Do I have a bladder infection?

[Monika76]

My IC up to date (2-3 years of symptoms of frequency and just a few months since an official diagnosis) has only included frequency and virtually no abdominal pain until recently. I'm so confused and dissapointed: how can it be that now, since I've given up alcohol and most of the worst IC foods, I am getting an abdominal pain? The pain isn't too bad, I can do most things and over all fuction just as usual (usual for an IC patient) but the pain is definitely a new thing. I did have sex 2 days ago, however, I wonder if that could contribute to this at all. :kissing:

I ran this through my uro and he said he needs to see me in the office before answering any questions, great. This is what I don't like about my uro, nothing is a straight forward issue for him, he needs to see me for every little question and its costing me in copays, deductibles and co-insurance fees. When I pressed his nurse for some possible answers she suggested that it may be a bladder infection. What do you think?

[liznazz]

It's possible that it is a bladder infection; especially if you had sex a few days prior. However, it could be an irritation from having sex also. If you are waiting for your doctor's visit, you can buy some AZO strips at Walgreen's or any other pharmacy chain and test your urine for an infection. Sometimes it's difficult to distinguish between a UTI and a flare up. For me, a flare up lasts a few days; a UTI gets progressively worse. Hope this helps. Feel better! Liz

[Dixiefireball]

Hon that is how they make there money :( since my doctor went with this new group (which i hate all of the new group doctor i've had to see in emergary sp? cases only) they still have to call him to treat me. LOL. anyway i use to be able to call and tell them my systems and they would call me in some medicine. if i wasn't better with in a few day for me to come in. if i was better he would call me in some more anti.
hope you feel better soon it may be just a flare from the sex you had.
the way i can tell if i'm have a uti is
burning badly down stairs
lots of pain in the bladder (i also get pain in my lower part of my back)
pee is much darker.
pee feels like lava when it comes out.
it the infection is really bad i get a high fever.
i can't walk straight the pain will double me over.
I sometimes see blood in my urine with a uti.
I want to sleep a lot more with a uti also.
now these are the way i can tell. I know we are all diff.
sending you hugs and prayers
Rhonda

[Monika76]

It must be a flare up then. I forgot to add that besides the sex, I also had a vodka tonic (goes hand in hand, right?) but a few Preliefs after words, which evidently didn't prevent me from having a flare up.

I didn't know that an abdominal pain is what you call a flare up.

Do they go away on their own? What can I do to make them go away?
I feel a mild/ moderate abdominal pain along with my "usual" symptoms of IC.

Now, what's a bladder infection then?

Lastly, how on earth is sex contributing to my abdominal pain? It's not as intercourse means "touching" the bladder. :cussing: This disease just feels like a big punishment.

[Dixiefireball]

yea vodka don't like ic very well :( so it could be a bad flare up but yet again it could be the u.t.i. if its a uti you can get an anti. and should take care of the problem however if its a flare up you may have to do other things to try to calm it down but remember if yoru pain is out of control please go to the e.r for pain control if the medicine you have at home are not helping you.
sending you hugs and prayers
Rhonda

[Monika76]

What medicine am I suppose to be taking? I only have Prelief and Pycgycol (wrong sp.?) and they don't really help much.

[Monika76]

I meant Pycnogenol.

[VickiB]

Whether it's a flare or a UTI, I find that over the counter meds like AZO or Uristat help with my pain. My Uro is one that refuses to give pain medication, (though he does offer a rescue solution if you go to his office) so either way I'm left to deal with the pain the best I can. Also, if it's a flare, you may find some relief from baking soda in water if your diet isn't sodium restricted.

Do you have an appointment yet to go in to see your Uro & have this checked? I ask because I've found they don't like me to have taken the AZO too close to the time I go in to have my urine checked. -I don't know why though.

Hope you're feeling better soon!

Vicki

[Monika76]

First of all, what is AZO?

I'll tell you, all of you here seem to have such great relationships with your doctors. Mine just diagnosed me, although his diagnosis was sketchy because he never explain why he thinks I have IC (I had cysto and he said my bladder seems inflammed), then he just referred me to a fertility sp. because of my ovarian cysts (claims that it's better for a fertility sp. to deal with it, I still don't know why).

So he never offered me any meds, no major advice, no follow up. Just said that there is no cure and I need to work on the diet thing. This guy went to Harvard Medical School.

I find this website to be my major source of information, although I'm confused because I read on HERE that vodka isn't as bad as wine. And now some of you say that it most likely was the vodka-sex combo that contributed to my flare up. :help:

[VickiB]

Diet is confusing, -while some items are often irritating to most, tomato, citrus, etc, there's often things that just don't make sense. I can't touch vodka, brandy, nor have I found a wine that doesn't hurt. Yet I can drink my favorite brand of beer. Go figure!

AZO Standard (or Uristat) are over the counter medicines which act as a urinary analgesic. Reading from my box here,.. "For temporary relief of urinary pain, urgency, and frequency associated with urinary tract infection". They are available at most grocery stores and probably any pharmacy. I always keep a box on hand to get me through a nasty flare, or until I can get in to my doctor to be tested for a UTI.

It sounds like your doctor isn't being terribly helpful. If you end up having to look for another you won't be the first ICer put in that position! Sometimes it does take a bit of shopping. A good doctor you can work with makes things so much easier.

Vicki

[shirley47]

Yes! sex can throw me into a bad flare,Ic can do a many of things,to you and believe me it does affect your relationships to some degree.You just have to learn to,do things a little different now,sorry.Finding a uro,has been my main goal for a while now,Where I live,the ones that I know are good,like the one who first told me I had IC,but does"nt accept my medicaid,I also need to find a pain doctor,but they don"t accept medicaid! It does get frustrating at times,These doctors(some of them)think that we"re druggies,and hooked on drugs,How can we get hooked if we don"t have any to take anyway!!! My family doctor tells me to get my pain meds from my uro,he then tells me to get them from my family doctor,so you can see that I"m having a real rough time just trying to find the right doctors.I"ve had ic since 1999,But I do wish you all the luck in the world!!! Keep us posted.

[diane57]

Hi Monika. Actually intercourse does sort of "touch" the bladder - the short (like an inch and a half) urethra is found right at the entrance of the vagina, and the bladder is right in front of the vagina and uterus, so anything in the vagina (especially something, um, large!) can poke at the bladder (not directly, but through the walls of the vagina) and irritate the urethra and bladder. So that's how intercourse can cause an IC flare-up, even if it doesn't introduce bacteria in to the bladder (which would be a UTI), for those of us with sensitive bladders, our bladders are fussy and sensitive to any kind of pressure or trauma.

Hope you feel better soon!