Nothing wrong at all?

[EmiLeah]

The results of my cystoscopy were.....nothing. No infection, no inflamation, no anything.

So my urologist put me on an "anti-infective" for two months, and told me to come back when I'd finished the meds. He said that some people just tend to have trouble with this sort of thing....and that the medication will probably slowly get my bladder back to normal.

Ooookay. Well, it's worth a shot. :rolleyes:

[emilyrose197377]

Was it an in office cysto ?or was it in the hostipal cysto ?. In office cysto sometimes don't show much to dx Ic . I am sorry you are so frustrated

[massagedoula]

I think that we are all named Emily....strange.....Anyway, what EmilyRose said about the in-office cysto vs. hydro/cysto is true. If they are going to diagnose IC, usually they have to do the cysto with hydro, where they overdistend your bladder and look for pinpoint bleeding. I opted to first go with the in-office cysto, as the least invasive way to rule things out that may be causing my problems that were not IC. The doctor repeatedly told me that she would most likely not be able to diagnose me without the hydro. However, when she went in there to look in the office, she saw little blood vessels that from her experience, were the ones that she said turn into the little hemmoraging spots in the hydro. So I got a diagnosis thru an in-office cysto but most people need either a hydro or a PST test to have one.

If you have no infection, do you really want to be on long term antibiotics? It is up to you, I was convinced that my IC had a low-grade infective quality to it, so I take a natural UTI preventing product to help. But, do you really want to wait 2 months until you can see the doctor again? It is up to you and if you choose to take the antibiotics, I hope that it helps and that you never had IC to begin with! Otherwise, there is no harm in getting a second opinion for another doctor. I personally got 5 opinions! :) Some people see even more doctors before they get a diagnosis or even find one that they like!

[ICNDonna]

My bladder appeared to be healthy and normal when I had an office cysto. But when it was stretched (distended) uner anesthesia, the IC was apparent.

Donna

[EmiLeah]

Well, I was told that he did a hydro-distention thing....so I guess that would be the hospital version; though I wasn't at a hospital. The place is known as doctors park.

I'm assuming he looked for the blood vessels or hemorraging that was described above.
I didn't really know what sort of information to ask of him.

[green_the_fish]

Hey Emi :)

The same thing happened to me, pretty much. Even though it was suspected that I had IC, since I haev most of the symptoms, my cysto+hydro looked pretty much okay. The operating uro told me that my bladder looked "a little red", but that "there was nothing specifically diagnositic of IC". I specifically asked about hemorraging, and he said that it can be hard to tell if it's present on thr cysto+hydro, since some people's bladders crack a little bit under the stretching of hydrodistention anyway. However, he said that he didn't see enough damage to diagnose IC. Immdietely after, he said that he couldn't help me any longer, and reffered me to another uro.

This was months ago, and I've been really confused since then. No one can figure out what's wrong with me.
I still wonder sometimes if I might have IC. A study I read here in the ICN library showed that 1 in 10 IC patients don't show any hemorraging on the cysto+hydro, but they still have IC. Apparently, most of those ICers go on to get diagnosed through a potassium sensetivity test. My uro's office doesn't do those, so I couldn't get one even if I was up for it. You could, though.
Maybe you should look into the PST.

Well, even without a diagnosis, I've still been trying new meds and treatments. I'm in pelvic floor therapy, and I've been visiting the pain clinic. You can still try new meds and work towards healing without a diagnosis. It's hard, but sometimes you just gotta do what you can.

I agree with Massage Doula about the second opinion. If you don't like the idea of waiting two months to go back to your doc or being on long-term antibiotics, don't be afraid to get a second opinion. Honestly, it sounds to me like your uro just put you on the antis because he didn't know what else to do. Some people have had success with long-term antibiotics, but there are risks involved. I think you should read up on that. Did he discuss these risks with you?

Let's hope that we both get an actual diagnosis eventually.

[~*~Christine~*~]

I guess, in a way, you should be glad that you don't have the signs of IC because it's not like it's something that will go away or can be cured with medication, just maintained. So, hopefully, it turns out to be something minor and it will just go away :)

[mags]

The results of my cystoscopy were.....nothing. No infection, no inflamation, no anything.

So my urologist put me on an "anti-infective" for two months, and told me to come back when I'd finished the meds. He said that some people just tend to have trouble with this sort of thing....and that the medication will probably slowly get my bladder back to normal.

Ooookay. Well, it's worth a shot. :rolleyes:

I had an in office cysto that showed nothing either. So i just lived with the constant frequency(at the time that was my only symptom) for about 3 yrs. thinking it would go away until one day i had some pain and i went back and my uro said i probably had ic. duh!! gee ya think so, since i have been this way for 3yrs. and it hasn't gone away. So, just because nothing showed up doesn't mean you don't have it. Don't wait as long as i did to go back. But then again there is a possibility that you don't have ic and that would be great!!

[tigger_gal]

I too had an in office cysto and he told me my bladder was as normal as anyones.. I thru a fit and he said he would "amsue me" and do a hydro/cysto.. he really felt like a butt when he apoligizrd to my husband and told him I had severe IC.. the following month I got a new uro...
Brat

[classics]

When I had the cysto/hydro done I told my uro to take a photograph of my distended bladder. This way I could see it and compare it to other bladders I have seen on this website. It looked exactly like the one indicated for mild I.C. . . My uro said my bladder results were "suggestive of I.C.".

I got a copy of my bladder photo and keep it with my medical records. This way, if I have to change urologists for some reason (like moving), I'll have the photo to show to the new urologist.

[Tweety69]

Hi Emi :)

I too was told time and time again that my bladder looked normal and healthy on cystoscopy examination. My first cysto, about 3 years ago was combined with a hydrodistension and I was told by my uro that all I had was a hypersensitive bladder. He discharged me soon after without a follow-up appointment. Since I live in the UK I felt I had to 'fight' a long time afterwards to get referrred to another urologist as my GP kept telling me that I had no inflamation. It wasn't until my 4th cysto and another hydrodistension in May of this year, that I was diagnosed with probable IC as my bladder looked red and inflamed. My biopsy results a week later showed evidence of mild inflamation. I haven't seen my uro since my procedure so I have no idea whether I had any bleeding upon distension. My appt isn't till the end of September because of the waiting lists.

Only you know your own body, and if your symptoms continue to persist please continue to seek a further opinion. As most people have already said, sometimes you have to be seen by a number of doctors before a diagnosis can be made. It's a very frustrating process but you owe it to yourself to be taken seriously when your body is telling you something is wrong.

Take care and best wishes,

Tweety

[green_the_fish]

UPDATE, I have a diagnosis now! Check out my story, called "Finally DIAGNOSED!" under "Success Stories".
EmiLeah, maybe you should ask to see a copy of the report that your uro wrote regarding your cystoscopy with hydrodisention.

[JaniceB]

I would be concerned about taking the "anti-infectives" (antibiotics?) Antibiotics can make you prone to yeast infections, starting the vicous circle all over again.

[mott04]

I have done a lot of reading on cystos and hydros. From what I have concluded, there are some of us out there that have normal looking bladders, but still have IC. The SSA is not ven necessarily relying on them to determine IC. Am I wrong on this? Why do doctors put so much weight on these? And more importantly, why are they so quick to dismiss IC, when they see a normal bladder, but yet you have all of the other symptoms. My bladder looks normal - it is small - which is one of the the criteria to establish IC, but let's face it, the Hunner's Ulcer is rare, and also there are at least 30% of IC patients that don't have the bleeding. I don't have the bleeding ot the ulcer, but I still consistently have blood in my urine. And I have all of the other symptoms of IC. What does anyone else think about this?

[~*~Christine~*~]

I have done a lot of reading on cystos and hydros. From what I have concluded, there are some of us out there that have normal looking bladders, but still have IC. The SSA is not ven necessarily relying on them to determine IC. Am I wrong on this? Why do doctors put so much weight on these? And more importantly, why are they so quick to dismiss IC, when they see a normal bladder, but yet you have all of the other symptoms. My bladder looks normal - it is small - which is one of the the criteria to establish IC, but let's face it, the Hunner's Ulcer is rare, and also there are at least 30% of IC patients that don't have the bleeding. I don't have the bleeding ot the ulcer, but I still consistently have blood in my urine. And I have all of the other symptoms of IC. What does anyone else think about this?
I'm not urologist or have any medical degree but I imagine the reason why doctors don't give someone a diagnoses of IC, who has no physical symptoms, is because IC is lack of lining in the bladder so if the bladder wall looks normal it's kind of hard to diagnose it as IC
IC is a pretty mysterious disease, on it's own, so it's quite possible that the people who have physical signs and the ones that don't have a different disease with a lot of the same symptoms or/and that their immune system is just stronger so the IC hasn't been able to damage the bladder wall to the extent of physical signs...

[EmiLeah]

I may ask for the doctors' paperwork...good idea green_the_fish. :-)

I quit taking the "anti-infectives". My rebel side coming out, as always. Symptoms are no worse, so I think I'll live w/o the meds if possible.

Lately I haven't many symptoms except for some pressure/pain when my bladder is somewhat full.

I can live with it.

[joannedorcas]

hi there,

I am new to this site and I have an urologist appt. on Monday and probably do a cystoscopy, I am wondering if this procedure is painful and what do they do and how long does it take and do they give you any local anistetics.

thanx,
joanne

[~*~Christine~*~]

Hi joannedorcas :welcome: to the site

If this is your first time seeing your urologist he/she probably wont be doing a cysto, just talking to you about your symptoms and such
In terms of how a cystoscopy is performed: If you're getting your bladder distended while getting the cysto you have it done in a hospital and they usually put you to sleep; if you're just getting a cysto they either do it in the hospital or the uros office while you're awake. You're given a local aesthetic called lidocaine, which, is just squirted into the urethra (it doesn't hurt), this numbs the bladder and urethra a bit. The uro will than insert an instrument called a cystoscope to look inside the bladder, it's than removed and you can go home
I've only had the cysto done with a distension while asleep so I don't know how much the cystoscope hurts but I have talked to people who have had it done and they say it isn't that bad. If it hurts too much when the uro inserts it just tell him to stop and he/she most likely will, you will probably than have to have the procedure done while you're asleep