HOw long did your side effects from radiation hang on after your treatments were over?

Doogie

I still have a lack of taste, low saliva output, my sense of smell is minimal, and a basket full of other side effects around my head and neck. My side effects are primarily from radiation to the head and neck, but side effects from other types of cancer are similar. What side effects do you have that are still having trouble, and for what type of cancer was it? I'm hoping mine will subside sooner than later.

GregP_WN

Some of mine began to improve immediately after treatment stopped. Others were like on the stove simmering until they reached a full boil and blew up. Those were like throat needing to be stretched so I could swallow, Carotid artery problems, dental issues, teeth falling apart, damage to the neck area from radiation to the point of the scars feeling like leather. Problems in turning me head, restrictions in range of motion with my head. So, I guess my answer is some problems right away, other problems never go away.

meyati

Maybe some of your meds are causing the dry mouth. A pharmacy nurse could help you with that.

Also some problems take time to develop and get worse. My cancer site was my nose, upper mouth. It took about 6 years for the radiation to finish cooking my eye lids. The oil glands are burnt out. My eyelids are red from burnt out capillaries that circulate blood. I spend over an hour a day just oiling my eyes, using damp warm compresses, etc.

Your mouth is probably what it is. I looked at your profile and I think it said you had treatment 5 years ago? or you were diagnosed 5 years ago?

My biggest problem was balance--it took me about an hour to get socks and shoes on. If I didn't fall over putting my first sock on I was happy, but it gave me a horrible headache. I'd walk around with one sock on. I'd feel better and get the next sock on. I can bend over and pick up trash or pull a weed now-

My mouth wasn't affected. They had to stop radiation for a week because the inside of my mouth was burning, and I had sores. Anyway, we all have different radiologists, bodies that react differently, different types of cancers at different stages and sites.

My actual radiation was 15 seconds of super high dose. Before it started, I was told that I had a very good chance of dying from radiation. People with prostrate cancer had a low-slow burn for about 20 plus minutes-so the whole visit was about an hour.

LiveWithCancer

The only side effect I had from radiation was fatigue. And that lasted for a long time - a year or more ...

banditwalker

I had chest radiation from breast cancer. It's been 6 years since my radiation treatments. I still feel exhausted but I don't know if that is from ongoing side effects of rads or just depression from the way my life has taken a down turn since then. I had slight loss of smell and taste but am fine with that now. It only lasted a couple of months. Those were the immediate side effects. Long term side effects, for me, is I have partial hearing and sight loss on the side of my rads. And permanent nerve damage in my arm.

Fridges

I lost my voicebox due to cancer in 2007. I had 35 radiation treatments and about halfway through them I was losing my taste. After about 5 years I had regained, or retaught, myself to taste.
Also, I lost the majority of my teeth over an 8 year timespan but luckily my jawbone is unaffected according to my dentist.