Burning after bowel movements is a common symptom for people undergoing many types of chemotherapy and especially following colon cancer treatments. These tips and tricks will hopefully help you survive burning bowel movements after chemo with a little more relief:
- Drink Lots of Water. Making sure that you’re well hydrated can reduce inflammation in the bowel movements.
- Talk to a Dietician. Colon cancer requires unique dietary changes because of the way that the colon impacts nutrient absorption and digestion. Creating dietary changes can assist with bowel movement problems and with the healing process. Talk to a dietician to create a plan that works for you and makes your bowel movements more comfortable.
- Sitz Bath with Epsom Salts. A sitz bath is a bath where you sit and soak in the water. A mildly temperature bath with salts can ease the pain and burning you’re feeling after a bowel movement.
- Perinatal Cooling Pads. These cooling pads can help aid in relieving the firey sensation you feel when you have a burning bowel movement after chemo. Check with your doctor to make sure any medicated pads won’t interact with your cancer treatments.
- Use a Bidet. While some people prefer cool water and others prefer warm water, cleaning with the bidet instead of toilet paper can reduce the irritation to your skin. Experiment with both temperatures and see what works best for you.
- Go Commando. Some fabrics can irritate the skin of your private parts. Going commando and wearing light dresses or loose-fitting clothing could assist with these troubles.
- Over-the-Counter Creams. Some commonly used creams include diaper rash cream with zinc oxide, lidocaine cream, aloe vera cream, and aquaphor. Check with your doctor to make sure these creams won’t interfere with your treatments.
- Prescription Creams. Sometimes doctors will prescribe antibiotic creams like silvadene for the burning. Check with your doctor to see if the burning you’re experiencing could be from an infection.
