Hi, everyone!

[Oxana]

Hi, my name is Oxana and I'm originally from Russia, but I'm living in the USA for 3 years now in Louisiana(Shreveport) with my husband and kids.
I so sorry for my mistakes in English. But I'm sure you will understand me. I speak very well, just still have the problems with my writing.
I found this forum a month ago and already know about many of you here as I was reading.
My story is......my uro told me that I have classic simptoms of IC from me telling him everything about it. I'm a nurse and can understand it too so. I told him that I don't want to have any diagnostic test to confirm IC. I only had a CAT test and regular cistoscopy and doctor's office with some cisto test of my urine. Everything came fine. I understand now that my simptoms of IC started bother me some years ago in Russia, but it gone that time. Here in USA I started have the same simptoms againe and was going through everything like many of ypou with UTI, one day I really had it a little. I was taking an antibiotics for some months and even went to another urologist, hwo did a first regular cistoscopy, told me that everything is OK and gave me the Prelief. Againe anything about possible IC. But I really didn't have the frequency and urgiency that time, onle burning and uncomfortable sensation with some paine. Prelief and some diet helpd me good. And over year I forget about my bladderr at all. I had the problems with my another bladder-gall bladder and I took the medicine for a long time wich reduce the acid in my stomake and have a diet. After gall bladder removing I felt myself greit for 4 mont! I started eat everything waht I want and my favorite tomatoes. :bonk:
Even I started fill problems with my bladder I still continue to eat them. I really was stupid not thinking about possible IC. Finally I understood what's wrong with me when I started have some paine and frequency. I finde your forum and went to uro, who after negative analise of UTI put me on Elmiron 100 mg 3 times daily. I have taking it for only 2 weeks now. I'm watching my diet and can tell that some day I feel myself well. I void 7-8 times a day and 1-2-3 times at the night. I really feel myself uncomfortable when my urine has acid, so I drink some sodium bicorbonate and it helps me. I know that it is not good to do everyday, so I want to oder some alkiline stuff from the IC shope. I tried in the begining to drink more water, but it makes me go to buthroom more often. I don't have burning sensation mostly of the time, frequency doesn't bother me all the time eather. Only milde pressure and f, I can't tell that it is really paine. Tomorroy I satrted my period and felt myself completely well. Today I have the simptoms againe and I really don't know why, I was good about my diet. :hmm:
Whould you tell me, please....I worry that my uro poscribed only Elmiron for me. I asked him if I need the hidroxidine, but he told that I don't need it he thinks that I will be allright to take only Elmiron. I will see him after 3 month.
I know that I need to give the medicine to work and I almost sure that it will help me along with the diet. But maybe it will take more time to work without another medicine?
Thank you very much for listening me and for your wonderful forum.
Oxana.

[Sarojini]

:welcome: to the ICN :)

We are always glad to have you. As for Elmiron, it can take 3-12 months to work, so you may want to ask again for some other medications, like hydroxyzine or others, that work a bit faster -- so you can feel better faster!!!

I am also glad to hear you are following the diet. That alone is a big step and can really make a difference in your symptoms, as you've noticed already :)

Again, welcome :grouphug:

[Pac168r]

Hello & welcome, :)

I think that hydroxyzine might help you sleep better. You might not to get up as much in your sleep.

I too, have been on Elmiron for 6 weeks. At the doctors yesterday we decided to cut the dosage back due to hair loss ,but increase the hydroxyzine.

I've had improvement since June. I think the diet is the biggest thing for me.
I'm glad you introduced your self, the people are so nice here.

Paula

[VickiB]

Hi Oxana,

From Russia to Shreveport? That must have been quite a change!

It sounds like you have a good idea of what you're dealing with. Yes, the Elmiron can take some time to become effective, so I agree, it might be good to talk to your doctor about other medications. I'm not sure why he thinks only Elmiron is necessary. It seems doctors are all different as to what treatments they believe in. Mine started me on Elmiron 100mg 3X a day, hydroxyzine 25mg & amitriptyline 25mg at night. These, plus diet changes have me feeling almost IC free now.

Glad to have you join us!

Vicki

[~*~Christine~*~]

:welcome:
oh, and your English is just fine, I wish I could speak another language :)

[traceann]

Hi Oxana and :welcome: to the family!! As you can tell, we are happy to have you, so it will be nice to see you around the boards!!!

And it sounds like you have a good treatment plan going, I too though, agree you may want to ask your doc again about the hydroxyzine, I believe that it has really helped me greatly. And my doc told me it helps the Elmiron work better, as it blocks the histamines attacking our bladders and lets the Elmiron do it's work with it being constantly torn back down.

Here's a couple links to a few articles on the site here, dealing with why it's beneficial to use hydroxyzine in the treatment of IC (these are the articles that prompted me to ask my doc to give it to me)

http://www.ic-network.com/guestlectures/parsonstranscript.html

http://www.ic-network.com/askthemd/theo0503.html

Once again, welcome and look forward to chatting with you!! :)

Hugs!!!

[Oxana]

Thank you all for such warm welcome! Thank's also for your advaces and links.
I called today to my uro and I will see him this coming Friday. I will definetly ask him about Atarax, maybe very little doze. I'm scary to try the Elavil, because of possible waight gaining. I think I don't need this, because I don't have the paine all the time (mostly it can be in the evenings) and when I have it, it is really mild(more look like a paine before period) and goes away after some rest. I understood already that the diet - a great thing for me and I should be very close with it. I do the aerobics in my fitness club almost every day along with the weights, and it doesn't give me any problems, I feel my bladder a little only when I'm jumping. :) I still go to bathroom 2 times in the nights, and feel my bladder uncomfortable and full sometimes. But
I understand that I need to give a chance for medicine to work.
I believe also that I need to have a job, I didn't work for almost 3 years since I'm here. It will keep my mind away from my problems, I'm very bad about it. :bonk:
Thank you for the compliments about my English. I do a lot of mistakes in writing. I like to talk better, it is very easier for me now. :)
A lot of hugs for everybody! :grouphug:

[cass2376]

Hello Oxana, :welcome: So glad you found us, all these people here are great!!
You are doing well with your english, keep it up!! :) You have gotten great advice and seem to know a lot on IC so you will do fine. Good luck and welcome once agian!!
Take care and God Bless, Cassandra :angel:

[emilyrose197377]

:welcome: to the Icn.

[Oxana]

Thank you very much!
You are right, the people here are really great!

[kittymom]

Hi Welcome

don't worry about your english that is my primary language and I can't spell :biglaugh:

just wanted to share my input .I was diagnosed with IC 2 years ago I am on Elmiron..that took at least 7 months to help me.

I have seen 3 Drs because I couldn't get the first 2 to understand my symptoms.

my Dr. that I have now I have have been seeing him since April he put me on Atarax and Elavil and Citra K.. don't think i spelled that right (sorry) the Citra K is to take acid out of urine.

somtime in June I started to feel like a human being again..I do think it was a combo of the meds that I was taking that has helped me.. :woohoo:

just my opinion but the Atarax really helped me. The Citra K made me retain fluid but I still take it.

in the last 2 years I have went from a size 10 TO a size 14..mostly because I laid down after work after I ate and even on weekends I would do a few things and the pain in my bladder would incapacitate me. :cussing:

I hope to start to loose some of my weight which by the way went straight to my stomach and butt :bonk:

during my period I would really flare now Its occasionaly that I get the twinges during that time.

I hope to now move around and be able to walk the mall without having to run to the bathroom every 1/2 hour or to sit down because of the pain :toilet:

Hot water bottle helps when I have spasms. every morning I wake up and Think.......is the pain going to be there today like I am waiting for the bomb to drop.. :headbang:

if your DR won't listen to you please find another whho will pay attention to your needs.

I have also had a hydro last December that helped for a short period of time but the pain following after that procedure was horrible.

GOOD LUCK

[Oxana]

Thank you,Cyndie! :)

I'm on Elmiron-3weeks and Vistaril(Atarax) - 2 days only. It's interesting that Vistaril didnt give me a problems yet. :) I started use the Urocit-K and I can say it helps with acidity of my urine now. I think it's very important to prevent irritation of the bladder and give a good chance to Elmiron to work.

I don't want to use Elavil, because of possible waight gaining and I don't have big pain to use it. So, I'm waiting for time to be better and better, my symptoms all the time went away before by using only Prelief. Now, it stay for 2 month already, but it's slowly going be better already.

Cyndie, what kind of the symptoms make you think that Urosit-K made you retain fluid? Do you use it 3 times per day?
And, it's necessary to add the Elavil when the pain didn't bother you that much?

Thank you for your response!
Oxana.

[kittymom]

I was already on Elavil 25mlg for pain management with IBS .

my dosage was uped to help with the chronic pain I was having I only just recently started to feel better..

I am not sure when the pain will be back, the pain was so bad I was constanly doubled over, I am not willing to stop any of my meds for fear of going back to that bad place my mind and body were in.

as far as the Urocit K it seemed my hands would be swollen by the end of the day, I was taking 100mlgs 2x a day.

normally my hands would only swell around my period time

[Oxana]

Thank you again, Cindy!
Hmmm, you were taking the Urocit-K 100 mg 2x a day....maybe you had a special dose? As I know, Urocit-K is available in slow-release wax-matrix tablets in 540 mg and 1080 mg strengths. My doctor told me to use it 540mg 3x a day. I use sometimes 3, sometimes 2.:)
I understand what you mean about Elavil. I hope the pain will never be back and you will feel yourself good all the time. :grouphug: