Strange Bubbling Feeling?

[Rivet Kitty]

I don't know how else to describe it. It feels like there are little tiny wet bubbles coming out of my urethra. (I know, gross.) But it doesn't feel like I am peeing or anything. Has anyone else ever felt like this? Sometimes if there are a lot they can get super painful until they finally go away or I wiggle my legs/pelvis around (looking rediculous mind you) and try and get them to come out.

Sorry I don't have a better definition, hopefully this makes sense.

[Sarojini]

I have had this sensation a few times... it is not a regular occurence, but I know what it is like. I am not sure what it is.

I did have really bad bubbles in my urine when I was having instills at the doc's office... it seemed the nurse was not tapping the bubbles out of the syringe used to insert the medication, so the air went into my bladder. Then when I peed the solution out, it felt like I was farting out my urethra!! How icky!!!

(Now when I do instills myself at home, I don't use the syringe plunger -- I allow the solution to drain into my bladder using gravity. This eliminates the problem. )

But if you aren't doing instills, and this sensation happens often and you find it painful... go to the doctor. Sometimes if that is severe it can indicate a fistula (or hole) between the urethra and vagina, etc. It probably isn't that, but you should be checked just to be sure.

Good luck

[Roxie2007]

HI!
I've had that bubbling too. I think it's a little incontinence, just a drip coming out and if my urethra is tender then it will burn when it does that. It's a very uncomfortable feeling. Since using the MSM gel I don't get the burning when this happens....thank goodness! Roxie

[mignumi]

I just went to my urogyno for this problem yesterday. They scheduled at CT scan looking for the fistula someone mentioned. I really don't think that's my problem, but I'll let you know what happens.

I have never done any instills (unless the potassium sensitivity test counts, but I would never do that voluntarily again-- OUCH), so I know that's not the source of bubbles. To me, it seems as though there must be some sort of gas-producing organism in my urethra, or in my bladder, that makes the bubbles.

My urethra hurts, all the time. I am on several medications to control the pain. I suppose it's possible one of the meds is affecting things, but I've been on them all for a while now. Are you taking Lyrica, Vesicare, or Ultram?

Also, I have had IC ever since a terrible UTI that happened right after I got out of the hospital having my last baby (who is now 9 months old) via c-section. Any similarities there?

I keep hoping more people will respond with something that makes all of this make some sense. My doctor seemed to think this was strange and unheard of, the bubbles. I'm going to print out whatever people write on this thread and bring it to him. I am so so so so tired of "specialists" treating me like I'm crazy. I KNOW when a bubble comes out of my urethra. It is NOT normal.

Enough ranting...that rarely helps. Thanks for your post. I hope you find something out that will help everyone in this situation. For now, I'm going to order some MSM gel and see if that helps me.

[leelee88]

I have this quiet often feels kind of like something fluttering around down there...Its a very strange and annoying feeling..My brother-in law has bladder problems and he has mentioned the same symptom..Hope the doctor helps you find out what it is.. mine comes and goes

[Billsbaby]

i have a feeling like that,the way i have always describes it is it feels like i am 3 months pregnant,and i am feeling those first kicks,and since i had my tubes tied i know its not that.is that how it feels to you ladies?one more nuisance with this disease

[Rivet Kitty]

Sorry, didn't mean to abandon this thread - was out of town.

So....I haven't tried MSM, mostly just because it comes and goes, although I notice it A LOT more at night. And no necessarily after sex (it's usually the reason we don't have it, lol.) I've never been pregnant, and I don't think it's a fistula because my old uro mentioned that and I was hoping he would look for one when he did my cystoscopy...but he probably didn't so who knows.

About Lyrica...I've stopped taking it mostly because I noticed no difference with regard to my pain...the bubbling sensation remained.

It comes and it goes and sometimes it's much worse than others...which is what I don't get. It's like someone lined up tiny little water balloons up and down my urethra and they're taking their sweet time to try and pop. Something like that anyway.

Good luck everyone, hopefully one of us will figure out what on earth it is.

Oh! Last thing...I've also noticed that my Vicodin is starting to no longer work against these bubbles!! It still works for that shattered glass in my bladder pain and most of the abdominal pressure...but not for the stupid gas bubble things. Weird.

[mignumi]

Thanks for the info. Your description (the tiny wter balloons) is right on the money for me, and for me also it is sometimes much worse than others. My CT scan is Monday, and I'm also supposed to have a laparoscopy done after that to see if I have endometriosis, since my other IC symptoms seem to worsen as my period approaches. I wonder whether there aren't some adhesions of some sort directly around my urethra? I swear, sometimes I think the worst part of this disease is all the wondering. I think I could accept the pain a lot better if I just understood what was causing it all.