Lidocaine Instillations for Flares

**Nancypt** · 02-03-2008, 04:51 PM

HI,
Does anyone use only lidocaine instillations for a flare? If so, what percentage of lidocaine? I have mild IC and have been treating it with physical therapy. I recently had back pain that wasn't relieved by P.T. and went to the urologist and he gave me an instillation of lidocaine and the back pain disappeared immediately.
Thanks,
Nancy

**leelee88** · 02-03-2008, 05:09 PM

Humm I have never heard of just lidocaine instills, but hey if it works that's great! I know I use the gel for when I a burning.

**GriffsMommy** · 02-04-2008, 03:13 AM

I use lidocaine as part of my instills but they also include sodium bicarb and heparin. If this worked for you then I would ask your dr about it and see if he will give you scripts to do it at home yourself. I never thought I would be able to do home instills and they are so easy.

**Claredale** · 02-04-2008, 04:26 AM

I used to be able to get Lidocaine jet gels. They were in little syringes with a plastic hook that you could push the lidocaine into your urethra. They normally only lasted for about 15 minutes or so, but it was long enough to get my regular pain meds to start working. They were a huge help especially when I woke up hurting/spasms in the middle of the night. I haven't been able to get that prescription for many months. Luckily I haven't needed them in a long time, but I may see if I can get them directly from insurance company. They were wonderful when I used to have spasms. I would get a box of 25 at a time.

T83

**gigisgirl** · 02-04-2008, 07:30 AM

sounds like it would probably work. I don't know that I could self cath but for those of you that do I think the lidocaine would probably work well.

**Katrina** · 02-04-2008, 11:15 AM

4 % is what I have and I have done just the lidocaine at times. Good luck!

**Claredale** · 02-15-2008, 09:27 AM

The urojets are not like self cathing at all. I could never do that, it just goes in the very tip of your uretha. I has to be easy if I can do it.

T83

**Katrina** · 02-15-2008, 09:38 AM

Tracey can you tell us more about urojets please? Sounds like a great urethral treatment and that is the big problem with rescue instillations and instillations is they miss the urethra! Thanks!

**tigger_gal** · 02-15-2008, 10:38 AM

I too, didn't think I could cath myself, until I couldn't take the pain anymore. I have a toddler and a 6 month old. I do flair after, so I do them when I have put the children down for bed. sometimes, not always I get the pins an needles feeling in the urethra, and the razor feeling. It cuts my pain down and it beats popping pain pills.. which I have to hold off on until hubby gets home.
my instills are lidocane and sodium bircarb.

**Claredale** · 02-15-2008, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by Katrina

Tracey can you tell us more about urojets please? Sounds like a great urethral treatment and that is the big problem with rescue instillations and instillations is they miss the urethra! Thanks!

They were great while they lasted. I got them in a box of 25 individually wrapped syringes and a glass tube filled with lidocaine 2% (I think). Anyway, you took off the yellow top that covered the little curved tip of the syringe and put the glass tube in the syringe by twisting it a couple of times to break the seal and then put it in the very tip of your urethra and squirted it in. Most of the time, I was able to get all of it in, but sometimes like another poster said, some of it would spill out, but if I was very careful to get it placed just right, I got it all into my uretha and some went into my bladder...I guess. It was enough to ease up the spasms and allow my pain meds which were B & O supp and Lortab to start working. I haven't been able to find them anywhere. I have looked on the internet. I have my insurance pharmacy trying to get them. They have to be around since people are still using them. I just want to know where. I haven't tried in some time to get them since I have been doing so well with my symptoms all around, but I would like to have a box just in case I ever need them again. The funny thing is that the doctor that first prescribed them to me was the doctor that took my wonderful Dr. Ragi's place. That was the only good she was for me. When I started going to my current doctor and told him about them, he didn't know about them either and he started prescribing them and the nurse was calling me to find out where I was getting mine filled. I had even mentioned to my gyno (NP) about them and she called me asking me to please let her know where some of her other patients could get them.

The weren't in my imagination, I know they were around before...I just want to get them again. I had 3 left a few months ago and I held on to them for emergency only, but I had gone out of town and I always had a little pain increase from the ride and never felt comfortable when I wasn't in my own bed, so I had to use them.

I am about to post a reward! LOL! My uro/gyno and my regular NP would all love to hear from me!

Hugs, T83

**TanyaYW** · 02-21-2008, 07:20 AM

I have been going in for treatments twice a week now for a couple of weeks because I'm in the middle of the worst flare-up yet and what my doctor uses is a solution of lidocaine, Elmiron, and sodium bicarbonate. I also have them put lidocaine gel on my urethra prior to inserting the catheter. I have a lot of discomfort when they do these treatments and only recently did one of his nurses offer the lidocaine gel prior to insertion of the catheter. That seemed to help some, but I'm not so sure the actual treatments are doing a lot because my pain is still pretty bad but I'll continue following his suggestions because at this point I don't know what else to do.

TanyaYW

**Katrina** · 02-21-2008, 07:49 AM

It would help to know what the 3rd thing is. I know a common thing that is in most rescue instillations that I know a lot of patients can't tollerate is the sodium bicarbonate. I have heard patients say...that the sodium bicarbonate feels like salt on a wound to them and without it the rescue instillation goes better. Something you may want to discuss with your doctor.

instillation of a combination of medications that help to stop (or numb) pain. They aim to treat both bladder inflammation and pain as well as helping to rebuild and strengthen the gag layer of the bladder, and help fight infections if needed. The coctail of medications in a rescue instillation are usually Elmiron or Heparin (or both), a local anthetic such as marcaine or lidocaine, and sodium bicarbonate to help penetrate the gag layer to the nerves beneith, and an antibacterial agent if needed. The exact coctail of meds is determined by individual doctor and their patients.

good luck Tanya

**jen74** · 02-21-2008, 10:51 AM

I use heperin,lidocaine, and saline solution in my instills. They seem to help. I was adding elmiron for awhile, but I seem to feel worse now. I may stop adding the elmiron to my instills. I think probably the chemicals in the drug are irritating the bladder.
Jen

**Claredale** · 03-02-2008, 11:33 PM

Originally Posted by tigger_gal

I too, didn't think I could cath myself, until I couldn't take the pain anymore. I have a toddler and a 6 month old. I do flair after, so I do them when I have put the children down for bed. sometimes, not always I get the pins an needles feeling in the urethra, and the razor feeling. It cuts my pain down and it beats popping pain pills.. which I have to hold off on until hubby gets home.
my instills are lidocane and sodium bircarb.

Tigger gal, I really can't self cath, not because I don't know how, but because it causes me to flare. They have tried everything at the doctor's office to help me. Now my file has on the front, no cathing unless absolutely necessary. My uretha is very sensitive and that just made my pain worse. That is why we went the Lidocaine jet gel and B&O supp route for a while when I was having unbearable pain at night. I don't have the pain level I have had for years now that I don't endure DMSOs, cathing for retention, etc. That was all huge causes of flares. I had one rescue instill and I flared for days even on pain meds. We are all so different.