Retention and going too much...

[lttlewun]

Why do some people w/IC have retention and some people go too much? Would retention be more of a sign of IC or PFD or both? I'm so confused.

I recently started using taking vaginal valium and it seems to be helping the pressure I have down there, but lately it also seems like I am retaining from time to time. I go pee and then about an hour or so later I feel like I have to go again and when I go it a good amount. I would say it's between 8-13 oz. Would this be considered retaining? Can the Valium be causing my bladder to be too loose? I am also weaning myself off of Elavil and am taking 12.5 mg every other day for a week and then taking it every other 2-3 days until I'm off. I noticed this also seemed to help my discomfort too, but also noticed it made me retain slightly. I was only on Elavil for a little over a month so I'm not sure if I could just stop it cold turkey.

I've never had retention problems before. Could it be that the Elavil in combo w/the Valium is making me retain more now or could this be a new symptoms I'm developing.

I hate this!!!!:cussing:

[Snowden1]

I know I have retention from the Lexapro I take. My urine stream immediately decrease the morining after starting it. Then I tried Elavil, and had even more retention - my urine didn't want to come out at all - and came out in little spurts. So, to answer your questions I think many meds can cause retention.

[Mothergoose]

I have problems with retention and edvil made it so bad i had to quite taking it because of the retention.

For the vaginal Valium take note if your stream is weaker after you take it for a while or how much you go and if you have any difficulty going. Benzos will cause me retention but i don't take them on a regular basis so they are not too much of a problem for me, but the sheer fact that they relax things means they can relax the bladder muscle too.

I am told retention is not a comman symptom of IC but quite a few people seem to have problems with it, and quite a few of the meds used for IC can have a side effect of retention.

I have been diagnosed with severe urinary retention and I am very sensitive to meds in this regard, for quite a while I was told i did not have IC because of my retention being so bad. After trying a few uros and lots of tests, a uro finally said my bladder defiantly shows I have IC and that he feels that my bladder pain is causing the retention.

The retention gets better and worse over time and I have yet to find anything to help with this. If you find anything that helps please let me know.

MG

[nottoc4]

OAB medicine Enablex caused horrid retention for me and I came off it after 2 weeks. I have had the occasional retention when I have to go back an hour later and have lots of pee. I have no idea what causes that.I drink some baking soda water and go on my merry way.Jo

[Goodnightmoon]

I was told by my doc that retention is not a typical IC issue but a PFD problem, means if you have been diagnosed with both, you are more likely to have it...

And yes, meds can make it worse - for instance someone with retention issues should not take Urelle.

[Snowden1]

Goodnightmoon,
Why is that? It is the chemicals fromt the Urelle or is retaining it hurting the kidneys? I feel when I take pyridium and have retention my kidneys hurt.

[Goodnightmoon]

@ Snowden1:

This is how my doc (IC specialist) explained it to me:

Urelle is a combinational product, means it combines 4 more benefits besides the pain-killer function. One of them is anti-inflammatory (which I wanted to take it for) and another one is anti-spasmodic. Now anti-spasmodic means that it will slow down your detrusor (bladder muscle) - this is meant for someone who has an overactive bladder, means the detrusor goes into action or even spasm without the propper need to do so. If you have an retention issue, however, you want this detrusor to work its best so that it can move all the urine out of your bladder.

The retention - most of the time -is caused by the pelvic floor dysfunction, means even though the detrusor is trying to "squeeze out the urine very hard", your pelvic floor muscles won't let go. (my urodynamic was cristal clear on that). Means your PF is in spasm, and not the detrusor and hence you want the PF muscle to go out of spasm, not the detrusor...

To overcome the PFD, you can (i) orally take Flomax (alpha blocker) (I take it for several months with limited success) and/or (ii) do Physical Therapy, which works very well for me.

To put it in a nutshell: rather not take Urelle etc. if you are a proven case of urinare retention, as it will make the retention worse.

Hope this helps and sorry for all the spelling mistakes! GNM

[Snowden1]

Hmm... thank you so much for explaining that, I did not know any of it. Does Pyridium have the other ingredients too?

[123456]

Both my doctor and PT say that if you were having retention, you'd feel uncomfortable and prone to infection. In other words, if you were retaining, you'd really know it. I say, get to your doctor and have them do their little ultra sound trick to see what's up.

[Snowden1]

I have had the ultra sound thing several times (about 5), and believe me you don't know it. I also tend to have retetion when I wake up (because of medications) but as I start drinking more my stream gets better then I start going regularly by evening. Then it doesn't want to shut off.

[Goodnightmoon]

@Snowden1:
I have no idea about Pyridium - I believe it is just a numbing agent, means no antispasmodic, but I am not sure.

I am sure about Urelle but as far as Pyridium is concern, please check with your doc!

[Mothergoose]

I have retention, it is quite problematic for me.

From my urodynamics test it showed my detrusor muscle doesn't squeeze down so it does not squeeze the urine out, so the FPD helped but did not treat the retention. They do not know why my detrusor muscle doesn't work. If my bladder gets too full it seems to work less.

All of the OAB meds and antidepressants cause me worse retention.

As for Pyridium I can take this very occasionally but at the otc dosage, if I take too much of this it causes me more retention.

[Snowden1]

Mothergoose,
I am the same way. I can't take OAB meds, pain meds, and antidepressants now. Pyridium 200 does the same. What do you do when this happens?

[dnursek]

I am newly diagnosed with IC and I experience retention. I have times that I cant even start to pee...

[nottoc4]

I Use baking soda water for that. It really helps me. 1 teaspoon to 8 ounces of water.

[Mothergoose]

When I really need some Pyridium I use otc from the states they are only 92 mg, and I often break theses in half. I find I can use one pill once in a awhile. It causes me retention, but I make sure I drink lots of water, and make sure I don't take anything else which might make the retention worse.

It is not easy.

I feel for you but at least now my gp and uro don't try to prescribe these any more.

MG