Please help with questions I have!

[BaileysMama]

I am dealing with some bladder issues of unknown cause--pleae bear with me as I explain this!! I went to the doctor about a week ago for a possible UTI. Never had one in my life but it felt like I heard a uti would feel--stining onec or twice while peeing and general pressure. And sorry for the TMI but Dh and I had had sex 2 days before the symptoms showed up and we may have been more adventurous than normal. The NP did a urinalysis and said it looked like a UTI and put me on cipro. I felt better initially and then had problems. No more stinging but continued pressure and even some pain in my side (sadly I am dealing with an ovarian cyst so that pain may not have been related!!). After finishing the 5 day course of cipro I returned on Monday because I was still bothered by this. They dis another urinalysis, sent for a culture and did a vaginal swab. The urinalysis suggested I still had a uti. The swab showed no std. Still waiting on the final culture though but the urinalysis in the docs office compared to the lab somehow changed despite being the same sample--at the doc's office they said I had blood and the lab says no. I have seen slight blood when wiping but only twice and it was gone. In the meantime they changed the antibiotic to Bactrim. Felt better initially and this afternoon I started backsliding again. The doc prescribed phenazopyridine in the meantime.
Right now I just have a weird tingly sensation in my whole genital area from the pubic bone back. Not painful but very annoying and I feel like I need to pee but not to the point that its driving me batty. My doc says IC is a possibility. So I have a few questions:

1) Why would this happen suddenly a day or two after sex??
2) Can IC really come on spontaneously like this?
3) Is it IC if its just tingly and not painful?
4) There isn't any way this could be an STD that they had not looked for, is there (I am just feeling so lost and paranoid right now that I am entertaining every possibilty!!)

Any answers or thoughts would be so helpful. Thank you very much if you made it this far!!

[mlzippy7]

First of all I wanted to say :welcome:!
You have many questions that I would suggest you talk with your doctor. I can tell you my opinion but please check with your doctor.

1) Why would this happen suddenly a day or two after sex??--It could
2) Can IC really come on spontaneously like this?--Yes...IC can start from any thing from surgery to a catheter to sex.
3) Is it IC if its just tingly and not painful?--IC pain is different for everyone. Some people have severe pain where they can not get out of bed. Others have mild nagging pressure pain. There are so many different kinds of IC.
4) There isn't any way this could be an STD that they had not looked for, is there (I am just feeling so lost and paranoid right now that I am entertaining every possibilty!!)

I hope you and your doctor can figure out what is going on. Have they done any testing for IC yet?
Good luck with everything!

[ICNDonna]

If you're still culturing infection, it makes interstitial cystitis less likely, but it's definitely possible. It could be that you're still recovering from your infection. It's good that your doctor is being thorough.

Donna

[BaileysMama]

Thanks ladies! You seem like such a nice group :-) I guess only time will tell. I don't think the phenazopyridine made a big difference--still had some tingling. And sometimes I ache AFTER going to the bathroom (can that happen with IC?). Donna, I read your story and it occurred to me--could this be related to my c-section. I have been told by many docs how he did such a great job. But 3 1/2 years later I occasionally will feel a slight kicking sensation in my stomach (as if a baby were there!). My ob/gyn said it was probably just scar tissue, etc. Well, now I am thinking that may be what is going on here?? Not sure why it would be precipitated by sex though if that were the case.

One more question to make sure I am understanding everything correctly--the pain or tingling can be anywhere from the front all the way back to the rectum? Sitting is driving me BATTY. Doesn't hurt--just annoying!!

Thanks so much!!!:smile tee

[lisabar36]

Hi, I am so sorry your not feeling well, and :welcome: I hope your doc can get things figured out for you. I know when I have a UTI I do get a little tiny pink tinge of blood when I wipe and it burns badly. I don't get the blood all the time, the last UTI I had it happened to me a few times just when I wiped. Are they going to do tests for IC? Have you done some research on vulvodynia? That can cause pain down there to and I know for me that was the cause of my pain down there along with IC. Keep us posted and I hope you start to feel better soon. In the meantime you may want to check out the IC diet, just to be safe, maybe some foods and drinks are bothering you, I know if I have juice it makes me hurt down there and alot of foods can cause my bladder to hurt. If you eliminate some of the trigger foods and see if that helps your burning. Its worth a try to see how it works for you until they can figure out whats going on.

[leelee88]

Hello and welcome To the ICN!!


I would make sure the infection is completly gone and if you are still having issues then talk to your URO..

I was going to mention what Lisa did about Vulvodynia. Also you should read up on Pelvic Floor Dysfuntion. (PFD) I hope you get some answers soon.

[SharonA]

I can't really add anything to what the others have said except my :welcome:. I hope you are able to get some answers from your doctors very soon. I remember how I felt when my symptoms suddenly appeared without much warning as all. One day I was fine, the next day I was in pain. I had to know what was causing this.

[BaileysMama]

You are all so nice here :-) Thank you for listening and trying to help!

I am going back to my doc for a pelvic exam tomorrow. He is stumped by the symptoms (the NP saw me, not him). And somehow my urine culture was lost (NOT helpful). I had some OK moments today where I felt better. Some of this almost feels like nerve endings gone haywire. We will see what tomorrow brings--I will let you know if I get any interesting info in case someone like me is searching down the road!

[LittleRed333]

Baileysmom,

I had all the same symptoms as you...just found out several weeks ago that I have IC....

Bless, Sharon

[BaileysMama]

Well I saw the doc today. Urinalysis still shows blood, leukocytes, etc. He sent it off for a culture and I might now by Saturday morning. He did a pelvic exam and was able to manipulate spots that mimicked the sensation I was having in my pubic area and bladder. But he said if the culture shows nothing of substance and I am not better next week then he wants me to see an obgyn on Tuesday. So we shall see if this is IC or not as time goes on!!:rolleyes:

[LuvMaui]

I really hope you just have a UTI. :pray: