Interstitial Cystitis (Bladder Pain Syndrome)
IC is a chronic disease, and like any other chronic disease, can be successfully managed so that patients can be mostly asymptomatic - Barry Jarnagin MD
image by: Interstitial Cystitis Association
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8 Things I Wish I'd Known About Chronic Badder Inflammation
As a writer who covers women's health, I've spent the past three years reading about all sorts of health issues common among women, from endometriosis to PCOS to vulvodynia. Yet somehow, I hadn't heard of interstitial cystitis (IC) — chronic bladder inflammation — until I began experiencing symptoms of it. IC affects an estimated three to eight million women and one to four million men in the U.S., but it remains poorly understood not only by the public but even by doctors.
Resources
How I Finally Found Relief for What Felt Like a Chronic UTI
This March, I grew tormented by the fact that I was peeing up to five times a night. Unbearably exhausted from interrupted sleep, I made an appointment with a urologist.
Never Lose Hope
I understand how easy it is to completely give up hope. For five years I struggled through IC with no answers. I was an 18-year-old girl who was completely lost. Thoughts crossed my mind daily about my future. When I think about my future now, I think of positive ways to combat my pain and to live.
Diagnosing and treating interstitial cystitis
Interstitial cystitis is a chronic bladder condition that causes recurring bouts of pain and pressure in the bladder and pelvic area, often accompanied by an urgent and frequent need to urinate — sometimes as often as 40, 50, or 60 times a day, around the clock. Discomfort associated with interstitial cystitis can be so excruciating that, according to surveys, only about half of people with the disorder work full-time.
Interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome: the influence of modern diagnostic criteria on epidemiology and on Internet search activity by the public
Interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) is a chronic debilitating condition that is defined by pelvic/suprapubic pain and urinary storage symptoms such as urgency, nocturia and urinary frequency.
Interstitial Cystitis: Living With Chronic Illness
Sometimes, if a GP is really clued up, he might mention Interstitial Cystitis. A referral is made to a specialist - a Urologist. Case closed. For them anyway.
Me & My Vagina
“So you have interstitial cystitis,” he informed me. Yeah, no shit. He spent a few moments clicking around on his computer. Who knew what he was doing? Updating his Facebook, bidding on lamps… Don’t mind me. I’ll just be writhing in pain over here. After what seemed like an eternity, he said, “I’m prescribing you a drug called Elmiron that will reproduce the lining of your bladder. It will probably be six months to a year before it is able to repair your bladder enough to have any effect.”
Prolonged bladder pain?
Little awareness of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome leaves some people suffering for years.
IC for Beginners - Top 10 Things You Should Know
OK, so you've been told you have IC. Now what? Well, hopefully you have a knowledgeable doctor that can work with you to find the best treatments that help you with your symptoms. But I thought I'd share my Top 10 list of things about IC for Beginners I believe you should know!
Interstitial Cystitis Treatment With Ruth Kriz
Like with most people, when you personally experience the problem, you have a whole new motivation to figure it out. I developed Interstitial Cystitis and my first urinary tract infection in my early 30s, and went the traditional route urine culturing and antibiotics, and basically was failed by the medical profession.
8 Things I Wish I'd Known About Chronic Badder Inflammation
As a writer who covers women's health, I've spent the past three years reading about all sorts of health issues common among women, from endometriosis to PCOS to vulvodynia. Yet somehow, I hadn't heard of interstitial cystitis (IC) — chronic bladder inflammation — until I began experiencing symptoms of it. IC affects an estimated three to eight million women and one to four million men in the U.S., but it remains poorly understood not only by the public but even by doctors.
Live UTI Free
Chronic, recurrent UTIs affect millions of females and may be caused by an underlying bladder infection that goes undiagnosed and ineffectively treated. The right information can lead to better testing to identify the cause of the infection and ultimately to finding a permanent solution. That’s where we come in.
Healthy IC Recipes
HealthyICRecipes.com is a FREE on-line recipe, health and nutrition resource dedicated to helping those with Interstitial Cystitis / Painful Bladder Syndrome (IC/PBS) and other pelvic pain disorders.
How IC It...
A blog featuring an inside look at my experiences with Interstitial Cystitis and managing to live a semi-normal life. Created to give people who love me more insight into my life, to give people who are curious about IC more information, to give tips to people who are dealing with a loved one with IC, and more importantly comfort to my fellow sufferers!
IC Diet Project
Simply Delicious: Low Acid Foods Made Easy is the brain child of the Interstitial Cystitis Network as a way to encourage patients who are struggling with finding foods that will not irritate their bladders enjoy more normal, healthy and flavorful meals. Simply Delicious brings together three of the most notable IC diet advocates and authors in the IC community...
IC Network
Interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as painful bladder syndrome or bladder pain syndrome, is a condition that results in recurring discomfort or pain in the bladder and the surrounding pelvic region.
IC Ramblings
The ramblings of an IC combatant.
International Cystitis Association
IC can affect people of any age, race or sex. It is, however, most commonly found in women. Recent epidemiological data suggest that there may be greater than 700,000 cases of IC in the US.
Interstitial Cystitis Diet: Confident Choices®
Interstitial Cystitis help w/pain & treatment & diet for IC/Bladder Pain Syndrome.
Interstitial Cystitis: IC GAL'S JOURNEY And More
I am an Interstitial Cystitis patient and Patient Advocate. I was diagnosed with IC in 2002 and I am on Disability because of my IC. I decided to create this blog to share my journey through IC and hopefully help others as they go through their journey. This is a place of coming together, support and positivity even as we recognize the ongoing struggle we each face. Welcome and I hope everyone will find something here to help and inspire them!
Interstitial Cystitis Today
Our passion is to help people with Interstitial Cystitis (IC) by providing them with personal & tailor-made nutritional & lifestyle advice.
The Cystitis and Overactive Bladder Foundation
The Cystitis and Overactive Bladder (COB) Foundation gives support to people with all forms of cystitis and overactive bladder, together with their families and friends. We are the largest bladder patient support charity in the UK. We have the busiest message board forums in Europe and the most widely used website for those bladder illness sufferers seeking information, help and support.
The Echenberg Institute for Pelvic & Sexual Pain
Dr. Echenberg's combination of using the most current neuroscience on chronic pain processing, a very personalized bio-psychosocial model approach, and his more than 40 years of medical experience working in the pelvic region all explain the "difference" experienced by patients in our program compared to any others elsewhere in the world.
American Urologic Association
The purpose of this Guideline is to provide a clinical framework for the diagnosis and treatment of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS).
National Vulvodynia Association
The National Vulvodynia Association (NVA) is a nonprofit organization created in 1994 to improve the lives of individuals affected by vulvodynia, a spectrum of chronic vulvar pain disorders
NIDDK
Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic, or long-lasting, condition that causes painful urinary symptoms. Researchers don’t know the exact cause of IC.
Sky-Circles
Some estimate 5% of women as well as millions of men will experience pelvic pain in their lifetime, yet their pain continues to be ignored. They are under-researched, misdiagnosed, mistreated, and misunderstood. In the midst of rapidly evolving medical discoveries and technology, attention, credibility, and priority needs to be given to pelvic pain.
When Sex Hurts
Resources for couples struggling with chronic pelvic pain
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