After cystoscopy pain

[isaacsmom618]

Hi! I am new here. I was diagnosed with IC when I was about 13 years old and now I am 25. I had my 3rd cystoscopy yesterday and it was done in the office. My first 2 were done in the hospital under anesthesia. I have had horrible bladder spasms since having it done yesterday and I actually requested to have something for the pain. The dr told me no that it wasn't that big of a deal:mad: What can I do to relieve some of the pain? The first 2 cystoscopies the dr's gave me pain medicine both times so this is kind of odd to me....especially being that my current dr did the 2nd cystoscopy too:loco:

[Briza]

Call and call and call and cry and complain!!
Or try your GP or Gyn...they always seem to be more sympathetic, especially my gyn. Just something as simple as Tylenol 3 could be all you need, and drs don't seem to have too much of an issue prescribing that, or Ultram, compared to the heavier meds.

Have you tried any OTC Tylenol...may help a little in the meantime as well as OTC Pyridium (Uristat or AZO Standard). Pyridium seems to be pretty standard med after a cystoscopy and any ole bladder pain. It helps me a lot. You can also get a generic Rx for that and it's cheap, or maybe even free if you have insurance.

Sorry for your suffering. Have been there. :grouphug:

[green_the_fish]

I'm so sorry you're in pain :(

I've never had one in-office, but I did have one done at the hospital. It hurt for a few days, and I remember urinating blood.

I would guess the reason that your doctor won't give you pain meds this time is 'cause he doesn't consider in-office cysto to actually be "surgery". I'm not saying that's right, but that would be my guess.

Briza had some good advice for you. Over the counter stuff like Tylenol and AZO Standard can help a lot. Here are some things that help me when I'm in pain:

-Electric heating pad. This is an IC classic. If you get one of the newer ones, they usually have a feature that turns them off after a while. That way, you can take a nap and not have to worry about it. If you don't want it to turn itself off, just toggle the controls once in a while. A regular hot water bag works, too.

-Stick-on heating pads. It's like a heating pad, to-go. One side is sticky so you can put in on your bladder. The IC sells a brand called BodiHeat that I've heard good comments about. I usually use a brand called ThermaCare. If you go here: http://www.samples.aohosting.net/campaign/Thermacare_PPRP/registration.jsp?x=coupon then they'll give you a coupon for it.

-Electric massage thingies. I have this little handheld massage thingimajig that I used to use all the time, when I had a lot of pain. They make all different kinds, at all different price ranges.

-Sitting under a hot faucet. I did this a lot after my cysto+hydro. Get in the tub, turn the faucet on hot, and let the water run over your bladder. Heat really helps!

-Distraction. Just about anything that takes your mind off the pain is good. Playing games online, watching random movies, hobbies, etc. If it can take your mind off of the pain, even for a little while, then it can make you feel better.

Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon :grouphug:

[kadi]

The cystoscopies done in the hospital usually involve hydrodistension (stretching the bladder with water), which is why they usually give pain meds afterwards. In-office cystoscopies usually do not involve the stretching with water & normally do not cause days of pain.

Definitely try the Azo & Tylenol (if Tylenol does not bother your bladder), like Briza mentioned. Relaxing with ice or heat as Green the Fish suggested are really good ideas. Maybe some very gentle stretching too to relieve tension.

If you're still having bladder symptoms tomorrow, you might call to get checked for infection. Any catheterizing (including for cystoscopy) does have a small risk of infection, so it's worth checking out if you're still not feeling ok.

Hope you're feeling better soon!

PS. I don't think I'd make repeated calls to the doctor's office. One call only, if the AZO or Tylenol do not help, or you get worse. And then you can tell the doctor you tried to manage it on your own, but you just can't. This also protects you from big bills if you do go to the ER. If the insurance company says it wasn't an emergency, then you can say, "But my doctor told me to go". (Write down the date & time of your call.)

If you call your doctor's office more than once, they'll probably just tell you to go to the ER. And they may get angry or worse, write things about your mental condition into your file.

[smcclafferty]

I had my first one done Friday 1/5/07, a cystoscopy with biopsy under sedation. I don't have massive pain, but it feels like I constantly have to go to the bathroom, and it's been four days now...is this normal? How long does this sensation take to go away? I see the doc again on Thursday for my results.

[L. Thomas]

Find another doctor

[L. Thomas]

Hi! I am new here. I was diagnosed with IC when I was about 13 years old and now I am 25. I had my 3rd cystoscopy yesterday and it was done in the office. My first 2 were done in the hospital under anesthesia. I have had horrible bladder spasms since having it done yesterday and I actually requested to have something for the pain. The dr told me no that it wasn't that big of a deal:mad: What can I do to relieve some of the pain? The first 2 cystoscopies the dr's gave me pain medicine both times so this is kind of odd to me....especially being that my current dr did the 2nd cystoscopy too:loco:


I might give the MD another try to help me with my pain but I don't think so ...I would find a doctor who would work with me and my pain. $$$$talks

[isaacsmom618]

I am feeling better now! Thanks for all of the suggestions! I have a really hard time with cathereters in general-they seem to cause me lots of pain afterwards even without the stretching of the bladder thing