Can you help me understand

[tarasmiles]

Hi all. I can't believe how many people have mailed me. It is so nice to hear from others that understand. Some of you have mentioned other treatments that I have never heard of before. And I would like to also know what are the different pain relief options out there. There has to be something that will work good for me. What is dmso? and what is the pain pump? The only things my doctor has tried on me for the past six years is pain pills like vicoden and percocet and darvocet. I've had a bladder patch that is suppose to stop bladder cramping but it didn't work at all, only burned my skin where the patch was. I also tried a B&O supository with no relief from it. I've had to go to the ER for pain shots of demerol, but they just get the pain under control and send me home...then I'm back in the same postition as I was before after it wears off. Every three to four months I have the bladder stretch thing... It use to really help with night time relief, but after six years of that I am really finding no relief anymore from it... Elmiron makes me very sick to my stomach. I was on Elivil which did help with night time, but they just took me off of it and put me on Zoloft now... That is all I have tried and all my docter has ever told me. He said there isn't any real treatment other than those.. Are there others out there? Are there other medications and pain control that work well?
Thank you all so much,
Tara

[Babs RN]

Tara,
DMSO is a bladder instillation that helps reduce the inflammation on the bladder lining. The pain pump infuses pain meds or local anesthesia directly to the nerves. After most people are on narcotics for a while, they develop a physical tolerance that requires higher doses for adequate pain relief. There are also long acting extended release narcotics like MS Contin and Oxycontin. Pain specialists are the best people to manage long term pain relief. You can talk to your primary or uro about a referral. Let me know if I can be of any more help.

Barb

[BethW]

Hi Tara, DMSO stands for dimethyl sulfoxide. It is instilled directly into the bladder via a catheter an is held there for approx 15 mins before being emptied. Some doctors think that b/c it passes into the bladder wall, DMSO can more effectively reach tissues, reducing inflammation and blocking pain.

DMSO can be mixed with other things, like steroids, but be careful that the 'mix' doesnt end up cancelling out the effects of the individual drugs.

Beth