Can negative cysto and hypodistention by wrong?

[Wen]

Hello,

I've had trouble with night time frequency and occasional daytime frequency for about 10 years. I'm tired of my bladder (or urethra) keeping me from falling asleep, so I've gone back to pursuing treatment with a urologist.

My symptoms are feelings of having to pee constantly...sometimes on certain cycle days, but mostly in the night (starts shortly after retiring around midnight) and after emptying my bowel. I often take half a sleeping pill to get so tired that I just drop off. After I'm asleep I my bladder never wakes. I have problems with my colon (colon inertia treated only with enemas etc), so sometimes I can't tell if abdominal heaviness (when it occurs) is bladder or bowel...or something else brewing.

Monday I had the cystoscopy and the hyperdistention. The doc said my bladder looked normal and there were no changes on distention. I have a follow up in a couple weeks. He is hoping that the hyperdistention will provide relief regardless of findings of ic (or in this case...not).

I'm just wondering if a cystoscopy can be wrong. The symptoms I have started 10 years ago, so this is not a new case.

Thanks,
Wen

[baaaby11]

I have never had a cysto/hydro but I have read a lot of things on this board. There are a few people on here who did in fact have a negative cysto/hydro. Some went for second opinions and when done by a different doctor, they were told they DO have IC.
Also, some stayed with the same doctor but because their cysto/hydro was negative, and they were still having symptoms of IC, their doctors treated them for IC anyway, despite having a negative test.
If you feel comfortable with your doctor, give it a few weeks like he/she said, and then go back and talk to them. If you're uncomfortable, get a second opinion.

[ICNDonna]

Hydrodistention will "usually" diagnose IC, but not always. There's always the exception. Were biopsies taken? Sometimes they are the telling thing. Hopefully your doctor will be able to help you.

Donna

[ScrabbleMom]

My doctor doesn't even use cystoscopy to diagnose IC... said that perfectly normal bladders can have the tiny bleeds and a person with IC can have a healthy lOOKING bladder.

If your doctor doesn't believe that you have IC, but your symptoms tell you otherwise, I'd try another urologist.