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  • #1

    Elmiron/ Atarax?

    Hello! I was just thinking to myself this morning that maby I should go and e if I can get a stronger antihistamine.. I hear this one Atarax also called Hydrox- something works well? Can anyone tell me what exactly it does for IC patients? Does it help with frequency? I take simple antihistamines just for allergies and they see to help, but I think I could use something more....Does it work well with elmiron?

    I also wanted to know if anyone on here has their symptoms under control (I suppose symptomless) with just the use of this antihistamine and elmiron. I am currently ONLY on Elmiron right now and generic antihistamines....Some days I feel like this is working ... others I dont... I know elmiron takes a long time and its slow... anyone get gradually and gradually better? Like ok at three months better at 6 and even better at 10? I hope so.... I have been feeling ok, but I still feel like I have a MAJOR long way to go until I can feel normal ALL of the time.

    Let me tel you, the days I feel good, I always makes sure to thank god or the universe or the spiritual higher powers that be. Those day are incredible. I will never take another day for granted that is for sure.

    Jenn
    28 yrs old,

    I have little to no problems now with my bladder, unless I am very stressed out, I forget to take Elmiron for a few days, or I eat or drink something that I know is a trigger...(i.e) like eating a tomato or drinking tea.... Took a long time to get here, but it IS possible to feel good again I just want people who are new to know that IT CAN get better, and for every one person who is suffering, there are hundreds of others who feel GREAT because they have control of thier IC.

    What Works: Tylenol 3's, Pyridium, Elmiron (Going on 4 years now!) HOT showers!!!

    Medications/ Vitamins: Elmiron-100mg 4x's daily Tylenol 3's/Advil (flaring) Vitamin D, WILD salmon oil 4x gels in the morning, Women's ONE a DAY multivitamin (the gummy kind doesn't make me flare) and PROBIOTICS!



    Me in my graduation gown!

    Tags: None
  • #2
    Aterax worked well for my bladder, less frequency, but then I developed retention from it. I do take it occasionally and I can feel it in my bladder right away. For me it helps my bladder better than benadryl.

    MG
    My are with you all. May you all find a way to peace and joy in your lives.

    Comment

    • #3
      im considering this as well. so far benadryl does do the trick for me. i hear hydroxizine or atarax makes some people very sleepy so it wouldnt be good to take during the day. my next adventure is trying out the NAET allergy/food allergy testing...
      Newly IC diagnosed as of February 2011.

      Medications I'm on that seem to work:
      Zoloft- one once a day
      Butrans pain patch 5 mcg (THANK GOD FOR WHOEVER INVENTED THIS!SO MUCH PAIN RELIEF ITS UNREAL,I AM IN NO PAIN AT ALL UNLESS I STRESS OR SCREW UP ON THE DIET)

      Failed Meds:
      Elmiron-after 4 months,digestive side effects got to be too much
      tramadol-allergic
      DMSO treatments(5-6)
      probiotics

      THERAPIES:gardening,cooking,IC Diet,Counseling,Lots of warm baths,stress reduction,heating pad or ice packs,meditation/deep breathing,listening to relaxing music,having fun on pain free days,drinking chamomile or peppermint tea,pelvic floor physical therapy
      AROMATHERAPY-candles,incense
      Village Naturals Aches and Pains Peppermint Bath Salts
      Johnson and Johnsons Lavender Melt Away Stress Body Wash/Lotion

      ACUPUNCTURE/HERBS
      Significant pain relief so far.

      MAY TRY:yoga,swimming/hydrotherapy and anti-candida diet if i can kick my sugar addiction
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      ***TO MY IC SISTERS AND BROTHERS:WE ARE OUR OWN ADVOCATES!,PLEASE DO AS MUCH RESEARCH ON YOUR OWN AS POSSIBLE AND TRY DIFFERENT TREATMENTS TO GET WELL.NOT ONE TREATMENT WORKS FOR EVERYONE.MOST IMPORTANTLY,TRY TO KEEP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE,DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM NEGATIVITY/NEGATIVE PEOPLE AND NEVER,EVER GIVE UP!***

      Add me on facebook Angela Hasic

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
      where there is hatred, let me sow love;
      when there is injury, pardon;
      where there is doubt, faith;
      where there is despair, hope;
      where there is darkness, light;
      and where there is sadness, joy.
      Grant that I may not so much seek
      to be consoled as to console;
      to be understood, as to understand,
      to be loved as to love;
      for it is in giving that we receive,
      it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
      and it is in dying [to ourselves] that we are born to eternal life.

      Comment

      • #4
        The aterax does make some people sleepy, but you get accustom to it, after a while the sleepiness lessons.

        Before I couldn't take any antihistamines without falling asleep, sometimes a good thing for people with IC.

        Lots of People start a very low dose and slowly increase it over time, and people also take it earlier in the evening so more of it has worn off by the next morning.

        If it helps you there are things you can do to help with the sleepiness, and it doesn't make everyone sleepy, everyone reacts differently to meds.

        MG
        My are with you all. May you all find a way to peace and joy in your lives.

        Comment

        • #5
          I attribute feeling better to atarax. It has 4 distinct properties that make it great for treating IC. This is from the ICA

          Hydroxyzine affects mast cell degranulation, which is thought to play a part in some IC patients’ symptoms, especially those who have a history of allergies, migraines and irritable bowel syndrome. Hydroxyzine has been shown to improve these conditions, as well as IC. Hydroxyzine has been found to decrease:

          Nocturia (night time voiding)
          Daytime frequency
          Pain (burning, pressure, painful intercourse)

          Hydroxyzine pamoate has a slightly higher absorption rate. Hydroxyzine-HCL is a liquid form available for patients allergic to fillers or dyes used in the capsules or pills.

          I was originally prescribed atarax for severe vulvar itching and not for my IC alone. This was before I got a new uro. It helps with both my VV and IC. Since starting this I have lessened many of the other meds I used to take for IC and am doing better with just this. Hopefully soon I can get off everything except cystoprotek and atarax. It is also fairly inexpensive. I pay 15.00 a month for my presciption and I take 2 25mg tab at bedtime. Has significantly decreased nocturia. I used to go anywhere from 2-8 times now I go 1-2. Before taking atarax I took elavil, neurotin and many other drugs and they didn't help.
          Diagnosis: IC '09, vulvodynia '10, fructose intolerance '06, GERD '06, fibromyalgia '09, IBS '10 and TMJ '09, PCOS '11, genital herpes '12

          Current Meds: Butrans patch, welbutrin, lamictol, geodon, xanax, aldactone, linzess, topimax, trazadone and diflucan as needed.

          Meds tried before: Elmiron, elavil, antibiotics, welbutrin, cymbalta, prozac, nerve blocks, instills, nyastatin, flexerol, percocet, naproxen (which was what I was given for pain for years).

          Comment

          • #6
            Because I am in a flare and the uti lab results are negative except for white blood cells I am trying hydroxyzine (generic atarax) too - 25mgs at night. I started a few days ago. I only feel a little better. I don't know what I am reacting too and I am very upset that 7 months of elmiron have made me worse though I am sticking to it until I go to an appt. with doc in a few weeks. I don't believe the uti report. I got to be reacting to something! PV
            I got IC in 1970! I was not diagnosed until 1991. I've tried many drugs and therapies but I tend to only resort to drugs when in a flare because when I am not in a flare (from being good on diet), I suffer only from small bladder volume (like about 7 ozs.) and peeing will relieve the discomfort. When I am feeling relatively normal, I say to myself I am glad I am not on a drug. When I am in a flare, I say, why am I not on a drug! I've recently have been trying to solve my connective issue problems in general. I look to diet and herbs mostly unless it gets really bad. I still think there is great hope for each individual finding a path to healing and there are many.

            Comment

            • #7
              Hydroxyzine is my #1 go-to drug for IC. I take Elmiron as well, and amitriptyline for my PFD pain, but hydroxzyine is the one that keeps me feeling normal. If I did not have pelvic floor pain, I would be able to manage my IC with just the two drugs you mentioned with no problems.

              I didn't really know how much it was helping until allergy season rolled around. I was diagnosed in October, in the course of finding out why I was experiencing severe pelvic pain. I had never experienced a flare until about 2 months ago. Out of nowhere, I could suddenly FEEL my bladder and it was NOT a pleasant experience! Nothing in my meds or diet had changed, and I didn't know what to do. My gyno told me to double my hydroxyzine dosage and see what happened. Well, what happened is that I was back to normal! I have always had SEVERE allergies in the spring and fall, but this year, hadn't noticed a thing! My 10mg of hydroxyzine was keeping it to where my face couldn't feel them... but my bladder still was! Now that I take 20mg a day, I'm fine again.

              For the record, I was told by my gyno to take it in the mornings. I have always taken in it in the mornings, and have never experienced sleepiness as a result of doing so.
              Symtoms started July 2010.
              Severe pelvic floor pain only.

              2 time PT graduate!
              In medical remission since August 2011; able to eat and drink anything I want currently.

              IC meds:
              200 mg Elmiron in the morning
              100 mg Elmiron @ night
              Macrobid after intercourse

              03/11 07/11 01/12
              If at first you don't succeed: 07/26/2013!

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