Irritable Bladder or Intercystial Cystitis

[lcm27]

Does anyone get an Irritable bladder? With no ability to hold it in despite fairly good pelvic muscles. It burns and I am back and forwards to the loo five minutes after I've just been. It also hurts in my abdomen and kidneys. Consultant says its irritable bladder or Intercystial cystitis. Anyone know how to ease it?

[ladymoth]

Hi there,

What an upsetting condition this is. It really b*s up your social life, too!

Below is a link to a site I found which you may find useful - best of luck, and hope you improve soon.

patient.co.uk/health/Overac...

Moffy x

[tulips123]

This is horrible, sometimes stops me from socialising altogether! Since I've been taking Duloxetine it seems to bve much better. All the best Tulip xx

[lcm27]

hi,

thanks for the link to patient.co.uk read it and think I need to see my GP, I've got fairly good pelvic muscles but still have trouble with 'urge incontience' and its a pain to carry spare knickers in my handbag plus a bag for wet ones. So will chat with GP when I see him later this month.

Its nice to know I'm not alone in this

Lynn x

[Cookie72]

hi there, I can sympathize with you, I was diagnosed with irratable bladder and IBS a few years ago, I think I imust keep Tenna Lady in buisiness lol, its can be embarrassing sometimes and quite painful, I was told it was a side effect of the Arthritis, then another doc told me it was down to fibro, I was given tablets but along with all the other medication they made my mouth dryer still, think it might be a good idea if I went back on them, do hope you feel better soon, gentle hugs Dee xx

[k123eane]

I had a cysoscopy, and now I have bladder instillations first was every two weeks now every three, the nurses are brilliant, and it makesa massive difference to my life.

[angib53]

Hi I had a cystoscopy and urologist said I have overactive bladder , meds are helping it xx

[Jjudith]

Oh, yes, I know. I even considered suicide, but things are under control now - it is the pits. The first thing was that I went on the Interstitial Cystitis Website and searched around until I found the diet list. It is a difficult diet to follow, especially restricting on drinks, (no coffee, no tea, no fruit drinks, no cola, no artificial sweeteners and flavours, no chocolate) and fruit (especially cranberry!!), plus many other things that stimulate the bladder to flare such as Vitamins C and B6, vinegar, cheese and yoghurt. I noticed a difference within a week, although it took a few weeks to settle. You literally have to read ALL food labels - for example, mayonnaise contains vinegar, many cereals contain added B6. You simply have to do it. It is more effort because you have to cook more things from scratch. A good standby though is fish and chips, completely safe. There are some 'plus' foods that help with bladder flare, including peas, honey, white bread. After 3 months on the diet things were much better, but I mostly keep to the diet, I just add things now and then to see if my bladder tolerates it and my diet is more varied but it is still restricted but oh boy is it better than the urgency and pain, vulval pain, rectal pain, abdominal pain, the most severe pain I have ever had except for labour pains I think.

I found taking anti-histamine was really good for the first few weeks, I took Atarax, I think you can buy it from the chemist and you can also get it on prescription.

The only drug I find reduces the bladder spasm and the need to go so often is Diazepam. I know many GPs don't like to prescribe it. I found all the anti-cholinergics made my bladder MUCH worse.

For pain I found Codeine useful although it gives me a lot of other side effects such as a flu like feeling and tingling in my right arm and legs, but I kept it for when the pain was very bad.

I also drinks LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of water - my urinary output is about 6,000 ml so you can guess how much I drink. I find it keeps the urine dilute so it can't inflame the walls of the bladder.

Oh I feel for you, please look after yourself, lots and lots and lots of love to you.

[Jjudith]

ps look at the Interstitial Cystitis Network website, its American but really helpful.

[Jjudith]

ps - I hope the fruit bit isn't misleading - really NO fruit except pears, very sweet apples (pink lady, Fuji, royal gala), blueberries. No citrus fruits whatsoever, certainly no cranberry, no strawberries, no raspberries or any other berries, no plums and apricots, you have an inflammed bladder and eating acidic foods is like pouring acid on an open wound.

[Jjudith]

I checked for the website, it is ic.network.com/diet/ and you then click on the 2012 ICN foodlist. Do look at it and do read it, and do keep to it - it really, really, really works. My son also developed IC and he also found it worked. It's better than any medication.

[Jjudith]

Before I was diagnosed I paid £250 pounds once to see a neurologist who told me that I was causing all these things to happen to myself!!!!!! A lot of money to be paid to be told off. I was so angry.

[Lambchop-1]

Buscopan helps a little