The effects of hydrogen and proton irradiation on stacking fault formation in 4H-SiC are investigated by an optical pump-probe method of imaging spectroscopy. We report optically stimulated nucleation and expansion of stacking faults (SFs) in 0.6 keV H-2(+) implanted n-/n+ and p+/n-/n+ structures. The activation enthalpy for recombination enhanced dislocation glide (REDG) in hydrogenated samples (∼ 0.25 eV) is found to be similar to that in a virgin material. Our results indicate that SFs mainly nucleate at the internal n-/n+ interface, beyond reach of hydrogen, thus justifying minor SF passivation effect. No REDG could be initiated optically in 2.5 MeV proton irradiated samples due to radiation defects providing alternative recombination channels to bypass the REDG mechanism. The radiation damage was verified by DLTS, revealing several new levels below E-C in the range 0.4-0.80 eV, and by PL, showing the onset of D-center related luminescence band and concurrent increase of the nonradiative recombination rate.