Interstitial Cystitis / PBS and UIC

[Pino]

This is perhaps a stupid question, but i will ask my urologist this either.

Is somebody here with "just only" the diagnosis of interstitial cystitis and being not able to hold at some point?

I mean without additional diagnosis of OAB?

The botox injections shut down my NDO (OAB) cramps, but i am still struggling with the pain in my bladder.

Is it possible to be incontinent (UIC) just from IC / PBS?

IChelp.org says: "Women can wear absorbent pads and men can use a condom catheter while flying or traveling by other modes where access to a restroom is sometimes restricted."

 

[ltaluv]

I talked with my urologist about this exact topic a few weeks ago at my last Botox treatment. I've been told at various times that I have either OAB (overactive bladder, for anybody reading who isn't sure what the letters stand for) or IC/PBS (interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome).

What I've read is essentially that if you have urgency and incontinence, it's OAB; and if you have urgency and pain, it's IC/PBS. Since this urologist is fairly new to me, i asked him what he thought my diagnosis was, considering that I have urgency, incontinence, and pain.

His response was that both are descriptions of groups of symptoms, not diagnoses based on the causes of the diseases. It amounts to almost a medical shorthand, since it's easier to put "IC/PBS" on a chart than to list each of my symptoms separately each time. If my symptoms include urgency, incontinence, and pain, then they'll treat all of those. He mentioned that it's not unusual for patients to have a combination of all three.

So apparently the conventional wisdom that IC/PBS doesn't include incontinence and OAB doesn't include pain is not really correct. According to him, there are plenty of us with IC who still experience incontinence.

 

[Pino]

I talked with my urologist about this exact topic a few weeks ago at my last Botox treatment. I've been told at various times that I have either OAB (overactive bladder, for anybody reading who isn't sure what the letters stand for) or IC/PBS (interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome).

What I've read is essentially that if you have urgency and incontinence, it's OAB; and if you have urgency and pain, it's IC/PBS. Since this urologist is fairly new to me, i asked him what he thought my diagnosis was, considering that I have urgency, incontinence, and pain.

His response was that both are descriptions of groups of symptoms, not diagnoses based on the causes of the diseases. It amounts to almost a medical shorthand, since it's easier to put "IC/PBS" on a chart than to list each of my symptoms separately each time. If my symptoms include urgency, incontinence, and pain, then they'll treat all of those. He mentioned that it's not unusual for patients to have a combination of all three.

So apparently the conventional wisdom that IC/PBS doesn't include incontinence and OAB doesn't include pain is not really correct. According to him, there are plenty of us with IC who still experience incontinence.

O.K. that is an interesting view, very informative.

Like always when discussing such complex problems there is no really clear answer. I am diagnosed with NDO and DSD but officially not with interstitial cystitis. This was an assumption from my TENS physiotherapist when describing my problems.

I am asking because i am feeling bad giving in sometimes for pain, when i know the bladder does not cramp under BTX (said UDM).