Relief with Rescue Instills. Proof of IC?

[CharlotteY]

My doctor strongly suggests that I have IC. Now, my only symptom is pain. I don't have any issue with frequency/urgency. I have had two rescue instills. Both times I had no pain for about 1 1/2 days. Is this conclusive proof that I have a bladder lining issue such as IC? (My thought is if my pain was originating from an ovary or something else in the pelvic area I would not receive any relief from the bladder instills.)

[mom_in_ma]

I would say that if you had relief from an instill, that's a good indication that your pain is originating in your bladder.

[OrlandoP]

My doctor strongly suggests that I have IC. Now, my only symptom is pain. I don't have any issue with frequency/urgency. I have had two rescue instills. Both times I had no pain for about 1 1/2 days. Is this conclusive proof that I have a bladder lining issue such as IC? (My thought is if my pain was originating from an ovary or something else in the pelvic area I would not receive any relief from the bladder instills.)

Charlotte,

It is not necessarily conclusive that you have a bladder lining issue, although I would agree that it is conclusive you have a bladder issue. The rescue instillations numb the bladder, some doctors believe that it re-routes your body's nerves or autoimmune response.

The bladder lining as the cause of IC remains a theory. There are many different theories as to why the body behaves in an IC way.

[Agape]

My doctor strongly suggests that I have IC. Now, my only symptom is pain. I don't have any issue with frequency/urgency. I have had two rescue instills. Both times I had no pain for about 1 1/2 days. Is this conclusive proof that I have a bladder lining issue such as IC? (My thought is if my pain was originating from an ovary or something else in the pelvic area I would not receive any relief from the bladder instills.)

:confused: You sound EXACTLY like me. I am seeing a IC specialist who says he is certain I have IC even though I too had no issue with frequency/urgency only pain and it was mostly in my lower back. I did fail the PST test and now am scheduled to have the cystoscopy in his office on Friday. I don't have ovaries, but am not sure exactly what could have been causing my pain. I had three rescue instills and like you they only lasted a couple of days. I do feel I have a sensitive bladder or but I'm still not sure if it is IC or not. I've been on the IC diet just to be safe, but am ready to go back to eating again if this isn't my problem.

[soccermom32]

I'm not sure. I got relief from instills for months. I'd get them twice a week I loved them so much.

I have PFD. I had surgery 4 weeks ago to remove 3 vaginal cysts and I'm feeling like a new person. No pain issues at all right now. My doc thinks these crazy cysts were sitting on a nerve creating pain. So, why then did I respond so well to instills? Kinda doesn't make sense.....

[ICNDonna]

Relief from instillations could be an indicator of interstitial cystitis, but it's not a diagnosis.

Donna

[CharlotteY]

I'm not sure. I got relief from instills for months. I'd get them twice a week I loved them so much.

I have PFD. I had surgery 4 weeks ago to remove 3 vaginal cysts and I'm feeling like a new person. No pain issues at all right now. My doc thinks these crazy cysts were sitting on a nerve creating pain. So, why then did I respond so well to instills? Kinda doesn't make sense.....

Soccermom,

I don't know if you are still reading the boards or not but your old post caught my eye.

I was misdiagnosed as having IC when as it turns out I had Pudendal Neuralgia (pain from the Pudendal nerve that snakes through the pelvis) the whole time.

Bladder instillations helped me as well. However, it took 5 or 6 hours for me to receive any relief from the Lidocaine instillation. My theory is that it took several hours for the Lidocaine to difuse (cross) the bladder lining and to reach the area of my pudendal nerve that was causing me pain.

I wonder if the same thing happened to you except that whatever pain agent (lidocaine or marcaine) they used in the instillation crossed our bladder wall and eventually reached the cysts that were the source of your pain.

Just a theory...

By the way, I hope you are now feeling much, much better.