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Hi!
Reading around on this site is giving me a terrific education! I do have some specific questions, and I was hoping some of you kind people might be able to answer them.
My urologist has not formally disgnosed me with IC; he still says there's a chance that my bladder can calm down from the inflammation I've suffered the past four months. Nonetheless, I think it's time to see a specialist. I am in Georgia, so I'd love to hear any recommendations for doctors and clinics where I am. I'd also be very interested in knowing, simply, who are the best doctors out there today, regardless of geography. I'm willing to travel for the best care.
I had a cystoscopy and hydrodistension under general anesthesia in January, and my doctor says my bladder looks fine, that it has no visible signs of IC. He tested capacity and did biopsies, and everything was good with those as well.
Presently, I am taking Ditropan XL 10 mg once a day, Zyrtec in the a.m. and Singulair in the evening. My main complaints are frequency and burning when it is bad. Most of the time, it's a dull and sometimes even a tolerable sense of pressure in my bladder. The drugs I am taking do help me. Going on the IC diet very strictly also brought me relief, but I had what I guess was a 2-3 week flare when I got careless about what I ate. I was able to bring the flare under control with Pyridium, some Ibubrofen, going up to 15 mg of Ditropan for a day, and getting back on track with the diet. I've just begun taking quercetin; I also went back on the glucosamine with chondroitin my orthopedic guy suggested for an old shoulder injury. This time I was careful to get some that had no added postassium to it. My urologist has offered me Elmiron if I'd like to take it, but he tells me that it doesn't work for everyone (as all of you already know!). In fact he thinks that it might not help me at all, given that I have no pinpoints or ulcers on my bladder. I'm reluctant, naturally, to take Elmiron if I can manage my condition without it. Any thoughts about this?
While the Ditropan helps me, I hate the side effects (dry mouth and the inability to work up a sweat). I'm wondering if switching to Oxytrol would be wise, so I'd love any information any of you might have on that.
One final question: I am a Pilates instructor, but my bladder problem has made it impossible for me to continue to teach the 6 classes a week I had been teaching last fall. I'm trying to do 3 classes a week, but I cancel those if I'm feeling really dreadful (as I was during this last flare). Does anyone out there know if Pilates is friend or foe with this disease? What about yoga?
Yes, I have a lot of questions, I know! I deeply appreciate any information you can give me! Donna, I know you'll tell me to make sure I'm doing the diet...I am, and, you are right: it does seem to make things better!!!
Reading around on this site is giving me a terrific education! I do have some specific questions, and I was hoping some of you kind people might be able to answer them.
My urologist has not formally disgnosed me with IC; he still says there's a chance that my bladder can calm down from the inflammation I've suffered the past four months. Nonetheless, I think it's time to see a specialist. I am in Georgia, so I'd love to hear any recommendations for doctors and clinics where I am. I'd also be very interested in knowing, simply, who are the best doctors out there today, regardless of geography. I'm willing to travel for the best care.
I had a cystoscopy and hydrodistension under general anesthesia in January, and my doctor says my bladder looks fine, that it has no visible signs of IC. He tested capacity and did biopsies, and everything was good with those as well.
Presently, I am taking Ditropan XL 10 mg once a day, Zyrtec in the a.m. and Singulair in the evening. My main complaints are frequency and burning when it is bad. Most of the time, it's a dull and sometimes even a tolerable sense of pressure in my bladder. The drugs I am taking do help me. Going on the IC diet very strictly also brought me relief, but I had what I guess was a 2-3 week flare when I got careless about what I ate. I was able to bring the flare under control with Pyridium, some Ibubrofen, going up to 15 mg of Ditropan for a day, and getting back on track with the diet. I've just begun taking quercetin; I also went back on the glucosamine with chondroitin my orthopedic guy suggested for an old shoulder injury. This time I was careful to get some that had no added postassium to it. My urologist has offered me Elmiron if I'd like to take it, but he tells me that it doesn't work for everyone (as all of you already know!). In fact he thinks that it might not help me at all, given that I have no pinpoints or ulcers on my bladder. I'm reluctant, naturally, to take Elmiron if I can manage my condition without it. Any thoughts about this?
While the Ditropan helps me, I hate the side effects (dry mouth and the inability to work up a sweat). I'm wondering if switching to Oxytrol would be wise, so I'd love any information any of you might have on that.
One final question: I am a Pilates instructor, but my bladder problem has made it impossible for me to continue to teach the 6 classes a week I had been teaching last fall. I'm trying to do 3 classes a week, but I cancel those if I'm feeling really dreadful (as I was during this last flare). Does anyone out there know if Pilates is friend or foe with this disease? What about yoga?
Yes, I have a lot of questions, I know! I deeply appreciate any information you can give me! Donna, I know you'll tell me to make sure I'm doing the diet...I am, and, you are right: it does seem to make things better!!!
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