Do you REALLY have IC? If you do, or if you're not sure read here!

[hollyroseanna]

I'm going to start off with my history of a very painful bladder, I got it when I was a kid quite often, then had recurring symptoms for about 2 years which was horrible. This meant I had random outbursts of pain which was agony, painful urination, I was sore down below and it got worse after sex and if I drank alcohol.

I figured that the explanation was that I could only have IC, as I had already been to the doctors to get antibiotics which didn't work atall, and no other remedies helped my pain. Then after a year or so the pain was too much to handle so I went back to my GP, and got a very good doctor who said that the antibiotics I was given before were too weak. He gave me stronger antibiotics then within 2 weeks my pain had completely gone and I have had no more since.

So please if you have not tried to get to the bottom of your pain yet, keep trying until you find something that works! You shouldn't have to put up with IC pain as strong antibiotics should definately help. I said to myself I probably had IC, so it was incurable, so I would jsut have to deal with it - without properly finding out what was wrong with me. Just turned out I had a very bad recurring UTI ....and now I am so happy ... so please at least try this method!!

[ICNDonna]

Many of us have undergone testing, which included ruling out infections and other possibilities --- my IC was confirmed in 1975 by hydrodistention and biopsies.

I'm glad you don't have IC. And yes, I think it can be important to know for sure. Self diagnosis is not usually a good idea --- some serious problems can be overlooked.

Donna

[Mothergoose]

I have been diagnosed with IC, I get frequent UTI's from retention issues, so I am frequently on Ab's.

I often find if I am on Ab's for a long peroid of time, or very strong ones, my bladder feels much better, I seem to be able to eat more foods, but the IC always comes back. Ussally before the next UTI.

For what ever reason the AB'sake my bladder feel better, but it doesn't cure me.

I am not saying that this will the case with you. I do hope for you this is the answer and you don't have IC, and you can put this all behind you now.

Best of Luck MG

[cassidy29]

Can a UTI or kidny infecton trigger a flare? And how long does a flare generally last?

[Mothergoose]

Yes they both can, how long the flare lasts just depends, everyone is different.

MG

[cassidy29]

Thanks

Thanks. It seems that an infection is a BIG trigger for me.

[Mothergoose]

Yes me too.

If I eat something that makes me flare, I drink lots of water and take AZO, other meds depending on how bad it is and rest using my heating pad, it will usually passes in a few hours to a day or 2 depending on what it was.

If I flared from a medication, I do the same thing but sometimes it takes longer for the flare to pass, as the medication stays in your system for various lengths of time. A slow release med that lasts 24 hours taker's a min. of 5 days to get out of your system, so depending on how sensitive I am too it, depends on how long the flare lasts.

If I flare from an upset stomach it will usually pass within 24 hours of my stomach feeling better, this includes flu, vomiting, D, or C, IBS, stress. (This is what is happening to me today, I have an upset stomach. I have been having problems with AB pain and after eating spasms in my ab. Today I think it is just good old fashion stress from yesterday, I usually walk each day as my distress and I have not been able to get out as much as I like, I am not sleeping great, and things have just been getting to me, nothing big, I am just grouchy, it just always seems to be something or another that requires my attention, children, husband, and FIL, my house is a mess and I just can't seem to keep up, maybe it is all the rain we have been getting, and lack of sunny days)

As I said nothing big I will have a TLC day today, I got caught up on most of my paper work yesterday, and hopefully don't have too much on my plate today. I am going to make an app to get my hair cut and colored next week, this will pick up my mood.

Back to flares, a UTI will defiantly make me flare and it is hard to tell when the UTI ends and I am left with a flaring bladder. How long a post UTI flare lasts, can depend on how long I have the UTI before treating, how sick I get with it, if it spreads to my kidney's or not. If the Ab's upset my stomach, if I get a yeast infection from the ab's. For me I find ab's helps my bladder feel better, so most of the symptoms improve quite a bit right away, but I can be left with a niggly bladder for 3-4 weeks after a UTI, it really just depends.

If I have bladder procedures eg: being cathed in office for the uro to have a look, cathed to drain bladder from total retention, or full on cysto with hydro. I flare from these but it really depends on how gentle or how rough it was done, size of cath used, why it was done, how my bladder was brfore the procedure. These flares can really vary, from days to weeks, and there dosen't seem to be too much I can do to help relieve these.

Everyone is very different in these reguards. I suggest you keep a diary of symptoms and what you try for them, what works what dosen't etc.

Even as a veteran ICer, I still get blond moments when I am having a hard time and forget something simple that I can do for myself. I find the forum really good for that, just ask and someone will think of it and remind you.

I also keep a list of meds I have tried, any side effects, how bad they were, how much it helped or what ever I figure would be good to look back at.

I keep a page for meds I am on, dosage, # of refills, date of refill, when I take it and separate list with same info of meds I have for as need bases. You just never know when you are going to need this info handy. Often if you go to a new Dr. or ER they will ask you about your meds, and if you are stressed at all or sick it may not come to your head right away.

Hope this info helps you