Interstitial Cystitis

[5lilfish]

My GYN and now the Urologist feel that I may have Interstitial Cystitis. Over the next 2 weeks, I am having 3 tests done to confirm this diagnosis.

I know that a few people on this board have IC. I was wondering if my symptoms sound familiar?.... Since Dec, I have been on antibiotics 4 times for a supposed UTI. I had bladder spasms, urge to go, full bladder feeling and pain but it never hurt to go. I did have some burning when I was not going. The antiobiotics (2 rounds of cipro and 2 rounds of nitrofuritoin) did nothing to ease these symptoms. Even after 25 plus days on antibiotics I still test negative to growth but positive to bacteria and white blood cells and I still have all the above symptoms. I've also had a couple drops of red blood when wiping (sorry about TMI)...maybe pencil eraser size. one other symptom that I have noticed and want to know if its related...I have this tugging, full feeling in my lower abdomen. it's very uncomfortable.

I go for 2 of my tests on the 25th and the 3rd test on the 28th. I am also going back to my GYN tomorrow and may have a cervical biopsy done. I am trying not to be too freaked-out about that. I keep telling myself that I just had my yearly (last month). My PAP was normal and the doctor did not see anything that concerned him. I think he is only doing the biopsy because of the spotting...not sure if it is coming from the urethra (due to all the urology issues) or from elsewhere.

Thanks for any info...
Jess

 

[5lilfish]

going to bump

 

[rie'smom]

Tugging and spasms sound like my symptoms. Those almost unbearable spasms are always my first symptom of a bladder infection. I've always said labor pains were nothing in comparison and I was in labor for 22 hours.
The blood is likely from a bladder infection.
Good luck to you with the tests.

 

[5lilfish]

Tugging and spasms sound like my symptoms. Those almost unbearable spasms are always my first symptom of a bladder infection. I've always said labor pains were nothing in comparison and I was in labor for 22 hours.
The blood is likely from a bladder infection.
Good luck to you with the tests.

Thanks. The spasms are annoying, but it is the full/tugging feeling that makes me most nervous. IC does not sound fun at all, but I'll be happy to know it isn't something even worse.

Jess

 

[4forMe]

My GYN and now the Urologist feel that I may have Interstitial Cystitis. Over the next 2 weeks, I am having 3 tests done to confirm this diagnosis.

I know that a few people on this board have IC. I was wondering if my symptoms sound familiar?.... Since Dec, I have been on antibiotics 4 times for a supposed UTI. I had bladder spasms, urge to go, full bladder feeling and pain but it never hurt to go. I did have some burning when I was not going. The antiobiotics (2 rounds of cipro and 2 rounds of nitrofuritoin) did nothing to ease these symptoms. Even after 25 plus days on antibiotics I still test negative to growth but positive to bacteria and white blood cells and I still have all the above symptoms. I've also had a couple drops of red blood when wiping (sorry about TMI)...maybe pencil eraser size. one other symptom that I have noticed and want to know if its related...I have this tugging, full feeling in my lower abdomen. it's very uncomfortable.

I go for 2 of my tests on the 25th and the 3rd test on the 28th. I am also going back to my GYN tomorrow and may have a cervical biopsy done. I am trying not to be too freaked-out about that. I keep telling myself that I just had my yearly (last month). My PAP was normal and the doctor did not see anything that concerned him. I think he is only doing the biopsy because of the spotting...not sure if it is coming from the urethra (due to all the urology issues) or from elsewhere.

Thanks for any info...
Jess

Intersitial cystitis can manifest in different ways. Some people have mostly bladder/pelvic pain, some have constant feelings of urge to go (mine) and others have a combination of symptoms. Your symptoms sound like they might be IC. The illness tends to be one of exclusion - they have to rule everything else out. I also had to have the cervical biopsy as I always had blood in my urine when I went for testing (invisible to the naked eye, though).

If you do have intersitial cystitis, the first thing they will recommend is to change your diet. I cried when I first saw the list of forbidden foods (coffee, chocolate, red wine, citrus, soda, beer and any carbonated beverages, berries, etc). What I learned, though, after going off these things and slowly reintroducing them is that some items affect me much worse than others. I can have the occasional glass of red wine. However, anything with lemon or orange in it will send me into a full blown relapse of symptoms.

Also, they will probably put you on medication. I take three daily for the last 5 years (Elmiron to reline the bladdder - going off it soon as it's done it's job), low dose of elavil (no more getting up in the middle of the night to go), and Allegra (an antihistamine as one of the theories is that histamines aggrevate the bladder).

Between my medication and changing my diet, my symptoms have improved dramatically. There is no cure to IC. It will require a lifestyle change and monitoring. I feel SO much better now than prior to diagnosis.

I suggest you join the IC-network. It's a wonderful message board for people diagnosed with IC. Here is the link:

http://www.ic-network.com/forum/


Good luck and hope this helps.