Hello all,

I have posted about my journey so fat with PN (feet and legs). About three weeks ago i developed what I thought was a bladder infection (I have had very occasion bouts of cystitis in the past) I had antibiotics (-three day course) but that did not stop it. Urine test does not show any infection. This is getting worse to the point that I have a pulsating and burning feeling in that area all the time. Cold this be related to the PN, I have heard something about automatic PN. Any advice/suggestions. My Dr and the Neuro I saw a week ago thing it is all anxiety related. I suppose it could be as I have been very anxious since all these weird things have started happening to my body.
Thanks.
Lupin

I think that "anxiety" is the ultimate cop-out for incompetent and/or lazy doctors. Many of us here have had that label put on us, but I can't recall anybody in three PN forums whose PN got better from psychotherapy. Invariably, a physical basis to the PN is found. Here are some interesting questions for Dr. Quack and Dr. Neuro Tic to try to establish the basis for their diagnosis of "anxiety":

- There is a difference between anxiety and neurotic anxiety. Anxiety during an armed robbery is not neurotic, and neither is anxiety about serious chronic health conditions

Neurotic anxiety, on the other hand, is irrational and maladaptive. Examples are phobias, extreme social insecurity, extreme foreboding about the future. Even if you have a clinically diagnosed neurotic anxiety, I don't think there is any evidence that it can cause PN or bladder problems.

- Did you have a complete psychiatric or psychological examination to establish anxiety? If not, what is the basis for their diagnosis?

- What tests were run to establish that there is no autonomic neuropathy in the bladder area? I'd wager none.

- PN can cause serious bowel and bladder problems. See http://www.emedicinehealth.com/bladd...article_em.htm .You can check goggled sources at http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&s...y+&btnG=Search. If the symptoms fit, maybe your doctor can explain why you have those symptoms, an established aspect of PN and how they could have been unaware of such a linkage.

- You need and deserve effective physicians who treat you with respect. A decent primary care physician can steer you to a competant and caring urologist.

- I hope you change your user profile to always display the location where you live (use the "User CP" button on the horizontal menu near the top of the page, then click on "Edit Profile"). This will enable others in your area to recommend doctors to you. Nobody is interested in your real name and address, just the general area. Switching physicians in or near a metropolitan area is a lot easier than in rural Podunk. Wherever you live, there may be another forum member living in the same area who could help steer you toward decent medical care and other local resources.

- You're not alone and you're not helpless, even in the face of doctors who bully you. This forum is a valuable resource you can use to empower and enlighten yourself, and actions you can take to become healthier.

I don't know why the previous post doesn't word-wrap to fit the page. Yet. I posted a reply to Silverlady, which looks fine.

Can anybody suggest how to get the formatting right, or is the problem just on my PC for just this thread?

It must be caused by anxiety.

Hi Lupin:

I can only speak from experiences about what happened to me over 10 years ago with my bladder.

I had been a diabetic for about 9 years at the time. Not well controlled either. I had never had a bladder infection in my life. One day, I had the pressue, etc. they did the dip stick thing, they found protein in my urine, they put me on an antibiotic but it didn't help. Then they did another urine test, sent it out and I'll never forget being in the urologist's office and he says to me "wow, your infection mutated, first you had streptococcus bovus, now you have cleptsiella pneumonae (or some such words), never forgot what he said, but I can't spell them. It seemed that my bacterial infection had mutated and I had something like 25 million colonies of bacteria. All I know is it sounded awful. They cleared it up with various antibiotics.


Then, after that infection cleared up, one day, BOOM. All I had was pressure down there. I felt like I had to urinate 24 hours a day. But I urinated just fine. There was no burning when I urinated either. With a bladder infection (at least with most of them, you have the urge but nothing comes out. This was not the case with me. I went to doctor, after doctor, urologist after neurologist. They took pelvic sonograms, they did cystoscopes. I went crazy.
I had this 'PRESSURE" down there all the time. It really never went away. Oh, there was an occasional day when it left, but usually it was ALL DAY LONG. Oh, by the way, EVERY SINGLE URINE TEST, came back negative. No infection!!!!!

Then, soon after, I began a 4 year journey of PRESSURE, ALWAYS THE PRESSURE, the feeling like I had to go to the bathroom. It nearly drove me out of my mind. They had to give me pain meds.

And they did urine test after urine test. I remember once taking myself to the emergency room demanding that they DO SOMETHING!!! and the kindly older doctor did a dip stick test and found, just a trace of bacteria. Nothing to be alarmed about. I almost went crazy. Then I remember asking another urologist, "how do you know I don't have interstitial cystitis" (look that one up, it's a doozy). The guy said "oh my god, no one gets that".

Believe me I felt no relief for almost 4 years. (And all during this 4 years, I was having a lot of stress over my son). This part is important.

So one day my doctor give me a prescription for muscle relaxors. I said "oh, he thinks its spasms down there. Okay, that makes sense, I used to have spasms in my chest, in my arms, so maybe this is spasms".

I never even filled the prescription. I was going to do this the following day. I will never forget that night if I live to be a hundred years old. I was in the shower and letting the hot water just go over my whole body, telling myself that when I filled the prescription for muscle relaxors, that my body would stop spasming. Well, guess what happened? That night, right there in the shower, THE SPASMS STOPPED!!!!! Never came back.

I was absolutely astounded. No one has ever been able to explain why, for 4 years, I had this thing down there that made me think I had to pee 24 hours a day, then I take a hot shower one night and it goes away.

Recently, (with Alan in the hospital and all the stress I've been under), guess what has been happening to me? The muscle in my right arm, (high up) (where a doctor would give you flu shot), has been spasming like crazy. I just looked at the muscle and there it was twitching away. I also used to have eye twitches at times. It's stopped for now.

So that is my story on (I called it bladder spasms) because I have no idea what else to call them.

I do hope you find your answer.

be well,
Melody

Wings - maybe your computer needs a sedative!

Seirously Lupin - some really good info there from Wings - dont let the docs just pass you off as overwroght or axiety ridden etc.... it IS a cop out..... yes, PN can and does affect bladder function - if it continues does your insurance allow you to see any doc you want - if so, I'd see a urologist if you can.....

Hope you feel better

This is what I thought and I will take this up with my GP (general practitioner) and with the Neurologist at the hospital when I get the follow up appointment, which knowing how things work will not be any time soon. If I just get another fob off I will ask my GP to refer me privately to someone else who specialises in PN.

Why not within the next week? It might be OK for you to worry and wonder without knowing what's wrong and without a doctor's help to find out, but it wouldn't be OK with me.

Are you hoping it will get better by itself? It might, or you might have something that could be easily relieved. Or, it could get much worse. Or, you could be reassured so you didn't have to worry about it.

I don't understand not persueing this with Dr. Quack and Dr. Neuro Tic. If you're not comfortable talking with them, why stay with them? Most HMO's allow you to change Primary's with a phone call. You're liable to get a young doctor, hopefully service oriented and without an attitude. If your arrogant and possibly chauvenistic jerks are men (assuming that you are a woman), you might be more comfortable with a woman physician.

A great primary care physician is the most important person to help you deal with your health issues. I have two great ones now...they're mothers tag teaming half time each. I love and trust both.