Proced DS?

[born2swim]

First off, I didn't really know where to post this?

I know that Pyridium/AZO is not good to take on a regular basis (liver issues if I can recall correctly). Do you know if the same holds true for Proced DS? I only tried it for 2 days after my urodynamics or cysto (can't remember which one) and it didn't do much... but I wonder what it would do if I could take it for a couple of weeks straight...

What has your doctors said? I see mine in just over a week and I'll ask him about this too!

Thanks guys!!! :love:

[branmun]

when I was at my worst my uro let me take 4 prosed tablets a day for a month-hope that helps!

[sarahjth]

On the days when all my bladder does is be irritated, Prosed is the only thing that helps! I love this medicine. Of all the meds I take, this med would be the one that really helps during those horrible flares.

The only side effect is blue/green urine!! So wear panty liners.

[Claredale]

I think I have already talked to you about Prosed, sorry if I am repeating myself. There isn't a med out there that helps me with my memory on who I talk to. I guess that is why it's best to always tell the truth! LOL!

I have been on Prosed DS since last summer. I specifically aske my doctor at my appt last week about it, since he keeps writing the scripts for me. He told me that it was a med that can be used long term. Even if I need to be on it the rest of my life, that would be fine. He knows it has definitely turned me around with my symptoms. Even after my interstim ins 2002, I would still have problems if I held my bladder for too long which would cause problems like getting my stream started or having spasms afterwards because I had held it. I especially had problems when I was finally able to sleep longer during the night and would wake up in alot of pain since the urine had been sitting in my bladder so long. It took me a couple of weeks to see the full benefits of it, but ever since then, I don't have a single problem with retention, hesitancy, spasms afterwards, etc. I am in the catagory of going to the bathroom around 5 to 7 times on average everyday, that includes getting up once during the night. There are nights I don't even need to get up anymore. I was taking pain meds every 6 hours (pre interstim, every 4 hours was pushing it because my pain was so bad). Now I take 1 or 2 pain meds. One before I go to sleep and then 1 to sometimes even just a half of one when I wake up. I keep it by my bed with some water, so I can take it if necessary. After it and the Prosed DS kick in while I am watching the news. I am perfect for the day. I am even down to taking the Prosed 3 times a day instead of 4. I am also eating things (still not oranges or tangerines which I want so badly...SharonA understands), but I am eating things that are on the no-no list and no flares, pain or anything. I am just "inches" away from considering myself in remission. If I didn't need meds at night to help me sleep. I still have that mental thing going on since I went so many years on just a couple hours of sleep and I was so anxious about the thought of going to sleep. I am skipping nights now without taking the sleep meds. So hopefully I will be off all of my meds but Prosed DS in the next few months. I scored a 10-11 when I took that PUF test yesterday. Pre interstim, I was a 33, which my hubby said that I was worse when he went over it, but I based it on what I had in my journal. Post inter-stim and the few years afterwards, I scored a 20 (I think) and I judged my last PUF on my symptoms since September and scored 10 to an 11. I never in my life thought I would end up hating my life when I was at my worst and then I thought I would never be able to look forward to things and be able to enjoy long periods of time like I do now.

Prosed DS, has changed my life. I know some people have tried it, and not been successful. I almost stopped using it after 2 weeks when I was still having the same symptoms, but after a day or so, I realized that I could hold my bladder for well over the usual 2 hours and I didn't "pay the price" again.

T83

T83

[systitis]

Hi Tracey...Prosed seemed to work so well for you! That's wonderful!

I take it (along with 2 Bufferin) only when I'm really uncomfortable--sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. My MD's script allows me to take it 4 times per day but I haven't done that since I thought it was just for "bad days". Your post makes me think Prosed builds up over time like Elmiron etc. I just want to clarify my understanding of your experience...Perhaps I should start taking it regularly with the thought that Prosed has a cumulative effect.

Obvously my MD did not explain this...so I want to be sure I understand correctly. Thanks for your help/input.

[pingpong]

I take Urelle, which is very similar to Prosed, and my uro prescribed up to 4 pills a day. I take 2 to 3 a day and rarely have to take a 4th one - I might do that for a couple of days if my bladder is especially irritated, and then return to the smaller dose. My uro told me that this can be taken long-term and has given me a prescription to be refilled for an entire year.

Trouble is, I have different prescription coverage this year and this new company does not consider Urelle to be a "long-term" medication and that it is for short-term use only. My uro's office has been trying to convince them that I need this stuff long-term and that they should provide a 3-month supply like they do for other meds. The handout says Urelle is used to relieve pain from UTI's and "procedures" and says nothing about IC or any chronic bladder condition, so they may be using that to say it is for short-term use only, but the presciption company I had last year had no trouble with long-term use! Grrrrrrrrrr!!

[Claredale]

Systitis...I haven't thought about it like that. That's another question for me to ask my doctor. I have read alot of information about Prosed and never had that impression, but it's a good question since when I first started taking it, I was absolutely ready to have my bladder removed only because I couldn't handle the spasms and stabbing pain I would have if I didn't empty my bladder right away. Now, I don't have any of that pain anymore and as I said before I feel so normal. I am still working on getting my energy level up without wearing myself out, which is a trigger for me, but that will come in time. And like my mom keeps telling me. I was in my early 20s when this started, so I had more energy to begin with, Now I am in my 40s and as much as it is hard to come to grips with it, my energy level will not be that of a 20 something year old again. IC took alot out of me, so I should just be grateful that I have so many normal days now.

I will definitely do some more research

T83

[systitis]

Hi T83...Reading your post, it occurs to me that perhaps by keeping your bladder calm, the Prosed ds is allowing it to heal itself....Do you know if bladder tissue like other bodily tissue is capable of healing itself? I've read different opinions on this & wonder if anyone KNOWS for sure. Even the uros have given me inconclusive/unsatisfactory replies over the years I've been struggling with ic.

[Claredale]

That is something I have wondered since I was diagnosed with severe IC about 10 years ago. The interstim procedure did exactly as I was told and even decreased my pain level. In the last few months, I have really thought about asking my doctor to do another hydro to see if my bladder looked better, but I am afraid that it may do the opposite and cause me to start hurting all over again. I didn't have good experiences with the 2 hydros I had, plus my urthrea is so sensitive to even using caths. I have read alot about Prosed DS and I havent found anything that indicates that it causes healing. Prosed DS is normally used for the same reason Prydium Plus is used. It's an analgesic is used after procedures or infections, but it doesn't get rid of an infection. I have only had 1 UTI in my life. I will do more research tomorrow and call my pharmacist. I really think it is just a medicine that has happened to help with my symptoms, but I will certainly check into it further. Mainly because I haven't felt this good in years. Normally my body seems to as my doctor said "conquers" meds and we have to rotate them often so that I can have help with my symptoms. Prosed DS was prescribed to me because I was having so much urethra pain and spasms. I still have bladder pain at night, but it's not unbearable. I take less pain meds, but I do need them. So I don't know if that means my bladder lining is better or not. I have thought about your point most of the day today. I have been able to eat things lately that used to send me to bed in pain, for instance, I ate fried rice at a restaurant I have never been to. It has MSG and I even used "a little" soy sauce. I never had even a twinge of pain during the day. I still took my usual pain med before bed, but I wasn't in any more pain than when I eat plain very okay for IC foods.

I will let you know what I find out tomorrow! Wouldn't that be wonderful it if were true! Systitus, you have really made me think about this!

T83

[systitis]

"I have read alot about Prosed DS and I havent found anything that indicates that it causes healing..."

My thought isn't that Prosed DS causes healing but that calming (the anaesthetic aspect) and cleansing (the antiseptic part) the bladder allows the bladder to do its own healing. I guess an analogy would be a cut...if you basically keep it clean, don't constantly irritate it (don't pour acid on it) nature will take over & the cut will heal itself. This difference, of course, is that keeping a cut dry speeds the healing. If the cut is kept wet/damp (as in the bladder), healing will take much, much longer.

I'm very curious to find out what you learn. I'm happy to have you as a "partner" in IC detective work. Thanks for all your thoughtfulness & input. I really really appreciate it. Maybe we can figure out something that will be really helpful.

[Claredale]

"I have read alot about Prosed DS and I havent found anything that indicates that it causes healing..."

My thought isn't that Prosed DS causes healing but that calming (the anaesthetic aspect) and cleansing (the antiseptic part) the bladder allows the bladder to do its own healing. I guess an analogy would be a cut...if you basically keep it clean, don't constantly irritate it (don't pour acid on it) nature will take over & the cut will heal itself. This difference, of course, is that keeping a cut dry speeds the healing. If the cut is kept wet/damp (as in the bladder), healing will take much, much longer.

I'm very curious to find out what you learn. I'm happy to have you as a "partner" in IC detective work. Thanks for all your thoughtfulness & input. I really really appreciate it. Maybe we can figure out something that will be really helpful.

When I got off the computer last night (I had told hubby I would be just a few minutes since we were about to finish up a movie), I was jabbering on and on about Prosed DS. He knows I am such a different person since I have been taking it, but he is always my voice of reason. He is an analyst after all, so he gathers all the facts to come up with his decision. It really gets on my nerves sometimes, but I know he is listening to me. I showed him the PUF test, which I took the other day from how my symptoms were when I was basically at my worst, how I was the few years after my interstim and how I have been the last few months (while on Prosed DS). He wants to go with me to the doctor again and ask questions like we were talking about. My solution was to eat a tangerine (Oh, would I love that) and see what happens, but of course he nixed that idea before I got it out of my mouth! I will inform him of your logic that I read this morning. It makes it very clear. I am still taking care of my bladder, but very possibly this medicine is allowing my damaged bladder to heal. I told him I have started eating things that I normally don't eat (still nothing citrus...my main enemy), without suffering afterwards like I did for years.

I am getting ready for work this morning. I haven't even taken a pain med this morning, which is very unusual for a Monday since I normally always need meds on Monday since I have done something to cause my bladder to hurt, whether it be stress, overdoing it, or just being anxious, but I am acually running ahead of schedule for a Monday.

Thanks for the compliment that we are working together on this discovery. It would be awesome if we could even the slightest bit of help with our IC friends. If I knew who initially suggested Prosed DS to me, I would give them a big hug right now! I am so thankful for each and every post that encourages us to find what can get us through this disease, even if it is just one symptom!

Hugs!
Tracey

[snowgirl]

I think I have already talked to you about Prosed, sorry if I am repeating myself. There isn't a med out there that helps me with my memory on who I talk to. I guess that is why it's best to always tell the truth! LOL!

I have been on Prosed DS since last summer. I specifically aske my doctor at my appt last week about it, since he keeps writing the scripts for me. He told me that it was a med that can be used long term. Even if I need to be on it the rest of my life, that would be fine. He knows it has definitely turned me around with my symptoms. Even after my interstim ins 2002, I would still have problems if I held my bladder for too long which would cause problems like getting my stream started or having spasms afterwards because I had held it. I especially had problems when I was finally able to sleep longer during the night and would wake up in alot of pain since the urine had been sitting in my bladder so long. It took me a couple of weeks to see the full benefits of it, but ever since then, I don't have a single problem with retention, hesitancy, spasms afterwards, etc. I am in the catagory of going to the bathroom around 5 to 7 times on average everyday, that includes getting up once during the night. There are nights I don't even need to get up anymore. I was taking pain meds every 6 hours (pre interstim, every 4 hours was pushing it because my pain was so bad). Now I take 1 or 2 pain meds. One before I go to sleep and then 1 to sometimes even just a half of one when I wake up. I keep it by my bed with some water, so I can take it if necessary. After it and the Prosed DS kick in while I am watching the news. I am perfect for the day. I am even down to taking the Prosed 3 times a day instead of 4. I am also eating things (still not oranges or tangerines which I want so badly...SharonA understands), but I am eating things that are on the no-no list and no flares, pain or anything. I am just "inches" away from considering myself in remission. If I didn't need meds at night to help me sleep. I still have that mental thing going on since I went so many years on just a couple hours of sleep and I was so anxious about the thought of going to sleep. I am skipping nights now without taking the sleep meds. So hopefully I will be off all of my meds but Prosed DS in the next few months. I scored a 10-11 when I took that PUF test yesterday. Pre interstim, I was a 33, which my hubby said that I was worse when he went over it, but I based it on what I had in my journal. Post inter-stim and the few years afterwards, I scored a 20 (I think) and I judged my last PUF on my symptoms since September and scored 10 to an 11. I never in my life thought I would end up hating my life when I was at my worst and then I thought I would never be able to look forward to things and be able to enjoy long periods of time like I do now.

Prosed DS, has changed my life. I know some people have tried it, and not been successful. I almost stopped using it after 2 weeks when I was still having the same symptoms, but after a day or so, I realized that I could hold my bladder for well over the usual 2 hours and I didn't "pay the price" again.

T83

T83

You are blessed the interstim worked well for you and that is sounds like you are in remission pretty much. VIcky We may have had IC for 20 some years but I am no wear near the progress your bladder has made = mine went the opposite and progressed for the worse ending my employment. VIcky

[Ratchada]

Prosed DS has been very helpful to me. I notice that when I take it on a regular basis (right now maybe once in the morning and once before bed) my urine empties much like a normal person instead of the trickles. It clearly helps with burning and my urgency symptoms (can't write about pain as that is not a big issue for me) diminish significantly. I did not have the same success with Urised. Hope that helps - Ratchada