What Causes A Sudden Loss Of Balance While Walking Post Radiation Therapy For Cancer?

Posted on Sat, 3 Mar 2018

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 3 Mar 2018 Answered on

Thu, 7 Mar 2019 Last reviewed on

Question : My niece has been having radiation treatments for her cancer, today we went for a short walk and off balance, “wobbly” as she describes it Could this be a side effect of the radiation? She has received 22 GYs in the past two weeks.

Answered by Dr. Lekshmi Rita Venugopal (53 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Advice to check complete blood count

Detailed Answer:

Hello,

Some individuals in radiation therapy may experience fatigue and dizziness. Make sure that she stays hydrated all the time, eat frequent meals. Follow a healthy diet. I would also recommend getting a complete blood count and hemoglobin checked, as anemia can occur in patients receiving radiation. Anemia can also present as fatigue and dizziness.

Hope this answers your question.

Please let me know if you need further clarification.

Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Lekshmi Rita Venugopal (2 hours later)

She has passed several clots of blood today, what are some causes of this?

Answered by Dr. Lekshmi Rita Venugopal (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Follow up answer...

Detailed Answer:

Hello again,

Vaginal bleeding following radiation therapy is common. It can be due to damaged vaginal tissue or burst vaginal blood vessel due to radiation. Bleeding is especially common if she has used a dilator or engaged in sexual intercourse recently. Depending on the radiation, ovaries may heal fast and start functioning again which can result in menstrual bleeding too.

However, a pelvic examination is required to assess the vaginal status to identify the exact cause of bleeding.

Hope I have answered your query.

Regards,
Dr. Lekshmi Rita Venugopal, General & Family Physician

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T