Giving In To A Terrible Flare

[ibtracy]

Wouldn't you know it? I have been bragging on the remission board about how much better I've been feeling and last Friday it began. It's been a dull roar until yesterday and this one's knocked me flat. I am in so much pain, missed work yesterday and today now. I'm so weak and fatigued and my bladder pain is off the charts. I remember last month when I missed almost the entire month of work, I kep saying if only I could have 1 day to re-coup and regather my strenghths I could take on more. Well I had 3 good weeks and feel like I could curl up and die from this pain. I'm taking 40 mg of Oxycontin but have to be careful taking that because last time I took it for a few days I had to be cathed because I couldn't pee. Has anyone ever experienced a flare after having dental work done? I'm always trying to pinpoint the causes of these terrible flares but never quite sure. I'm still trying to get myself to drink massive quantities of water but still have not learned to like the taste. Sounds strange I know. I really watch what I eat and try to drink more healthy liquids and haven't drank any alcohol for 3 months now. I really am trying but sometimes it seems it doesn't matter what I do. I'm so sick of having this disease control my life. I'm on probation at work due to all the time I've missed since being hired last August and if I don't keep the missed time to a minimum I will be out of job for sure. That stress doesn't help things either. I know when I experience a flare that bedrest and avoiding stress for a few days is what works best but then I have the stress hanging over my head of missing work and what will happen when I don't go in. It's awful. No one in my entire family has ever heard of IC and I don't have many to talk to about all of this except my ICN family. I've never received so much support in my life and for that I thank you all.

My husband has turned angelic on me. I used to post about what an as- he could be when I didn't feel well or missed work and now he's trying so hard to help me through this. He always tries to say encouraging things to me each morning about how this is a new day and to try my best and how he hopes it will be a good day for me and not to get down. Sometimes when he says all this especially on a day like today I feel like I'm letting him down by being sick. He helps me gain the strength to take this disease on and give it my all but today I have nothing along the lines of combat. I'm weak, scared about missing work and full of pain. I only hope he'll understand when he finds out that I didn't go in.

I still have my appointment in May to look forward to. My aunt found a urologist in Omaha, NE that deals primarily with IC patients. I guess he's young and fresh with treatment plans and options for IC sufferers like me. The soonest I could get in to see him was May 18th - so I have to hang on about 3 more weeks and I pray every night that he'll have options for me that will minimize my suffering with IC pain. Sometimes the hardest thing is to keep being hopeful.

I was on Elavil for chronic pain control and slight depression but have been off that for about a week now and am just thinking to myself I wonder if that's part of this flare. I had gained over 30 pounds since being diagnosed in March and being on it. I had forgotten to take it one night and then another and decided to quit and have lost about 10 pounds in the last week. I'll wait until I talk to the new doc and see what he says about it before dumping it back into my system. I am one of those extremely self conscious people always worrying about how I look on top of dealing with IC and feeling lousey and having good days.

My life is a chaotic mess right now but I have to remain somewhat optimistic or it will get the best of me. Thanks for letting me vent...:cat:

[dyno]

Make sure you don't have an infection that is making the IC worse. It sounds like you have a good Dr. to go to shortly so hang on to that. I hope you feel better soon.:kiss:

[1tuffcookie]

ibtracy,

I'm sorry you're hurting so much! :( Have you tried ice packs or a heating pad? Do you have a family doc or urologist you can go to to help you through the flare? You could have an infection. Even if you don't have one, a doctor could give you some medication to help. If not, maybe you can go to the ER or an immediate care place.
You know, I can only stand the taste of water if it's ice cold. Otherwise, YUCK. I can't believe you have to worry about missing work on top of your flare! I mean, it's not your fault you're sick, so why are they punishing you? It makes me angry! :mad: :headbang: I'm glad your husband is being sweet, though. That makes a huge difference, doesn't it? About Elavil: I gained beaucoup weight on it, too! If I gain much weight, it makes me depressed, which defeats some of the purpose of Elavil!
I'm saying a prayer for you. :pray: I hope you get better ASAP!

[felineperson3]

Prayers:pray: going out for you, ibtracy--

Hang on--and remember when the "going gets tough, the tough get going!" Never lose hope!!! Like the others have stated, you should probably be checked and be sure you don't have a UTI since your pain has increased so much suddenly. Then, hopefully, your Uro can give you some answers at your appointment in May.
Keep us posted--We care--

Hugs & blessings to you--:cat:

[lotsofgirls]

Hey IbTracy,
Don't be so hard on yourself about the weight gain, it happened to me too. I don't like it, but I look at plus size magazines with models that are my size and I feel ok about it. The weight will come off one day when the IC is better. I am on Neurontin now for pain and its starting to work pretty good, it doesn't cause weight gain, so maybe thats a thought. sorry to hear you are flaring so badly, I hope you feel better soon,

Cath

[ICNDonna]

:grouphug:
Donna

[Lyn40]

I love when people vent. It just has to make you feel better. I'm so sorry you are in a tough time. But glad to hear your husband is being angelic! :thumbsup: I can relate to much of what you are going through, and wish you all the best. Please hang in there!

Lyn
:grouphug:

[fireflicker285]

and when I decided to stop it I had the worst flare I could EVER imagine! I didn't know it was helping until I stopped it. I don't like the weight gain either (from it). But I figure One day I will get off of it....

Just hang in and Good Luck,
:grouphug:

[blue]

Just keep looking forward to that new doctor!

[aantol73]

ibtraci..
It's weird you brought up dental work, I have been in remission for almost 2 years, outside of peeing every 15 min but I had no pain and on easter it all blew up on me. I haven't changed anything in my day to day life but I am in the process of major dental work on my teeth and I started a few weeks prior to my flare. :confused: not sure if ther is connection, but right now I feel your pain. I have been in so much pain since easter,
so just try to stay positive and I hope your new doc can help:pray:

[Indy]

I think the weight gain of elavil is so worth it to get some sleep and pain relief. I am on 50 mg. again after a six month layoff because I didn't like the restless leg syndrome it was giving me. Well, I take klonopin to combat that and I watch what I eat and exercise almost everyday. I was on this dose 5 years and never gained more than 3-5 pounds.

[janelle77362]

Hi Tracy,
I am sorry that you are feeling so badly. :(
I know how stressful trying to work with IC can be. I was recently diagnosed and my supervisor demanded that I take at least three weeks off to get myself emotionally and physically better. I was really upset at the time but now I see that that was truly the best thing for me to do. If you have been working at your company for at least a year they are required to allow you to have up to 12 consecutive weeks off of work without you losing your job accoring to the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The only downside is that they do not have to pay you for this time off. Check with your HR department to evaluate your options and see if your company offers short and long term disability. It sounds like you really need some time off of work without having to stress out about losing your job.
As far as dental work causing a flare that is entirely possible. I don't know what the connection would be but I do know that after having a regular cleaning I couldn't pee for two days which was the start of a terrible flare. :toilet:
I wonder if anyone else has had a flare when getting dental work done. You might want to ask your doctor or post this question on the message board under symptoms.
Janelle :butterfly

[kadi]

Pages 80-81 of "Patient to Patient: Managing Interstitital Cystitis and Overlapping Conditions", a book available in the ICN store, gives suggestions for avoiding flares caused by dental work. Yep, there's a section on dental work & how it can cause bladder symptoms to flare. And there are specific things you can ask your dentist to do to help.

(I'd excerpt it here but it's too long & too complex for me to paraphrase)

Am really glad you asked this. I think I'm gonna go floss now...:D