Relationship of Bladder to Bowels

[Pucca]

I am in a flare, a kind I haven't had in about a year and a half. I was feeling great yesterday until a bowel movement around noon. As soon as that was over, I just had that sensation down there that a flare was on its way, and it was. Can this be some form of the PFD? As far as I know, I don't have PFD, I never have constipation and only get a poor urine stream when I take meds that cause retention. I am just wondering because I've had worsening of symptoms before that started off the same way. Come to think of it, many of my "worse" days start off that way immediately after using the toilet for either reason. I never strain - my bowels have always been shall we say, rather easygoing.

I had a horrible night... it made me appreciate how much better I've been since the first year... oh BTW yesterday was my one year anniversary of diagnosis; maybe it's psychosomatic? I'm kinda scared because I can't trace the flare to anything specific... the frequency is upping my anxiety... help!

Pucca

[gatorgal]

I do correlate painful bowel movements with my IC. Actually my IC symptoms
started after straining during a BM ( was on codeine for a hernia repair) . My pelvic floor spasms and bladder pain will flare up any time I strain. I have a theory that the rectal spasms irritate my pudendal nerve, which in turn will
cause bladder pain. I currently take Peri-colace( combo of colace and senna,a
stool softener and GI stimualant), which reduces the need to strain.

[L. Thomas]

My presenting symptom was involuntary flatulence. Although I did have urge incontinence that started after pelvic surgery for stress incontinence it was not really the "big problem" at that time. Before surgery I had stress incontinence which is more than just needing to go to the bathroom all the time.

My gynecologist referred me to another gynecologist who just happened to be a specialist in IC. I didn't even know how to say interstitial cystitis let alone know what it was. Dr. Dell, who has treated 1000's for IC recognized the relation of the symptoms. Yes, IC can have a related bowel function.

[Pucca]

I just happened to read the article on the ICN home page under Self-Help Tips. It's about the link between the bladder and bowels. I hadn't read it before because I assumed it was partially about bowel problems, which I don't have. But it was interesting. The nerves for the colon and the bladder are apparently in a bundle together and sort of share sensations because of this. And pain in the bladder was found to be relieved by an injection into the colon. (I think they were talking about mice.)

I don't know if this has anything to do with my flare, but I had a colonoscopy earlier this month just as a preventive thing, since I'm 50. And it seems that ever since then, my IC symptoms have been more variable than before. Hmmm...