DMSO concern...

[dlenore]

well, I wish that I had read the research on this board before I spent $75 on an instillation. It has 50% DMSO in it, and I am supposed to have the instillation tomorrow. My doctor did not tell me that this would be a 6 week course, she made it sound like "we'll do it once, and it helps we'll do it again in the future". Then I got a call from my pharmacist making sure that I know it will be a 6 week course. My dr knows I am leaving the country in 2 weeks, we discussed it extensively. What the hell is going on? She is supposed to be a very knowledgeable specialist. I am terrified. Will I be able to drive myself home afterwards? The office insisted that I would, but I am extremely skeptical.

[jen74]

Everyone reacts differently to instillations. DMSO I have never done. I only did the heperin, lidocaine, and saline instills. I was afraid to do the DMSO due to the pain it can cause for some people. I would just see how you do with the first one. If is causes you a ton of pain then I would not do it again. It is hard to say how anyone is going to react, everyone is different. I do know that I had a lady friend who use to do the DMSO years ago. She said back then it was really good, they only used like 20% DMSO. She said then they switched it to the higher amount and it caused her too much pain. She also said they chnaged the solution. Hopefully others who have actually done the DMSO will chime in and be able to share more with you. Good luck and hope you do ok with them.

Jen

[dlenore]

I just had it done. It was so painful I couldn't help but think "this was a TERRBILE" idea. But now, about 2 hours later I am feeling great! I have never had this kind of relief with anything beside percocet. It is very strange. I want to go back and have another, but I am deeply afraid of the pain part again :(

[kadi]

My doctor gave me pain medicine to use after the DMSO cocktails. I also iced and rested that night. It's great that you're having improvement already! The first DMSO treatment is usually the most painful because it's provoking your bladder cells to release histamines. After that, if you do them regularly, the histamines don't build up to that level again & the treatments become much easier!

Where are you going & how long will you be there? (Love travel!)

[dlenore]

My doctor gave me pain medicine to use after the DMSO cocktails. I also iced and rested that night. It's great that you're having improvement already! The first DMSO treatment is usually the most painful because it's provoking your bladder cells to release histamines. After that, if you do them regularly, the histamines don't build up to that level again & the treatments become much easier!

Where are you going & how long will you be there? (Love travel!)

hi Kadi - I am going to London for 1 week :) Its good to hear that the 1st is usually the most painful, because that was agonizing!!! I didn't know something that size could fit in my urethra.

[kadi]

Why didn't the doctor use a pediatric catheter or at least a smaller size? You may also be reacting to latex, many of us do. So, you might ask for a non-latex, smaller diameter catheter... It makes a big difference for me and for many of us!

London sounds great! Envy, envy, envy:evilsmile:

[dlenore]

Why didn't the doctor use a pediatric catheter or at least a smaller size? You may also be reacting to latex, many of us do. So, you might ask for a non-latex, smaller diameter catheter... It makes a big difference for me and for many of us!


no the catheter was like, ball point pen sized -___- when I asked for a smaller one, she said it was not possible for this procedure.

[jen74]

Wow, I am not sure if that is true about them not being able to use a smaller catheter. I have a friend who does the instills and she uses a pediatric catheter.

[kadi]

The catheter size my doctor's office initially used for me was 8 French.

But, I found it easier to self-catheterize with a size 12 French (less "bendy" and faster with the larger diameter).

I was lucky that a resident (my clinic was at a teaching hospital) gave me a handful of different sized catheters to try at home and then the doctor prescribed the one I found easiest & most comfortable to use.

[bjcov]

let us know how your next instill goes!