Need Help Please!!!!

[MondaysChild]

Hi Everyone,

A while ago I posted about my husband and I wanting to conceive despite suffering with IC for years. I finally felt my IC was under control and we began trying last month. I just found out that I am a little over 2 weeks pregnant! While I am very happy, my body isn't. I have very bad what feels like menstrual cramps and pain on one side of my tummy. Has anyone has this? I went to the ER and they told me it may be ectopic pregnancy and I'm being montiored. The Dr. at the ER told me I could continue taking Hydroxyzine (Atarax), but that my Ativan had to go. I understand that but I am still painfully dependent on it. Okay, so I haven't sleep in 24 hours basically because I haven't taken Ativan and I'm in a tons of physical and emotional pain. Ativan helped control my IC, but also helped control my debilitating anxiety. I had been weaning myself off it for sometime, but with 1 mg a day to go I got pregnant. I am having lots of trouble dealing with the intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and the actual pain from my IC being annoyed by my growing uterus. I actually threw up at around 3:30 this morning. Not sure if that is due to real morning sicknessl or withdrawal. I need some help, please. If anybody could tell me medicines, or anything that helped them in their pregnancy I would so much appreciate it. I am going back to the dr. this morning. This is not what I hoped for. I feel stupid thinking I could be pregnant with IC. I have to go back to work on Monday. I teach school and I want to be the best I can be under the circumstances. Please help!

J. in CT.

P.S. Sorry if I sound really negative. I'm just really scared right now.

[ICNDonna]

I'm glad you will be seeing your doctor this morning. Hopefully you will get some help.

Warm hugs,
Donna

[cmclien]

Hi, I can't help you with your main questions just wanted to say I really feel for you and hopefully there will be something else you can take for your anxiety. Once in awhile I get intrusive thoughts and they are very upsetting and cause even more anxiety because the thoughts themselves are upsetting. I try and tell myself over and over when they're happening that they are meaningless. I blame it on OCD and remind myself its not me, its my OCD, I don't know why but this at least makes me feel better in the short term.
I hope you get some satisfaction this morning and maybe there is another medicine that will help you with your anxiety that you can take while you're pregnant.

[bob04951]

Hope your doctor helped you. What should be the happiest time in your life is giving you such anxiety. Have you tried meditating a bit, find a peaceful spot in your home or outdoors and just be still for a while. Anxiety is tough, both my husband and I have been there. Hormones definitely play a part. Maybe find something to do with your hands, crafts, knit, sew, quilt, scrapbook, etc. Just taking your mind off things sometimes helps. When you do those things, put your whole head into it and let the rest of the world go by for a bit. It will still be there when you come out of your trance.

Gosh, really hope you are okay. Maybe there is a support group near you, or if your insurance or you can afford it, a personal therapist. Just getting it all out sometimes helps (vent girl vent). Let hub know how much you appreciate his support, we want to keep him on your side afterall. Please let us know how you are doing. We all care about you. Jill, wife of Bob

[MondaysChild]

Thank you everyone for your posts. Your support really means a lot to me.

I couldn't get an appt with the gynocologist but I got an appt with my regular doctor who also treats me for IC. Unfortunately, she could not substitute or did not feel comfortable substituting my Ativan with something else that would be okay during pregnancy. I feel really sad about that. She did help me though set up a plan where I take the hydroxyzine throughout the day instead of waiting for myself to have a panic attack and then taking it. I took it 3 times today, and I was able to sleep for about 3 hours as opposed to yesterday when I did not go to sleep at all. Now I am wide awake and very nauseous and sick. I feel like if I was less nauseous, I wouldn't be so nervous and I could at least try some of the coping strategies I've learned through psycho-therapy. Now I hope they can prescribe something for the nauseousness because I definitely can't go to work like this, and I've already missed two days. My husband went out and bought me some funny books to read to take my mind off of things. All the pregnancy websites say to drink a fruit juice or juice with electrolytes in it to help with nausea...but as we all know that is pretty impossible for me to do as it will just cause a MAJOR FLARE! I haven't drank juice in 5 years! I can eat blueberries and pears in moderation. Anybody have any ideas? Is there anybody here who drank juice or is drinking juice during pregnancy?

I know people at work will try and speculate why I was out, but I do not want to tell ANYONE about my pregnancy especially since it very well may be ectopic and I am a very private person. I hope I can appear close to normal and I'm worried.

Thank you again for all your help. It really means so much to me.

J. in CT.

[KatieB]

I'm so sorry you're going thru this and I'm hoping for the absolute best. I know when I was pregnant I was very sick also. Couldn't eat or drink anything for a while. But if I just smelled a lemon it sort of helped settle my stomach (and that was really safe, no temptation to eat it at all!!) Also, before I even moved in the morning I ate 1 saltine cracker very slowly, and then kept eating them all day. It really does help and keep some cold water nearby to sip. Please keep us posted and I hope your gyno has great news for you!
Also, if the pain gets worse, don't wait for your gyno. Go back to the ER, ok!!!

[ICNDonna]

It's been a long time and it was even before my IC, but I do remember the saltines on my bedside stand, by my chair in the living room --- everywhere I went. I thought the nausea would never stop, but it did after a few weeks.

Sending gentle hugs,
Donna

[KarenAnne]

You really need to see your obstetrician to rule out an ectopic pregnancy. That is very serious. When you call your ob/gyn, just tell them you were in the ER & that's what they thought.

[MondaysChild]

Hi KarenAnne and Everyone,

I saw the associate of the gynecologist that I'm going to, and my husband and I have called the practice many times. They said that it's too early to tell if the pregnancy is ectopic or not and that I will have to wait it out. They will not admit me to the hospital. The doctor on call prescribed Zofram. It seemed to help during the day, but I am still having naseau and I can't sleep. I am having another sleepless night, and I have go to work tomorrow. Also, I am having the shakes. I think this is from low blood sugar levels, but it's hard because I hardly eat anything. I am disappointing my husband and family by being depressed when this should be the most happiest time of my life. I just can't seem to hold it together and no one can understand.

I was also reading about nausea and that it is contributed many times to low levels of B vitamins, particularly B6. B6 is harmful to my IC. Is there anyone out there who can tell me what kind of vitamins they took or what foods they ate? And how many times a day? I am so scared to go to work tomorrow and have everybody looking at me. I never would have guessed this would happen to me. Then again, I never thought I would have something called Interstitial Cystitis either.

Thank you for your replies of encouragement and concern...

J.

[rpinion1]

try saint jons wort my sister takes it for anxiety and since it all natural like herbs and stuff i dont see how it could be harmful maybe ask you doc if its ok to take that and they sell like natural anxiety meds at the vitamin shop...
my sugestion go in and tell the people at The Vitamin Shop youre issues and they can give or recomend some natural stuff they are really nice and know what they are doing
they gave me cornsilk for bladder pain nd although it wsnt any miracle medicine it did help a little bit and my bfs mom take these rescue remidy capsules at night or on planes for anxiety just call your doc office or any gyno and they should be able to tell you over the phone if its ok to take some of the stuff the guy at the shop might recomend, just remember to telll him or her you are pregnant these guys are very nice and you should tell them everything thats bothering you, they can really help.

[MondaysChild]

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to tell everyone that my HCG levels went up. lt looks like I will be an expectant mom. I am having a lot of problems though. Bladder symptoms started and the worry has kept me fearful enough not to be very excited about the baby. I feel like I was so stupid to believe that I could be pregnant with such a devastating disease like IC. I know some people have done it before, but I feel like I am not as strong as others. I am afraid that I will have to leave my job and everyone will know why--because I have IC and I am pregnant. This is going to be a disaster because I am a teacher. I am just very worried and anxious about what is going to happen to me. I NEED HELP. My husband is taking me to the psychiatrist tomorrow. Please if anyone is out there, would you please pm me?

[ICNDonna]

You are very fortunate that your husband is taking steps to get help for you.

Donna

[Mothergoose]

It 's not like you are some sort of failure, it is hard enough on some people to preg alone, let a lone have IC too. Don't be so hard on yourself.

Some people get relief from IC while preg other's do not.

I have had IC as long as I can remember, I had 3 successfull pregnacies, I never had one day of remission with any of them.

I was lucky enough to work from home, so I could work on the rare occasion I felt well enought to work.

My 1st preg I threw up everyday for 9 mons, I had a girl, an old wives tale is you are sicker with girls than boys, this has held true with many people I know. It doesn't mean you won't be sick with a boy just sicker with a girl.

My next 2 preg I was sick to my stomach for the first 12 weeks or so, then just bladder problems from then on.

My 3rd preg I had a major flare due to stress at 4 mos, I was in so much pain and loosing so much weight I was finally placed in the hospital thinking I needed my appendix out, this was before I knew anything about IC. I was kept in the hospital for 10 days and then released on bed rest for the next couple of months, they had no idea what was wrong, but they thought the baby was fine.

I don't tell you this to scare you, you will live through this, it maybe tough but you will have the strenght to do what you need to do. You may have to take a leave of absence from work, your health and the babie's is more important then what people think at work.

I know it is really hard but please do not take anything for any symptoms with out okaying it first with your Dr. you just never know what might harm your baby.

I truely hope this is not anetopic preg, I can tell you when I was preg and having flares the pain was one sided, still often is. This may just be all prefectly normal.

Their is also a wives tale that people who get nauseated and sick are more likely to have a successfull pregnacie's, because it means they have higher levels of the hormons needed to keep a pregnacy.

On another topic I went to listen to a speaker about treating diabetus with diet, he theroy was diabetic and people with prediabetus should be eating no sugar, low carbs particulaily simple carbs, and lots of fat, it was very simular to the atkins diet, but during his speach he said that his wife with her first pregnacy had a lot of morning sickness, but during her secound pregnacy she followed the above mentioned diet and had no morning sickness at all.

Now I am not recommending you do this without discussing it with your Dr. but you could try cutting out sugars and simple carbs and see if it helps you feel any better. Just as following the IC diet is important too.

I wish you all the best. MG