Interstim and IBS

[IC/IBS Hopeful]

I had the interstim stage 1 done in January of 2006. It cut down the urinating from about 25 times in a day to 8. I did have trouble with a faulty wire but once I got that fixed it was great. They implanted 2 weeks later. I did have alot of pain from the operation. I can't believe they say it is invasive. Things were great for about 3 weeks then the frequency started to increase. I was so upset. We discovered that the lead migrated. I went back in for a total revision. This time they put it in my right side. Having both procedures in one really made for a longer recovery.

I felt great for about 2 weeks then the fequency came back. My doctor did wanted to do another urodynamics test. the first one I had was with a different doctor. This is when I was told I had IC.

During all this testing I realized my IBS was more undercontrol then ever. They told me that the interstim was supposed to be approved by the FDA with in a year. We decided to keep it in for that reason. Although I had alot of pain from the battery pack I asked him if we could do something about it. He looked and felt it and a said if I wanted to keep it I would need another revision. the pack ask had surfaced to the skin.

He did my revision in July. The pack had turned sideways and this is the reason for my pain. We also took out the interstim 1 and put in the smaller interstim 2. Much more comfortable.

So my question is does any one have the interstim for IBS or discovered it helps your IBS after trying it for the bladder???
I would love to talk with someone in the same situation as me.
Thanks

[DayTripper]

hi hopeful.

i can't tel you if it is approved yet.
i don't have IC but had a thrree week trial interstim in fall of '04. i have neurologic diseaese so neurobladder. Un fortunate in three weeks of trial wiith many diffent ssettings did not help, it is my sacral nerves or brain i am not sure for my incontience, noot actual bladder. I tried hard to convince my uro and rep to consider leavinng my leads in that in time i would maybe help in bowl in contence. BUt since they didd not know if it would helpp bowls felt leaving leads in would set me up fooorr diaappointments..
I know i had changes in my bowls in the triel, so i can only believe that the implant for some patients it could help with IBS.
i wish youu welll hopeful, and keep faithh!

[IC/IBS Hopeful]

My Dr. had no problem with leaving it in for the IBS. Of course the whole thing was already in there although he did have to go back in and fix the generator. That was a big ordeal since the new smaller (interstim II) had just come out the day before. The Rep and I worked hard on him to swap it out. I was the first in NH to receive 1 of 50 that was released in the US in that 24hr period. He did a bunch of x-rays before he moved the generator to make sure my leads had not moved again. He put me in the same position he had me in when he put them in and then did the floroscopy X-ray with my old x-ray on the screen next to him to compare and it had not moved at all. He was prepared to change those also if it had moved.

I will say the interstim is not perfect with the IBS but it is better then medication. I have been through many many setting to find the perfect one. Each setting has its bad and good points. The one I am on now helps me by letting me pass gas and poop well, when I do have a episoide of IBS it cuts the time I would be in pain in half. I get cramps go to the bathroom and I am done. It doesn't linger for hours before or after. That makes life much easier during those rough times. The bad is it stimulates some muscels that make the right side of the vaginal wall tight and my right hip and buttock area sore. So you see it is not perfect,every now and again I will have a bad stretch and shut it off. I learn with in 2 days how well it was helping me. sometimes we just need to remind ourselves.
thanks for writing me