Tingling/weird feeling in urethra...

[baaaby11]

Would an antidepressant be the best choice in treating this sensation, do you think? I ask because it feels sorta nerve related. It's not an intense pain or anything. I just get a tingling/tickling/weird sensation in my urethra. It is my most bothersome symptom. It makes me feel like I have to pee and it is so hard to concentrate on anything else when it's happening!

Ideally, I would like to NOT be on an antidepressant. I am having a hard time with this whole thing because prior to this, I was one of those people who never got sick and I rarely liked taking medicine. I mean, when all of my symptoms started happening, I was even annoyed with having to put antibiotics into my body.
I also know some people who have had a lot of problems with antidepressants (for non-IC related problems) and I'm scared, I guess, of just taking one in general. I'm scared of withdrawls if something doesn't work. I'm scared of feeling "weird" or "different" while on them.

Also, do all of them cause you to be sleepy? I can't have that! I'm a full time student.

[ICNDonna]

Usually the antidepressants that are used for the control of pain/discomfort are given at very low doses. My husband takes one for arthritis pain --- and he takes only a 10 mg dose --- the dose for depression would be much higher than that.

You might want to talk to your doctor about trying a very low dose to see if it helps.

Donna

[Elize]

I feel the same too...

Hello!

My doctor wanted me to try antidepressant but I wanted to try other things before. I'm VERY scared too of this medecine and I don't want to have all those weird sides effects. Since we have the SAME symptom.. I wanted to tell you what's working for me.

So what makes me feel good :

1) Prelief does work for me. It took about 4-5 days and it seems each day I feel like I'm getting better. Sometimes, I can stay in class for 3 hours and not having to go pee. MIRACLE!

2) The IC diet, of course, but with prelief I can eat other food. I'm a fruit LOVER... so I like to have at least one fruit a day even with IC (Pear, blueberry... and with my prelief I can have one APPLE!!!)
I'm still scared of tomatoes... and V8 is red poison!!!
I'm always in SHOCK when my boyfriend drinks a whole bottle V8 while eating his spaghetti. I guess for me it would be the apocalypse in my bladder (but my worst feeling is in the urethra)....

3) I take quercetin... and it helps with my allergies too! I'm allergic to dust and acarians.

4) Nutribiotics are the best! It helps me a lot. I got rid of my sensation in the urethra with those...

5) Marshmallow tea is good! (But the real one, not the one you buy in little bags). I found some relief from it. I also bought the 3 books of Catherine ****** and I found it SOOOO helpful. I think everyone who has IC should read those books... they made me feel like I was not alone (like this forum too!)

So that's pretty it for now... but I'm still trying to find what's best for me. I'm experiencing other alternatives and it keeps me motivated.

Like you, I'm a full-time student and I work 3 days a week. I'm only 22. Sometimes, this sensation is driving me crazy but I do not lose hope. I'm feeling better everyday (with the medecine I take) and I believe I will get rid of my symptoms. I hope this give you a bit of hope too.

I also hope what I said is coherent because I speak french...

Eli from Quebec, Canada :)