lidocaine

**Megs** · 03-18-2004, 08:46 AM

has anyone had success with lidocaine instillations?

**Kathi** · 03-18-2004, 09:30 AM

Lidocaine just numbs your bladder temporarily & the pain comes back as soon as it wears off

DMSO or heparin with lidocaine mixed in or before the instillation is the usual way. Hugs, Kathi

**Megs** · 03-19-2004, 11:06 AM

I've gone thru 7 wks of heparin and 10 wks of DMSO with no improvement. i think they are hoping i can use the lidocaine as needed if it helps. i hope so, i'm running out of options!

**yorkyloverx3** · 03-19-2004, 02:12 PM

Oh my gosh
I am just on my 3rd week of elmiron w lidocaine instillations, I can't imagine having to go that long. I just don't think I can. The lidocaine didn't help me at all the first few times. Now it does but when you get home and it wears off the pain just comes right back with a vengance!!

Sorry I don't know what the answer is either. We will just all comfort

each other.
Denise

**Kathi** · 03-20-2004, 01:49 AM

Megs, What treatment (meds, etc) are you on? Are you doing the IC diet. I find it my best help. Are you having more frequency/urgency or pain? Hugs, Kathi

**Megs** · 03-21-2004, 02:18 PM

Kathy,
Right now I am taking elavil, neurotin, ultracet, hydroxyzine, and tagemet. i use vicodin sparingly, as pyridium plus or urimax don't help at all anymore with pain or freq. i also have a TENS unit and do PFD therapy.

I had problems with both freq and pain til december. acupuncture as helped my freq alot but the pain has not decreased at all, and i think it has been getting worse actually. its moved from a raw ouchy feeling to more of a burning feeling, which was always there, but the raw feeling usually dominated.

I do follow the IC diet pretty strictly, but when i do cheat, it doesn't really make a difference in my pain.

any more suggestions you may have would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Meg

**rachelm** · 03-21-2004, 02:54 PM

Just a word of caution about the marcaine (lidicaine) instilations. I have great success with the heparin/marcaine instilations and I've begged my dr. to let me do them at home like so many other people I read about. He explained that he feels like it is too risky to send me home with the marcaine part of it because it can be absorbed too quickly in some people and cause heart arithmia. I don't feel that I am in danger of this because I've gotten them every day for a month at times but one patient in their office passed out following an instilation after the potassium test and her pulse dropped and heart raced or something like that. Because she was at their office it didn't take long to drain it from her bladder and flush her with saline. I don't know if they just tell me that to scare me out of begging for the at home version or what. Maybe those who do it at home don't use as much marcaine as the dr. office. I've never heard of another person having this happen so I think its rare and it certainly is not stopping me from doing the heparin/marcaine instillations myself. I don't say this to freak you out or keep you from doing it because it helps me as well as a lot of others. Have you had any of the combo instillations yet? Does your dr. usually do a straight lidicaine/marcaine one? Most people I have talked with about it do a combo.

Rachel

**Megs** · 03-21-2004, 07:11 PM

Thanks for the advice...i will definately ask about it. I have had a mix of DMSO and heparin, but other than that, just the heparin alone. i start my first lidocaine treatment tomorrow and they are mixing it with sodium bicarbonate. have you heard of that being done before? we'll see how it goes.

**momw/ic** · 03-23-2004, 09:34 AM

Hi! I have been doing the home instills of marcaine/heparin for about 3 months. I do one everyday and I have learned that if I wait until the pain gets going and then do the wash I get good pain relief fromt he marcaine. My uro has the marcaine specially compounded so it has the right amount of med, water etc...in it for safety. (I had asked him about that after talking to Rachel). Hi Rachel!!

Anyway, the sodium bicarbonate actually helps carry the other meds. It is usually added in with DMSO or other "cocktails" to insure adequate absorption etc...

Good luck. Let us know how it goes. I have done DMSO a lot also so if you have questions feel free to ask.

Pam

**rachelm** · 03-23-2004, 05:23 PM

Yes my dr. also said that the bisodium carbonate helps the body to absorb the heparin. Pam did you have to beg your uro to let you do them at home? I'm going to try one more time but I doubt dr. England will let me do it.