hormone patch and IC flare

[Lesli]

Hi! I'm wondering if anyone has ever had a flare brought on by an estrogen patch? This has happened before and that was right after I applied the patch. I think there is a definite link between HRT and IC flares. I am not on Elmiron (due to liver enzymes) and I'm wondering if anyone found that the flares subsided after taking off the patch. It's been about 3 weeks now. I only had the patch on for 1-1/2 days, but I don't think that really matters. It was the flucuation in my hormone level that triggered it. I'm hoping it's just a matter of time before the flare settles down. I don't have any pain, just frequency. Any thoughts?

Thank you!
Lesli

[Iris]

Hi Lesli, I think the old one I used did, and now I am on another and so far, only flares when I eat something I should not or stress. I know in some of the literature I have read on IC there is a link to hormone levels. Interested to see if anyone else has the same problem with the patch, take care Iris hat

[Lesli]

Thanks Iris for your reply. Were you able to stop the flare without the use of Elmiron? In other words, did you find your bladder calmed down after the removal of the patch? I'm not doing anything right now but bladder training and I'm scared to death I won't be able to bounce back from this flare. I have been symptom free for a whole year since my last flare with the patch. Only then I was on the Elmiron. I can't be on it now, so I'm flying solo!

Thanks for your help!

Lesli

[Deimos]

Does anyone have any experience with the different hormone levels/types that aggrivate IC? Since diagnosed I have been bouncing back and forth on BC pills. I have major flares with Loestrin which contains Norethindrove Acetate and Ethinyl Estradiol. Does anyone have any experience as to if the reactions are from the estrogen or progesterone? I have tried progesterone only BC pills but did not like them.

[Lesli]

I have had three flares in my life. They all had to do with a hormone patch. The first one was the Vivelle Dot. The last two were the Esclim patch. All three were estrodial. I've never had progesten. I flare within the first day. Did your flare go away over time when you got off the bc pills? Are you on Elmiron?

Smiles,
Lesli

[Dianne]

The only thing I can remotely tolerate is estriol cream plain 1 gm. 3 times/week. Everything else just kills my bladder.

[Lesli]

Hi everyone!! I was wondering if you could tell me about how long you were using HRT, birth contol, pills before realizing it was a trigger for a flare? I only had my patch on for a day. Could it really cause all of this frequency that has been going on for a week? I was totally in remission for over a year. The only time I have any frequency is when a patch is involved. I'm wondering if I'll EVER get over this flare....

Thanks!
Lesli

[Lesli]

Ooops. I meant to say that my flare has been going on for over 3 weeks, not a week. I know we all flare differently, but I'm so scared I won't come out of this one without the elmiron. I'm hoping now that the trigger is gone, things will settle down.

Thanks for listening!
Lesli

[Iris]

Hi Lesli, I am not on Elmiron as I could not tolerate it. I switched back to the Estraderm patch the beginning of the year and so far up until now I have not had a problem, but lately have been having some bleeding again so I am not sure what is going on. I know that I thought at one time it might be the patches, as when I changed to a new one which is twice a week, my bladder would flare up again, but then that stopped until just recently when I have had breakthrough bleeding again, and a little flare at the same time. I am going to ask my Nurse Practitioner when I go in a couple of weeks for my check in with her, and if she feels I should go seee my Urologist I will do that, but she is pretty good at nailing down what is going on. But I am really curious now if my hormones are out of whack again. Interested to see the other posts about hormones, take care and hugs Iris hi hat

[Deimos]

I am not on Elmiron. The only prescribed medication I take is Imiprimine, which has helped me alot. I have only been diagnosed for a year and it took me about 6 months to realize that the BC pills were making it so much worse. I stopped and decided to give it a try again a few months later and I got a flare up the same night. I tried a different kind and got the same result. I dont want to stop taking the pill but think it is the estrogen that my body is reacting to. i was hoping someone else had the same problem and found a pill that worked, but it looks like all of them have ethinyl estradiol estrogen (unless you go with a progesterine only) but I dont like those.

[lyse3]

Lesli,

I definitely think hormone changes can trigger flares. I was symptom free for 3 years, and when I took a tablet with progestin in it to boost my sex drive, I had immediate onset (after about two days) of the total i.c. illness again. I was devastated. Didn't make the connection at first, since I also started an herb (Ashwaganda) and a Nitro pill for high cholesterol (can't remember exact name), but I definitely think it was the progestin. I stopped the pill after a few days but whatever it threw out of whack seemed to be permanent. I don't think that is the case all the time, however. And I have found some treatments that have made my i.c. livable, even though I still have it, and have had it for the two years since I took the progestin tablet. It seems what messes me up is a drop in my estrogen, however. Which may be the opposite of your problem. If I forget to put my estrogen patch on for a day or two (had hysterectomy 10 years ago), I will start to get a worsening of my i.c. Unfortunately this last time my i.c. started up after the progestin, it has not gone back into remission, and I;ve had it for two years this time. I hope you find something to reverse the problem. Good luck.

Lyse3

[Lesli]

Can I ask if you are on Elmiron? I sure hope this is reversible. The two times I flared with the patch, I was able to come out of it, but I was on Elmiron at the time. This time I'm not and I am totally panicked. Thanks for your reply.

Lesli

[dminton]

Hormone levels and IC symptoms are extremely variable from person to person. I used Loestrin 1/20 oral contraceptives and was miserable the whole time, went off for 2 months and was still miserable, started OrthoEvra patch (estrogen and progesterone) and felt much better for a few months but then started testosterone cream and 2 months later was miserable, cut back on that, and now I am experimenting with whether or not the patch is helping or starting to be the culprit. The last two times I went off for 5-7 days to have a period, I felt better. Too soon to tell.

[poetgirl]

The hormone fluctuations the week before and during my period always triggered flares, both IC and VV. My gynecologist put me on Ovcon-35 continuously (3 months straight without the week of placebo, then one month using the placebo, then back to 3 months straight without) and it has made a huge difference. He had had me on an estrogen cream at first and it didn't help me at all.

[dminton]

Please read my message post of 10/9/03 under "just venting" to see what my experience is with hormone patches! I do think that OrthoEvra is the culprit with bladder pain, now that I have had a few cycles to recognize a pattern. But why did it help for the first few months? It was a dramatic shift for the better, and then it all changed and became the problem, I'm certain of it. It's all just too confusing to bear.