Potassium Test Results

[kate118]

Hello Ladies,

I am doing alot of reading tonight and just wanted to share with you that your potassium test can be negative and you can still have IC....mine was negative, I went thru an additional 5 months of agony because the doctor relied fully on it for the diagnosis....be sure to get the Hydro done!

[Nadine_in_MA]

I had heard that myself. I had a mild reaction to the potassium test, but enough for my doc to be confident in starting the meds. I also had horrible urethral pain with the potassium test. I felt like I was on fire for about 3 hours afterwards!
Thanks, Kate!
Love and hugs,
Nadine

[Katrina]

I so hope diagnosing IC makes more sense and definate soon. You can have a negative Hydro and still have IC too....so basically one negative on either test is not a sure thing you don't have IC. I am one who thinks our own intuition means a lot too so listen to your gut! Hopefully things will be more definate in time.

[Stella1609]

Sorry you went through so much pain {{{{HUGS********. My uro diagnoses based on symptoms only, since neither the hydro nor the pst are 100% accurate and both can cause a lot of pain (even for people who DON'T have IC). From what I'm hearing, a lot of the IC specialists are saying the same thing. At least they are recognizing that we do hurt!

Laura

[mallenajolie]

Hi:

Like you, I had a negative reaction after the K+, (potassium test). I was told that it was diet related. It was till another three months till I gave in and had a hydro, and then I was told I really have IC (bad glomerations).

[Jeanne D.]

Hello All:

Like many of you I presented to my uro with classic symptoms of IC. I had burning, frequency, urgency, hematuria, nocturia, bladder pain, and a negative urine culture. Upon cystoscopy, with NO hydro, pinpoint glomerulations, hunner's ulcers, leukoplakia, granulomas, and inflammation could be seen.

Luckily for me my uro did a biopsy before he started any treatments. I do not have IC, I have eosinophilic cystitis. Had he gone only by my symptoms, I surely would have been misdiagnosed and mistreated. Changing my diet would not have helped -- food and beverages do not affect me, a hydro would have caused severe bleeding, the potassium test would most likely have caused severe pain - possibly leading to a wrong diagnosis.

My point here is: many of our symptoms and our response to diagnostic tests present differently. Many different tests may have to be performed before a diagnosis can be made. If your tests are inconclusive, and your symptoms persist, seek professional advice until you get the answers you need. These diseases and their symptoms are REAL. No one should have to suffer because their MD relies on only one or two tests to make a diagnosis and start treatment.

Jeanne