Scared of Potassium test/Cysto

[AmyMichelle]

My urogyn and his staff are wonderful, and I trust what he has told me. I'm just so unsure about the in-office cysto after reading all these posts. I've had my best friend AND sis in law tell me these 2 tests aren't that bad and they are done quickly. What is the deal with this? I've never had a catheter or anything put inside my urethra and I have had pain there for as long as I can remember. He told me I should be able to go to work afterward, AND I have to drive 6 hours after I work to go to my parent's for my cousin's wedding. WHAT DO I DO!!! :help:

[dg2901]

i've had both done--most recently the PST (or KCl study). I'm with your SIL and friend, I didnt find either of the tests to be anything like I had imagined. They are both done fairly quickly. Prior to the cystoscopy the Dr will/should put a numbing agent on/in the urethra to help with discomfort. You'll probably experience a bit of stinging upon urination the first few times after the cysto, however that shouldnt last very long.
RE: the PST--unfortunately the Dr cant give you anything prior to this test because the idea is to see how badly and where (in the bladder, urethra) you might react. Should you react to this test the Dr will put a rescue instill (ex: heparin/marcaine/lidocaine/etc) into the bladder to help calm things down.

All anyone here can tell you is not to worry too terribly much about either of these tests---remember anticipation is usually much worse than the actual procedure.

Good luck to you.
Take care
diana

[AmyMichelle]

Thank you so much Diana!! I read so many horror stories it was good to hear a nice one... I think I'm mostly just nervous about the diagnosis, but at the same time it will be nice to KNOW what's going on.

[patricia1]

I agree while uncomfortable they are not that bad. It is the fear of the unknown that makes them seem worse.

I also had numbing meds inserted after a postive reaction to the PST. I can only recall one person on here that had a bad reaction to the PST test. And in the in-office cysto is more uncomfortable than anything. Also you will have some stinging afterwards. I went back to work after having both of these test done also.

Good luck.

[emilyrose197377]

My pst was horrible it made me go into a flare even after they put the numbing meds in. I am not trying to scare you it might not happen to you. Good luck.

[VickiB]

I think it's only natural to be scared about having anything done bladder-wise when you own a crazy bladder! When I had my PST done, I was scared it was going to be terribly painful, but even more scared of what the long term after effects were going to be. Scared it would only make my situation worse! That didn't happen.

Try to relax when they insert the catheter. (I know, easier said than done!) While the procedure was uncomfortable, I'd rate my PST experience right up there with dental work. I did have a slight irritation (stinging) when urinating for about 24 hours afterwards, but it was not enough to stop me from doing anything I wanted to do.

Hugs,
Vicki

[mallenajolie]

hi:

My PST was pretty uneventful till the next day. I was one of those 20% who had a false positive. It hit me the next day for about a week after. A positive test is an immediate reaction to the KCL. I didn't eat that day prior tot the test, and got a chicken sandwich that seemed to make the pain worse.

[AmyMichelle]

Hey guys thank you so much for the info and support.. I went in this morning and had my cysto/PST. The test was really quick and it hurt a good bit but that let them know how bad it is. I was worried because I have a pretty high pain tolerance and I hurt all the time anyway so it's hard to say how bad it is. Doc told me it's moderate/severe and we're starting Elmiron and we're going to try Detrol LA, but he said if the pain increases we'll stop that. Also going for rescue instillations once a week for 6 weeks. :angel:

[emilyrose197377]

I hope it helps you. Good luck.