Apple cider vinegar is a surprising help

DEAR DR. ROACH >> Recently, I had anal cancer and was treated with chemo and radiation. The radiation burned my insides, severely damaging most of my internal organs.

One of the aftereffects was occasional blood and small clots in my urine. A few months ago, both the frequency and the amount of blood, especially the clots, increased dramatically. The size and number of clots got so large that they blocked my urethra.

During a visit to my urologist, he looked into my bladder, declaring it “angry.” Then he told me the same thing every doctor has told me about every problem caused by my treatment: “It was caused by the radiation, and there is nothing that can be done.”

Shortly after this, I began to take unfiltered apple cider vinegar in hopes that it would improve my digestive problems. It helped a little, but the big difference was that I have not had a single recurrence of either blood or clots in my urine. Can you tell me if this is due to the vinegar or just a coincidence?

DEAR READER >> No, I can’t definitively tell you whether the vinegar helped. It was probably by chance, but let me explain a little about it.

Rectal cancer is often treated with radiation, or combined chemotherapy and radiation, either prior to or after surgery. The dose of radiation is quite high compared to some other cancers, and the complications can be significant. In addition to damage to the bowel and bladder, radiation treatment can damage the bones and bone marrow, leading to poor blood cell production; infertility; premature menopause; and more cancer years later. On the other hand, radiation is used when it is expected to improve the cure rate of cancer. Still, the side effects can be challenging.

Hemorrhagic cystitis (bleeding from the bladder) can be caused by chemotherapy or radiation. It may start within a few months or as long as 20 years after radiation.

I am surprised your urologist did not offer any treatments, as there are certainly treatments available.

I was unable to find any study that evaluated the effectiveness of apple cider vinegar.