Hello, I'm new

[tango58]

Hi I have not yet been diagnosed but have had IC symptoms since July. I thought it was a UTI but two rounds of antibiotics did nothing. I have had a pelvic ultrasound shows my bladder stays about half full after I go. I was on Elmiron for a month but developed severe abdominal pain and also skin sensitivites so my GP took me off that and gave me Ditropan which made me unable to go. I usuall have to go about 30 times a day and am up 4or5 times thru the night. I recently saw a uro and am scheduled for cysto/urodynamics test on Nov 1. I had to go to the er the other day for severe right flank pain. They did a CT Scan that showed I may have had a kidney stone and passed it but they didn't see any in there. They did say that my ureter was inflammed and that could be the cause of the flank pain. I am interested to know if any others have this symptom, I have a feeling under my ribcage bothsides of pressure and bloating. It is not painfull but very uncomfortable. I am a fairly fit person and I used to run and was doing step aerobics 5-7 times weekly and have been doing this for years. Know I can't even do a crunch because if I do I feel like I've bruised my ribs.

[ICNJess]

Hi Tango!

It does sound like you have IC, especially the part about bladder capacity. Many ICer's find that OAB medications enable retention. Anyway, I get flank pain frequently, but I passed a stone and suffered some nerve problems from it. Bloating is an unfortunate side effect of IC. (AKA The IC Bloat) For me, this signals a flare-up and symptoms, and it's time to find that baggy pair of pants and baggy shirt to curl up in. If you have any more questions, shoot for it and we'll all be glad to help. Welcome aboard!

Hugs,
Jess

[ICNDonna]

It's difficult to know if what you have is actually IC. It's not good that you are retaining so much in your bladder after urinating. Hopefully your uro will have some answers for you soon.

Warm welcoming hugs,
Donna

[Sarojini]

Just wanted to :welcome: you to the ICN, and wish you luck in your search for a diagnosis. It may be a rough road, but I'm sure you'll come through the whole thing just fine!! Good luck finding out what's going on with that bladder of yours... it IS abnormal to be retaining that much and I hope you can get it taken care of as soon as possible. :)

[ibtracy]

:welcome: :grouphug: Welcome to the ICN. I wish you much luck in your diagnosis journey. Keep us informed. Sarojini's right, even after diagnosis, once you do some research and find out what triggers your own flare ups, there is life with IC. There are alot of different treatment options out there so make sure to find a uro that's knowledgable with IC and the most recent treatments available.

Welcome....

Tracy