#1 IC lifesavers!

[katie87]

Lets all Post the number 1 thing or even things that are your best defense against IC. For me, a heating pad. Because when Dr. perscribed meds aren't doing it, or you don't have money or healthcare, you can always use a heating pad, it never needs refills or a long drive to a Dr. office, you can keep it with you 24/7, use it at home, in the car, at a friends house, anywhere! It can sooth and loosen tensed up pelvic muscles if you sit on it, or put it on your stomach or lower back as well. I do not recommend a HOT WATER BOTTLE! DANGEROUS! they can leak scalding water, so stick to a plug in one, or mircowavable bean sack. Also do not put directly on the skin, have a shirt or towel in between.

What are your IC lifesavers????????

[jen74]

My biggest help was an antibitoic I was put on to prevent UTI's ( keflex). I am not sure why it helped my IC, but it did. Of course now at the moment I am in agony, I may have picked up another infection at the gyne's office a few days ago.
Heating pad does help me some, so that is a good thing as well.
I also suffer pain severely. I have had IC since May of 2006. I use to do instills and they helped some, but I ended up with too many nasty infections so I stopped doing them.
I have tried many drugs to no avail. I either get severe side effects or they just dont work.
Any suggestions would be great if you know of anything else. This is a list of the drugs I have taken in the past for my IC,

Elmiron : Gave me severe stomach issues

Elmiron instilled in the bladder: Made me worse

heparin,lidocaine,saline instills: Helped, but got way to many UTI's

Hydroxyzine: Did not help at all

Lyrica: worse bladde pain

ELavil: CAuses slow digestion so I cannt take it

Pyridium: WOrse pain

Hdrocodone: Severely sick to stomach and dizziness(plus my doc said you cannot take them to long anyways)

Darvocet: No help

Herbal remedies: No to much help with them

Physical therapy: Made me worse

Ultram: Helped with pain, but had bad intestinal cramping and had to stop it.

That is pretty much what I have tried, there may be other things, but I cannot remember them all. ANy other ideas?
Jen

[elamar]

Being able to recline and put an ice pack between my legs gets me the greatest relief. First a nice hot soak in a bath and then recline with the ice pack - I guess it just relaxes alot of pelvic muscles that way.

[jen74]

Heat helps me a little, but ice makes me SOOOO much worse. Weird huh. You would think ice would help, but for me it makes the pain worse. I guess I am just odd :)
Jen

[SandyRN]

My #1 is Lyrica and OTC pyridium. The lyrica helps all my pain including fibro and IC so it's multipurpose for me. I have very little side effects either. As for the OTC pyridium, it's cheaper than a RX, it helps take the edge off bladder and urethral burning, it's always available and don't have to see or call a doctor for it.

I'm gonna go ahead and give another one...

#2 would be my pain meds. I lived with IC without pain meds for a while and I know that my pain is 100x multiplied without the meds. I'm at a point now where my meds are not at a huge dose, in fact 10mg of Methadone is relatively low in dosage, and this combo of methadone and dilaudid has worked for months and months now without having to raise the dose. It took me a long time to get to this point but now that I am I couldn't be happier with my pain mgmt.

#3 I have to add a 3rd....Antibiotics also help me tremendously. I recently was on huge doses of Clindamycin and Rocephin for cellulitis in my face/sinus cavity and there was absolutely NO bladder pain whatsoever. I thought at first it could have been the extra pain medication I was taking for that horrid pain I had in my face, but I stopped the extra pain meds several days before I stopped the antibiotics. I know they say it's not an infection, but I truly think it's due to a bacterial reaction of some sort, at least in my case of IC.

[SandyRN]

Ice makes me worse as well unless it's urethral pain...then it's a lifesaver. Have to agree with the hot baths as well. I take at least 3-4 baths a week....no bubbles, just water and a good book. I come out relaxed and able to do household chores without as much pain. I probably should have put the bath as my #1!

[SandyRN]

Have to add another....

B&O suppositories!!!!!!!!!!! I just can't say enough about them. I know they are another RX, but they work SO well for pelvic pain and they help me to start my urine stream without as much difficulty and I usually have. They decrease my frequency and most important, they help ease the pain. They do not cause systemic side effects like oral pain medications do, they work at the site, the pelvic area. They're rectal suppositories. Another side effect that is a bonus for me is that they also help keep me regular with my BM's.....it's just the "suppository" effect I spose. They come in two strengths, 15A and 16A. 16A is what I use, and it's got a higher dosage of Opium in it. I do not get a buzz at all from them, just sweet relief!!

[Tuckersmom]

After 18 years of dealing with this, it's pretty hard to pick one thing that helps me the most. Finding a urologist who knew how to treat IC was a big plus, and the first time I really had any help. He prescribed Ditropan XL 10 mgs, and Tofranil, 25 mgs morning and evening. After 12 years of going undiagnosed, I felt that I finally had my life back.

Last spring, however, things went downhill when I hit menopause. Three bladder infections within a matter of weeks. What saved me then was Estrace Cream and HRT. The infections stopped immediately.

The most helpful, non-medical thing has been sleeping with ice packs. My main symptom is urethral burning, even when all other IC symptoms are under control. I just could not fall asleep at night with all of the burning. I finally thought of ice packs, and they have been a lifesaver.

[steelerfan]

Katie87 i agree with you 100% I love my heating pad!!!!! I take it everywhere i go. My husband calls it my boyfriend because i sleep with it every night. It helps my bladder when im having a flare. It helps when my pelvic floor muscles are tight, i just put it right between my legs. It helps my low back when i have my period. It also helps to keep me warm at night, i just love it! I even take it with me when we go on weekend trips. I can't live without it. Take care


Steelerfan

[Briza]

#1??? Hard to say but I will list what I wouldn't want to live without starting with what I use most often:
1. Cold packs (I respond to cold therapy more than heat) and drinking lots of water and avoiding food triggers and stress (mental and physical)
2. Lidocaine gel and patches
3. Pyridium
4. Tylenol 3

[mary124]

1 -- finding a doctor who knows what and how to treat IC.
2 Combo of medications
3 Heating pad- had to buy a new one recently, as the other just gave up the ghost--my husband told me we have to bury "Sam" he names them as I always have mine when I am at home.