Can a Prescription Med Cause a Flare?

[futurehope]

Oh my. I'm really hurting. I'm in a flare.

I've just started a new medicine, florinef, for another medical condition.

Ouch. I really need this med. Long story here. But I'm suspecting that it irritates my bladder. Is that possible?

On another note, when taking florinef, I may eventually need supplemental potassium. How will I EVER be able to tolerate that? I tried one pill and went through the roof with pain.

Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance.

[ICLori]

I find that many prescription drugs - even the ones that are supposed to help with IC pain - cause my bladder to flare. :(

Blessings,
Lori

[ICNDonna]

I take a potassium supplement every day and have for several years and they don't cause bladder pain for me. The one I take is a prescription item so I can depend on what's in them.

And yes, some medications can cause flares.

Donna

[green_the_fish]

Yep, Lori's right; prescription meds can definetely cause flare-ups. Herbal meds can, too.

I don't know what florinef is or what it's for, so I can't give any specific advice there. Luckily for me, my bipolar meds have never bugged my bladder, so I've never had to deal with the issue of a med that I need to take bothering my bladder. If it did happen to me, though, I would try to take a different version of the med.
Some ICers are bothered by the coloring in meds. See if you can get a plain version of your med, without any coloring. If it's something you can safely take out of the capsule, try that. If you can get it in a different form, like a chewable, that's worth a try as well. Oh, and you know the old saying that a generic med is exactly the same as a name-brand med? Well, for us ICers, that's not always true. I've talked to some people here who can't take the generic version of a med, but they can handle one made by a certain company; or vice-versa. Our bladders are weird like that. I guess maybe some companies put more color or more filler in there, or something like that.
So, if it's at all possible, see if you can get a different version of your new med. If you're taking a brand name, try the generic. If you're taking the generic, see if it would be worth the money to test out a brand. If the pill is a fancy color, try to get one that doesn't have any color.

Also, have you tried Prelief? It's an over-the-counter pill that takes the acid out of food. Some people here get flares when they take Tylenol, so they take it with Prelief, and then it doesn't hurt them anymore. Personally, Prelief didn't help me too much, but I know it has helped a lot of people around here. The cool thing about it is that it rarely gives people uncomfortable side-effects. So, maybe you could try taking some Prelief along with your new med, and see if that might help you out.

I have an idea for you about the Potassium thing, too. There is this one med called Urocit-K (Potassium Citrate) that I took for over a year. I went off it recently, because I have been feeling much better than before, and so, have been trying to cut down on my prescription meds. But, I did take it for a long time, and I found it quite helpful. Urocit-k works kind of like Prelief, but it actually alkalizes the urine itself. Now, I'm not a doctor, but I assume that since it's called Potassium Citrate, it must have some kind of potassium in it. Maybe you could ask your doctor about this, and see if you can take Urocit-k instead of a traditional potassium supplement? Just a thought there.

I hope you find some way to work this out :grouphug:

[futurehope]

FYI, the medicine I'm taking is a synthetic adrenocortical steroid. I'm actually taking a generic form of the drug florinef.

Thanks very much for your replies. I do have some prelief and will try it at the same time as taking the med tomorrow.

If that does not work, I will call the doctor and ask him to prescribe the name brand instead of the generic.

I sure hope I can keep taking this med as it seems to be helping other than causing me bladder problems.

Also, thanks much for the ideas for potassium as this med may cause potassium depletion and I may eventually need potassium supplements.

It sure seems obvious to me that about 3 - 4 hours after taking this med, my bladder is burning. oh well.