has your pain been progressive?

[pixiechick]

I'm wondering at the moment if anyone here has started with mild symptoms that have increased into more serious conditions - my symptom (singular - all I have is urethral burning) has pretty much stayed the same for the last 3 months, but I worry that I might wake up one day with something worse.

If your symptoms did worsen, what was the time period for the progression?

I keep putting off the doctors' visits, so I still don't know what's the matter with me.

I will go eventually. I just really don't wanna know - but at the same time, maybe knowing would help. Then again, what if no one can figure it out and i'm just left with this on my own? I'm sure everyone has had these thoughts. . . I'm just scared I guess.

[Katrina]

please go to the doctor. Your a step ahead of my avoidance though since I hadn't yet found the internet. Knowing could help so much. So many things that can be the cause of worsening of symptoms can be minimized when you know.

http://icandme.9.forumer.com/index.php?showtopic=440 possible misdiagnoses or contributing to your IC symptoms

when you know about flare triggers and the possible cause list you can know some things to avoid and make sure you avoid...or if there is an imbalance in your body (ph, hormone, or other) you can fix it and avoid getting worse in some cases.
causes, acidic body, yeast, UTI...present but undetected or previous, surgery, injury, endo damage, (look into causes of acidic body), and than there is the genetic or auto immune situation....I may not have covered everything.

ok my situation.

First symptom was just a sensation at my urethra of having to pee....I don't want to get into how much worse things got only that if I could have avoided that it would have made life a lot easier...and well different in so many other ways too!
http://icandme.9.forumer.com/index.php?showtopic=22 flare triggers

[pixiechick]

thanks katrina, that was the nudge I needed. I've booked my appointment for next week, so i'll let you know how it goes.

thank you.

Pix :cat:

[ICNDonna]

I'm glad you made that appointment.

Warm hugs,
Donna

[vm]

Ditto - glad you made the appointment. :) Most people's symptoms do NOT progress - and the earlier you get in there to make them better, the better off you usually are.

[pixiechick]

Have just got back from my appointment.

Spoke to the doc who is really nice but didn't really point to anything concrete. Told her my symptoms, she checked for an infection (none that showed up on the test strip) but said she'd send it off to be cultured for lower-grade infections anyway. She suggested chlamydia (which I personally find a bit offensive, but whatever) so she's testing for that too. She did at least ask if I had any frequency/urgency symptoms which I do not.

I asked her "If there is no infection, what do you think?" and she said I should take Ural for 2 days or so to see if it settles down, and if not, she'd give me a course of antibiotics. Great. . .not taking those. I'll take the ural and see . . . she says it's "urethritis" but that's a symptom, not a disease . . . so really i didn't learn too much. I'll just wait to see if the culture turns up anything I spose.

[purpleviolet]

Maybe you just have urethral spasm causing burning. If a muscle relaxant helps, then that's a clue. Hope you don't really have IC. PV

[kiffy313]

Hope the ural has worked for you... if it did not, please be your own advocate and don't wait to find out what is wrong...I speak from experience, as someone for whom it took years to get diagnosed...and I must say it was actually my Ob-Gyn who first brought up the IC...when I discussed it with my Urologist, he said, and I quote, " Yes, I thought you have had that for a while, I just did not want to tell you because it is such a rough disease."...hmm...so that helped me how??? Anyways, had cysto and sure enough classic IC...what my point is with my long-winded self :rolleyes:...is that I wonder, if I had known sooner, would some of the pain be less...maybe the pain would not have become more and more "imbedded" in the nerve pathways, etc..??.. I hope you can get some answers...and I must be honest and say I still battle at times with thinking, "maybe I don't really have this or that..."; so I am not trying to be "judgy"...just trying to help someone else maybe not go thru what I have...I am so thankful we have this website to help each other...
Take Care,
Kif

[pixiechick]

thanks PV & Kiffy for your replies . . the ural didn't really help but i've recently bought some almond milk and that seems to have done the trick!! PV, what sort of muscle relaxants are there? can u get natural or OTC ones?

[some_guy]

My pain has not been progressive. Two years ago it started horrible and it is still horrible no worse no better.
The only thing that changes for me is frequency/urgency which has extreme variations from 35 or so times a day for weeks at a time to a normal 5-8 times a day for weeks at a time.

[ICNDonna]

For some guy: One thing you might try is to keep a detailed diary for a few weeks, showing times, everything that goes in your mouth, activity levels, and symptoms/frequency. You just might come up with something. It took me a long time to find out that garlic, which is on the "usually okay" list is a problem for me.

Donna

[some_guy]

For some guy: One thing you might try is to keep a detailed diary for a few weeks, showing times, everything that goes in your mouth, activity levels, and symptoms/frequency. You just might come up with something. It took me a long time to find out that garlic, which is on the "usually okay" list is a problem for me.

Donna

I'll try that Donna. I have been at a loss for pinpointing things that make me worse so maybe more detailed diary of intake will help.

[snow_melt]

Hi Pixiechick!
I'm pretty sure all muscle relaxants are prescription only.

My IC was undoubtedly progressive. It started off with a terrible UTI and then occasional 'false' UTIs without bacteria coupled with a weird urethral feeling and slightly heightened urgency. After 6 months, I began to have daily stabbing urethral pain and incredible urgency and frequency. The pain spread up into my abdominal area and left me housebound until I found the ICN and put myself on the IC diet. That alone reduced my symptoms by half, but it has taken a urologist and a physical therapist to get them down by another half.
I often wonder what would have happened if I had had treatment for IC right off the bat after a few no-bacteria 'UTIs'...

Please ask your doctor to test for IC if necessary, or find another who will explore all the possible diagnoses.
Good luck---I hope you find treatment (and relief) soon!

[asIshallbe]

It started off with only constant urination, then burning, then stabbing pain, then radiating and burning pain, then tailbone, and the list goes on. I have had it now for nearly 2.5 years and it has most definately progressed and I pray it does not continue. If I were to trade though the pain for constant peeing, oddly enough I would trade it for pain. I will be damned if I have with the feeling of having to pee constantly for the rest of my life.

[Landish]

Hi asIshallbe,

I drank Ozarka water for more than 3 years and a month ago trying with a PH tester I realized that this water is very acid. I changed the water and I feel a little bit better.

Good luck

[lttlewun]

I've never heard of this? I have heard people say they have urethral spasms. What does that feel like?

[lttlewun]

I have my burning/stinging right at the end or is it the beginning? LOL. It feel it as soon as my urine start to come out and the afterwards at times it feels sore when I sit down for awhile. Does anyone else have this?