question about flares?

[KEC]

Hi everyone, I have noticed that everyone talks about flareups but mine seems to be continuous. I have some sort of pain everyday of the week, some days more than others and I can't put my finger on any one trigger. I started taking prelief today and it has seemed to help some but tomorrow is a new day so who knows. I have been using pyridium but it doesn't seem to do too much. The first day I took it I thought it helped but after that it didnt. What I find most frustrating is I get hopeful and than I think I must have imagined it helped that one time. My uro said you can take the pyridium 3x a day for 3 days but can't take it long term. If you haven't used it 3 days in a row you can take it occasionally. I've heard of people taking it for months at a time. Anyone heard of this? Kathy

[Sarojini]

I know there are some people here who take Pyridium more continuously... I don't use it very often, but there are others here who swear by it.

I know that it can cause some liver problems and some problems with tissue oxygenation/hemoglobin if taken in higher doses for long periods, which is why your doc is telling you not to overdo it.

Be aware that there are other meds out there that can have similar effects... these include Urimax, Urised, and Prosed. These turn your urine blue rather than orange, but have similar analgesic effects in the urinary tract. In addition, they contain some antispasmodic meds (atropine and/or hyoscyamine) that help with bladder spasms and urinary frequency. You can read more about them in our Patient Handbook (http://www.ic-network.com/handbook .

Talk to your doc about your situation... if meds aren't working for you, he/she needs to know. There are other things that can help, but you need to be frank with your doctor!! :)

good luck :grouphug:

[KEC]

Jen, thanks for your reply. Does that mean the other meds you mentioned cannot be taken for longer periods too? Do you think the other ones might be better than pyridium for pain? Kathy

[photomom]

I take urimax as needed. I have been using it for 9 months now. My Dr said use it while having a flare. When I know I don't feel right, I take one at night to help. If I am in a flare I take it every 4-6 hours.

Check with your Dr to see what he/she says about urimax.

[Katrina]

The antispasmodics should be able to be taken long term that should also be true of the anathetics she listed but as she said there is more info in the handbook
http://www.ic-network.com/glossary/glossaryoral.html

try the link I got more specific if that helps so you can look into the different types of drugs.


I hope that helps.

take care