Interstitial Cystitis: any cure found yet?

I am so sorry to hear this dear. No, I have never heard of it. Have you gone to another doctor, to make sure the first one diagnosed you correctly? Also, if you go on net to some sites on medical problems, you might find more info. Good luck dear.

I have Interstitial Cystitis and I also was diagnosed with IC about three years ago, although my urologist feels I have always had the disease. I had my bladder stretched twice and after the second time I seemed to improve. Also, I have noticed that drinking a lot of water helps with the burning. When I was diagnosed, my symptoms were extremely severe. I was bedridden because the pain and pressure were so bad, I couldn't walk. My urologist also had me doing bladder injections of Marcaine, which is a numbing medication, into my bladder 2 - 3 times a week. This helped also. My symptoms have subsided a lot, but I always know that the I.C. is there. There is still no cure, though, so hang in there!

Very sorry to hear that. You can try to meditate and find natural herb.

Hi i'm sorry i don't know what is Interstitial Cystitis. My granny has a similar condition of the bladder.. but i don't know what its called. i know it's really terrible for her...esp since she is 78 yrs old..

I really do understand your frustration with this, but there are only so many treatments available unfortunately. Has your doctor put you on Elmiron? This has helped me. Another option is Marshmallow Root Tea. You can get the Marshmallow Root at a local health food store. It is expensive, but it does help. You just brew so much of it in a coffee pot and drink it.

i dont no about that

I think there's a vaccine for it. However you should drink a lot of water and accid liquids (the bacteria dont like accid environment), dont know why the doctor wants to low the accid (my mother has the same problem as you.

I don't know..

Sorry for what you are going through.

realy good read

i dont no

wow, this is a year old and no one responded???!!! i have IC also and it drives me insane. i took Elmiron for 6 months and have been able to keep it somewhat under control by watching my diet. i only took the Elmiron for 6 months because the main side effect is thinning hair and my hair is thin/fine enough as it is. i drink a lot of water now, hardly any soda, cut down on the acidic foods and when i do have a soda or something really acidic, i take a couple Prelief first. they are OTC pills that help get rid of the acids before they leave your stomach.

No, there is no cure, but there are ways to help with the frequency, urgency and pain. I myself don't have much pain and am also not on any medications - I just watch what I consume and how I treat my body....try www.icnetwork.com and ic association as well...hope this helps!

There are a lot of trials with new meds still in the testing phases, that do look promising. Shouldn't be too long now before they have something better for us out there. One study was talking about using botox in women, saying that basically the cushioning effect on the nerve endings seemed to help the pain / pressure feeling for some women. Just wanted to throw that out there... Seems like it'd be something you could easily ask your urologist about...

Hi, I really feel for you because I have IC and it turned my life upside down. The worst part is people around me just never could get it into their heads that IC is NOT just CYstitis or any other kind of infection. I've been dealing with the disease since 1998, but the symptoms have subdued quite a bit and I can live an almost normal life now. I began having problems just before my hysterectomy (although I didn't know it was IC yet. We just concluded it was an infection), but after my hysterectomy is when my nightmare really began. It was to the point where I was going to the bathroom every 15 min. almost around the clock and this was worst if I just ate or drank anything. I could not sit down for any amount of time, my bladder inflamed and caused the symptoms to worsten, so I spent most of my time standing or laying down on my side. I could not go outside the house for fear of not having a washroom nearby. I was on strong medications, which I do not remember the names (we were experimenting with different kinds). The medication gave me terrible headaches and I felt yucky!! I didn't find they really helped with the pain of the running to the bathroom, so I flushed them down the toilet and decided to take another route. A friend of mine, by accident, found this amazing book that I would suggest you to read if you can find it (I would check on the internet; I'm sure you'll find it). It's entitled: You don't have to live with Cystitis, by Larrian Gillespie, M.D. Great source of info plus great tips. I also underwent Hydrodistention about 3 times and the doctor decided to stop putting me through the agony because it was not showing any results. So, there I was without any medication or efficient treatments. The doctor had suggested something intersting to me before I lost all hope in treatments, he said I should train my bladder and this is what I did. After about 4 years or maybe more, I don't really remember, I was able to hold myself longer and this enabled me to go out to shop in a shopping mall. I hadn't set foot in a shopping mall for years because I would get exhausted running to the bathroom every 15 minutes. Anyway, this is how I did it: I would keep my mind busy so that I would kind of not think of the pain. For example: I would do the dishes and I really needed to go to the bathroom, I would set a gold for myself and try to hold it in til I got all the plates done, or all the pots done. I would do this all the time. When I made my laundry, passing the vacuum, reading, anything really. The idea was to hold it as long as I could. It took me more than 4 years, but this helped me control my bladder instead of it controlling me. Now, I can take small walks on the beach, which I could NOT do before. I can take a drive in the car and do many other things I couldn't do. I can now hold myself, if I really wanted to, for about 30-45min depending if I just ate or not. In the case where I would just eat, it's a little harder. I also noticed, and I think it's because of those exercises, my pain has probably diminished about 60%. I still have some bad days where I get what I call: "Bladder Attacks", but I really and truly believe those exercises made all of the difference for me. It's a long process, but so worth it I think. Hope this helps. Wish you the best.

I do I do!!! I was diagnosed with IC in 2003 after collapsing at work from unbearable pelvic pain...it was so bad I was incoherent. In my opinion I've had it for a very long time & when I had a kidney stone surgically removed it made things a lot worse. No there is no cure. I am on no meds at this time, can't afford the doctor bills. I was taken off Elmiron because it wasn't helping plus it was making my diverticulitis worse. After over 3 looong years I was finally approved for disability. Cranberry juice is a no no for us with IC even tho' it's great for a UTI - they are 2 totally different urinary problems. I use a heating pad ALLLLL the time, sleeping with it most nights. One day I will be fine eating a certain thing the next time I eat/drink it I'm a goner. Find what works for YOU. Not everything will work for you that works for me. Even something that can work for you this time may not the next. Just do what you have to do, try different things. If you ever need to talk or anything I'm here

Also, you should never be embarrased about having this problem. Infact the most helpful thing I have found is to be very open to the people in your life about it and things will go alot smoother - I have even informed my employers in the past as it calmed my anxiety and made working for them much easier and more comfortable for me.