Improving the Bladder's Elasticity

[arkitekton]

Hi All,

There are so many helpful, knowledgeable people on this site that I'm hoping someone can advise me on the following:

Part of my problem may be that my bladder has become fibrotic, and the concomitant inelasticity may be both limiting my bladder's capacity, and causing the sending of too frequent signals that I "need" to urinate.

Can anyone recommend anything I can take that might increase my bladder's elasticity?
I know I'm not the only one of us who has been told their bladder is fibrotic.

Is improving or increasing elasticity even possible?

***my urologist has trouble being declarative, and it's difficult to sense whether he doesn't know, isn't sure, or it's simply impossible to tell through standard diagnostic procedures.

[Landish]

I think in some way DMSO helps with the inelasticity because it breaks up internal and external scar tissue and makes them softer and more flexibles.

[snowgirl]

yes I have very severe low bladder volume with fibrosed bladder. Hydros every 6 months with DMSO instill help me tremendously .........only thing that has helped me in all 26yrs of IC and now pain managment

[ICNDonna]

Hydrodistention helps increase my bladder capacity.

I know there are some who have done bladder training and found it works too --- this route isn't usually done during painful times. I suggest you discuss this with your doctor.

Donna

[arkitekton]

That's promising, that two of you folks right away rec'd DMSO instills.

I googled DMSO and "scar tissue". The top return was an interview with Stanley Jacobs, the doc who first came up w the idea of treating IC w DMSO. In case anyone is interested, the interview is at

http://www.dmso.org/articles/interstitialcystitis/icu.htm

Apparently the good doctor takes a Tbsp of DMSO orally, daily.

I've had two hydrodistensions, fwiw. The first time I got a little relief wrt urgency for about four days. The second time, no change at all. Is it worth continuing in that case?

I have indeed discussed this with my doctor. Sad to say, he doesn't really understand IC, or PBS, or CPPS. For about a year I did and still generally do put an hour between attempts to urinate, but that hasn't changed things. I also tried clocking in at two hours between; no change there, either.

After a total of six urologists, two out of state and four in state, I wish I could say that consulting with my doctors was revealing, but it simply isn't. The most knowledgeable I've had put me through an interstim implant (I didn't know any better) before thinking to mention instillations.