Excessive tiredness after radiotherapy to the prostate

Hello

My husband has advanced metatastic prostate cancer with a gleeson of 9.  He is on hormone injections every 3 months and has completed chemotherapy. He completed a 4 week course of radiotherapy last week. His tiredness seems to have gone through the roof. he is also suffering from pain when he goes to the toilet, along with diahorrea or inability to go (even though he feels urgency). His mobility has got worse and I am wondering at what stage do we ask for help? how much tiredness is classed as excessive? Also is it normal to not have a scan after radiotherapy has finished. I cant ask my husband all this as he is having mood swings and I dont want to upset him.  Thank you in advance 

  • Hello and thanks for posting,

    The side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy can persist for a number of weeks or longer, after the treatment has finished. Also, hormone therapy can cause fatigue as a side effect, so it could be a combination of a few things at the same time. I would suggest that he makes contact with his hospital team/ hospital clinical nurse specialist and let them know what is going on for him. Diarrhoea can be related to having radiotherapy. Pain can be due to a urine infection as well, that may need antibiotics.

    The hospital team can prescribe medication to help. Or else discussing this with his GP who can also prescribe similar medications, and maybe test his urine for infection. Sometimes anaemia can cause fatigue, so his GP can do some routine blood tests to check him out. 

    I hope that this helps,

    Best wishes,

    Vanda