Could Neurological problems cause bladder frequency

[TinaM]

I am still trying to figure out the reason for my frequency/urgency. I am in between medical groups and am waiting to see my pcp to be referred to a Neurologist (yes, Neurologist this time, not a urologist).

I had pain for which I had to go to emergency as it was pretty intense. I had been sort of having this pain for the last 4 years, it seemed to come from the ovary area, however, could be the urethra as well. But when the pain got really intensified one day recently, I went to emergency who did CT scan, checked other things and concluded that it was probably coming from the back. But I laughed it off that day as it did not seem like coming from the back at all. This was more of a throbbing pain, exactly like when you ovulate sometimes, the pain and sensations coming from your ovaries. This was similar to that rather than the back and the pain was near the pelvic bone, but inside, rather than on the bone. A few days later when the pain got really intensified, I also felt very weak in my legs and arms, sort of like a looseness. And then the back got really intensified, that's when it became identifiable where the pain was coming from, it was the back. The CT scan revealed that there was degeneration in the lumbarsacrum junction.

Now I am wondering if my back is connected to my bladder problems?
Now I am certain that my pain is coming from here, having had this pain experience for 4 years now. It could be that I have nerve problems which originate in this area, as my legs and arms become weak with this pain as well. When my other doctor mentioned that the bladder may be affected by this, I am wondering if anyone has experienced a nerve problem which in turn has given you bladder problems.
Could a nerve damage a bladder to the point where the bladder's capacity gets reduced?
Do you think the nerve could make the bladder spasm unnecessarily therefore, frequency, urgency.
Would this kind of a problem be a very difficult diagnosis?
Has anyone exerienced this sort of problem? Please write to me.
I have wondered about my situation for 4 years, and finally it seems like I may be getting somewhere. I never thought of any other disease except having IC, but my doctor always had suspicions only, she could not confirm the diagnosis. If the bladder has problems due to this nerve damage would one call the disease IC? If the nerve is treated, has anyone experienced their bladder getting healed?
Does anyone know anything on this subject? Please share with me.

Thanks.

[JanL]

I don't know the answers to all of your questions, but I do know that the nerves in your pelvic area can cause lots of problems. It really is a question of which came first--the chicken or the egg. I definitely have IC. I have always had a lot of pelvic pain, but the bladder stuff started after a hysterectomy and bladder suspension. After 3 surgeries, I have IC, pelvic floor dysfunction, and prudendal nerve problems. The good news for me was Neurontin which helps with nerve pain. It has given me some of my life back. I still have good days and bad days, but it does help with the nerve pain. The prudendal nerve is very close to a nerve which causes lower back and leg pain (sorry--brain fart--I can't recall the name), So, yes, you can have nerve pain that can irritate the bladder and pelvic floor. Hopefully, they will find what to do for you and treat it. Keep us posted on your progress.


Janice

[BrittanysDance]

TinaM,

I think its best to just wait and see what the neurologist has to say at this juncture. In the past few days you've been all over the boards in different areas (and please, I'm not saying that in a bad way by any means) I'm concerned because you've posted that you're uro has stated it is IC, then that its not IC and that your other doctor stated it is back related or diverticulosis and your back pain was coming from your intestines. :confused: I thought you had just posted that your urgency and frequency were greatly reduced since drinking the coconut water and doing some other homeopathic things? At this point in time even I'm confused so I'm quite certain you are as well given what you are being told by all these doctors if that is the case. *biggest gentle hugs to you!* My goodness, you poor thing! I cant imagine going through all of what you are going through! :(

Quote: "Could a nerve damage a bladder to the point where the bladder's capacity gets reduced?"

I dont think thats possible because nerves dont have anything to do with the actual bladder size, however your bladder nerves do run into your spinal column, so it is plausible that urgency/frequency and pain can go to your back as alot IC patients have back pain. However, given your CT shows you have degenerative issues, as well as what you stated you were seen by the gastro for (and shown on scans - the intenstinal issue), your pain can be originating from that as well. Its best to discuss this with your doctor and follow their advice and recommendations.

Quote: "I never thought of any other disease except having IC, but my doctor always had suspicions only, she could not confirm the diagnosis. If the bladder has problems due to this nerve damage would one call the disease IC? If the nerve is treated, has anyone experienced their bladder getting healed?

You've posted your results of your cysto with hydro several times and to me, it seems very clear what your doctor thought - she suspected IC so she performed the tests to rule it out. If you doubt you have it, have another urologist perform other testing to confirm or rule out IC all together. There is the PST test or you can have another cysto with hydro, a second opinion is always wise in this instance if you are unsure. Many of us have had to go through MANY doctors, upwards of 6 or more in some instances, before finding not only a correct diagnosis, but a compassionate urologist who understood what we as IC patients experience on a daily basis.

I do hope you find some answers and relief soon. Please discuss all of your concerns with each of your doctors fully, only they (and you) know whats the best course of action for you to take.

Hugs to you!
Brittany

[TinaM]

Hi Brittany

I totally appreciate your email and you taking your time to write to me. Thank you so much for reading my concerns. Yes, I have been posting all over the place as I am at the end of my limits with my situation. Firstly, the coconut water is absolutely helped with urgency and frequency, no doubt. I am so much calmer than before. Frequency/urgency is not my concern at the present time. And by the way, the reason why I did not put any comments for at least a two week period is because I wanted to give the herbs and coconut water a good try first.

However, I am one of those people who refuses to treat the symptoms and settle with that. I want to find the root cause of my problems, not just a treatment. I don't even have a dignosis yet.

Wouldn't you be mad if you haven't been told everything by your doctor after going through a cystoscopy two years ago. My uro just called me yesterday (April 21st) after I had written a letter to her, 20 minutes prior to getting on a flight, therefore, not giving me any time to ask her questions. Can you imagine my frustrations? She revealed a fact about my bladder capacity two years after the cystoscopy, can you believe that?

When the pain came on April 3rd, my life turned upside down. I have been to emergency, changed my medical groups to go back and see my uro from 2006 who now has changed the diagnosis. And only recently, the back problem has come to light, therefore, all my brand new concerns.

So a million things have happened lately. My pain now finally seems to reveal to me where it is coming from.....and so now, I am trying to think whether it could have been nerves all this time. My back pain is a chronic pain, but I had no symptoms for at least 20 years......but the area where it is coming from, lots of nerves are there.

I know I am confusing everyone. But I don't have any one single doctor to talk to.....my situation is so maddening, I am trying to keep my cool. I was seeing that uro under another medical group, so now can't go back to her. I will see a brand new uro .......and now a neurologist....

I don't know how you all do it, but I just cannot go to doctors anymore. We all know our bodies, as we live with them and I know I am not a doctor, but I sure can feel things.......and will work closely with the doctor to figure things out, however, cannot let them tell me things which doesn't seem to be the right diagnosis.

I am sorry, I am not having a good day to talk about doctors......currently what this one doctor has done to me, has completely confused me and she is unavailable to make things right. I am just tired of this one fact, why doctors can't take a good 10 minutes of their time to talk to a patient. Why is everything in little bits and pieces...and why they don't have themselves available so that the patient could ask questions. I don't know about other people, but my experiences with doctors have been very bad in this respect. I am very sorry for my attitude today and for confusing people with my various posts.

I swear I will get to the root cause of my problem before I take any medication. I want a proper 100% accurate diagnosis.

[marsi4]

Hi Tina,


I feel your frustration and everything you are writing. I don't have any more answers than you do after 35 years and I've been doing nothing but talking to doctors for 4 years now. Doctors only give you bits and pieces because they are not sure about anything. They cannot confirm or deny any of the possible causes. I have had horrible back pain for 2 years now but have suffered with ic and what I believe may be a neuropathic condition that may also be affecting my bladder, or my bladder may have triggered the neuropathy. One condition may cause the other or they can both exist. I know for sure that at this point my nerves are definitely responsible for my very intense chronic pain which has also radiated to my sides and my lower back for over a year. Pain such as burning, electrical pain, shooting pains, stabbing pains, razor cut pains are associated with neuropathic pain. Is this nerve pain radiating from your bladder and spreading to the other surrounding nerves which go to the spinal cord or is this neuropathic pain stemming from your back and also affecting your bladder? That's difficult to answer. Most of the main nerves like someone else said do stem from the spine and are responsible for the different organs in our body. If you have a neuropathic condition it can affect the bladder and trigger similar symptoms to that of ic. IC can also cause neuropathic problems especially if you have pain for a long time. The nerves in the bladder and other organs are interconnected with other nerves that may be in the pelvic floor or surrounding area in the pelvis and leading to your sides and back. If one set of nerves are inflammed or irritated they can trigger others to do the same and the pain can spread to other areas in the body besides the bladder and affect them as well. I'm speaking out of my experience and what doctors have told me. I wish I had more answers myself before I go ahead and have a cystectomy but I haven't been able to get any concrete answers myself, just a lot of theories. I have not seen a neurologist either and I will certainly be doing that soon. I think you are on the right path , you should see a neurologist they can probably give you more answers then the pain clinic or urologists. Neuropathic pain and ic go hand in hand in many cases and they are both very difficult to treat and understand exactly what is going on. Nerve pain is a very difficult condition to unravel because it can start in one place and spread to the surrounding areas so it is difficult to pin point where it originated from initially, and what triggered it. An injury can cause neuropathic pain as well as any injured or damaged organ. It is likely though that the nerves in your bladder may have triggered and affected other nerves since you started off with only having bladder symptoms first and then started having back pain and pain in the ovaries. It can also be referred pain from your bladder extending to other areas. I hope you can get to the bottom of it and if you do let me know what the neurologist thinks. It's so upsetting and frustrating. We are suffering so much and have very little knowledge of what's going on in our sick bodies. I hope you can get some help soon. If you have neuropathic pain as well as ic which is very likely it is important that the nerve pain gets treated early on if it's possible and try to prevent it from spreading to the rest of the body.
Wish I could do more.

Marsi4:angel:

[Snuph]

Sorry you are having such a hard time. I work in health care and sometimes there is no answer to problems people are having. The body is still a mystery in so many ways. Our bodies are all unique. In answer to the back and bladder problems. If you believe in chiropractors, some of them believe that they can cure some kinds of bladder problems with spinal adjustments that will allow better nerve impulses to the brain. So maybe there could be some connections for certain bladder problems. I am not saying IC but maybe problems that mimic it. In any event pain, deserves as bad as you describe needs further investigation by your physician. Best wishes!

[omarito]

well i am sorry u feel confused i know exactly how that feels, u don't want to know how many times i asked myself questions lke yours? is my backpain due to spine problems? but how when it is usually associated with burning in my bladder ? is my left side pain due to my kidneys or ic? but my kidneys look ok in the tests i make..... u know eventually i decided to wait a little esp. that my nurse told me that ic may be difficult with some patients causing pain in different areas...Hope u get well soon