Interstitial Cystitis

[mulberry]

Hi everyone, I am due to start silver nitrate bladder instillations next friday, but I have read that these are extremely painful to people with I.C.
Has anyone here had them done? And what was it like?
I am also on 3 weeks of methylene blue pills, (3 a day) and it is causing a lot of stinging after a pee. I don't know if this is supposed to happen, so would like to hear from anyone who has taken them.
I live in France, and the French urologist seems to have no bedside manner, and never answers my questions.
He also attempted to do a cystoscopy under local anaesthetic last week, which made me scream and cry with the pain. He only did the procedure for about a minute, so he couldnt get a proper look, but just said I had gross inflammation and the bladder was very red.
Any help would be gratefully recieved.
Mulberry

[UroDoc]

Redness of the bladder would indicate active inflammation, which is not usually seen in IC patients unless their bladder is distended. More often this finding is noted after an infection or a foley catheter is removed. Silver Nitrate in general is painful

[karen10]

DO NOT DO THEM!!! It is considered an outdated therapy and they DON"T work!! They also are very painful and they damage the bladder. Please do your own research on this, and you will find this to be true!!! OMG I can't believe doctors are still doing these! I work with IC patients and specialize in counseling patients with chronic illness. Don't take my word for it, check out all the resources you can, go to a medical library at your hospital. Make sure you look at the newest research, hopefully dated 2005 or newer if possible! The research is changing daily--it's even difficult to keep up, but it's part of my job, so I know it's out there. Be your own advocate!!

[DeannaM]

Hi,

I have had IC for the better part of 15 years and have tried several treatments, elmiron, elevil, Atarax, muscle relaxers, pelvic floor therapy, many overdistentions of the bladder, hypnosis, acupuncture, diet, meditation, exercise and numerous natural remedies. I had my first Silver Nitrate instillation about 3 years ago, this was tried as a last resort. I am only 41 and will not let them take my bladder. While the silver nitrate treatment was hugely painful, childbirth was easier. It is by far the one treatment that gives me the longest results. I now have it done about once a year and usually can go atleast 4 - 6 months with out any symptoms. The longest I have gone is 9 months. While they eventually return, I atleast have a pretty good quality of life for months at a time. My uro is in hix 60's and used this commonly during the 70's and early 80's while on staff at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He only now uses it with extreme cases like mine and has had some success.

While this treatment should only be used a last resort. It takes a lot of meds to keep me cumfortable for the 4 days I am in the hospital. I would not exclude it because its been around for so many years. If not for these treatments, I would have no quality of life at all!