Please help! I have no answer to my problem

[sdsurf123]

About 3 years ago i started feeling burning when i would pee. I had flare ups once in a while where it would burn way way worse and continued to burn long after i stopped peeing. I have gone to the doctors for over 3 years now and they have NO IDEA what it could be. Last step would be to take a looking inside, and i am dreading that because of my age and how invasive the process is. The doctor told me how uncomfortable it would be and how he doesn't think we will find anything.

It is not an STD, cancer, kidney stones, bacteria, UTI, or anything that they have seen in my blood and culture. I am a 20 year old guy so it does not make since for me to have IC. I just really would like to know if i should try out a different doctor? There has to be other options in getting this figured out. The pain is not that bad on a daily basis but when I have a flare up, it burns so so bad. PLEASE please help me with any solutions or advice on how to further handle this problem. God bless and thank you.

[sprich3]

You need a cystoscopy for a diagnosis, and from someone who has had a few, it is really not a big deal and is over pretty quickly.  The urologist numbs your urethra  and puts a tiny camera on a tube into your bladder.
If your present uro won't do this common procedure, get a second opinion.



  

[sdsurf123]

Thanks for your response! I do not really have a problem with Urine flow or how many times i go to the bathroom. I think i have a relatively normal bladder schedule. I was on prosta q for a prostatitis and that didn't do anything. I am not sure about a urethritis.... that sounds maybe what i might have. Because it hurts really bad in my urethra when i have a flare up and it hurts in my urethra when i pee. Should i ask my doctor about that? My bladder is never the thing that hurts, its always my urethra.

[sdsurf123]

Thank you so much for your response! I am going to try those suggestions out! I do not think it is any kind of infection because i was put on a long course of antibiotics to check for that and it didn't do anything :(. Starting to think it is IC. But i could literally have the most anti IC diet and be totally fine... I could eat lasagna, pizza, drink a beer and be totally fine. It just doesn't make sense. But i will take a log of all that stuff and start comparing things. thank you again!!!

[JCillinois]

You wrote "3 years ago I started feeling burning when I would pee". Is this your current and only symptom? Were you treated for a UTI? There are several urological disorders that can affect this same area of the body including but not limited to urethritis, prostatitis, and Interstitial cystitis. Urological disorders can occur together and therefore an individual person can have two or more disorders. It is believed that infections can cause autoimmune disorders causing chronic inflation. Use the following as a guide to determine which urological disorder you may have. I will gladly provide further advice with your response.

Interstitial cystitis (inflammation of the bladder):
Persons having Interstitial cystitis feel more pain and burning while holding their pee. Symptom/pain relief is obtained by voiding.

Prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate):
Men having prostatitis may have a weak stream, difficulty to start voiding and is due to prostate inflammation obstructing urine flow through urethra.  

Urethritis (inflammation of the urethra):
Persons having urethritis may feel pain/burring while voiding.

[sharpetails]

From what you say, it sounds like ic to me!! There is no infection in your urine and nothing they can find in your culture. When they go in  there, im sure they can tell. You have to start keeping a diary of your restroom trips. How often, the burn, the flow, etc, Also very important is your food and drink intake. Something you are eating and drinking is causing it to flare! No ther is no cure and can be devastating without the right combo of meds, but ic can happen to ANYONE, MALE OR FEMALE and any age, thou it is most common in us females.Keep your diary for a while, so you can have it to talk to your uro with.It is def treatable, when you and your doc find the right meds for you. I hope this helps and I hope you get to feeling better soon! Please let me know how things are going, TAKE CARE! :)