No hormone imbalance if cycles are normal?

[klune115]

I am just wondering...has anyone out there had their symptoms start after pregnancy, while breastfeeding or othe rtimes when hormones may be out of whack?
About 12 years ago I had symptoms of IC (frequency, urgency, pain and tenderness of abdomen and pelvic area). It went away for 12 years only to resurface while I was 4 months postpartum and breastfeeding. At the time I had some vaginal atrophy and was prescribed premarin externally. I have just started birth control to try to control the pain I have 10 to 14 days a month pre and post ovulation and menstruation.
I strongly suspect there is some hormonal aspect to the pain. I have had repeated infections of BV and yeast also. I have never had these types of problems before. This was my second child and I did breastfeed him for 6 months and my 1st only 6 to 8 weeks.
Anyways...sorry i seem to be rambling here. I have had 2 cystoscopies without hydrodistention and the last showed a perfectly normal bladder. I have tried bladder instillations with no success.
The doctor basically said he thinks I'll get better in short period of time and that this is a neuropathic pain. Like a migraine in the pelvis.
I am currently taking tofranil 10mg at bedtime and microgestin bcp. I am still suffering from low level urgency and frequency.
All my doctors have said if you are ovulating and having a normal period there is no way a hormonal imbalance could be causing the problem. That doesn't seem right to me...
I am just so frustrated. I have been through so much testing and basically everyone says they can't find anything wrong with me. I am starting to doubt I have IC but don't know what else could be causing this discomfort. I have asked about pudendal nerve problems and my doctor doubts it could be that. And what causes neuropathic pain? Ugh..Thanks for listening :)

[meResque]

I can't speak to most of your post, but I will tell you a hormonal imbalance while ovulating and getting regular periods is possible.

I ovulate every month (chart with temperature and OPK to confirm) and have my periods like clockwork- and I have super high estrogen and very low progesterone.

My IC does not fluctuate with my hormones though, so I don't know how helpful that is.

[LisaHope]

Try Fem Dophalis. Can be inserted into the vagina. Very soothing for the bladder. Take Orally also. Somehow if the vagina is happy, the bladder is happier. If I mess up my diet, and get in pain, I put one up there and ahhhh, an hour later, I forget I messed up. Good to take vaginally b4 bed. You can take up to 3 per day vaginally and 3 per day orally ( get loose stools eventually at that amt.) See testimonials at Amazon.com Some are on IC. Good Luck!:pray:

[Sprockets]

Try Fem Dophalis. Can be inserted into the vagina. Very soothing for the bladder. Take Orally also. Somehow if the vagina is happy, the bladder is happier. If I mess up my diet, and get in pain, I put one up there and ahhhh, an hour later, I forget I messed up. Good to take vaginally b4 bed. You can take up to 3 per day vaginally and 3 per day orally ( get loose stools eventually at that amt.) See testimonials at Amazon.com Some are on IC. Good Luck!:pray:

Just did some quick research. This is not approved for vaginal use, but women are using it that way. Some indications that the product does not break down completely in the vagina. It is, however, approved for oral use. I would consult a gyn before inserting any new substance in that particular area.

[JuniperSunshine]

I started having symptoms a few days after delivering my daughter. I'm not sure if it was the fact that it was a very difficult delivery, and perhaps there was some damage, or if it was my hormones dropping after the end of pregnancy. Or it could have been that the infection I had two days postpartum really was a bad UTI, and that's what started it. But there is definitely a connection, in my case.

[moak771]

I had IC symtoms after my last pregnancy while I was breastfeeding as well. After I stopped breastfeeding and my cycles returned to normal, my symptoms went away. If you are on birth control, it can cause your estrogen to decline which causes those irritating bladder symptoms. I don't touch bcp now because those symptoms were incredibly uncomfortable to me. How are you feeling now? Did the premarin help you? Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions or want to know more. I did a ton of research on this!

[bjcov]

ok, I have a question. I have a Mirena IUD its a five year one with hormones in it that actually makes your periods stop. I've had it for almost 5 yrs with no periods or once in a while, very light spotting. I would notice my Ic flaring up those two days too. Well, I started a flair after having a UTI. After being on meds for a couple of days, I started to have severe anxiety (never in my life have had it this bad) So bad that I was a complete wreck and had to get on meds. Within that week, I started bleeding vaginally. Heavier than I had in almost 5 yrs.The bleeding was only for one day. So to me it seems hormonal right? Flare, anxiety, and bleeding all in the same week? The gyn didn't really seem to see a connection. What are your thoughts?