Imipramine doesn't seem to be working.. I am scared

[Bea]

Hi,

I started taking imipramine in April.. I started out with 25 mg and moved to 35mg one month later.. I guess I never gave the 25 a shot. In anycase, after about 2 mos, I never felt better in my life. .. I was sleeping through the whole night, never getting up.. maybe once on the occasion.. I was eating foods I loved again, and my pain was much less.. and better yet.. I was going to the bathroom every 2-4 hours.. 3 on avg.

Well 4 weeks ago I developed a bladder infection... ever since than.. blah.. I feel like I have full blown IC again, and I am miserable.. the infection has been good for 3 weeks now.. I just don't know what is wrong!!!!!

did it stop working? Do I need to try and go up to 45 mg!!!! I want my life back.. I thought I found the miracle drug..

What should I do?

[ICNDonna]

One of the things we have a tendency to do is to go back to foods that can be a problem for an ICer. I have learned that if I try to do that, it does bring back the pain. I'm not saying that's what happened to you, but I do think going back on the diet is worth a try.

Sending healing thoughts,
Donna

[icnmgrjill]

I completely agree with Donna. Try thinking of IC as a wound struggling to heal. In fact, that's what the research from the University of Maryland has proven. IC patients don't heal like normal people... we're slower to heal because we have the antiproliferative factor interfering.

So, it's not how the initial bladder wound or irritation happened that's important. It's that we don't heal as quickly as another person without IC when we are wounded.. that's important. In all likelihood, a patient goes into "remission" when their bladder finally heals. But, as soon as you hurt it again (either by diet, or uti, or whatever), we begin that long cycle of slow healing again.

I think what possibly happened is that your bladder finally did recover some.... and that the inflammation was dramatically improved... UNTIL you started your bad foods again. It may have taken a couple of weeks of bad foods to get you back into your flare.. but, that said, it happens to all of us.

Best options... get yourself cultured for the UTI and go back to that soothing diet. Loose the risk food ASAP. Get any infection treated. Slowly, but surely, your bladder should improve as long as you don't irritate it again.

Jill :)

[Bea]

Thank you so much for your replies.

I have actually been keeping my diet for a good month now, and still feel miserable. After by bladder infection, nothing seemed to get better, and I have been tested again with negative results.

I just don't know what to do.. How could the imipramine stop working when it worked so well? I just don't get it!!!

I plan on stopping the imipramine in 2-3 mos due to the fact that my husband and I would like to conceive, but untill then.. I feel like death.. i can't take this anymore.

Can my body become resistant to the drug. and need more?