Help....please!

[newicer]

Hi,

I'm back again desperately seeking help. I was diagnosed with IC 2 years ago. My present treatment plan since April 08 is Elavil 20mgs. at night and weekly 7-8 days apart of Elmiron home bladder instillations. I have seen and felt improvement over the past few months. I suffer with more chronic pain than I do with urgency/frequency.

My problem is this....I did a home instill last wed. The very next day I started experiencing pain that only got worse over the next few days. By Saturday the pain was so intense I thought I may have to go the ER, but nixed that thinking they would know what to do about it. I took 2 hydrocodone pills and they only mildly relieved the pain. I also tested my urine at home with the Azo UTI test strips. They are showing positive for a UTI. The pain is the worst I have experienced in almost 2 years so this has completely thrown me off. I watch my diet and faithfully do the home instills. My question is....could a UTI be giving me a horrible flare up of my IC? Could I have gotten an infection from the home instill (I am very careful about everything being sterile, but still could an infection have happened?)
I am going to call the Dr. in the morning and ask to go in for a urine test. I would also like them to do another instill in the office for the pain, but would this hurt me even more? Should I "wait out the pain?" Please help! Any advice you can give me would be most appreciated. (It really hurts!)

Joanne

[Kara29]

Joanne,

I don't know much about the Instillations. Donna mentioned something about an urgent care facility. Do yo have one of those you could pop on into today? You should really check with your Doc. Don't be afraid to call them now. Someone will be oncall. That's a good question about will another one make you feel worse or not? I'd ask them that one for sure and all of your other questions and concerns.

I'm so sorry you are suffering this weekend. Maybe some other folks will come along and be able to assist you with the Instillations.

Warm Hugs,

Kara

[SharonA]

I think it is a very good idea to have your urine checked for an infection. It is always a possibility with the use of a catheter. I know you said that you are careful and I believe you, but just to be on the safe side and since the home test is positive, get your urine checked by a doctor. A walk in clinic today might be called for instead of waiting for tomorrow to be checked for infection.

[VickiB]

My question is....could a UTI be giving me a horrible flare up of my IC?

Most definitely! Having IC is rough enough, but throw in an infection and I find being miserable takes on a whole new meaning!

If you have a walk-in clinic/minor emergency clinic that's available to you today, I would go there and get checked. If it is a UTI, the sooner you get started on antibiotics the sooner you'll feel better! I know for me, when I have delayed treating an infection it seemed to increase the amount of time it takes to get my bladder healed up again.

Sorry you're going through this!

Vicki

[newicer]

Thank you all for your replies and advice. It is truly comforting to me to be able to talk to others who understand...then I don't feel so alone. I will let you know how I make out. A walk-in clinic is a good idea. I will check to see if there is one open close to me.

Thanks again.

Joanne

[mlasorsa]

Newicer,
I am so sorry that you are not feeling well this weekend. I do home instillations daily since March. Everyone is different, but I am sure with the positive home urine test, you have a bladder infection. I hope you found a clinic open in your area. Any infection that I have had in the past defin. makes me Flare. I pray that you get relief quickly! :angel:
Just wanted to let you know that you have alot of people pulling for you here!! Mary

[Wolfe]

I used to do home installations and it sounds like an infection to me. I hope you found an urgent care facility. Most places have something open on weekends. It's amazing how much a UTI can hurt, and equally amazing how quickly antibiotics can make you feel better.

You might want to consider just a "maintenance dose" of an antibiotic like macrodantin like I did when I was doing at-home instills. I kept getting UTIs and that helped.

[ICNDonna]

Any time we use a catheter it increases the potential for infection. I think it would be a good idea for you to have this checked out. You don't want to wait since an infection can get much worse very quickly.

Warm healing thoughts,
Donna

[newicer]

I broke down and called the Dr.'s exchange yesterday to see who was on call. It was the actual Dr. so I asked for him to call me. I explained what was going on and how I thought I had a UTI & was in excruciating pain. Since I did have an antibiotic at home (macrodantin) and my bladder is so fragile to go ahead and start taking it. See how I do within the next 24 - 48 hours then I could go to the office to get checked unless I wanted to wait until today and go in. I opted to start taking the antibiotic tho this one gives me an upset stomach. I'm cautiously feeling a little better this morning, but am going to call the Dr.'s office to see if I can get another antibiotic that they have prescribed before...one that doesn't make me sick. I work in a school and am supposed to return to work tomorrow for a few days this week. Right now I feel like I got run over by a truck!

I can't tell you how much it means to me to talk to people who really understand. It is a very lonely health condition and there are days when I just ask myself....how much longer can I continue to do this?

Thank you again for your support.

Joanne

[lisabar36]

Hi, I am sorry the medicine is making you sick. I have that problem with alot of antibiotics to. You take them to feel better and they can sometimes make you feel worse. :( I wanted to tell you that I did an instill once when I had a UTI, I had the worst pain, it was horrible. It flared my IC but normally a UTI I feel the symptoms so much worse. I hope you start to feel better soon. :)

[mlasorsa]

:hi: Joanne,
I am so glad that you called the doctor and started on an antibiotic. Also to hear that you are feeling a little better! I hope that you just continue to get better and feel more like yourself. You will need a full series of antibiotics and also he may want to run a urinalysis with culture and sensitivity on your urine to be sure that it is sensitive to the antibiotic that you are taking. Also, 48 hours after the series of antibiotic, he/she should do another urinalysis to be sure that the infection is completely gone.
We are all here for you and truly understand your feelings. Stay strong, and be sure to keep in contact with your doctor. :angel: Mary