PDA

View Full Version : Not sure I have IC yet, but I have the symptoms!!!


Dani1978
07-09-2007, 04:01 AM
Hello!
I am a 29 year old that has been dealing with major life stresses. My husband and I are building a house, trying to sell our house, my father has had two boughts with cancer (He is in remission, yeah!) and my job is getting more stressful. For years I have had boughts of insomnia. While trying to go to sleep, I will think I have to go to the bathroom. I would go 4-5 times with little to do. I also noticed over the past years that if I drink water I will have to go to the bathroom two or three times before I feel empty. During this time, my bladder issues had little effect on my daily life other than drinking cola instead of water on long road trips to avoid several pee breaks.
Well, I started seeing a psychiatrist for anxiety and panic attacks. He put me on Zoloft and .5 mg of Xanax nightly as well as Ambien to use occassionally. I mentioned that some of my insomnia stems from me thinking I need to go to the bathroom. He put me on Vesicare. I wasn't sure if this was an immediate acting drug or if it takes a few weeks to work so I got on the internet. (the internet can be a blessing and a curse! ITs great for information but sometimes I wish I didn't know so much!) Getting info on overactive bladder directed me towards Interstitial Cystitis, which I knew next to nothing about. I realized that nocturia was a big symptoms along with frequency and urgency and pain with sex. Nocturia had been my presenting symptom and I do have pain with sex sometimes. After reading this info, I started going to the bathroom more during the day (7-8 times daily 1-2 times nightly). The next day I would have an occasional burning sensation, very specific to my urethra area. Sometimes before I urinated sometimes afterwards. I have had these symptoms for almost two weeks now. I went to my GP for an urinalysis...no UTI..gave Macrobid which did nothing for me. When to a urologist and he said I could have Overactive Bladder or IC, or possibly a structural issue. I will be going in Friday for a cystoscopy for him to take a look. He said sometimes he can diagnose IC from a cysto in some mild cases he can't.

As a child, I had constant urinary tract infections , and stayed on Bactrim for ten years. I even had my "bladder stretched". I don't know if my current problems are related. I am just very scared.

I have been reading your forums, and I understand that there are different cases, mine may be considered mild, I am not sure. I feel for each and every one of you. If I go to the urologist and don't have IC and these symptoms were just in my head and fade away, I promise I will never forget the importance of IC awareness and the need for new treatments and a cure. Selfishly, I hope I don't have it, but I know I will still be regular visitor to this site because you all seem like such wonderful and strong people!!

I apologize for the very long post!!!

Take care,
Danita

mimimama
07-09-2007, 04:17 AM
Danita!

Glad you messaged us. This site is a wealth of info and support. The ladies on here are absolutely fantastic and we all try to be as compassionate and supportive as possible.

I would definitley investigate the possibilty of having IC further. Symptoms can really be different from person to person so I would go see a Urogyn or Urologist to have some testing done.

I also suffer from panic disorder so I know what you mean about the internet. I really have to stop myself sometimes from reading about the meds I take because I can scare myself silly!:loco: I am very prone to panic attacks but have learned that paxil helps and if I try and calm myself down before it gets to bad, i am better off!


Good luck!

ICNDonna
07-09-2007, 04:30 AM
It's possible that what you have is IC; it sounds like your urologist is on the right track in checking you for other possibilities as well. One thing that makes me think it could be something else is that you have said that drinking Coke doesn't irritate as much as water. If I take even a very tiny drink of any kind of fizzy soda, I know it's an invitation to pain.

I hope you find out what's going on soon. It's frustrating to not know.

Warm welcoming hugs,
Donna