please help??

[gooseygirl]

what do you take that helps with burning pain? i have urgency/frequency every now and again but my main symptom is burning in my bladder...like battery acid. it's directly related to what i eat so needless to say i'm on a very strict diet but am looking for more relief. any help would be so appreciated. i get so scared that i'll never feel better.

[Goldfinch]

I know that panicky feeling. I drink gallons of H2O to dilute my urine and flush the system (altho I feel like I do that all the time anyway) and immediately start on Urelle 4 x a day. Until I got a scrip for Urelle I used any brand of otc pyridium, which might even work a little faster for the burning. And, until I feel better, I put myself on a more restricted diet than usual: chicken soup w/rice, carrots, toast, and not much else. Borrring, but so far it has been effective. If I am able to rest and get horizontal that seems to relax my bladder, which helps with frequency; it seems to take some of the pressure off my bladder. And at night--or during the day if I don't have to drive anywhere--I might take a low dose of xanax which helps relax my body and keeps me from feeling too panicky. Also I am able to take Ibuprofen in modest amounts, and that helps as well. Hope this is useful! Feel better soon.

[Briza]

I respond very well to Pyridium for burning....it is available by prescription, or over the counter under the names Uristat or AZO Standard at most any drugstore, Walmart, large supermarket. It is not intended for longterm, daily round the clock use but for flares and occasional use as needed is how I take it...approved that with my dr and pharmacist. So I use it sparingly but that med and/or my pain med Tylenol 3 controls my burning very well. Also drinking plenty of water is imperative for me to prevent burning...that keeps the urine diluted and makes the urine less irritating to the bladder. Best wishes, hope you get relief soon,Bri:)
Goldfinch gave some great tips about the diet when having symptoms. I see she drinks a lot of water, too...I average about a gallon a day and it actually helps my urgency because when I go I REALLY have to go, not just a few burning dribbles. Urelle, available by prescription, is supposed to work really well for bladder burning and spasms, too, and another med Prosed DS also seems to be a good one to help with burning and spasms. I think Urelle has a generic so it is very affordable but Prosed DS I have read here does not have a generic so is more expensive but many get great relief. I have not tried those two because Pyridium and its OTC versions work so well for me and I don't need it daily or more than one dose in a day. So maybe that is something you can try...it is fast acting...you might call your dr in the am to see if he/she is ok with that and that it doesn't interact with anything else you are taking, but in general for most people it seems to get good relief for burning pretty quickly. Some say they that it makes them nauseous, so that is something to look out for, but I have never experienced that. Warning: Pyridium makes the urine bright orange, Urelle and Prosed DS blue...why, I don't know.
I have also gotten minor, repeat MINOR relief with extra strength Tylenol without any bad effects to my bladder. Have had to use this in a pinch when I needed my Rx Tylenol 3 or Pyridium but was out somewhere, at a friends house...I can also tolerate ibuprofen and naproxen, but usually use those only for menstrual cramps.
Also, I respond well to cold therapy...I put ziplocs of frozen peas, ice, cold sodas, really cold or frozen ANYTHING on my bladder, between my legs, my lower back. Others prefer heating pads which sometimes I can tolerate on my back, but if my bladder is burning it is a cold pack that gives me the best relief or at least gets my mind off the burning. Also getting horizontal, like Goldfinch mentioned above, while waiting for meds to kick in helps a lot.
Hope any of this helps! Feel better soon!

[VickiB]

I do much the same as the others, increase water consumption (make sure it's pure untreated water!), take pyridium in OTC version Uristat or AZO, and I'm very careful with diet to not add further aggravation.

One thing not mentioned for burning so far is using baking soda in water. I will put 1/2 teaspoon in a full glass of spring water, and then drink two glasses of it. But before trying this, if you have any sodium diet issues you should speak to your doctor about whether this is a good option for you.

I absolutely hate the burning battery acid feeling, and remember also having the fear that I would never get better. I did though, and odds are you will too!

Hang in there!

Vicki

[gooseygirl]

thanks so much for all your replies...i'll def try some of the things you have mentioned. i was wondering though...being that i am so diet sensitive (i've only been able to eat about 10 foods the past 12 months) is there anything i can take on a more regular basis to help with the burning? i think azo, pyridium etc are great ideas but i don't think i can take them on a daily basis to help with the pain...

[Briza]

I think Urelle and Prosed DS are safer for longterm use. I haven't used them but I from what I have read here I believe both can give relief from burning.

[Briza]

Also Prelief taken with meals I have heard helps reduce the acidity of foods so helps prevent burning. It doesn't require an Rx and is safe to use daily with meals. I believe Walgreens carries it. I have never found it at Walmart.

[junebug800]

Urocit K also reduces the acidity of the urine. It hasn't really done anything for me because i don't have burning, but it may be something to ask your doctor about. I think they have a generic. It's potassium citrate.

[Goldfinch]

Urelle has been a lifesaver for me. I've never tried Prosed; it shares four out of five ingredients with Urelle. See if your doc can give you samples of both or a scrip. One might be better than the other for you. It's great to have a stash of otc Pyridium on hand for emergencies. You could try that for the first day or so and then when the worst burning is somewhat under control switch to the Urelle or Prosed, since they are indicated for long-term use, which Pyridium is not. Urelle usually starts working for me within about 2 doses or 12 hours for me and continues to increase in effectiveness over time. When I am feeling much better I start to decrease the dose slowly until I feel like I don't need it any more.

[Briza]

I agree with Goldfinch that if you can tolerate Pyridium and it works for you it is always good to have it on hand for short term use for acute burning or flares because it does tend to work pretty quickly...I always carry a least a couple doses of it in my purse since it always best to treat the symptoms as quickly as you can before they set in b/c if treatment is delayed then it often is harder to get under control or may require more doses of a med than if you treat symptoms right away.
Also knowing that you can buy Pyridium OTC is a good thing for emergencies, in case you are not at home when burning strikes. But definitely if you are looking for a med to use round the clock or on a daily basis for burning Urelle and Prosed I believe would probably be the ones to try.
GG, also since you are so very diet sensitive you really should look into Prelief. THere is a forum here on ICN devoted specifically to Prelief. Take a look at the posts in that forum to learn more about it. It seems to be something you can use as a preventative measure rather than something to treat burning after it has already started....and it is very safe to take daily as needed w/ meals.
If I needed Pyridium more than once a day more than a couple times a week then Urelle would be the med I would try first to take the place and hopefully give me the same relief as Pyridium, but safer for longterm or daily use.
Hope you find what helps you, goosegirl, and that it is something you are comfortable taking....burning bladder can really be a nuisance and often makes me want to go straight to bed.Best wishes:)

[frustrated_kcm]

Urelle has definitely been a saving grace for me. I understand it to be very gentle on the bladder (so my Uro says) and I feel better almost immediately.

[gooseygirl]

thx!!!! i am SO gonna ask my doc about the urelle...does elavil, lyrica, atarax, or elmiron help the burning?

[BreezyDay]

The pyridium really worked well for me as well. Best wishes!!!

[krisillis]

Elmiron really does help the burning long term but it takes a few weeks to take effect anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months depending on the person because of how inflammed their bladder is. Elmiron helps give the bladder a chance to heal. Pyridium is a good short term pain relief measure like taking a tylenol for a headache, but you should tt your dr about how long is safe for you to take it. It isn't meant for long term use. Only a few days here and there and then your body needs a break. Hang in there!

Christine

[navemj]

I use a bottle to rinse off after I urinate and apply olive oil down there to sooth the tissues.
Navemj

[Briza]

thx!!!! i am SO gonna ask my doc about the urelle...does elavil, lyrica, atarax, or elmiron help the burning?

Elmiron takes usually at least 3 months to work and it does not work for everyone. Studies show it works for much fewer than 50% of patients.
Lyrica I don't have experience with but know many say they get relief with it....how long it takes to work I don't know and I don't know if it relieves burning symptoms. For the ones ELmiron does work for they swear by it, but the downside is that you have to take it for so long to find out if it works for you. But you can take it and in the meantime try other meds that give faster relief:

Atarax I have not tried b/c antihistamines give me the jitters and tossing/turning sleepless nights. Many report success with it, but I don't recall how long it takes to be effective and whether it relieves burning specifically. I do believe it is fairly fast acting.

Elavil has been a very important part of my regimen....for me it works best for frequency and urgency and helping me sleep thru the night. When I have urgency I often have burning, but I don't think Elavil has worked for the burning or pain. When I am in that situation drinking lots of water is key to preventing and relieving burning in my bladder. Luckily for me, Elavil relieves my freq and urg within a day or two, so I am now able to take it only as needed as approved by my dr. I take only 10-20mg. Usually just 10 mg unless I am flaring.

If I don't keep well hydrated or if I eat/drink one of my main trigger foods then I am prone to burning...if downing some water doesn't help quickly I take pyridium and/or a pain med (tylenol 3) and that takes care of it very quickly.

As I mentioned before, if I needed pyridium ( my absolute best remedy for burning) more often than a few times a week I would request Urelle b/c it seems also to have great burn relieving properties but is safer for long term use than pyridium.

All of the meds that you asked about have the potential to reduce your symptoms; however, most of them take some time to be effective... it is always good to know you have a med on hand that treats a particular symptom quickly, in this case burning. I do believe that many patients here take Urelle or Prosed DS daily or regularly safely without ill effects, so don't rule those out as longterm use meds without talking to your doctor and pharmacist. Forming a good relationship with your pharmacist is especially helpful for those times when you can't reach your dr and have questions about a med.

Different meds treat different symptoms, and often what works for one person for a certain symptom doesn't help another. It is not unusual for IC patients to have to try a multitude of meds before finding the combo that works best for them.

Going back to the Elmiron, it is really the only oral med that may give the bladder lining a chance to heal or at least act as a bandaid to prevent further insult to the bladder. All of the other meds basically just treat the symptoms, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, because once you get symptoms under control you should be able to get by with fewer meds and at lower doses, and then you will definitely lead a more normal, happy, productive life:smile tee

If you haven't already PLEASE look into the PRELIEF since you are so diet sensitive...it is affordable, doesn't require a prescription, and safe to take daily...basically it is an antacid that you take before, during, or after meals to prevent the burning. Best wishes, I do hope you find the med or combo of meds that works for you!Bri:)