Unending frequency

[youngin]

Does anyone here have the problem of unending frequency? By that, I mean you go to the bathroom and within, say, a minute you have to go again? With me, I go to the bathroom (usually a poor, weak stream). For about thrity seconds,I feel like I have completed and my bladder is empty. Then, the feeling of having to expel urine comes back. But even if I am lucky and I get a thick, stong stream, the same thing happens! Driving me crazy and it was not always like this! I'd appreciate any suggestions. Thank you.

[threewins]

hi. My daughter (6 yrs old) was like this and after about 6 weeks of ditropan xl , atarax and following the IC diet had greatly reduced the number of times she needed to go to the bathroom. I'm not sure what meds you may be on or if you have already tried these ones. Hopefully your urologist can help you find some relief. Good luck.

[ICNJess]

I used to have that feeling. The only thing I can think of suggesting is maybe bladder retraining in addition to meds? I am not sure, my problems went away when I had my InterStim put in, but that is not the answer for everyone, I had tried all treatments and meds first.

Good luck, maybe someone can help you with the bladder re-training thought around here.

Hugs and love,
Jess

[Kathi]

You might want to have a urine test to make sure you don't have an infection. Hopefully you can just go to the office & leave a specimen. Feel better soon. Kathi

[Zanni2]

Regarding bladder retraining, personally I don't recommend it. I have tried it and all it did was irritate my bladder more thus increasing pain, urgency and frequency! Even if I try to wait for 10 or 15 minutes longer than usual, it just makes my bladder worse. I think bladder retraining is more appropriate for overactive bladder patients, not IC patients. They don't have the pain and irritation we have so they would be able to tolerate it better. They generally just have frequency and urgency.

If you haven't already done so, notice what foods, drinks, and other substances if any cause bladder pain and/or irritation. My enemies are acids, spices, seasonings (especially black pepper) and caffeine. Check out the IC Diet in this website. I can have acdic foods and drinks if I take Prelief tablets with them. Prelief is a dietary supplement (not a drug) that lowers acid content in food. I live on Prelief!

Good luck to you,

Zanni2

[ICNDonna]

Bladder training works well for some IC patients, but I have read that it shouldn't be tried when in pain.

I hope you find something soon that will help. When will you next see your uro?

Sending warm healing thoughts,
Donna

[khouse]

Hi,
I am sure the bladder retraining works for some but it was not an opiton for me, if I can't get to the bathroom right when I need to go, if I hold it...........then I am headed for major pain. My Mom has ic also and she is the same way, but we are all different and what works for one does not work for another, trial and error. I know exactly how you feel, I go to the bathroom between 45 and 50 times a day, i have a very weak stream and have terrible spasms. Hang in there, that is all we can do!
Love,
Kim

[tigger_gal]

Hi I was the same way, if I held it I was sure to be doubled over in pain, brain freeze couldnt think, sick to my stomach... it was horrible. When I got my interstim it stopped.. when I flair I still retain and feel I have to go and often... but that urgency is gone... hugs hope it goes away soon
Brat

[Pristine]

Bladder retraining is not for everyone i guess but i just made up my mind i was going to get tougher than this miserable bladder. Some days i dont even feel an urge to go until about my 3rd hour but if i push it on till my fourth i feel better in the long run, even if i get a little headache from holding it. I was talking on the phone the other night and i looked at my watch and it had been 6 hours since i went lol....and i was like to my friend...hang on i probably should go pee. And my X rays on my kidneys have been fine. Part of what IC is, is the bladder giving us false signals. Its not really full when you feel the urge to pee. If a person is able to endure the retraining, hydros dont become necessary as often. The more we go, the more irritated the urethra becomes and the more open to infection it becomes. One can even get spasms from peeing so much.

[Shelka]

Hi there,

I can completely relate to having to go ALL the time. I've had IC for about 6 years (well, diagnosed from that time), but I've never had it this bad.....About 3 weeks I go, I suddenly had to go every 15 mintues & would get relief, but then would have to go again, & again....It got better for a few thankful days but then came back last Sunday and since then I have been literally housebound. I have to go every 10 minutes (well, I could probably go every 2 minutes if I let myself), and the worst thing is I don't feel ANY relief in between. Of course, it gets worse if I hold it and don't go, but even when I'm going all the time (which I am) I still feel full!! I had a catheter put in to take home on Thursday but it didn't help b/c even though my bladder was clearly emptyiing, it still didn't feel like it. sigh.

I've never ever had it so bad before & am getting very discouraged and scared. I go for a hyrdo (1st one) on Tues & am just hanging in until there......still, I fear that what if the hydro doesn't help, what then? I really can't imagine living my life like this where I have this horrible feeling 24/7 and can't (literally) leave the house.

Sorry to be so dreary, but at least you know you are not alone. I will be sure to let you know what it is I find that finally stops this!!

Hang in there, have faith that something will work for you, it has to!

[khouse]

Pristine,
I hope that I am taking it wrong when you say "I have made up my mind that I was going to get tougher than this miserble bladder" It seems as if you are impling that "YOU" can beat this disease with shear determination. And that is simply not the fact!!!!! If you haven't gone to the restroom in six hours that is wonderful but it is NOT reality for most of us, nor is my bladder sending false signals, my bladder only hold 2 cc's of urine there is NO getting around my bladder NOT being full and simply feeling the urge! And there is no way that I am going to NOR does my doctor advise me to wait to use the restroom. I discussed some of these issues with my Doctor yesterday and he did not agree with them either. I am not trying to be negative or come back at you in a defensive manner but I took you post to mean that if we just"buck"up and deal with this then there wouldn't be any problem.
Kim

[rachelm]

I think that Pristine just meant for her it worked. Your right if your bladder has already shrunk that much you are not a candidate for retraining but for other who still have good bladder capacity it may be an option if they're not in pain. I have the urge to go all the time until I started the interstim trial. I too self-cathed and would still feel full. The rep had a great explanation for it. He gave the analogy that our nerves are several people all telling the bladder its time to go pee. In normal people the bladder only listens to the one nerve that tells us when to go but IC people get signals from many nerves thus causing the urgency even when our bladders aren't full. After a long period of time not filling our bladders very much our bladders begin to shrink causing more urgency/frequency and then it eventualy becomes very tiny and there is no way to retrain it. Some people can wait 5-10 min. without pain and my dr. explained that when possible this has the same effect as distending the bladder. It stretches just a little bit in hopes of preventing it from getting smaller. When I'm in a flare that isn't possible I have to go when I feel the urge or its too painful.

Remember everyone with I.C. is not the same we are all individual in what treatments work for us. No one way is necessarily better than another way. The best thing to do is to find what works best for you.

Rachel

[youngin]

Someone here mentioned the idea of the bladder sending "false signals" to the brain, telling us we have to urinate when we don't really have to. This makes a lot of sense, but why does this happen? Is it because a small amount of urine irritates the bladder, and the body naturally wants to expel the irritative substance? Or are the nerves themselves messed up, i.e. for some reason they fire messages up to the brain more than they should? Nerve problems scare the crap out of me, to be honest. The idea that what you feel has no relationship to reality (you FEEL that your bladder has urine in it even if it is empty), it just scares the hell out of me. frown

[sheryl*]

OK another interesting old one here. I have read and heard soem reference to the bladder retraining, and have attempted this on my own, and tend to side with those who dont reccomend it, as i will lay there in bed and say oh just wait anothe 15 miuntes and if i still have to go, then go, and it ends up making it worse, I am better off sucumbing to going when it feels like I got to go. I even dream I am peeing, how awful we live it and dream it