icnmgrjill
12-10-2004, 01:17 PM
Well, it's officially flu season in California. Between sore throats, sneezes, temperatures and painful coughs, we're feeling quite battered. This is only my second afternoon back after being in bed for almost five days straight. :dizzy: You know that feeling when you go away to college for the first time... and, upon coming home, you're shocked to discover that your family did just fine without you. Well, that's how I feel about the ICN. It's such a great comfort to know that we have such marvelous people watching over us. From our moderators & supermoderators to the calming force of Donna (the quintessential support group leader & board manager), we are in good hands. :angel: Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
Each day, I receive a number of news alerts on IC. Today, we had a great announcement... the publication of Michael Chancellors research study using BOTOX. Yes, we've heard about it before. But, with publication in the Journal of Urology this month, it has the potential of giving more patients and physicians an opportunity to treat the pain of IC. :) What was remarkable about the study is that it showed that Botox not only effects the nerves which are associated with muscle tissue, it also can help shut down the nerves which promote pain. This can be a good thing. Unfortunately, the study is VERY small and further research is still needed before we can get too excited. But, it's a promising start indeed!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15533466
Didn't take me long to wonder what other articles were released this month, thus a quick trip over to the pubmed website (National Library of Medicine) to do a search on IC! Aha! More juicy studies worth looking at... a few which have left me scratching my head. :hmm:
Take, for example, a study which concluded: "IC patients had significantly higher scores for the seven urinary symptoms compared to controls." Ummmmmmm.... can we say Duh???? :rolleyes:
MK Chung (Midwest Regional Center for Chronic Pelvic Pain), released what I consider to be an extremely important study demonstrating that women who have had hysterectomy for pelvic pain... responded to some bladder therapies. He concludes: "In this study, nonsurgical treatment for interstitial cystitis resulted in a marked improvement in symptoms that had not improved with surgery. Without determining the origin of bladder pain, gynecologists should not proceed to hysterectomy in patients with chronic pelvic pain." Finally!! Someone says it outloud! :idea:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15554275
Dr. Stanley Zaslau (WVU) has been studying a potential new use of elmiron (pentosan) in breast cancer patients. Their study found that Elmiron inhibited one type of breast cancer cell.. which was very exciting indeed. I first heard about this earlier this year. But, their data also found that it caused an increase in growth of another type of cell. Thus, he concludes that Elmiron should be used, with caution, in IC patients who have breast cancer. :shake:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15546576
There's more... but I'm tired and must go! :dizzy: Go check out the studies at pubmed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
That's the news from the ICN offices, where the christmas tree is sparkling, the sun is gently setting and the weekend beckons. If you haven't yet, put up some holiday lights (even just battery lighted candle in a window) and enjoy the season! If you make someone else smile, you've done your good deed for the day. :smile tee
Jill :)
Each day, I receive a number of news alerts on IC. Today, we had a great announcement... the publication of Michael Chancellors research study using BOTOX. Yes, we've heard about it before. But, with publication in the Journal of Urology this month, it has the potential of giving more patients and physicians an opportunity to treat the pain of IC. :) What was remarkable about the study is that it showed that Botox not only effects the nerves which are associated with muscle tissue, it also can help shut down the nerves which promote pain. This can be a good thing. Unfortunately, the study is VERY small and further research is still needed before we can get too excited. But, it's a promising start indeed!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15533466
Didn't take me long to wonder what other articles were released this month, thus a quick trip over to the pubmed website (National Library of Medicine) to do a search on IC! Aha! More juicy studies worth looking at... a few which have left me scratching my head. :hmm:
Take, for example, a study which concluded: "IC patients had significantly higher scores for the seven urinary symptoms compared to controls." Ummmmmmm.... can we say Duh???? :rolleyes:
MK Chung (Midwest Regional Center for Chronic Pelvic Pain), released what I consider to be an extremely important study demonstrating that women who have had hysterectomy for pelvic pain... responded to some bladder therapies. He concludes: "In this study, nonsurgical treatment for interstitial cystitis resulted in a marked improvement in symptoms that had not improved with surgery. Without determining the origin of bladder pain, gynecologists should not proceed to hysterectomy in patients with chronic pelvic pain." Finally!! Someone says it outloud! :idea:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15554275
Dr. Stanley Zaslau (WVU) has been studying a potential new use of elmiron (pentosan) in breast cancer patients. Their study found that Elmiron inhibited one type of breast cancer cell.. which was very exciting indeed. I first heard about this earlier this year. But, their data also found that it caused an increase in growth of another type of cell. Thus, he concludes that Elmiron should be used, with caution, in IC patients who have breast cancer. :shake:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15546576
There's more... but I'm tired and must go! :dizzy: Go check out the studies at pubmed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
That's the news from the ICN offices, where the christmas tree is sparkling, the sun is gently setting and the weekend beckons. If you haven't yet, put up some holiday lights (even just battery lighted candle in a window) and enjoy the season! If you make someone else smile, you've done your good deed for the day. :smile tee
Jill :)