My low back pain will not give up! Advice please!

[JaniceB]

I have only been dx since the first of August (symptoms started 4 mos ago), my pain, has mainly been in my lower back. (My main issue was frequency, and still is, but I could handle that much better when I did not have the pain!) Lately, my back pain has gotten WORSE. I would call it at least moderate, maybe even bordering on severe since it really has curbed my normal activities - it isn't a sharp pain really, but just an aching pain that is there almost ALL THE TIME.

The uro - would not prescribe any IC drugs for me, let alone pain meds. So, I just joined NIDDK study in which I may or may not get amitriptylne (I'll get my study medication Tues). I'm not going back to the uro, and since I have no insurance this is one way for me to see dr's who will try to help me.

My family dr has me on Mobic (a NSAID) for pain, which seemed to help at first, but now, taking even two a day (I was only taking one a day) - does not seem to do much of anything.

If I get amitriptylne - does that usually help with pain?

Also, what do those of you who have low back pain from IC - take for pain? I asked my family dr about Ultram but she gave me the mobic instead, saying you can become dependant on Ultram (?)

Any comments, please! I am a SAHM to a lively 2-year old boy and this is SO hard going through my days like this!! Some days I just want to cry! :mad:

[pottywoman]

The only thing that has helped my back pain is my TENS unit. It takes the pain from a 10 down to a 2-3. When the pain starts to get worse I check to see if the battery is still good in the unit. Most of the time it isn't. I think the TENS unit has been a big help for me. Hope you find something that helps you.

[Bianchi]

Hi, sorry about your back pain. Gentle yoga stretching has helped my pain in the back, but one has to stick to it. There is a tape available in the ICN store.
Bianchi

[ICNDonna]

Let's hope you get the real stuff instead of the placebo in the study. Antidepressants do help with pain because they interfere with the pain receptors in the nervous system.

Donna

[Prissie]

Sorry that you are in pain. For me, the worst part of IC is the lower back pain. I sleep on a heating pad every night. I am on Lortab for pain also. Sitting in one position for long periods of time also seems to make it worse.

[JaniceB]

A heating pad does seem to help, but it only provides for temporary relief.

I'm worried that it seems to escalate - I wonder, is that usually how it is when the IC is this "new"?

Janice

[patricia1]

Amitriptylne does help with pain. And hopefully that is what you will get. I take Ultram for my pain, and a certain amount of lortabs a month. That being said yes you can become dep. on it, it reacts to the brain the same way a narcotic does. But for me personnally it helps better than the lortabs do. My uro said it does this because it has some anti-inflammatories in it. I hope you start feeling better soon..

[Pac168r]

I am newly diagnosed too. Back pain was a big problem for me, along with pain down the hips and for someone reason just my left leg. The best thing for me is diet and yoga. I try to attend a yoga class 3x a week. I am trying Bikram style, only because there is a studio near my house.I really enjoy it and it has helped greatly.

Good luck,
Paula

[Ginny]

Have you ever tried Licoderm Patches? They are prescription but pretty mild. It's just Lidocaine. I will put them on my back when it get really bad. Look into it. I would not think it would be a problem to get a doctor to prescribe them.

Ginny

[JaniceB]

Thank you, I am keeping track of the replies and am going to look into the things you all have suggested. Thanks so much!

[DawnsRuby19]

The amitriptylne didn't really help me out with my IC pain, all it did was make me really really sleepy. I couldn't even handle the lowest dosage of it. All I could do was just lay in bed feeling weird with pain all day and all night. So I don't take it anymore. I am looking into the T.E.N.S unit for the pain since recently it has gotten a whole lot worse. Maybe that is something you should look into if you are in pain all the time.
-Crystal

[Janie Miranda]

My TENS unit also helps me a lot. I wear it every day and it helps with the bladder pain as well as the back pain. My doctor told me to try Yoga also but was unable to do so until my pain lessened a bit (I had pain on sitting and so many of the positions involved sitting) but now that I feel better I'm going to give that a try again too.

[ItaliaPrincess]

The Only Thing That Has Saved Me Is Vicodin HP ANd Urelle For The Relaxation of The Bladder Sphincter Muscles..

[cass2376]

Sorry Janice to hear your hurting. Alot of my pain is in the back also. My heating pad is my best friend too.( I think my husbands jealous of it,Haha) Any way, I heard a tens unit works great, I'm going to try it soon. Meds alone don't always work. Good luck and God Bless, Cassandra :angel: