When do radiation side effects typically start?

Radiation side effects can show up at different times for different people, and some may appear gradually during treatment or even a few weeks after the final session, so it helps to keep checking in with the care team about anything new. Congratulations on getting so close to the finish line of prostate cancer radiation, and feeling good along the way is worth celebrating. Sharing questions like this helps others in the community who are wondering the same thing, and anyone is welcome to add what they have noticed during or after treatment.

I had 26 sessions from May-July 2024. I felt pretty good throughout treatment and for a while after. About 3 weeks after my last treatment I started noticing more fatigue and loss of balance. I had started Lupron and abiraterone before the radiation and so it was difficult to say what was causing which symptoms. It was decided to take me off of abiraterone at that time. It seemed to help somewhat with the balance issues but I still had fatigue and some mental brain fog. By December I started radiation rehab therapy, wish I had heard of and started this much sooner! Various mental and physical exercises, counseling, and explanations of what was happening helped me a lot! Also diet recommendations- more protein! And yogurt to reestablish friendly microbes in your gut! Some people don't get as many side effects, some get a lot more. Perhaps there will be more input from others on this thread. Good luck!