Gonna get prego---I hope!

[Divegirl75]

Hey ladies,

I have tons of questions. My hubby and I are gonna try for a baby. My concern is 1) I'm on Elmiron and Elavil and 2) I'm so damn tired from my IC and am afraid to have kids b/c my energy level is waning and 3) what multivitamins do you take? They irritate my bladder so my doctor said to take just folic acid. Your thoughts?????

[mrsaridings]

I am not sure about the elavil but as for elmiron I saw nothing that says not to take it during pregnancy. I looked it up at http://www.drugs.com/pro/elmiron.html. I stopped it when we wanted to try though. I was just afraid to take anything. I wanted to see how I would be w/out it too. I stopped it because they cause worse migraines for me and for that I had to be on rx as well or they were so bad I would vomit all day and have to lay still w/ no light or noise or anything. Another reason I quit it was because we have been doing more health food stuff lately, since I've been diagnosed w/ IC really, and I see the changes that makes so I just took a leap of faith and decided I would trust the Lord to help me w/ all my health issues. Wich in turn He has. I have had a flare once or twice since stopping it, but that was my fault because I ate something I knew would bother me.

As for the energy, all I can say is I drink herbal tea that helps boost my energy w/out giving me a jittery feeling. Not only does Yerba Mate work, but I find peppermint and spearmint help. I heard that they triger some nerve that makes you more alert. For me, also when I eat food that is real sugary like chocolates and candies, I become more drained so I try to eat dry fruit and certain nuts to snack on when I want to munch something. Maybe try yogurt raisins, almonds, dry bananas, or even blueberry almond cereal(dry) or cereal bars. You will be alright, it takes time. i still get very drained as well on days, but I have two children 4 and 2, and two inside dogs schnauzers, and go to school online. So it is natural to get tired and exhausted. You can also try keeping fresh flowers around, I read that is helpful in making people alert and able to concentrate more too. Good Luck I hope you and me both get pregnant soon. Keep me posted.

[Krisi]

I too was on the same combo. They told me I could take both until I got pregnant but I stopped the Elavil. They don't want me on either but will give me something for the pain if it gets too bad. My husband and I are also ttc. I take Rainbow Light Prenatal One a Day vitamins. They don't seem to bother me like others do. I would recommend trying it first. I honestly don't think I can or will take a perscription prenatal because of the stuff in the vitamins and how sensitive my bladder is. The OB I went to for the preconception counseling said that I could do bladder instills regularly at the uro to help control/prevent the symptoms.

msraridings, I am doing the same thing with trusting in the Lord! I have my ups and downs but I know he will always prevail!

Are any of you gals charting or using OPKs? I am charting because I have really long cycles. If I didn't I wouldn't know if I was preggers or not or just took awhile to ovulate... :) Good Luck!

[mrsaridings]

I keep track of the days of my cycles on a calendar, mine are long too. I am thinking about an OPK, but I don't know anything about them. I can usually tell when I ovulate bcuz I have a lot of discharge and all so I just know. But we have still been unsuccessful. We usually do it at least twice a week anyway, and sperm can live for almost 5-7 days. I think an egg will last up to 2 days so I figure if it happens it happens. I will go to sleep after we do it so that way I don't lose any (I know I'm weird)like I can lose a few from the millions of sperm right?

Oh and I was going to say, I took Flinstones w/iron vitamins when I was pregnant instead of prenatal, I think they are just as good and will not bother IC.

[Divegirl75]

:hi:Thanks so much for your tips! Wow, I am just so confused. My Uro/Gyn puts me on Tofranil (imipramine) (thought I was on Elavil) and then I go to my PCP yesterday and he's a family doc and he says "you should not be on that, its a class D and is bad for babies!" We're ready to try and think we've had to put it off for so long b/c of all this. So he gave me Elavil which is safer. Then he said Zoloft was not safe (which I was on before as an antidepressant) and I looked it up and its a class B, same as Elmiro or Elavil. Its so crazy. I have 3 doctors and my PCP is now managing my meds b/c the specialists I pay 300 bucks a session for don't help me with medication management. I really like my PCP. So we'll see. I'm tired of waiting to try. And I don't even know if my Elmiron is even working! I guess I could get off of it?

I feel like I have so many doctors and so many options. It is so confusing and scary. I too, trust in the Lord to helps us conceive when its the right time.

I am using just the plain old OPK strips. So far, just pinpointing that. I have been tracking fluid and temperature for 2 years. I have it down pretty good. :) We just haven't offically started trying yet.

I take just folic acid alone b/c the vitamins irritated me more. I may try your brand.

My other issue is that I typically flare during/after sex and I always flare during ovluation. Kinda makes it hard to conceive huh? :) Also, I have heard that Astroglide and KY jelly both kill sperm! What do you guys use for lubricant????

Yikes, so many things. I want to go to a doctor for preconception counseling but I've been thru so many doctors lately, its seems like a lot!!!

SOOOO glad you guys replied to my post. :)

Let's keep chatting!!!!!

[Divegirl75]

Hey girls,
Head to fertilityfriend.com. It costs a little to have all the features, but it helped me immensely with tracking all my stuff. :) You enter in your temperature, fluid types and all the symptoms (breast tenderness, etc.) Then it tracks it all foryou. You also can enter if you use an OPK too. I love this website. It tells you potential fertile days, so we used it as birth control actually, to not get pregnant! It also gives you daily email tutorial again. It tells you how to track it all.

I use Answer OPKs. works ok, but I have heard the 200 dollar Fertility trackers are the best. you just buy the strips and it tracks your cycle. Tells you when to have sex etc. etc.

I have to shower after sex. It helps with the flares.

I swear, it stinks how we hurt from sex and we want to have sex to conceive. I get really discouraged sometimes and down. it has really hurt our sex life and connection. We waited till we got married and now it is difficult. He's so afraid he's gonna hurt me. :(

[mrsaridings]

It sounds like you might need to stay on elmiron until your IC gets a little better or at least more manageable. I had HUGE issues w/ pain during and after sex. Sometimes it hurt so bad that I had to be alone and just cry until the pain subsided. My husband felt so bad and got to where he was scared to even have sex w/ me. Then I was diagnosed. I was on the Elmiron for about 3 months and then that got better. I also found that if I had taken some Tylenol or Advil sometimes even Sudafed, about 10-20 minutes before, then it hardly hurt at all. When I was first diagnosed, they also told me to take a pain rx before doing it. That helped, but I don't even remember what they gave me, I think it was Darvacet.

As far as lubricant, we don't use any. This is embarrassing, but my husband has to go down for a minute or two and that always helps me. I don't mind it, but I kinda hate it for him, but he swears he doesn't mind. So whatever:) I think if we did it more, then we might have to use something, but I am not a big fan of sex...don't get me wrong I like it every now and then, but you know. I don't know if this is normal, or if it is just because of my past and things I went through.

I wonder sometimes if lubricants make IC flares worse. Another reason I am scared to try them.

[Divegirl75]

Some days I just get so overwhelmed, all these docs, bad sex life, etc. etc. Sometimes I think I'll get a counselor. Just to talk through things. I wish I could find one doctor who is knowledgeable about all this stuff you know? Its sooo hard. :(

I have heard that Lube hurts IC people too. Unfortunately bacterial effects me so "going down" can cause a flare too. I know what you mean, my hubby is afraid to hurt me too. It is really hard, I need him to read up on families and stuff and support me but I don't tihnk he wants to. Anyway, its so hard.

[mrsaridings]

Are you taking any antidepressants or any type of them now?

The reason I am asking, is because I used to take them when I was younger B4 IC and my husband and kids, and I seemed to get more discouraged and more depressed w/ them. You seem so discouraged, which I know is very easy to get that way w/ IC and especially when you are in pain. I will be praying for you and I hope things get a lot better and do work out. Just try to remember that if you let them bother you too much then they will only get worse. I find when I am stessed I am more likely to have flares as well. Even if I don't think I am stressed my husband says I am. The only thing I can say is try to pray more and get others who are prayer warriors to pray for you and think positively and laugh alot. I say that because research has shown that these things are helpful when someone is in pain. They help me anyway.

I am not saying to stop any meds, I am not a dr by no means, but I would just do a lot of research in all areas of your concerns and do a lot of praying about it. Plus find a lot of highly recommended doctors and get their opinions. I live in NC, but my OB is Dr. Bang Giep and he is one of the top in the nation on IC and IC research. Good Luck to you and I hope things get better.

[Krisi]

I have the same problems with sex and flares. I have to soak in a bath with no soap etc. or at least shower. It is bad sometimes where I have to do it before and after. It has been getting better, with my PT. I also have vulvodynia and PFD. I also find I seem to be flaring when I ovulate. I also use fertility friend. I don't pay for it because you pay per month and well I don't ovulate per month so I kind of think it is silly. Maybe it should be pay per cycle! :) My gyn can't see me after I get preggers so I have to find a new PT and go back to either the uro I was at or a different one. I really hope the OB I visited is good because I really don't want to keep going around interviewing all of them.

[Divegirl75]

How do you gals communicate with your hubbies? I think mine needs to read the support stuff on it but doesn't, so he is afraid to touch me!!!

Showering helps. So you go to physical therapy? I have heard that helps. My UROGYN wants me on Elmiron for awhile and then may add TENS and PT. I really feel like the majority of my problem is burning urethral pain, the bladder pain comes once and a while. Like today, I"m burning but its more lower. I know its a sex flare. :( Sometimes though, I really have an infection and I quit going to the doct to do a UA b/c it was always negative. Then one day I was really bad and was in a flare and went to the UroGyn and it was a UTI!

So, to answer your question, I tend to be a depressed individual and was on Zoloft for many years, which helped immensely. I notice I get more stressed out when I'm not on it. So my PCP gave me buspirone, which is safe for pregnancy. Then he gave me a new anti depressant. I figure if it doesn't work for bladder contractions, I'll just get off of it. I just like having it for the sleeping help. I also have Ambein which I need to get off of, def. not safe for conception.

I need to find a counselor. Someone to talk to about this. Last night I talked to my husband and he doesn't act like he listens, I think he is just overwhelmed and wants to "fix me" and can't. you know? So I called my mom. I think finding a counseor who specializes in chronic disase. I am tired of going to doctor to doctor. I need an OB/GYN b/c my UroGyn doesn't do babies. :) So, its like 5 doctors and since they don't really collaborate or talk, you don't know what one is saying. I'm gonna stick with y PCP. He's really great....He listens at least.

just have those overwhelmed days. :) Today is certainly better than yesterday.

[mrsaridings]

Well, I am glad today is better.
With my pains and stuff, my husband and I just talk, I get the feeling like he too does not listen because he also wants to "fix it" but I found that by telling him he has somehow fixed it just by listening, he feels better and will be more willing to listen, whether he wants to or not :) Even if he is not looking at me or in the same room, I still know he hears me, even if he continually forgets, he will still ask me off and on how it is and what I have been going through so I know he is still listening and it does matter to him I guess. He says I whine a lot, but he would rather me whine and tell him what is going on then to not say anything and keep it from him.

I don't go to therapy, and showering only helps every now and then, but if I do have a bad flare (which thank God has not been in while, knock on wood) a shower is no good and all I can do is take pain meds that put me to sleep and sleep it out. Although w/ two little kids, that is hard to do sometimes. I am just glad I get some relief when he gets home and takes control you know?

I just do a lot A LOT of herbal stuff and remedies. I am going to start seeing a virologist/herbalist who is very biblically based in October. She is very good and a lot of ladies I know go to her for other medical reasons and they get a lot of help from the special alternative treatments she offers. I have been waiting since March to see her if that tells you anything. Other than that I am just blessed my IC is not that bad. I really follow the IC diet and eat organic foods and drinks wholly, so I feel that has a lot to do w/ it.

Yesterday I drank about 3 sips of Coke-Cola...OUCH! I was in pain all day, I will never do that again. So I sorta just do things a little at a time if I don't know how my body will react. I mentioned I am doing that body detox in one of my forums or threads, and that seems to be very helpful to me. It has been about 2 weeks now, and I find it is helping my IBS.

[Divegirl75]

Wow, this is all great. Love your idea on talking to your hubby and letting him think he's fixing it! :) Love it.

Well, I am kinda new to the diet and stuff. I LOVE diet soda and have my consumption down to an 8oz a day but I know it makes it worse. Definitely. I bought the book "confident choices" off the site store, so I am working through that. It seems ovehwleming to completely overhaul my diet!!!

SO what types of meds are you guys on. My URO gave me Ultira C and it makes me super dizzy. I halfed the dose and still get dizzy! Not so bad, but can still tell and almost like I have hot flashes!!!

It is so tricky and hard to have all of these meds and worry about getting pregnant etc. etc. You know? Wow, so much to consider. I'd love to go the herbal route if I could.

I appreciate you girls! Thanks so much!!!!:love:

[Believing]

SO what types of meds are you guys on. My URO gave me Ultira C and it makes me super dizzy. I halfed the dose and still get dizzy! Not so bad, but can still tell and almost like I have hot flashes!!!I had some vision problems when I first started taking it, but they went away after a week or so.

[mrsaridings]

Currently I don't take anything. Except my herbal stuff.