My experience has been a nightmare!

I had brachytherapy in 2004. Immediately, I had pain with urination, arrousal, and ejaculation. In July of 2005, I had pain in my bladder and genitals that dropped me to my knees. I went into the hospital in mid July, and by the end of August I had received an interthecal pump to manage the pain. Then it was 30 trips to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. I was finally sent home in Sept.

The pump helped, but copious amounts of oral narcotics were still required to make life tolerable. I had two serious infections at the back of my spine where the catheter went into the interthecal sac. After the second infection, I had to have the pump removed, and then went through withdrawls.

It is now 2008, and I still experience brutal pain with arousal and ejaculation. I haven't worked,( in fact I had to sell my business) since 2004. Even if I do nothing more than get aroused, I am in pain, and take several days to recover.

I wish I'd never gone through with the brachytherapy. I wish I'd had the surgery to have the cancer removed. This has been the most painful experience of my life, from day one! I've had bulged disc's and broken bones and they were nothing compared to this!

I hope you will reconsider the brachytherapy. And if you go through with it, I pray that you will not have the problems I have had to deal with!

Jon

I'm sorry to hear of your problems too. Of course, the surgery option can have problems too among them incontinence and ED -- which I guess you have not had. Although it seems the way you have been, ED would have been a blessing.

What do the doctors say about the pain? I guess they are saying "give it time". Are your brachy seeds still active? I guess they should be fairly feeble by now -- so let's hope that when the radiation is completely done, your distressing symptoms will also disappear.

Then you may be glad you have an intact, although beaten-up prostate, and nerves that still work. Here's hoping....

Hi jonjustjon,
We have had a few here with adverse side effects with brachytherapy. I think yours is the worst description, but be it known. There are no side effect free treatments for this cancer. I fared well with surgery in the sense that I healed well. But the surgery failed as I had advancing disease. The hormone therapy for me was the worst. I am still on it, and no libido, no sex. I guess what I am saying is that you case is unfortunate. And it is more pronounced than others here who have had difficulty with brachytherapy. It is possible the doctor did not perform well, but the truth be told, it is simply bad luck to be the patient that the doctors performing this procedure warn you about before treatment. You have my prayers that you recover in time. Welcome, and stay with us. Your story is one to be heard.

Tony

Wow, what a nightmare!  I am so sorry that you have had such a worst-case experience with brachytherapy.  The vast majority of men who choose this treatment do just fine, with minimal side effects.

Anything can happen, as readers of the fine print on medication information sheets can attest.  I hope that you can get some follow up medical treatment that addresses the problems you are experiencing.

By the way, welcome to the forum.  There are some helpful folks here and a variety of experiences with all kinds of treatments--older, newer, and investigational--and side effects.

Thanks to all, for suggestions and support. Let me try to give you a bit more info. re: my case.

Jon


Age now: 56
Diagnosed at age 51.
Gleason 3/3
T2A_NO-Mo
PSA of 4.8
Cancer in 8 out of 18 cores, volume on ultrasound was 40cc's
Brachtherapy performed for Adenocarcinoma at Kaiser Roseville Hospital- Performed by Dr.Goldman, Drl Linert, and Dr. Workman
38 need'es of iodine-125 seeds placing 108 seeds
Consult before procedure at UCSF with Dr. Shinohara, and after procedure with the decision to place the interthecal pump
Pump implanted at Kaiser San Francisco in 10/05 by Dr. McKendry