mikesecret said:MassIncon: Do they know why the other treatments don't work for you? Did they tell you? Ive found when I raise IC issues with my health care providers they just shrug as though its just a small concern that doesn't warrant a specific response. They take more of a 'big picture' view I guess and figure that if they can deal with the main health issues causing the problem the rest will take care of itself. For me the meds themselves are a big issue especially anti-psychotic and other psychotropic meds. Also, due to medications I now have kidney problems that may be contributing to the situation.
meds just either weren't effective enough to be worth it (i.e. I still needed diapers anyway) or they had severe and horrible side effects.
I could look into sacral nerve stimulation with Interstim, but the doctor told me the results might not be worth it. Given also that I have a terrible high deductible health plan, it would cost me thousands out of pocket. Based on what I've read about it, that wouldn't be money well spent. The way the company that makes it defines "success" is radically different from what I'd consider success.
The only med I'm on now is just a low dose blood pressure medicine and I prefer it that way.
My incon is just considered OAB with urge incontinence by my docs. OAB is just a BS label for "your bladder spasms and we don't know why, here try these pills".
From my research which included reading a lot of medical journals, the anticholinergic pills actually DO work for a lot of OAB people. They either tolerate the side effects better or report that they're "happy" with whatever level of symptom reduction they achieve. Somone who went from full brief diapers to light pullups or guards may be fine with those results. Or someone who went from wetting themselves 5 times a day to once a day might consider that success.. I don't, for me personally, especially if I have undesirable side effects. I'd rather have no side effects and just wear the diapers.