# Interstitial Cystitis, Anyone?



## newpatient (Apr 7, 2002)

I just found out I may have IC. Does anyone else have this? If so, what are your symptoms? Also, has anyone had a cystoscopy? If so, did it hurt? Did it help? I need advice!


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## faith13 (Jul 29, 2002)

hi new patient. Although I don't have ic, I do have an overactive bladder and as far as I know the symptoms are very similar. I have urgency and frequency. I get up at least 4 times at night on my bad days, and before I used detrol the pain I felt whenever I couldn't reach a bathroom in less than 3 minutes was unbearable. I had a cystoscopy on november of last year, and I would say that the pain was a 8 out of a 10, but its only painful for a few seconds while they slide the tiny camera through your urethra. I was able to see the inside of my bladder on tv, and that takes your mind off of it for a while. the most uncomfortable thing is that the doctor kept trying to get difrrerent views and he moved the catherer around while it was inside me, but that wasn't as bad as having them insert it. You could get anesthesia, but I think most people can handle the pain. and if someone is like me( I hate the idea of losing consciousness in a situation like this) one could handle the pain beacuse its very short lived although a little intense.this is a good way for the doctor to look inside your bladder. I also had a voiding cystourethrogram. I had a rectal and bladder monitor inserted and the measured the pressure of my bladder as it was filling up with a fluid. While they did this, I stood in front of and x ray machine so they could view my bladder while it was filling up. They determined that contrary to a normal person my bladder started to contract as it filled instead of contracting when it reached a maximum. My urologist says that because I held my urine all four years of high school instead of going when I go the feeling, I altered my bladder muscle, so that it does this. Now I have to retrain it with detrol and by going as soon as I get the feeling. I hope this helps. Remember even though a cystoscopy is not pleasant I wouldn't say it's the worse pain in the world.


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## Jeanne D (Nov 14, 2001)

I have had 2 cystoscopies and it wasn't bad at all. They insert a tube up through your urethra and look into the bladder. It only takes about a minute, and for me it was no big deal.Let us know how things go.Jeanne


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## Cigarello (Jun 17, 2000)

Hi: I was diagnosed with IC in 1976 at Uof M Hospital in Michigan. My main complaint is frequency which means to me if I can go two hours without urinating that is great; usually it is every hour, sometimes every 5 minutes-- I can't take something like Detrol because I have severe constipation. I get up several times a night. To top it off I have a large fibroid uterus which puts pressure on my bladder- I guess some people have alot of pain with this disease; so far, that hasn't been my problem. There is a lady golfer, Mary Jo Meyers who couldn't play on the lady's tour because she had to go to the bathroom so often and had so much pain. She takes some relatively new drug (don't know the name) and she plays on the tour for the past few years. You can look IC up on the internet; i think there are support groups and forums too. Good luck.


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## katstratford (Jun 18, 2002)

Hi.I have interstatial cystitis. There is a support group for us (similar to this site) at bladder-network.com. I had a cystoscopy with hydro-distension - sticking a tube up and pumping bladder full of water so they can see what is going on - and I was in total agony for a week. Feel free to private message me about this : )and I'll pass on anything I can.Kats


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## newpatient (Apr 7, 2002)

Hmmm...it sounds like the cystoscopy is different for everyone.Those of you who had it, did your doc give you pills to make you woozy beforehand? And did the doc use lidocaine before inserting the catheter? Were you given painkillers afterward? This is what my doc wants to do with me. Also, I don't think he plans to fill my bladder with anything. He said he mainly wants to look at my urethra. I'm not at all sure I want to do this...


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## katstratford (Jun 18, 2002)

I had mine done under general anaethetic.


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## Jeanne D (Nov 14, 2001)

I am not sure, but I think he used lidocaine, or something like that before he did it. I know he ran some kind of saline solution in my urethra first, which may have contained an anesthetic.It was quick and painless for me.. both of them were, and each one was done by a different urologist.You should ask your dr. about this before you have it done. Maybe that will ease your mind.Hope everything turns out ok. Please let us know..Jeanne


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## somewhatlost (Jul 28, 2001)

Hi all,I also have IC. I was diagnosised in April. I also had the cystoscopy done. Mine was completely pain free. I did however have it done under general sedation. I don't remember a thing. Afterwards there was some slight discomfort when urinating, but this subsided within a few hours. I took ditropan for a few months but it did nothing. So now I am on a new drug called Elmiron. Not sure if it is working yet as it takes a few months to kick in. Kerry


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