cmclien
02-05-2011, 04:29 AM
I am surprised there is not a place under mild IC about this topic. I am having incredible success with this though I admit it is slow going. My doctor gave me instructions on how to do this and I just read about it in the Interstitial Survival guide which gives basically the same info. It isn't successful generally for those with pain but if your main symptoms are urgency and frequency it is worth a try. Going frequently over time actually causes your bladder to shrink thus creating a viscious cycle of going more and more. This is easier to do if you are taking an anticholinergenic at the same time like ditropan, detrol, vesicare, oxytrol patch etc. Doing this creates the ability to hold more urine and for your bladder to not send signals that it is full as early.
My success - I started 3 weeks ago and forced myself to go 2 hours though the idea is to start with an interval you can actually have success at even if that is 1 hour for you. Usually at 1 hour I feel the urge to go but was holding it until 2 hours. This was tough for me especially the first week. You write down each time you go and keep track of what you drink. Don't drink less as sometimes that makes the frequency worse. Drink a normal amount for you.
Each week you add about 15 minutes onto the last week. I am at 2 1/2 hours now but what I am finding is there are times during the day, especially after dinner that I can go 3 and one night even 4 hours without the urge! I can honestly say it has been probably 20 years since this all started since I have been able to do that. Last night I went the entire night from 11 to 7 without waking up and going. I usually only go once at night.
So it is slow going and annoying to write it down but I am quite excited that it is actually working. I am aiming for 3 hours, well my UG is having me aim for 3 hours.
Going out- Even if I am going to run errands I am not going before I leave and just know I'll use the bathroom wherever I am at when the specified time interval occurs. Trains your bladder to go when you want to go and not earlier.
My success - I started 3 weeks ago and forced myself to go 2 hours though the idea is to start with an interval you can actually have success at even if that is 1 hour for you. Usually at 1 hour I feel the urge to go but was holding it until 2 hours. This was tough for me especially the first week. You write down each time you go and keep track of what you drink. Don't drink less as sometimes that makes the frequency worse. Drink a normal amount for you.
Each week you add about 15 minutes onto the last week. I am at 2 1/2 hours now but what I am finding is there are times during the day, especially after dinner that I can go 3 and one night even 4 hours without the urge! I can honestly say it has been probably 20 years since this all started since I have been able to do that. Last night I went the entire night from 11 to 7 without waking up and going. I usually only go once at night.
So it is slow going and annoying to write it down but I am quite excited that it is actually working. I am aiming for 3 hours, well my UG is having me aim for 3 hours.
Going out- Even if I am going to run errands I am not going before I leave and just know I'll use the bathroom wherever I am at when the specified time interval occurs. Trains your bladder to go when you want to go and not earlier.