Concidering Hydrodistention

[lilbluedevil82]

Hello everyone...
I have been on Emliron now for almost 4 months and no results...I go see my doctor on Firday and am wondering what to do....Should I ask him to do the hydrodistention? There are so many options and so many things that can be done and everyone is so different...but it does seem that the hydrodistention is something that most do....I guess that is the only way to really know that it is IC! What is the hydrodistention like? What do you feel like after? How long do you need to recover? Do the doctors keep you in the hospital or do you go home the same day? I guess I have alot of questions to ask him on Friday! I am kinda nervous about it....any words of wisdom from any of you other ICers are welcome!

[Debgail]

HI jAIME,I know it can be overwhelming and all but you might find that the hydro will give you some pain relief that so far the elmiron hasnt.

Please check the thread by Macylynn....I wrote my whole experience with my hydro a couple of weeks ago and maybe it could answer some of your questions
truly the hydro was not that bad...just for a couple of days after .
Please come here often...we are all here for each other.
Love, Debbie

[IC SARAH-CPP]

hi , Also wanted to let you know that 4 months probably isn't long enough to tell if the Elmiron is working yet. One of the top researchers and the one who held the clinical trials for Elmiron C. Lowell Parsons told me that he tells his patients to wait over a year before they decide the Elmiron isn't working. Maybe they could give you something for the pain until then??? I would hate for you to stop too soon to see if it would help?? Let us know what the doc says. I am not a good person to ask about the hydro because mine was AWFUL!!!
Love Sarah

[Katrina]

I think that the best way to find out fastest if Elmiron will help you is not to do the hydro right now.
Many find the hydro to be very painful....and only a few find it to be helpful. It normally considered to be both diagnostic and therapuetic but it comes with the risk of being worse for a while. How were you originally diagnosed??
I was diagnosed by a potasium test...which I didn't enjoy but at least I only had one day of a problem from it. If you were diagnosed by pottasium test than having the hydro isn't really necessary. If you feel you need more treatment now...look into all of your options. Most people have had the hydro because that was how they were diagnosed.

http://www.ichelp.com/TreatmentAndSelfHelp/CystoscopyAndHydrodistention.html

[lilbluedevil82]

I have not been diagnoised officially yet so that is why I am wondering if I should have it done....my doctor did not even mention the Potassuim test...it that something most of you have had??

[ICNDonna]

The potassium sensitivity test is fairly new. I was diagnosed by hydrodistention in 1975. I am among the approximate 50% who experience relief from this procedure and I have now had 37 or 38. It does cause some pain for a few days at most, but over the long haul, it's what has given me a life with IC. It never hurts to discuss a possible procedure with your doctor.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Donna

[Portia17]

I had a potassium test done. They use a catheter (so what else is new) and first they put like a normal solution in to see if u have pain or it gets worse then they try they potassium. Well I always have pain the first one they put in did not make my pain worse but the second one I told her get it out of me and that was the potassium test. That is usually an indicator of i.c. I had they hydro-cysto done and a biopsy you know that is all one procedure under anesthesia. He said my bladder looked good but needed the biopsy. Biopsy showed the inflammation and some i.c. cells. In my opinion, if you want a true diagnosis Iwould get the cysto-hydro with biopsy.

[Ginny]

My only thought on this is if you have the hydro now and feel better afterwards you will not know if the hydro helped or the Elmiron started to work. I was always told it starts to help around 6 months.

Ginny

[lilbluedevil82]

Well I saw my doctor today and I am going to be scheduled for a Hydro...I am nervous but I am hoping it will help! Like the doctor said....It has been going on for so long now I need some relief!
AHHHH....it is so frustrating!

[Trishie]

I have had 2 hydro's and they help me. I am also on elmiron, cytoproteck, urised's