Interstetial Bladder, Hypersensitive Bladder, Inflamed Bladder etc.

Yes, I absolutely do think that overwhelm and stress are connected to bladder infections--I have had attacks for years and since I've both asked about these at annual physicals and gone to many different doctors at a medi-clinic, I have been prescribed well over a hundred doses of antibiotics. I have now finally found an alert doctor who noticed that my secondary lab reports always showed no trace of bacteria--although the initial lab reports always indicated inflammation that seemed to require antibiotics. I have learned since that time that antibiotics can actually cause bladder problems.

I went to my regular physician with the lab reports showing no bacteria and was told I had Interstetial Bladder problems. I looked this up on the web and there's lots of information on this painful ailment and it apparently affects millions of people. Why more doctors don't know about this is hard to say--I've seen it described as an enigma.

My theory on this problem is that Hypersensitive Bladder is a side effect of being highly sensitive. The percentages seem about the same. If you want more information about this genetic challenge, I recommend you read Elaine Aron's book Highly Sensitive People ("How to Cope When the World Overwhelms You" is a sidebar on the book cover). She has written quite a few books and overwhelm is very definitely stated as a challenge that sensitive people face. She also is quite definite that we are to remind ourselves that we aren't neurotic, we're just easily overwhelmed. I am pretty sure that Dr. Christina Northrup had never heard that almost 20% of the population inherited the propensity to be highly sensitive. Maybe she still hasn't because I haven't found much knowledge on the subject on the rare occasion that I now see doctors...although I typed out a page of information about it and take it with me for the odd time I now see a doctor and I leave the page with them when I leave.

I went to a homeopathic doctor who immediately understood what my problem was when I showed him my "no bacteria" lab reports and I now take one dose of antihistamines a day and with the help of the web, I have looked up Histamines and have made major changes in my food and drink. And by the way, cranberry juice is dreadful for people with sensitive bladders--it has been recommended for years by well meaning doctors but it apparently is like pouring acid on a wound to drink it during an attack--which I always did during time of stress. And by the way, my cousin has the same problem after years of being treated for bladder infections and she's now taking conventional medicines. Another thing to note is that toilet paper with perfume etc. is really bad news and one should be careful of shampoo as well.

The end of this long story is that I think Dr. Northrup might be off base in her theories. My marriage is just fine and I don't think I'm particularly "pissed off" except for the many doses of antibiotics I've taken unnecessarily. The last time I had an attack (I think it was caused by the wrong toilet paper), I took extra antihistamines and became extra careful of what I ate & drank and I cured myself without antibiotics.

Hope this helps you as a fellow sufferer . . .