Sensitive bladder/scheduled Cysto distention

[Sher E]

Hi all~

New here, not an IC'er that I know of, but nevertheless I'm havin' issues.

In my 20's I suffered with numerous UTI's. Mistook antibiotics- would take them until I felt better than stop the course. Big mistake! I ended up getting what I thought was the worst infection only to be told there is no infection. My bladder killed me, which led me to this site several years ago, freaking myself out that I had IC. Urologist prescribes me the "I gotta go, gotta go" medicine Ditropan? and my symptoms all went away. Since then had a baby in 2001, suffer with Endometriosis and had my latest laparoscopy last summer.

Of course endo grows on my bladder. About a month after last Lap, I felt the irritations in my bladder again. Thought I had an infection, but I didn't. Eventually symptoms (not urgency) went away and I chalked them up to nerves being upset from Endo removal. Last month at around ovulation time I had the tender bladder feeling again. Also found that I had a cyst on my right ovary. Because of the endo I have taken HUGE amounts of Ibuprofen over the years. I notice on this day that I'm not peeing much. Decide that maybe Ibuprofen has caught up to me and has now damaged or started to damage my kidneys. Stop taking Ibuprofen and use arvocet for period pain.

Problem is my bladder has been in sensitive, pain in the ass mode for a month now. I can feel it filling with fluid, I get the twinges, uncomfortable I'm aware of my bladder type of pain. Not major pain, not like I'm having a UTI pain, just sometimes sensitive more or less on different days.

I went to the Uro today and looks like my bladder wasn't emptying as much as it should. I had peed in a cup until I thought there was no more in me. An hour later he cathed me and I filled the cup up to half mass. He said I wouldn't have made that much urine in an hour. So, now he suggests that we do a cystoscope with water. I immediately became alarmed and ask "do you knock me out"? (laughter in the room) He said they give me a sedative and I'd be in "la la" land.

He said he did not think I had IC because I would be urinating much more. Or at least have the urge to.

Any thoughts on that?

I tend to worry more that I have cancer since my lower back has been hurting as well. But not in the kidney area.

So~ after my long winded story, I would like your thoughts on this procedure and the fact that he'll do it in the office. He's a very caring Doctor, but older. And so he may do things that are more old school.

Do I sound like a candidate of IC? Also- last night while sitting up in bed watching TV had my leg bent foot touching thigh and these hot pin prick feelings were running up and down the top of my thing... nerves?

Gosh I am just so tired of things being wrong in my cooter area! (sorry for the slang!)

ANy advice would be so nice..

Thanks,
Sher

[Shehorst]

Sher,

You sound a lot like me - same UTI's - same bladder not emptying syndrome - lower back pain. Get the hydrodistention and save yourself months of wondering. A year of two cystoscopy's, an IVP, a CT scan with and without contrast and I was told I had IC, didn't have IC - and worse no treatment. I wasted one year of therapy I could have had to treat IC if I would have had a diagnosis plus I had an unnecessary hysterectomy (uterus only). Please take care of yourself - it's not a good thing to wait.

Sherry
:cat:

[Sher E]

Sherry~

What was your final diagnosis? Are you pain free now?

So- you didn't have IC and went through therapy thinking that you did?

I'm trying to be optimistic and that it will go away like it did several years ago. I am one of those people who had a bladder like a steel trap. I could go all day long without going pee. I think that may have caused my muscles to weaken and not realize there is now some pee left inside after I go.

I don't know. I don't have the urgency to go, but I feel the pressure. Not to mention PAIN when I try to have sex. Feels like razorblades about an inch in. My uretha is sensitive as well and something has happened where even a speculum (sp?) hurts during an exam when it presses on it.

Right now I sit with my cran grape juice (all out of full cranberry) and hope that this won't be serious.

Thanks for your thoughts. :birthday: 3-4-65

[Kara Isabel]

Hi.

Anything is possible, really. There are some people with IC that don't have frequency but have just about every other symptom and have been diagnosed via procedures.

I'm pretty sure I have endo too, but haven't done the lap yet. My uterus is tilted back and that causes me lower back pain, especially during my periods! ugh......I basically feel like I'm in labor my whole period!!


You may have Pelvic Floor Dysfunction.

Can you really drink Cranberry juice without pain? That's a good sign that you may not have IC.

[ICNDonna]

When a cystoscopy is done in the physician's office they do not distend the bladder. When the bladder is empty, or nearly empty, it collapses --- so when the cystoscopy is done, water is put into the bladder so the lining can be seen. It's uncomfortable, but not horrible. I have found that if I concentrate on relaxing and breathe slowly and evenly, it really helps. Plus thke procedure only takes a very few minutes.

It's possible that what you have is IC, but it could also be something else. One thing I suggest is that you scroll to the top of this page and click on "PATIENT HANDBOOK," then look at the section on diet, which you can try while you're going through the diagnostic processes. If you do have IC, the cranberry juice you are drinking is possibly the worst bladder irritant of all.

You'll also find information in the Handbook about symptoms and diagnosis.

My IC was diagnosed 31 years ago and, if there were only one thing I could share, it would be that there is life with IC. Once you find which foods and drinks are a problem and which treatment options work best, you should begin feeling better.

Sending healing thoughts,
Donna

[Sher E]

Thanks Donna and Kara~

He did use the word "distend", so I guess that's what he calls it when he puts water in the bladder to make it bigger or to see how much I can hold? What is the difference between what you had done a few weeks ago Donna?

Cranberry juice doesn't bother me. In fact I felt better. Right now, I seem to be focusing on the fact that I can't empty all the way and how do I retrain my bladder to do so. And would this cause the feelings of uncomfortableness in my bladder and different levels of pain, none which have been excruciating or unbearable to live with even without pain meds.

I wonder why several months ago I had this and then it went away. Only to come back now and not be consistent as far as symptoms go.

I head to my chiroprator on Monday. I haven't seen her in 5 years, and my right hip feels jammed up and is always sore. Hoping this will relieve some of the back soreness I've been feeling.

This morning I feel "aware" of my bladder as if an infection was brewing.

[ICNDonna]

The procedure I had on February 23 was a hydrodistention, which requires an anesthetic. It used to be called over-distention, because they hang two large bags of fluid about six feet up and using the weight of the fluid running into the bladder, they actually stretch it. In my case the bladder lining "cracks" and there is bleeding at somewhere between 600 and 900 cc's. A normal, healthy bladder will stretch to over 1000 cc without any bleeding.

Donna