I'm confused about your doctor's theories.

Xrays used in the planning stage are a tiny fraction of the intensity
of xrays used in treatment.  Can they actually do enough damage
to cause painful urination?

And I thought an elevated white blood cell count was generally a
sign of infection because white blood cells are produced by the body
to fight infection.

I experienced a mild "burning" pain in the penis when urinating, but
only after a lot more than two treatments.  Later, after a combination
of external beam plus high dose rate brachytherapy radiation, I experienced
(and still experience a couple of weeks later) difficulty in urination
which,
in its extreme form, made me feel like I was going to bust my
bladder trying to get it out.  I got a lot of relief from a drug called
"Flowmax".  I am told this problem should get better over the next
couple of weeks.  I think it has improved slightly and I'm hopeful
that I'll be able to stop the Flowmax in another couple of weeks.

I have also experienced pain in the rectum and around the anus.
In the rectum, I got a pretty aggravated hemmorhoid that caused
bleeding and sharp pain with bowel movements, but that has cleared
up now and never had anything to do with urination.  I also got
something like a skin burn near the anus.  But that's clearing up too
and also had nothing to do with urination.

I can't help wondering if you have a urinary infection that is
unrelated to the radiation.

I was given an antibiotic, Levofloxacin, for 10 days, starting
three days before each of my brachytherapies.  I was getting
external beam radiation during most of the time that the
antibiotic was in my system.  No one said anything about it
conflicting with the radiation.

All of this information is only peripherally related to your
symptoms, but I hope it's of at least a little use to you.

Good luck.

   Alan

I suspect a bladder infection. But if he has ruled that out??????? I don't
know. I do know that often the prostate swells and that can cause some
painful urination. I think my hubby became the king of that side-effect! And
yes he did manage to pick up a urinary track infection along the way but
that is a whole 'nother story. Maybe you were spilling some protein in the
urine not white cells. That would be very normal after radiation. I'm not
sure why but it is normal. There are several meds that they use for
urination problems, Flomax is one and two is Hytrin and a third is Proscar
( I hope I spelled that correctly). The third one is not used very often.
Hytrin is cheaper and is prescribed more. Seems to me you also might be
experiencing some pain from swelling putting pressure on a nerve. That could
send pain in several directions. Occasionally they will write a script for
something like valium to help you relax . BTDT, didn't work. Sometimes there
are some things you just have to manage to get through somehow. Wish I had
some great cure - at least my hubby would have liked one. I can say this it
has been 21 months since my husband finished his treatment. Only
occasionally now do I ever hear him groan when he begins to urinate and it
is a very mild groan. But there was a time I thought he'd pass out trying to
get through the pain every time he visited the bathroom. His was pain from
the prostate swelling and putting pressure on a nerve.

Do try to eliminate things like caffeine from your diet. They claim that
really can make a difference. Of course my hubby would never listen to such
advice and continued to drink a few pots of coffee a day. Hytrin did help
and he had to take his around the clock not just at night. That and naprosyn
(Rx strength) seemed to give him some relief but not much.

You've got to talk to your doctor. I've learned a long time ago that
everyone's pain threshold is different and you've got to let your doctor
know when it is beyond your ability to tolerate. They can find some thing to
help you through this. It is temporary. Have you considered checking with
your PCP to see if he agrees with the radiologist's opinion about the white
cell count if it is a white cell count?
Bev

The possible side effects, as you have surely been told, are bowel and
urethra irritation.  However, you'd have to be very sensitive to radiation
to have them already in the first two weeks.

I drank gallons of water, walked 3-5 miles 3-5 times a week and slept an
extra hour every night.  Slight diarrhea set in about week 5 and slight
burning upon urination about Week 6 or 7.

Well, I'm late with this reply because Steph radiation oncologist (on
alt.support.cancer) left for a week.
He just returned.
I asked him if radiation could cause your troubles and if antibiotics would
interfere with your treatments.

His response:
"Quite possibly is the radiation.
Antibiotics are fine.
Urispas may also help"
J