Help! Have I got interstital cystits?

[hellsbelles]

I'm driving myself crazy over this one. I have a constant urge to urinate...no pain but a feeling that I have to go all the time (and a sort of pressure).

This has been going on for 4 weeks now...dr has given me 4 types of antibiotics despite all urine tests coming back clear. He has also done an ultrasound to check my kidneys and ovaries...all fine. He couldn't check my bladder as it wasn't full enough.

He's said that if this dose of AB's doesn't work then he will do a bladder distention under general anaesthetic...which sounds horrific. Has anyone any experience of IC? I have no stabbing pains or problems with sleep which makes me hope it might just be the curable oversensitive bladder. This has just started from nothing and I'm really worried.

Heck, I think I am cured

Not a peep since I ditched the tea and coffee. I've only been twice this morning and I just can't believe it. I feel so lucky to be feeling like this and keep hoping that it doesn't come back. I'm drinking pear juice, Evian, RedBush tea, hot milk with chicory (not as bad as it sounds) and various herbal teas including nettle, fennel and peppermint.

Looking back, this thing has been rumbling on for a few years because I've always been a bit of a loo fanatic and I think it's been the large amounts of tea I've always drunk. The uti must have left my bladder inflammed and the tannin in the tea must have just pushed things too far and caused all the problems. It's not even the caffeine that's been to blame because I was drinking decaff tea. I'm not drinking coffee or juices because the Ribena set me off the other day. I'm just remaining cautious and won't start on the tea again, no chance. I can't believe it's been something so stupid like a simple cuppa that's been doing all this.

I hope you feel better soon hellsbelles and the same goes for everyone else. I never imagined that something like this could be such a nightmare, or that the doctors are so clueless and unsympathetic.

ilove - I'm so thrilled for you. I was confused by the decaff/caffeine thing but it really is something else in tea and coffee that is as much of an issue as caffeine.

It is amazing how little knowledge there is on this in conventional medicine and it really does seem to be a case of trial and error (and muddling through)!

I'm a lot better today...still be super strict on my diet but I also think I'm heading towards ovulation (sorry if TMI)...and that usually makes it a little worse.

L&S - sorry for the long list of questions you will come back to but ever since I started the Deborah meds I have had rather a weird snot reaction ....in one nostril only. I wonder if it's some sort of detox? Did you get anything similar!!!

Hey everyone, sorry I've been awol! RL interfering again (DP had his hernia op yest; he's still in hosp, picking him up this afternoon).

ILMH I am so SO delighted for you!! Keep it up and WELL DONE. Thank heaven you found the trigger.

hells, really glad you had a good day yest - how are you today? I definitely got very snotty at the beginning of the diet - one of the many fun detox reactions you can have.

I've been loads better; trying not to give in to my teeny-tiny niggling anxiety that this could be because I'm pg . DP and I had sex on the last day of my period; assumed it would be fine (and I'm sure it will be) but I have slightly sore breasts now which has given me a big dose of The Fear. Given that I managed to get pg with DS when I was on the frickin pill, perhaps we shouldn't have gone for it after all.

Egads. Cross your fingers for me!

Oh my goodness! And as you've been on such a pure diet you are probably hyper fertile! Let us know!

I had a crap day yesterday...but trying not to get too miserable. I've just received some marshmallow root & leaves that I ordered off the internet. now what the heck do I do with them . Do I mix them together? I've bought one of those strainer things and also some empty teabags. Any tips gratefully received.

sorry - meant to send DP best wishes for his recovery.

I emailed the lady I bought the marshmallow off and got instructions. I actually quite like it!

L&S - you take it don't you? Did you tell Deborah?

I've gone onto full strict diet mode. Currently brewing up some chicken stock. It feels very odd making it without herbs...but I'm following the direct instructions so didn't want to risk getting it wrong. Fingers crossed all this starts to help.

L&S - don't keep us in suspense!! Any news?

I've been in bed all day - horrible fluey feeling (and sore throat)...assuming it's just a normal bug and not some sort of side effect of the detox but who knows? I have to get better by t/m! We move on thurs and there is too much to do!

L&S - hope you are o.k?

Ilove - is it all still going to plan? So great when we have thread successes (hoping that Beta is still getting the prelief to work).

My frequency has been good today but my stupid sore throat hasn't. I had taken a lot of marshmallow root the day before this all started...not sure if I've triggered some sort of reaction though I'm assuming not and that this is just a bug! L&S if you are around...what pain meds are o.k for IC? I know nurofen is not good but I desperately need to take something as my throat is so sore and I have so much to do. I'm guessing paracetamol is o.k?

helles- paracetamol is okay. hope you feel better soon.

Thanks Cabbages. How are you doing?

Dear all, hello! Sorry I've been awol. DP's operation was on Thursday night, and I've been in full-on nursing mode. All well now, though he's feeling pretty bruised and battered. Then it was DS's bday yesterday, so real-life has been pretty all-consuming. Hells, how are you feeling today? I think paracetamol is the least-bad - that's what I've taken for headaches and so forth.

I've had a really, truly brilliant couple of weeks - basically since my last acupuncture treatment - barely thought about it. Then yesterday, I ate baked potatoes with lunch and tea, and hey presto - feeling a bit crappy again today. Gah! Frustrating. But there it is: on we go. Also going to have to miss acupuncture this week due to work constraints, which sucks. Harrumph. Hoping tomorrow will be better.

No news yet on up-duff-ness (period due this weekend, gulp) but still have sore breasts ... so am a little anxious, to say the least! Also, SHATTERED. Ugh, medium day today. Hope everyone else is better!

L&S considering you've had to be in nurse mode it's amazing that you have been so well. That's such wonderful news (though blast those potatoes!).

I dared to mention the marshmallow root to Deborah...she was not happy and said it was 'very bad' for me. So confusing this lark isn't it? Catherine Simone was such an advocate of it. Did you ever try it?

We are surrounded by boxes and luckily the pain in my throat has taken my mind off my bladder (which is behaving o.k).

Hope everyone else is having good days.

also meant to say - interesting you said you had them for lunch and dinner...I'm sure I've read a few people say they can cheat once but not twice in a row...so maybe that was the clincher.

Ah, I did try marshmallow, but haven't had any for a while. I think Deborah's thing is that it feeds yeast and bacteria, so soothes the bladder but exacerbates the underlying problem (if that happens to be the underlying problem you have!).

When's your move-date? Glad bladder's behaving, but sorry to hear about the sore throat - lots going round at the moment I think.

Interesting about the cheating twice! I wonder. So annoying - just have that feeling of being much more aware of it today. Gutted to be missing Toni this week! She's my analgesic

umm...but yeast isn't my underlying problem! I think Deborah is so shocked by that she may not have adapted things accordingly!

I'm not getting a chance to see Toni either and I'm gutted. I don't go till the 8th. The weird thing is the pins on my left leg really hurt (not stabbing just a weird ache) going in and going out (only in certain spots)...I must ask her what those bits are linked to as it's such a marked difference to other bits that I didn't feel at all.

move in day is thursday! So unprepared.

Good point re the yeast! She's not the world's best responder, I don't think

How are you feeling today?

I definitely have spots that hurt more, and I always ask her what they relate to! It's so interesting.

OK, here's a question: is it possible to have really sore breasts and NOT be pregnant?! I am slightly, quietly freaking out. I really REALLY don't want to pregnant right now. Hmm.

PS back on track bladder-wise today. No more potatoes for a while!

Are your sore breasts not MT- mine used to be agony some months.
They would suddenly sto pbeing sore the day the bleeding started or 24 hrs beforehand.

PMT!

@cabbageroses I hope so!! being pg now would pretty much qualify for disaster-status, though I guess we'd just have to cope, somehow or other. But DP still hasn't come to a definite financial settlement with his exDP, nor do we live together, nor am I exactly in the best of health, nor can I really afford to have two kids in childcare simultaneously - erk. Perhaps all of these reasons are why I'm panicking and assuming the worst!

Also just seen I have a DM from you which i will reply to forthwith (DS watching button moon: "Look! Mr Spoon's in the space ship mummy!")

L&S - I do occasionally get sore breasts with PMT too...I know you don't want pregnancy to happen right now, but there will be a way to cope if it is the case (well it usually seems that way anyway). So glad bladder is back on track

Can I ask you a TMI question? Did you get the weirdest stools after going on Deborah's diet? Quite bizzare pale & green !!

I"m feeling absolutely awful with my sore throat which is a nightmare with trying to get stuff done for the move. DH keeps saying my immunity must be down from losing weight on the diet and I do feel a little like that so it's frustrating...but what can you do? Bladder is behaving o.k...I've made lots of soup for t/m so there will be something IC friendly to eat while all the chaos is ensuing!

Deborah had promised to send me something but it's still not here...not terribly thrilled by that!

TMI response: yes! pretty grim. Things a little better in the dept now

Poor old you with the sore throat - they're horrid things. I suggest lots of hot tea and an early night. Glad bladder's behaving, at least! And grrr about the stuff not arriving: hmmf

How is everyone? Hells, are you all moved in? Ok here ... except still no period, which was due today [panic] Will buy a test tomorrow. I think my main anxiety over the whole thing is health - scared of being pg with this daft old thing; I wanted to nail it first!

Sorry I've been awol (again!) meanwhile - work has been knocking at the door - have huge profile-thing to file tomorrow, and it is in No Way finished, and I can't concentrate on acct of thinking I may be knocked up

Hi all, I haven't read all your posts so forgive me if I'm repeating anyone.
I've had very similar symptoms to everyone here for the past four years, initially I thought it was re-occuring cystitis, then I thought it was a candida, then IC, I did all the diets, drank all the cranberry juice in the world, took many courses on antibiotics etc.

What I found really worked for me was going to a herbalist, I'm very lucky to have found a doctor who is also a herbalist an hours drive away, she mixed up a tea for me to drink 6 times a day and it really has worked. Unfortunately as I'm pregnant now I have to go back to her this week to get another tea made up using only herbs that can be taken in pregnancy. What I have found is I get these symptoms from anxiety and stress, this condition is known as irritible bladder. The great thing about a herbalist is they take all your symptoms-I also get small rashes on my hands and feet-and take different herbs to soothe them all and mix them together for you to drink as a tea. And as they're all natural ingredients there are no side effects unlike antibiotics which never agree with me.

I also recommend Waterfall D Mannose, excellent if you get cystitis from having sex which I also used to get, you can buy if from www.sweetcuresofyork.com or check website for stockists.

I really hope you all find your answers because it's so misunderstood my doctors and I know it took me almost four years to find my answer. Not to mention all the conflicting information on the internet. Oh and I went to a homeopath a few years ago and found it no help.

Good Luck everyone xxxx

reckless - thank you for posting...it's so lovely to hear success stories (and congratulations on your pregnancy). A few of us are trying the alternative route and slowing seeing results (!). It's got to be better than filling yourself with all the weird medications that conventional medicine prescribes. Is there any chance you can PM the details of your herbalist? I'm seeing someone currently that is helping but it's always good to have a few options!

L&S - the move went really well and we are so happy to be in the house now. It's gorgeous. My bladder held up really well and I'm secretly hoping the move will alleviate the extra stress and maybe this will all disappear! It certainly feels a lot better...though admittedly I've been very good with my diet too. I've been so rotten though with my throat that it's taken my mind of all things bladder!

Fingers crossed for you that you get the preganacy result that is right for you . I know you want to get everything sorted first but in some cases pregnancy actually sorts out IC..which would be a rather wonderful side effect wouldn't it?