potassium test

[Shannonmarie018]

Has anyone ever had a potassium sensitivity test? My uro wants me to get one done after the new year to see if it's IC. I heard it's painful if you do have IC. I'm just nervous. Does it burn really bad?

[ICNDonna]

I haven't had this test, but have seen posts by many who have. What happens is that they instill liquid through a catheter, then empty it and instill the potassium solution --- they don't tell you when they are putting in the potassium --- if the potassium hurts, they immediately empty it and almost all uros will then instill an analgesic to stop the pain.

Donna

[sami4]

I had the potassium test. They first check you for infection, if clear they instill water into bladder and usually that has no reaction. Then they instill the potassium and the moment you start to have pain they stop, remove it and instill a rescue instillation. I thought it was a piece of cake compared to what they do in a cysto hydro. I was not in any pain when I left and my bladder felt great due to the instill of the rescue instillation.
Sammi

[dg2901]

Dont fret too terribly much about this test. While it sounds horrible its not that bad. Once you express to the Dr or nurse that you feel pain the bladder is drained and a rescue instill is administered.

take care
diana

[patricia1]

This is how I was first diagnosed. It is not as bad as it seems. The others explained it pretty much, so cant add much there, but really it is not to bad. Good luck

[GriffsMommy]

I had this test done about 2 months ago, it was uncomfortable but nothing compared to the in office cystoscopy when I had endo in my bladder, I woud take the potassium test any day of the week. I must say that the rescue solution that everyone is talking about was nice, I just had trouble holding it as long as they wanted me to. I have a follow up appointment on the 4th to see what we're going to do next. fun fun

[ICmomx5g]

I had it done recently. The potassium felt like thousands of pins and needles pushing into my bladder/urethra at once, but as soon as my Dr. saw me writhing in pain he stopped and put in the medication. The meds wore off within a few hours for me. Then I had a constant flare for a month untill the Elmiron kicked in.

But if this is what it takes to get diagnosed, I guess it is better if you can get on the road to recovery than live in pain for the rest of your life.

[Julie B]

I think the opinion on this test is changing. Some of the IC docs have documented that the potassium test isn't as sensitive of a test as they first believed. There is also a study (Tissot, W.D., Diokno, A.C., Peters, K.M. (2001). A referral center’s experience with transitional cell carcinoma misdiagnosed as interstitial cystitis. Journal of Urology, 172, 478-480) (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=15247708&query_hl=6&itool=pubmed_docsum)where some very good IC docs (one of them is mine, Dr. Diokno) found that 1% of patients with IC symptoms actually have bladder cancer. They only way to diagnose THAT is to have a cystoscopy with biopsy. I believe they also said that checking for cancer cells or blood in the urine was not adequate to determine the difference between bladder cancer and IC. My father-in-law had bladder cancer 15 years ago. They caught it early and he is fine. What would have happened if they had treated it as IC for a couple of years before doing more investigation?

Several years ago, an article in Urology (also posted on ICA (http://www.ichelp.org/FeatureArticles/CurrentControversiesPart2.html)) recently suggested that the doctors begin just doing a lidocaine solution. If a person's symptoms STOP with that, then further investigation is necessary. This opinion was why put the people through the pain, when a test that takes away the pain could be just as valuable? That article also talks about the value of the cystoscopy/hydrodistention.

My personal feeling is that IC is such a specialized area of urology, a person should only go to a urologist who is very very well versed in the variations in symptoms and individualized treatments available. Again, just my personal feelings here. I am not saying to not do the potassium test, just that we don't have anything yet more definitive than the cysto/hydro. Hopefully the APF test will be available (an considered sensitive enough) soon!!

[jezebel]

I was "diagnosed" by my GYN (who admits that they know nothing about IC) when they had about six other patients complaining of the same type symptoms. They had "someone" come in to their office to show them how to do the test. I tested positive and was given a prescription for Elmiron. When I later asked how many of the other patients tested positive they said all but one.

I recently went to see a UroGyn who wasn't positive of the IC diagnosis given my symptoms and said that potassium put in most people's bladder would cause some kind of pain. I am scheduled for a hydro with distention and laproscopy on Jan 19th. :pray:

[Rebeccanne]

I really don't like the potassium test as a sole indicator that you have IC. My uro did this to diagnose me, and I really am starting to have second thoughts and concerns if I really do have it. But my uro first put in a couple different things, through a small cath. and I know one was just water, can't remember what else... and then they don't tell you when they put in the potassium... and I guess the potassium hurts people with IC... I don't remember it really hurting all that much. I think it hurt a little and was a little uncomfortable... But as soon as you say how much it hurts, they'll take it right out. So I wouldnt worry about the pain too much, it wasn't that bad for me.