapple.
I know what you mean by not wanting to eat…but the chemo makes me eat ALL THE TIME… liquid diet for the Boo…tis the only way to go… now frozen glove fingers…that might actually ease the pain…numb bum and all that… what a terrible topic to joke about…hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha