Symptom question

[ki7676]

I have not been diagnosed with IC as of yet, but after having looked at a number of posts and after having navigated extensively through this forum and other websites, I feel I may have IC. I have a cystoscopy scheduled next month.

I have a general question regarding symptoms:

The only time I seem to have the pain is a few days after intercourse. It generally lasts and makes life very uncomfortable until my period (generally a couyple of weeks). Sonetimes, I have major eposodes of pain, feeling like I am about to pass out, etc. Otherwise, if I abstain, I seem to have no isses (no bladder issues, no pain) at all. I have been tested numerous times for bladder infections and have had pelvic ultrasounds...no problems. I'm hoping the cystospopy will help pinpoint my condition.

Please, does the intercourse typically tend to trigger promlems with IC or does this sound like something else? Thank you!

[Kathi]

Almost everyone has some problem with intercourse. Some upon entry & some during & others after. It's just one of the side effects of IC. Hopefully, you will have your answer of a diagnosis when you have your cysto next month. There are some things you can do to help cut down on the pain, like a warm bath after or an ice pack. I'm sure your doc will tell you much more after he has a look & knows what you're dealing with. Hugs, Kathi

[green_the_fish]

It sounds to me like part of your problem may be coming from your pelvic floor muscles. This could result from a condition known as Pelvic Floor Disorder.

There are three basic types of PFD:

Supportive-loss of strength and integrity of the connective tissues and muscular fibers of the pelvic floor.
Hypertonus-pain and/or spasm in the pelvic region.
Incoordination-loss of neuromuscular control with absent or inappropriate pattern of recruitment and timing.

The type that you are most likely to be suffering from would be the one involving hypertonicity of the pelvic floor muscles. One of the biggest symptoms of this type is pelvic pain during and after intercourse. Do you have pain only after intercourse, or also during?

It's also possible that you could have both PFD and IC. They often go together. IC can cause pain after intercourse as well.

Are you having your cystoscopy in the office, or in the OR? There's one type that they do without putting you under, called the in-office cystoscopy, and one where they do put you under, called the cystoscopy with hydrodistention. The in-office cystoscopy can sometimes be useful for ruling out other conditions, but it is not a diagnositic test for IC. You might still want to go ahead and do the in-office cystoscopy, as long as you understand that it is part of the process of ruling out other bladder problems, and it does not have the ability to give you an IC diagnosis.

Good luck :grouphug:

[Sarojini]

As usual, Green has given you some great information. She is right that perhaps you may have IC, but you may also have a component of PFD (pelvic floor dysfunction) -- this is not unusual; a lot of ICers have both conditions. I do myself! I suppose much of it comes from either trying to hold in urine all the time (for those with frequency/urgency) or from the "guarding" response we have to pain (we all have this reflex when something is painful).

Does your pain with intercourse occur on entry, and feel like a "ring of pain" around the opening of the vagina? This is often a sign that you may have PFD. A deeper pain that occurs higher up when his penis hits you there could be bladder pain -- and urethral burning during and after sex is common for IC.

I hope your cysto helps you move closer to diagnosis -- again, as Green said, the in-office kind is not particularly useful for diagnosing IC but can rule out other problems. Later, your doctor may want to do the cysto with hydrodistention, or something called the Potassium Sensitivity Test (PST) in which a potassium chloride solution is instilled in the bladder via catheter -- if you have pain or urgency with this test, you likely have IC.

Keep us updated, and good luck :grouphug:

Oh, and :welcome: to the boards!!! :)

[Motherof2]

I also had pain with intercourse for a couple of days afterward. This is the only time that I would have pain. I tried to seek treatment, but I was not diagnosed with IC right away. HOWEVER, my IC progressed. Now I have symptoms whenever. It is good that you are having the test run. They are right the office cysto is not as good. My first uro did one and told me I definately didn't have IC. My second uro did one and put me under in the hospital, and there it was pin holes in the bladder. It was definately IC. Good luck.