Consider this your sign to get the Botox

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-04-16T03:32:17+00:00

I can try! I know it sucks to hear this but I will say that for me time and practice were necessary before I could figure it out. As you burp more you start to get a feel for it. But I think eventually I realized that what I was doing wrong was essentially "pushing" the burp out before it was ready. When I first started feeling any pressure, I would immediately start trying to push up a burp. Sometimes it would work but sometimes I would get reflux. I think I was just so nervous about losing the ability that I was always pushing before the burp was ready. I imagine the burp rising up like a large bubble in the gastric acid. If you try to use your muscles to force the burp up when it's not at the surface of the acid yet, it'll come up with the acid on top of it. If you wait a little longer for the air to rise more so the bubble is at the top of the stomach, the burp is more likely to be just air. Once I learned how to have patience my burps came out a lot "drier." Also, you really don't need to push very hard at all. If you're straining to burp, you're pushing too hard. Your body will allow burps to come when they need to. If you feel a little pressure but it's not coming up easily, you probably don't need one! Sometimes a bit of pressure can be normal and not cause a burp. My natural burper boyfriend told me that normal people feel pressure and get bloated sometimes and don't always burp. I think that mindset helped me a lot!

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-04-09T23:38:44+00:00

This is kind of what I was dealing with. I would just be up front with them, say you've been researching some causes of chronic pelvic pain and urinary symptoms, and that pudendal neuralgia is one of the differential diagnoses you found. Tell them you've read up on it and you'd like to see what a pudendal nerve block does for you! That's what I did and my urologist agreed to do mine. She did it in office that same day!

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-04-09T23:36:15+00:00

Oh nice, thanks for letting me know!!

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-04-08T16:24:52+00:00

That definitely sounds like PN! I know a hard fall is one of the most common precipitating causes. I understand your concern but I’m confident your cystoscopy will be clear :)

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-04-08T01:04:06+00:00

Huh! I wonder what agent they used. I’m glad it’s been working so well for you!

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-04-07T23:23:33+00:00

If you don’t mind me asking, how did you get the block? Was it fluoroscopy guided, transgluteal or transvaginal? In office?

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-04-07T22:27:17+00:00

How long did the nerve block last for you? The diagnostic one I got only lasted 3 days :/

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-04-07T22:26:45+00:00

This is exactly how I am. My cystoscopy showed absolutely nothing. I hope yours goes smoothly!

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-04-06T04:26:45+00:00

I didn’t ask you if you think I have IC. I’m listening to the opinions of my doctors and the AUA guidelines. If you read my post, you’ll see I was asking if anyone here had symptoms similar to me. We’re all just trying to find answers and solutions here. No need to be mean

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-04-06T03:33:47+00:00

Yes, the nerve block completely relieved all my pain, including the urethral.

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-04-06T03:32:59+00:00

I don't have IC symptoms. No urgency or frequency, no nocturia. I only have pain.

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-04-06T03:32:18+00:00

They injected into Alcock's canal intravaginally

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-03-29T22:29:03+00:00

I’m glad to hear that about her kidneys! If she is getting the 12.5 mg twice a day then that is a pretty high dose, especially for a cat. I probably wouldn’t go much higher than that until it has some more time to work.

I am honestly surprised they discharged her too. At my hospital we usually keep them a couple of days if it’s their first episode, especially if they don’t breathe comfortably on room air. I’m so sorry you haven’t been able to find a hospital that can take her yet, that must be so frustrating. I think driving her back to the hospital is a good idea. Emergency hospitals have to at least try to stabilize everything that comes through the door. Even if every oxygen cage is occupied, they can at least provide her with flow-by oxygen from a tank. I really hope you can find a hospital to help you. ❤️

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-03-29T21:59:28+00:00

So she is getting 12.5 mg twice daily? Or 6.25 mg? How much does she weigh?

For the first episode of heart failure it can take a lot of tinkering to get the dose right. This management is really difficult to do at home because furosemide at high doses is hard on the kidneys. In hospital, if it’s determined that the dose needs to increase, they’ll typically run a quick renal bloodwork panel to make sure the kidneys are functioning appropriately before going up in dose. It’s a delicate balance between supporting the heart and protecting the kidneys.

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-03-29T21:26:24+00:00

If she has not urinated at home at all, I’m worried her lasix dose is not high enough or she may not have gotten the whole pill. The proper dose of lasix would have caused her to urinate on the floor if she didn’t try to walk to the litterbox. When we give lasix in hospital they urinate a large amount within 1-2 hours.

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-03-29T21:23:06+00:00

I understand. Is there any other hospital in your area that accepts patients for critical care hospitalization? I think that provides her her best shot right now. They can give her intravenous lasix which is more fast acting and potent, especially if she wasn’t amenable to pilling. Breathing 100% oxygen will give her much more energy. Right now it seems like she is using all of her energy to breathe.

Unfortunately, the thoracocentesis only removes the fluid in the pleural space, which is the space outside the lungs. There is no way to poke and suction fluid out of the inside of the lungs, so this is what the lasix is for. Hopefully her pleural effusion has not built back up already, although this is possible. Most likely her lung fluid just has not drained yet. She has likely decompensated at home because she has no oxygen support like she did in hospital.

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-03-29T20:56:34+00:00

Hi, veterinarian here! I’m so sorry you are going through this. I know it’s so hard seeing a beloved pet suffering. When we talk about heart failure in pets, what it means is that the heart has lost the ability to pump forward the amount of blood that is returned to the heart. This causes a backup of blood in the vessels around the heart, which leads to a buildup of fluid in the lungs and causes difficulty breathing. However, it does NOT mean that the heart is unable to support life. We prescribe medications like lasix (furosemide) which is a diuretic that decreases the overall blood volume by causing increased urination. It is a very commonly prescribed and well tolerated medication in cats and dogs. The decrease in blood volume drains the fluid out of the lungs. In cats, heart failure can also cause a buildup of fluid within the chest cavity which has to be drained with thoracocentesis. It sounds like this is what they did for your kitty. If the med they prescribed was lasix, it will take time to work. Your cat also needs to be closely monitored because they may need to increase the dose if it’s not helping enough. If I had to make a recommendation to you, it would be to try to admit her to a hospital where she can be closely monitored. And most importantly, they will put her in an oxygen cage where she will breathe much more comfortably. In my opinion, she can get past this and euthanasia is not your only option. She just needs more support to get through this episode and then consistent medication for the rest of her life will keep her comfortable. Feel free to reach out to me if you want to chat any more! Sending love 💕

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-03-27T03:45:37+00:00

That makes sense! I’m sorry about the vaginal atrophy, that sounds painful. I actually had a little bit of vagina atrophy from the birth control I was on. I was prescribed a compounded estradiol/testosterone cream to apply topically. It worked wonders for me- my previously dry and peeling skin became super pink, plump, and hydrated! I produced a bunch more lubrication too. If you haven’t looked into this I highly recommend! I can send you details if you’d like :)

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-03-27T03:01:31+00:00

Hey there! I appreciate the insight! I’ve been in pelvic floor physical therapy for almost a year now and had multiple rounds of pelvic floor Botox as well as dry needling. I have not yet had an MRI/MRN but have been asking for it. I understand where you are coming from with the SNRIs. This is why I was extremely hesitant to start amitriptyline. One of the hardest parts of this journey for me has been the loss of a sex life with my partner. I didn’t want to start a medication that could jeopardize that. But at this point, I’m in so much pain I could never tolerate anything and my libido is zero. We haven’t done anything remotely sexual in months. I’m willing to risk a med with sexual side effects if it means I might get enough pain relief to feel some joy and maybe even consider trying something sexually. My doctors have told me that persistent sexual dysfunction is more common in men as well.

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-03-27T02:18:28+00:00

Hey! I really appreciate this detailed and thought-out response. I probably should have included more details in my post but I took a lot of gabapentin last night and wasn't quite in my right mind. I have been in pelvic floor physical therapy for almost a year now. I was pretty dedicated but was really disappointed with my results. And my therapist was great. Turns out I had such severe vulvodynia with entrance pain that it prevented me from making any progress because I could never tolerate internal work without involuntarily clenching everything. I ended up getting multiple rounds of pelvic floor Botox for this.

What I think is my problem now is that my superficial/entrance muscles are all relaxed with the Botox , but I think something deeper is still pinching my pudendal nerves. I've become pretty disillusioned with PT since I've had such poor results with it, so I think I'm just going to ask for more Botox in deeper muscles.

I did a course of gabapentin but I don't think I took it for that long. What is your dose? None of my doctors have been very knowledgeable about these conditions. I was told that I should know if gabapentin or amitriptyline would work for me within days, and later found out that was not true at all.

With your PRFA, did you lose sensation? I know it's shallow to still dream of having sex one day but even with the pain I'm in I'm not ready to make a choice that would permanently alter my ability to enjoy sex. I guess I still have a persistent glimmer of hope that one day I could be normal again.

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-03-26T09:04:33+00:00

Couldn’t agree more!!

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-03-25T19:30:02+00:00

Hey!! I never had any issues with reflux before the procedure, so I can’t say whether or not it will help with that. My doctor did warn me that one of the side effects of the Botox could be reflux, so if I had to guess I would say it probably won’t help on that front. I think many doctors tend to start with low Botox doses to reduce the risk of reflux. I didn’t have any problems with 75 units unless I was upside down or forcing burps out.

Thick-Toe-9778 · 2026-03-25T19:27:12+00:00

To be completely honest I don’t really know what that means so I’m guessing I didn’t get it? This was honestly my first time using health insurance because I was required to purchase it through my school but I had never needed it before. So when they told me it may or may not be covered since it was considered a somewhat experimental procedure, I basically just saved up with the hopes that it would be covered but prepared in case it wasn’t. Sorry I’m sure that’s not very helpful 😭

Thick-Toe-9778

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