Help for Pain at Night

[lauraads]

I am so tired of this! Most days, if I am careful what I eat and do, my symptoms are minimum. But, once I get into bed, I am in PAIN. I have to lay in one position on my left side, which is frustrating and uncomfortable enough. If I move, instant urgency feeling.

I alreayd have insomnia, I am a restless sleeper who can't move to minimize the pain and urgency, I am going crazy. I need help.

However, before anyone shares, the added bad news is: I can't take any anti-depressants or hydroxizine because of how bad Effexor (SSRI) messed me up (I have relapse symptoms of ssri discontinuation if I try to take them). I take Claritin, and for the first week it really helped, then it stopped. I thought I was onto a miracle! I tried Singulair and Zyrtec, but with no results.

Does anyone have any ideas for me? I hope so!

[Kara Isabel]

Hi Laura!

If your pain is spasm related, I'd suggest Valium or one of the other benzodiazapines, they relax me and do help with the spasm/pains that tend to happen more at night for some reason. I don't take it every day, just when I need one and I don't have any side effects, nor do I feel hungover in the morning. I didn't like the xanax.....I think the valium is better because of the way it releases differently then the xanax, it isn't as strong and it last longer and wears off gently. Make sense? lol

I've tried prescription sleeping aids........they don't work for me. I still feel the pain and have to get up a gazillion times and feel hungover!

My doctor just prescribed me MSContin at night for pain to try, but I took one for the first time and WOKE RIGHT UP! LOL..I think my brain was in SHOCK that the pain was gone! LOL I was up all night! But not complaining, atleast I wasnt' in pain, right?

I think quite a few ICr's take valium at low doses to help, and it does help. So that's my vote! :) I hope you find something to help! :grouphug:

[Babs RN]

I take Oxycontin 3 times a day and take an antispasmodic at night as well. Valium has worked well, as has baclofen. Baclofen has actually worked better and is not a controlled substance. I became familiar with it in nursing school after giving it to people who had MS related bladder spasms. My doc in California suggested it, I tried it, and it worked! :) :)

Hugs,
Barb :grouphug:

[ICNDonna]

If you're having bladder spasms, something like urispas or hyoscyamine might help. The one I prefer is hyoscyamine. If I get insomnia, benadryl helps me go to sleep and stay asleep for hours.

Donna

[emilyrose197377]

detrol la helps me bladder spasms and so does urised and noraflex.

[gpooh88]

Lauraads........your symptoms sound exactly like mine.Once I go to bed the urgency is sooo much worse.I,too have to lie on my left side.If I try the right side sometimes it feels almost like something is poking into my bladder.I told my dr,but he shrugged it off.It has gotten to where I dread bedtime because I know that is the worse time of day for my IC.I really,really would like to know why laying down causes such discomfort.I also have insomnia and have used Sonata and Ambien,but most of the time I could get right up and even drive a car......I sometimes wonder if I even took any meds.......they just don't work on me.Please,let's find some help for ourselves!!!!!!!

[Briza]

Laura D
The other ladies have given some excellent tips. I don't know if Elavil is one of the antidepressants that you are unable to take, but it is in a different category than the SSRIs and has a mild (depending on the dose) sedative effect. It helps me sleep through the night at only 10 mg and helps with some other IC and vulvodynia symptoms. I take it early in the evening (7pm or so), so I don't feel groggy the next day. It doesn't knock me out, but when I do go to bed around 10 I sleep great.
You've probably already tried this but heating pad on the back and cold pad on the belly helps, too.
I think Kara's right about the xanax. It isn't the best sleep aid, although very good for anxiety. I found that Ativan helps me sleep better, if I need it. Haven't tried valium but Kara may be right that it lasts longer.
Hope you find something that works for you! There are so many options, I'm sure you will get relief. For most of us, it's try try try, til you find out what helps!

[Dixiefireball]

I take klonopins at night (nerve pill) don't know if you can take those are not. I know its not the same as an anti depression medicine. this helps relax my bladder, keeps any pain medicine in my system longer if taken, also knocks me out any where from four to six hours. which is just about all my bladder can handle with urine in it. If I wait longer its hard for me to get the stream going and becomes very painful!!
so that is good enough for me just the four to six hours of rest.

some people have said that benadryl helps them sleep at night also and that is something you can buy without a RX. maybe even some tylonal PM. if you haven't already try those might help.
hope you get some rest soon! before klonopins I couldn't sleep either the I was always tried. I felt so useless during the day I couldn't never seem to get anything done.
sending you hugs and prayers
Rhonda

[lauraads]

Thanks for the advice. I wish I had the naivety of youth where I just trustingly took anything because the doctor said to. I did try Elavil but it, like other anti-depressants, anti-histamines, and similar drug cross the blood/brain barrier (or something like that; it's been a while since I researched it), so it brings me back the problems from Effexor. Basically, my skin crawls, especially on my skull, I see things in the dark, and I feel like I am fighting to retain conscious control of my own body. It's pretty weird, and was never that way until the SSRI Effexor messed me up. I looked up klonopin and unfortunately came right to a site saying, "Are you having trouble getting off the following (and the list included effexor, klonopin, and others."

I will look into some of these, though. Thank you!!

gpooh88, we should really compare notes! What have you tried to help at night so far? Anything? I myself have just done - Claritin, baking soda, and I also do my basic aloe vera and cystoprotek each night. None do anything.