I have had a problem for 4 months. My lower back hurts, my left side hurts, and I pee alot. I went to the ER when it first happened and they swore up and doen it was an STD. Then my results came back negative. Then I was diagnosed with PID, which I ended up not having. I went to my gyn who thought it was endometriosis. It wasn't that either. So I went to see another doctor who told me I had a pulled muscle. Then I went to my PCP who gave me anti biotics for PID and a UTI. I had neither. Finally, I went to see a urologist and she said I have Interstitail Cystitis. Does anyone have any info on this? Does anyone have this? If so, can you tell me what is working to help the symptoms for you. Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder wall. Interstitial cystitis is not due to an infection. If you are female and sexually active you have a greater chance of getting this. (50x more than men) It has to do with the close proximity to the anus is part of it. Plus the female urethra is so short. If you have had babies you may have had damage to your urethra, any catheterizations, surgeries or diabetes mellitus can cause in increase in chances. Frequent intercourse and poorly fitting diaphragms as well as use of spermicide can aggravate this. It is uncommon in children and teenagers. Pregnancy increases the risk. It is common in middle aged women, ie menopause.
Treatment would include avoiding alcohol, and caffeine, carbonated beverages. Drink cranberry juice, lots of water.
It is best to empty the bladder when you get the urge.
there is no single best treatment for interstitial cystitis, anti-inflammatories can give some relief, antispasmodics, antihistamines have varying relief as well.
It is a pain to have. Good luck Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a condition that results in recurring discomfort or pain in the bladder and the surrounding pelvic region. The symptoms vary from case to case and even in the same individual. People may experience mild discomfort, pressure, tenderness, or intense pain in the bladder and pelvic area. Symptoms may include an urgent need to urinate (urgency), a frequent need to urinate (frequency), or a combination of these symptoms. Pain may change in intensity as the bladder fills with urine or as it empties. Women's symptoms often get worse during menstruation. They may sometimes experience pain with vaginal intercourse.
Because IC varies so much in symptoms and severity, most researchers believe that it is not one, but several diseases. In recent years, scientists have started to use the term painful bladder syndrome (PBS) to describe cases with painful urinary symptoms that may not meet the strictest definition of IC. The term IC / PBS includes all cases of urinary pain that can't be attributed to other causes, such as infection or urinary stones. The term interstitial cystitis, or IC, is used alone when describing cases that meet all of the IC criteria established by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
In IC / PBS, the bladder wall may be irritated and become scarred or stiff. Glomerulations (pinpoint bleeding caused by recurrent irritation) often appear on the bladder wall. Hunner's ulcers are present in 10 percent of patients with IC. Some people with IC / PBS find that their bladders cannot hold much urine, which increases the frequency of urination. Frequency, however, is not always specifically related to bladder size; many people with severe frequency have normal bladder capacity. People with severe cases of IC / PBS may urinate as many as 60 times a day, including frequent nighttime urination (nocturia).
IC / PBS is far more common in women than in men. Of the estimated 1 million Americans with IC, up to 90 percent are women.
What causes IC?
Some of the symptoms of IC / PBS resemble those of bacterial infection, but medical tests reveal no organisms in the urine of patients with IC / PBS. Furthermore, patients with IC / PBS do not respond to antibiotic therapy. Researchers are working to understand the causes of IC / PBS and to find effective treatments.
In recent years, researchers have isolated a substance found almost exclusively in the urine of people with interstitial cystitis. They have named the substance antiproliferative factor, or APF, because it appears to block the normal growth of the cells that line the inside wall of the bladder. Researchers anticipate that learning more about APF will lead to a greater understanding of the causes of IC and to possible treatments.
Researchers are beginning to explore the possibility that heredity may play a part in some forms of IC. In a few cases, IC has affected a mother and a daughter or two sisters, but it does not commonly run in families.
What are the treatments for IC / PBS?
Scientists have not yet found a cure for IC / PBS, nor can they predict who will respond best to which treatment. Symptoms may disappear without explanation or coincide with an event such as a change in diet or treatment. Even when symptoms disappear, they may return after days, weeks, months, or years. Scientists do not know why.
Because the causes of IC / PBS are unknown, current treatments are aimed at relieving symptoms. Many people are helped for variable periods by one or a combination of the treatments. As researchers learn more about IC / PBS, the list of potential treatments will change, so patients should discuss their options with a doctor.
Bladder Distention
Many patients have noted an improvement in symptoms after a bladder distention has been done to diagnose IC / PBS. In many cases, the procedure is used as both a diagnostic test and initial therapy.
Researchers are not sure why distention helps, but some believe that it may increase capacity and interfere with pain signals transmitted by nerves in the bladder. Symptoms may temporarily worsen 24 to 48 hours after distention, but should return to predistention levels or improve within 2 to 4 weeks.
Bladder Instillation
During a bladder instillation, also called a bladder wash or bath, the bladder is filled with a solution that is held for varying periods of time, averaging 10 to 15 minutes, before being emptied.
The only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for bladder instillation is dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, RIMSO-50). DMSO treatment involves guiding a narrow tube called a catheter up the urethra into the bladder. A measured amount of DMSO is passed through the catheter into the bladder, where it is retained for about 15 minutes before being expelled. Treatments are given every week or two for 6 to 8 weeks and repeated as needed. Most people who respond to DMSO notice improvement 3 or 4 weeks after the first 6- to 8-week cycle of treatments. Highly motivated patients who are willing to catheterize themselves may, after consultation with their doctor, be able to have DMSO treatments at home. Self-administration is less expensive and more convenient than going to the doctor's office.
Doctors think DMSO works in several ways. Because it passes into the bladder wall, it may reach tissue more effectively to reduce inflammation and block pain. It may also prevent muscle contractions that cause pain, frequency, and urgency.
A bothersome but relatively insignificant side effect of DMSO treatments is a garlic-like taste and odor on the breath and skin that may last up to 72 hours after treatment. Long-term treatment has caused cataracts in animal studies, but this side effect has not appeared in humans. Blood tests, including a complete blood count and kidney and liver function tests, should be done about every 6 months. |
