Anyone using Lidocaine and Sodium bicarb?

[lisabar36]

I was wondering while waiting for the heparin, if anyone is using Lidocaine and sodium bicarb alone in the meantime for your instills? My doctors nurse said I could and also said I could use Elmiron but she did not know how much and said I would need to look it up. Thanks.

[barbclay]

Do you mean to open the elmerion cap and mix it with the other? That seems like it would be more effective than taking it oral. Also if I take the elmrion oraly it gives me a headache. Maybe if I put it in my instills it wouldn't!!

[GriffsMommy]

Lisa,
I've just been using the lidocaine and sodium bicarb since I felt some burning that I hadn't experienced before after using the "bad" heparin when I used it the last time.
I don't feel like it is working as well which I know that you get a lot more relief from them normally than I do.
Sandy had mentioned to me that I could put Elmiron in my instills as well if I would like. I told her I haven't been on the stuff in months as it never worked for me and I had just finally gone through my meds and thrown out my leftovers recently. I know there are members here who use Elmiron in their instills so hopefully when I bump this up near the top again someone will see it and tell you how they do it. I think they open up the capsules and put the meds inside into the liquids. I have heard of one or two capsules being used I believe and I think that you have to mix up the meds really well so that the Elmiron will get through the cath and not stuck in the syringe.
Good luck if you try it that way and let me know how it goes. I can't afford to get it anymore but I'd be curious if it helped you more than the heparin.

[Berkshire Road]

I've just been doing lidocaine and sodium bicarb. Well, we all have the same Dr., don't we? It does help, but now I'm in a flare. I would do it every day with the heparin; now I'm doing it morning and night to get the same relief. It's getting expensive!

I would try the Elmiron, but I don't know how much to use. Anyone?

[lisabar36]

Hi, yes we all have the same doctor. lol I don't know how to do it with the Elmiron either. The nurse told me to look it up, but I did try and I can't find anything. Anyone?

[justice4j]

Hi,

I just started Elmiron instills at home. They have the liquid form in Germany, but not here. I have no idea why. In Europe, INJECTABLE Elmiron is used as a weak anticoagulant (blood thinner). I think it is used IV but I'm not sure.

Anyway...... I carefully dump the contents of the Elmiron capsule into I an empty Bicarb bottle I saved. You can remove the top by CAREFULLY using scissors as an opener. I was a nurse, so I use my old bandage scissors because that's what we did in the ER.

Then, just draw up the liquid ----Bicarb and Lido--whatever you are prescribed into the syringe and using the syringe, push the liquid into the bottle or whatever you use where the Elmiron powder is. Then draw it up take the needle off and connect the syringe to the catheter and insert it. Push the medication you've mixed into the bladder via the cath and you're set.

[lisabar36]

Walgreens told me today they can get me the heparin they think from a differnt vendor, I seen somewhere posted that someone was able to get heparin from walgreens so I took my script in and he said he thinks he can get it by tomorrow. I will let you know what company makes it if I get it and maybe you can ask your pharmacy to order it. :)

[justice4j]

Lisa,

Thanks! I'm doing Elmiron instills now, so I don't neet Heparin at the moment.

I hope those using Heparin are able to get some soon. It's not something you want to be without if it works for you.

[lisabar36]

Hi, they can't get the heparin. My docs nurse called me and said the Elmiron that I take is enough and to just use the sodium bicarb and lidocaine, cause if I am taking Elmiron pills, then I do not need to add it to my instills. I been on Elmiron since September so I will keep taking it and just do my instills without the heparin until it becomes available. The companies where heparin is available only have a limited supply so they can't get it for instills yet. So hopefully soon. :)