IUD and IC???

[Hopey77]

In Dec 2004 I had an IUD inserted. Lots of discomfort and an ultrasound later in Jan 2005 showed a fibroid (smaller than my fist) lurking about in my uterus, never really had problems with it before until i got the IUD. i started to get that constant urge to pee and bloating, felt about 4 months pregnant. i also had pains that prevented me from exercising and was feeling wiped out. the IUD (or fibroid) continued to give me problems which turned into 3 bouts of penecillin for an unknown "infection" (ie nothing showed up on the urine tests). the cypro worked well since I couldn't drink any coffee or alcohol while on it, did feel better that week! anyway, i had the IUD out 2 weeks ago (May 2005) but the bladder pressure is still present with bouts of urgency and pain. the constant urgency abated somewhat. it feels like I have a softball in my belly, a constant ache, heaviness, messed up periods, painful periods, moderate constipation (i had an odd almost-diagnosed-as-IBS thing in 2003-04) and now sex is getting to be a difficult dance of comfortable positions! another ultrasound showed that the fibroid had grown a little. no mention of endometriosis. can this be my fibroid pressing on my bladder? the constant constipation blocking things? i have no blood in my urine. my blood tests came back OK. pain tends to get worse the week before my period. i can hold it in but when I do go, boy, i go! the pain abates for a bit after I void, but comes back fairly fast. i am always on the lookout for the nearest toilet.
my gyno doesn't seem to want to follow up anymore on this - i have a call in to a uro-gyno and I have two girlfriends who have been diagnosed with IC so I have local support at least if i DO have it. certain foods do tend to give me 'bad days' and i am trying to keep track of what i eat and drink and my daily stresses.
i had no bladder issues until i got that DAMN IUD - which during insertion hurt like hell and even hurt during removal which made the doc hesitate but nothing more. Maybe it was inserted wrong and aggravated something and takes a while to settle - or shall I get tested for IC immediately? Because the more I think about it and discuss w/ friends I think I do have the beginnings of IC and would like to nip it in the bud ASAP!!!

Hurtin' in RI!
HOPEY

[green_the_fish]

The fibroid could potentially be pressing on your bladder, this is not unheard of.
For example... a few months ago, a lady posted on here that she had the exact symptoms of IC, but they abated as soon as she discovereed a uterine fibroid, and consequently had it removed.
Just out of curiousity, why haven't they tried to remove yours? Was it considered too small to bother with?
I think going to a urogyn would be a good idea. Be sure to tell them everything you know about your fibroid. Hopefully, it will be the fibroid causing your symptoms, and not IC. The latter would be harder to treat.

Good luck, Hopey!

[Hopey77]

thanks. i don't deal well with stress or pain for that matter (I had HORRIBLE TMD (jaw joint) problems a few years ago that almost had me in the loony bin...) - but all tests I had done then and now show nothing wrong (ie thyroid, diabetes, RA, etc.), docs have mentioned Fibro and such, even Lyme disease, Lupus, etc.
The IBS that started last year (most likely due to stress) is probably egging on my fibroid which in turn was aggravated by the IUD which was inflamming everything! Having pain on removal of the IUD makes me think it's my uterus kickin' it... and I do drink a TON on water which is maybe why I pee all the time, but the discomfort is getting to me... both really bad IC-like days were after spicy Indian food! The current gyno and surgeon didn't seem phased by the fibroid -it's a fairly common one - one did mention IC to me and I know about IC thru my 2 friends - I may go on the pill to shrink to avoid surgery as I want to keep my fertility option open. But I will get a potassium test done as one of the new low-dose pills has that as an ingredient! Figures!!!
Also, my IBS started in my upper left tract. My jaw disfunction started on the left. My back pain is mostly on the left side (crooked hips). I also have a tipped uterus, possible MVP, anxiety, etc. A lot of which I am reading about on this site! I can see how these things are inter-related.
It's funny when I'm sitting here at work I feel awful, but when I go home and trot about the yard watering the plants I realize I feel better. Stress does play a part in IC and IBS pain, correct? I wish I could go running again but the dull achy feeling prevents me from doing it. I do walk 2 miles a day to and from work.

PS - I do like my beer too - for a while I was trying out some 'un-filtered' beers like UFO and that was near or at the beginning of my bladder discomfort in Feb 2005. Can one get a yeast-like infection in the bladder? I've been on 3 bouts of penecillin since Jan 2005 and didn't really do much. No infections showed. And when I imbibe (2-3 beers) I regret it the next day. I guess giving that up will help relieve the pain - oh, but I can't give up coffee!!!! :)

[mom_in_ma]

Hmmm...actually, I have an IUD and have had no problems. I love it because it doesn't have hormones and it seems to be the perfect BC for me. The doctor tells me I also have a fibroid on my uterus.

That said, since you seem to have a connection between food and your symptoms, it might be a good thing for you to try the IC diet and see if it makes a difference. It's hard a first to give up things like caffine and alchohol. But I found that when I realized a food was associated with pain --I no longer wanted to touch it!

[emilyrose197377]

I would think an Iud would cause bladder problems because womens are so small and near the bladder where the put the iud it could push up against the bladder. this is just my opinion. does anyone know if this is true?

Take care
Kim

[Hopey77]

I've had the IUD removed. The pain didn't lessen. This weekend was fairly uncomfortable, but I am more aware of my diet, already cutting my coffee in half. Last week I had a quart of strawberries and I expect that could have been what triggered my pains. Bananas don't kill me necessarily but orange juice (even low acid!) seems to do a number on me. Right now the pain is fairly on the left side. Yesterday it was fairly even all across my lower belly.
The gyno - both the NP and the surgeon - didn't seem too concerned about the fibroid. I had no fibroid or bladder pains until I got the IUD. I did exhibit IBS the year before and still do. I figure everything is just confused and aggravated down there pushing for room, and isn't settling down due to diet and stress, and the IUD not agreeing with me, etc. Since I had the IUD out the urgency has abated but not the frequency or discomfort. There's really no burning sensation, just a soreness that won't go away. Like someone's used my bladder or uterus as a punching bag. There's no infection and the ultrasound didn't show anything out of place.
I hope to get an appointment with a uro-gyno soon that a co-worker sees for her IC. In the meantime, I will watch what I eat and drink! Should I get an MRI though?

[Hopey77]

I have made an appointment w/ a uro-gyno - sadly it's at the END of AUGUST! (And it's mid-June now) and she doesn't deal with fibroids. I'll keep looking but... What do I do to keep myself sane while I cross off the days???