diagnosed yesterday

[inpain33]

I was finally diagnosed with IC/prostatatis yesterday. they did a prostate massage, took fluid. did urine samples. drew blood. I've been in pain for years in my bladder/lower back/testicles. Some days I cannot stand the pain and I have no escape from it. he gave me the medicine that coats your bladder cannot remember the name right now and valium. i'm still in plenty of pain.

[rgreen]

First off, :welcome: to the forum! This is a great bunch of people. Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but at least you know here, you are not alone. I too have been recently diagnosed with IC officially, although we believed I had it for a long time now.

Did they put you on Pyridium? It coats your bladder and is supposed to act as a pain reliever, it may turn your urine very orange or redish? As for the Valium, I have found it does help relax my bladder but as you can see in my signature where my medications are listed...it takes more than valium to take care of the pain. When will you see your Urologist for follow up and what does he have planned for you next?

I know it's rough and not fun at all, but there are a ton of people on here for support so you've come to the right place!!

[inpain33]

First off, :welcome: to the forum! This is a great bunch of people. Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but at least you know here, you are not alone. I too have been recently diagnosed with IC officially, although we believed I had it for a long time now.

Did they put you on Pyridium? It coats your bladder and is supposed to act as a pain reliever, it may turn your urine very orange or redish? As for the Valium, I have found it does help relax my bladder but as you can see in my signature where my medications are listed...it takes more than valium to take care of the pain. When will you see your Urologist for follow up and what does he have planned for you next?

I know it's rough and not fun at all, but there are a ton of people on here for support so you've come to the right place!!


yes i believe it is called pyridium? it's a while pill 100 mg once a day.

yeah i see a pain management specalist too and i hate his guts i'm in b/n pain docs right now so i'm getting no pain relief at all.

i have a cystoscope planned. diet. ct scan / mri scan.

[inpain33]

First off, :welcome: to the forum! This is a great bunch of people. Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but at least you know here, you are not alone. I too have been recently diagnosed with IC officially, although we believed I had it for a long time now.

Did they put you on Pyridium? It coats your bladder and is supposed to act as a pain reliever, it may turn your urine very orange or redish? As for the Valium, I have found it does help relax my bladder but as you can see in my signature where my medications are listed...it takes more than valium to take care of the pain. When will you see your Urologist for follow up and what does he have planned for you next?

I know it's rough and not fun at all, but there are a ton of people on here for support so you've come to the right place!!

btw i just saw the list of meds you are on..i envy you. i took 800 mg of ibuprofen and two excedrin this morning. still hurting....ahhh...waiting for the good days.

[rgreen]

yes i believe it is called pyridium? it's a while pill 100 mg once a day.

yeah i see a pain management specalist too and i hate his guts i'm in b/n pain docs right now so i'm getting no pain relief at all.

i have a cystoscope planned. diet. ct scan / mri scan.


Was it a prescription for pyridium or something he told you to grab over the counter? As far as I know pyridium only comes in red/orangish tablet colors. I work in the pharmacy and I know prescription brands only come in that color which is actually why it turns your urine colors. But I am unaware of whether or not the OTC kind is a white tablet. Pyridium is usually taken up to three times a day though also, not once. I wonder what it was the doctor gave you! Whatever it is, I sure do hope it helps you!! However, you did say you were given a diagnosis of Prostatitis as well??? Maybe that other pill is an antibiotic, a lot of times doctors try an antibiotic to see if it helps clear up the flare/infection. The valium may make you really dizzy/tired. It is one reason I hate taking it but at the same time, it helps my bladder spasms SO much!!

I'm sorry to hear you're in between doctors, I know that can be rough, but it sounds like the doctor's have you going down the right path between the cystoscopy and the CT Scan, diet etc... it's rough to be in that "waiting" phase for all of that to happen, but I sure do hope you find some answers with those tests!!! Best of luck with them and make sure to keep us informed of what's going on and how you're doing!

[rgreen]

btw i just saw the list of meds you are on..i envy you. i took 800 mg of ibuprofen and two excedrin this morning. still hurting....ahhh...waiting for the good days.

The Ibuprofen killed my stomach, plus is it not good on the kidneys and they were not sure if I was having any kidney problems at first so I was unable to take that. Are you taking the 800mg three times a day? If you are, hopefully you'll gain some relief once it builds up in your system.

Don't envy me, please, I am on all of this medication but still feel like crap! I'm 20 years old, full time work and full time pre-med student but currently I am living like a zombie and part of it is these medications. The Hytrin is also for blood pressure, so it causes my BP to be low and I feel sick/dizzy from it. The pain killers make you feel loopy and disoriented, but it's necessary for me to take them to get through the day. And I have to be careful because if I take them without enough food in my stomach it makes me feel sick to my stomach, it's such a vicious cycle. I'm out of work at the moment due to recent hospitalization and I'm on bed rest so the "zombie" part doesn't matter at the moment, but it's so hard to have a normal functioning life on these medications. At times it provides GREAT relief, but when the flare ups are *that* bad, even the medication doesn't seem to help me!

[inpain33]

oh this is a prescription my doc gave me. it's a while pill 100 mg. i read yesterday on the internet it coats your bladder..sorry that's all iknow

[inpain33]

The Ibuprofen killed my stomach, plus is it not good on the kidneys and they were not sure if I was having any kidney problems at first so I was unable to take that. Are you taking the 800mg three times a day? If you are, hopefully you'll gain some relief once it builds up in your system.

Don't envy me, please, I am on all of this medication but still feel like crap! I'm 20 years old, full time work and full time pre-med student but currently I am living like a zombie and part of it is these medications. The Hytrin is also for blood pressure, so it causes my BP to be low and I feel sick/dizzy from it. The pain killers make you feel loopy and disoriented, but it's necessary for me to take them to get through the day. And I have to be careful because if I take them without enough food in my stomach it makes me feel sick to my stomach, it's such a vicious cycle. I'm out of work at the moment due to recent hospitalization and I'm on bed rest so the "zombie" part doesn't matter at the moment, but it's so hard to have a normal functioning life on these medications. At times it provides GREAT relief, but when the flare ups are *that* bad, even the medication doesn't seem to help me!

yeah i hear that. i'd rather have the "zombie" life than a life of pain though. I know all about the pain meds. this pain doc had me in darvocet,vicoprofin,fetanyl,oxycontin,tylenol 3,tramadol. so...yeah i know it sucks but it works. I hate meds all together

[rgreen]

oh this is a prescription my doc gave me. it's a while pill 100 mg. i read yesterday on the internet it coats your bladder..sorry that's all iknow


Well I really hope it helps and works for you!

[inpain33]

Well I really hope it helps and works for you!

just got it out of my truck its called Elmiron. i took it yesterday didn't do anything :(

[rgreen]

just got it out of my truck its called Elmiron. i took it yesterday didn't do anything :(

Elmiron can be great for people! I do believe it takes a little while to take effect, so it won't give you immediate relief but I have heard great success stories with it!

[maryla]

inpain33,

:welcome: I'm sorry to hear you were d'x with IC. Elmiron can take up to 6-12mo to work. Ibuprophen(sp) is in the Nsaid group which I was told NEVER to take by my IC specialist Dr. Rackley at the Cleveland Clinic. He claims it does a lot of harm to the bladder.

You have come to the right place. there is loads of love and support
here.

I pray you find a combo of meds to help.

Hugs and blessings,

[inpain33]

inpain33,

:welcome: I'm sorry to hear you were d'x with IC. Elmiron can take up to 6-12mo to work. Ibuprophen(sp) is in the Nsaid group which I was told NEVER to take by my IC specialist Dr. Rackley at the Cleveland Clinic. He claims it does a lot of harm to the bladder.

You have come to the right place. there is loads of love and support
here.

I pray you find a combo of meds to help.

Hugs and blessings,

thanks i'm glad i can come to a place and find people that have the same condition as me. i'm really depressed right now and finding it hard to do anything besides sleep to not be in conciousness.my life has become ****ty . i look forward to closing my eyes and not dealing with it all. every facet of my life is being affected and i dont know what to do.

[rgreen]

thanks i'm glad i can come to a play and find people that have the same condition as me. i'm really depressed right now and finding it hard to do anything besides i want to sleep to not be in conciousness and how ****ty my life has became. i look forward to closing my eyes and not dealing with it all. every facet of my life is being affected and i dont know what to do.

Trust me on this, you are not alone. Many people feel this way everyday because of this disease and people do not realize how serious this disease affects those involved. If you ever need someone to talk to, obviously you've got all of these wonderful people on this board and you can feel free to PM me at any time. I am pretty new with all of my diagnosis and whatnot but I am 100% there behind you with how you feel and how crappy and irritated you are, I understand what a disturbance this is on your life and it's not fun. We're all here for you! :grouphug:

[inpain33]

i've taking my records to a new pain managment dr for review. he looked at my case and i just got a call back stating "dr.xxx doesn't feel at this time there is nothing he can do for you".


so yeah.

[rgreen]

i've taking my records to a new pain managment dr for review. he looked at my case and i just got a call back stating "dr.xxx doesn't feel at this time there is nothing he can do for you".


so yeah.

Unfortunately, a lot of times when it is a diagnosis with IC or something such as that, pain clinics shy away from treating. They want the Urologist to handle that part of it, ALL of it, including the pain control. I work in a hospital and the Urologist's office has to handle all pain control, our pain clinic will not touch an IC patient or someone with symptom's such as that. Have you been set up with a Urologist?

[inpain33]

Unfortunately, a lot of times when it is a diagnosis with IC or something such as that, pain clinics shy away from treating. They want the Urologist to handle that part of it, ALL of it, including the pain control. I work in a hospital and the Urologist's office has to handle all pain control, our pain clinic will not touch an IC patient or someone with symptom's such as that. Have you been set up with a Urologist?

yep, i saw my new urologist yesterday and he gave me

valium

elmiron

so that's not helping

[rgreen]

yep, i saw my new urologist yesterday and he gave me

valium

elmiron

so that's not helping


The Valium is pretty fasting acting, the Elmiron is not at all...I would call the Urologist's office back and let them know you're in pain, it's not working, you heard the Elmiron takes a while to be effective, but what BESIDES the Elmiron can you take to help with the discomfort. I am really surprised they did not try pyridium, it helps take away the burning, frequency and irritated simptoms, although it all depends varying from MD to MD. But regardless, I would call them and let them know you're very uncomfortable.

[inpain33]

want to hear some other great news.....?


just got fired from my job


i sent an email to my boss this morning apologizing for lacking motivation at work saying that after my procedures and surgery hopefully things will get much better


he pulled me in arond 40 minutes ago and fired me

reason:lack of motivation at work

[inpain33]

The Valium is pretty fasting acting, the Elmiron is not at all...I would call the Urologist's office back and let them know you're in pain, it's not working, you heard the Elmiron takes a while to be effective, but what BESIDES the Elmiron can you take to help with the discomfort. I am really surprised they did not try pyridium, it helps take away the burning, frequency and irritated simptoms, although it all depends varying from MD to MD. But regardless, I would call them and let them know you're very uncomfortable.

doctors are more worried about saving their own ass then giving away pain meds. I figured that out a long time ago

[rgreen]

doctors are more worried about saving their own ass then giving away pain meds. I figured that out a long time ago

It has nothing to do with "saving their own ass" when it comes to their patient being uncomfortable. I work with doctor's 24/7 and as the patient you have to be your own advocate otherwise you will get nowhere fast with the doctor, so you need to call and be persistent. I've learned that the hard way.

[rgreen]

want to hear some other great news.....?


just got fired from my job


i sent an email to my boss this morning apologizing for lacking motivation at work saying that after my procedures and surgery hopefully things will get much better


he pulled me in arond 40 minutes ago and fired me

reason:lack of motivation at work

I'm very sorry to hear that, but if it was medical purposes as the lack of motivation etc... you have a way of fighting that. No employer can legally fire someone because of health problems. I would look into that and not go quiet on that one either. I am very sorry this is happening to you.

I protect my bum constantly when I see my Urologist, I ALWAYS get some form of a note signed by him to give my employer, I make a copy, give the copy to my boss and keep the original. I've also learned you need to have those notes. I could probably make a book out of the notes he has written for me. You have to, have to protect yourself in all ways because nobody out there will do it for you. I'm always afraid my employer would try to pull something even though I work in a hospital, so every single time I get a note.

[christinap28]

welcome to the network. everyone here does there best to help everyone who needs the help.. I am so sorry that you have been diagnosed, it is a horrible disease. i do hope that all goes well with your treatment and the options help you out.. good luck with all and may God bless you

[inpain33]

just talked to my urologist he cannot give me anything for pain because of "legality" issues. he said once you see a pain management specalist we cannot legally give you anything. he told me that IC is a disability though. told me to try benadryl. take a hot bath with epsom salt.

i'm awaiting a return call from an employment attorny

[rgreen]

just talked to my urologist he cannot give me anything for pain because of "legality" issues. he said once you see a pain management specalist we cannot legally give you anything. he told me that IC is a disability though. told me to try benadryl. take a hot bath with epsom salt.

i'm awaiting a return call from an employment attorny

I'm sorry I've just never heard of such things. Maybe it differs between state laws and regulations I don't know. My urologist prescribes and monitors my pain constantly, as does my PCP. And I work in a doctor's office where even when our patients' are seen in Pain Clinic, we continue to prescribe the pain meds. That's just odd. So maybe it's a state legality thing or he just doesn't want to do it.

He is right though benadryl, may help you, it's bascially the OTC version of hydroxyzine. And hot baths may help, it does tend to relax the bladder and all of the muscles. And IC is a disability he is right about that. I'm in the middle of my filing claims for short term disability.

I would definitely pursue the attorney issue. Good luck!

[inpain33]

I'm sorry I've just never heard of such things. Maybe it differs between state laws and regulations I don't know. My urologist prescribes and monitors my pain constantly, as does my PCP. And I work in a doctor's office where even when our patients' are seen in Pain Clinic, we continue to prescribe the pain meds. That's just odd. So maybe it's a state legality thing or he just doesn't want to do it.

He is right though benadryl, may help you, it's bascially the OTC version of hydroxyzine. And hot baths may help, it does tend to relax the bladder and all of the muscles. And IC is a disability he is right about that. I'm in the middle of my filing claims for short term disability.

I would definitely pursue the attorney issue. Good luck!

i think what he said is all "hog wash". that's my opinion.

[statesboro]

I decided I would comment all of a sudden. Ok, then. I did notice you are waiting on a call from an employment attorney. That sounds ok. I don't know what kind of job you had and so forth. Besides, I am not asking. What I do know is that there is such a thing as the ADA.(Americans With Disabilities Act) Oh, yeah! IC is supposed to be listed as a disability. Of course, the person that fired you probably never thought you had a disability at all. You may not have been thinking that at all. I was on the ADA website and wrote down a couple of sentences. Ok. The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment,State and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. Ok. The ADA does not specifically name all of the impairments that are covered. It would come under ADA Title 1: Employment. Ok, then. I don't know if my post will do any good. I just noticed it is 100 degrees in Statesboro right now. Take care and be good.

[SharonA]

If you have been prescribed pain medication by a pain clinic and signed a "pain contract" with your pain doctor, that is very possible.

Did you sign anything that said you would not seek pain medication from another doctor? That you would notify the pain clinic if another doctor prescribes any type of pain medication? That you would disclose to another doctor that you are on pain control prescribed by a pain clinic and what that medication is?

If so, you signed a document that the pain clinic has to have on file.

[rgreen]

. I just noticed it is 100 degrees in Statesboro right now. Take care and be good.

So random and off topic, I noticed you're in GA, my brother and his wife and kids live out there and they said it is absolutely brutal out there today! Keep hydrated and stay cool!