Does interstim work??

[TMBA]

Hi. I was just confirmed to have IC under hydro/cysto on Thursday. I was already on treatment for IC for a year with no improvments. My doctor told my husband that due to my pain/urgency that he would probably recommend an interstim unit next. Have any of you had good results with these or bad ones? How is the procedure and test done? Is it painful? Are you all glad you had interstim implanted? Help me -- I'm afraid... Melissa

[JOJO]

Hi TMBA
I just saw my uro last Monday. It has been a year on meds and nothing has helped. My Dr. feels I would be a good candidate for interstim, because I have mild to mod pain but more problems with frequency. I told him maybe in time to come. I too am very frightened about this also. I wanted to have a child but due to the IC I was afraid to do this. But if I have that in me, then I definitely could not get pregnant. I hate this disease!! Like you I am interested to hear what others have to say. -JOJO

[Amanda]

I am 17 and have had symptoms of interstitial cystitis for over two years, and have been diagnosed for about a year. I had tried many treatments without relief--- I was on about six to eight Hydrocodone (similar to Vicodin) a day to help with the pain. My main symptom was not severe frequency in the normal sense, I may have urinated 20 times a day on a bad day, though I could have been in the bathroom 30 additional times in severe pain not being able to urinate. After a year my doctor and I discussed InterStim and I had the trial and later the final implant and I have had a lot of relief. Now, almost all of the time when I go to the bathroom, I urinate at least a couple ounces. Therefore, my pain has decreased and I stopped the Hydrocodone, which, in turn, helped some of the fatigue I was experiencing on this drug.

I have had the implant for almost two months now and I have has a lot of benefit from it.

Feel free to e-mail me.

Amanda
([email protected])

[DebbieB]

Hi:Melissa & JoJo:
Welcome to the Nerve Stimulation board!!!

Well to begin with you can read all about the InterStim at www.interstim.com
You would do a InterStim trial first that is where they placed a lead wire up into the back where your sacral nerve S2 or S3 or S4 and then you have a radio like remote that is attached to the outside of your pants and you are send home with the trial for about four days , keeping a diary for your in take and out take of urine and if you improved by 50%then you know the InterStim Implant will be a benefit to you !!

I had the InterStim Implant now over two years and I am doing just great with this procedure..

I had lot of frequency and urgency before I did the procedure and had to self-cath for over two and half years ,as my urethral tube went partly paralized....

I was told you are able to get pregnant with this device ..

If you know of a well experienced doctor that does the InterStim and ask to get in touch with any of his patients that did the procedure would be a great benefit for you !!

Also as for pain , as of my retention I did get rid of all of pain due to that fact, but I know some girls with IC on the boards that still have lots of pain with the InterStim.
I do know that they are making a InterStim for pain you can read all about this on www.Medtronic.com..

Just ask the questions and alot of us girls with the InterStim Implant will be glad to answer them for you ok..

Good luck to both of you , yes I was scared to before I did it, but it sure was well worst it for me any how!!
The surgery is not bad at all, you are in for a couple of nights in the hospital..
The recovery time is about two to three weeks also depending on how well you healed too..
Sorry this is so long.......

Hugs: Debbie