What happens when you can't take meds??

[mela414]

IU noticed that most of you are on some sort of medication either for pain, depression, anxiety,etc.
What happens when you are soooo sensitive that you can't tolerate most meds for one reason or another.
It seems that whenever I try anything I react badly to it. elmiron destroyed my gut so I had to stop. I tried it twice in the past 5 years at different times hoping that my body would accept it. I even took it out of the capsule and put it in water. As for the other meds.........well each one had it's own specific side effect that was unacceptable by me or the doctor. Through all that I've been through in the past years my body has become less tolerant and I just don't do well with drugs. I've also lost weight so at 92 lbs I am a bit of a lightweight and affected with even small doses of meds. I want to give atarax another try but remember the terrible effects it had on me few years ago. from your past experiences do the side effects get better?
I am almost thinking of trying it again and just giving into the side effects for a week or so..........Kind of just close myself in at home...resting and waiting for my bdoy to adjust to it and be able to feel somewhat normal. Does that sound crazy? I know I need to be on something as this pain is terrible and constant. i van't imagine being on 3 or 4 things at a time as most people are. If I take half a pain killer and then need another one later that same day........I get a "drug over" that will last for days with vertigo & weakness that is unbearable that I can't do anything but lie on the couch. I feel bad for my husband that is always limited in what we can do because of how I feel for one reason or another. So....what do I do now? I started taking .5 ativan twice a day and seem to be doing ok with it. I have a scropt for lexapro form the neurologist who said to wait a week while on the ativan and then add it in but to cut the pill in half because of my small size. I hope i can tolerate it .....i need it fo the depression and the crying that has been going on lately. I'm not sure if it will hlep the IC pain.
So.....for those of us who can't take most meds...what do we do?
I'm starting elmiron instills next week but don't think it will be enough and am not sure if I can even tolerate them as I could not take them orally! :hmm:

[Babs RN]

Mel,
Hopefully the Elmiron instills will help you. They have helped a lot of people who can't handle it orally. As far as hydroxizine, they make it in syrup form or capsules--the syrup making it possible to titrate your dose a little better and the hydroxizine pamoate(Vistaril) makes it possible to take the medication sprinkled on food or mixed into a drink. I know you are suffeing and wish I could help more. Oh yeah, have you tried duragesic patches for pain? They absorb systemically skipping your gut

Hugs,
Barb :grouphug:

[mela414]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm duragesic patches? so long as the drug itself doesn't cause me terrible side effects it meight be a thought. I'll talk to my uro about it. If ti helps the pain and doesn't make me sick it's worht a shot.
I have a bottle of Atarax here tht I haven't started yet. I'l give it a try but I noticed the pills are 25 mgs not 10 mgs. Year ago I tried the half of a 10 and didn't do well. I'll have to take the 25 and cut it in quarters and see how i handle it. If the side effects are not too bad I may be able to build up a tolerance. But thanks for the info about the liquid and powder.It may affor me the ability to start at an even lower dose. thanks barb

how are you doing these days??????

[ICNDonna]

I get a hangover from pain medications too. If I take them at bed time, it takes me until noon to be fully awake. So when I need something, I take it right after dinner. It takes a while to take effect so I can sleep, and the hangover is usually gone early in the morning. Have you tried ultram? You might be able to tolerate half of one.

Donna

[Babs RN]

Still hoping this flare will let up. There are times like I am giving birth to a bouncing baby bladder. I didn't have spasms early in my diagnosis nor any problems with my urethra but sure do now. Found out I have a hole in my urethra and that it is detached so that probably explains some of my frequent UTI's.

Hugs,
Barb :grouphug:

[massagedoula]

I have not tried the Atarax yet but was told to cut it up and try a little piece at a time. I think you have a good idea, since you are doing the same. I also am very sensitive to medications too. It was why I waited for so long to try Elmiron. So far so good but I am very suprised. If I take Atarax in the future I will cut my 10mg dose in half and work my way up little by little.

Can you tolerate any of the "alternative medications" For example, Marshmallow Root tea, Cystoprotek, L-Argenine, Quercitin, Bromelain, IC Blend, Calcium Citrate....if you have not tried any, it may be worth a try!

[mela414]

Thanks guys,
I don't take any pain med regularly but I have taken Ultracet occsionally. It doesn't really kill the pain but takes the edge off. About a month a go I was in extreme pain after an office instillation (i reacted to one of the ingredients) so I took one and then about 6 hours later I took another. I was looped for 2 days with a drug over! I felt weak and dizzy and the only thing I could do was lie down!
I think I am going to try the Ultracet again but this time...helf a pill and see if it takes the edge off. I know it's the same ingredient as Ultram(smaller dose) but with tylenol.

Last night I started Atarax and did as massagedoula suggested. I took my pill cutter and cut it into little pieces. I woke a little trembly and shaky this morning...let's see how long it take to feel better. It was a 25 mg I cut into pieces but I know they come in 10 mgs too! So i guess i took about 5 mgs.

I don't know why my bladder is so sore and keeps flaring from so many things. I am going to stop taking the silverbioitcs that I had been on 3 times a day for the yeast and see what happens. I am so sensitive that if I take anything for any long period of time I start to react to it. the same goes with the pyridium...one is ok....but if i take it a for a few days I react to it.

I have to get this baldder to stop hurting!! :(

Barb, I hope you start to feel better soon. It's awful when you can't get the pain under control. When did they find out you had a hole in your urethra? Can they repair it? Getting frequent UTI's is not good. There was a time when my old urologist had me on antibiotics prophlyactically for frequent UTI's. In looking back I am not sure if it was a good idea..... he never even mentioned IC. Yes....there were times that I had positive cultures and required antibiotics but there were also many times that the cultures were neg and taking a full course of antibiotics was not necessary. so....I'm not sure what the right answer is but figuring out a way to reduce the number of UTI's is important!!!

I remember years ago telling my uro that I was going to design and patent a URETHRAL PLUG!!! A little rubber stopper to put in the urethra before intercourse or whenever needed so that little bacteria would not get in there! that gave him a laugh.

I hope you feel better soon.:)

[corena]

Hi Mel,
So sorry to hear about your IC problems. I too have low tolerance to all the
IC cocktail of medications. I weigh close to 100 and fear that I will lose more
weight. Mel, I just recently start Nortriptyline, five days ago, taking the liquid
form of 1 teaspoon daily. I tried Elavil and it stopped the IC pain but it made
me a little crazy. Have you tried Tramadol (ultram) for pain. If not, try breaking it in half, low doses, otherwise, you might get headaches or a little
buzz feeling.
I have constant IC with pressure in my vagina just like a ball wants to protrude, as well as a probing far into my urthrea. I'm not so bad with having to go to the bathroom a lot but I also have severe low back pain from IC.
I've had the Cat Scans, ultrsounds, etc but now hoping Nortriptyline will kick in as well as the Bactrim in half dose keeping away the bladder infections.
I hope you find a med that works. I am told that some of the amtriptylines
side affect when taken in small doses is that they block the pain nerves.
I have not heard of Lexpro or something of the other news meds like Celexa
Paxil, Zoloft working with IC. I go to a IC support group once every 3 months and that helps to get support and inform. on IC.
My prayers are with you.
Susan from Boston

[mela414]

HI Susan,

Good luck with the Nortriptalyne! I hope that it affords you some pain relief. I took it years ago but had to stop. It was the only one that I was able to tolerat but after being on it for 4 months I started to loose my hair. I'm not saying this to alarm you because everyone reacts differently so please don't give up on it! I couldn't take elavil because of the terrible side effects. As for the other antidepressants that you mentioned...you are right. I haven't read anywhere that they are really indicated for IC pain. I tried many of them.....just to help with the depression from all of this but again....I couldn't tolerate them for one reason or another.
I have a script for Lexapro and think that as soon as I feel NORMAL enough I will at least give it a try. Mabye it will help with all the crying spells I have been having over all this.
I think Ultram is like the Ultracet that I have with tthe addition of a little tylenol. I've taken it in the past and it helps to take the edge off.......with little side effects....but doesn't really kill the pain for me. You are right I have to take half a pill though. I remember about a month ago taking 2 full pills within a 6 hour span because of pain and I was out of it for 2 days!
I'm glad that you have a support gorup near you. It definately helps.
there isn't one in my immediate area but I want to talk with my new dr about possibly starting one. we'll see..................
Welcome to this group...I hope you profit from it. You can learn a lot here!
I hope you are feeling OK.