How can I tell the difference between a interstitial cystitis flare up and a bladder infection?
I had interstitial cystitis about a year ago, but now I am having similar symptoms again. I am taking Dyflucan for systematic candidiasis, whih I started taking recently. Medications can tend to flar up the IC, but I also had a bladder infection recently and this feels similar. Besides going to the doc, is there another way to distinguish between the two?
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Many people suffer from different bladder conditions but it can be hard to tell if the difference between Interstitial Cystitis and a bladder infection. Often times, people are too quick to label the problem as a bladder infection without getting the proper diagnosis. Let’s take a look at the differences between IC and bladder infections, to help you better understand the problem you are having.
IC or Interstitial Cystitis is when the bladder becomes inflamed. This can be caused by an autoimmune disease such as lupus, scleroderma or fibromyalgia or it can be a stand alone condition with no known cause. Some of the symptoms that you may experience with Interstitial Cystitis (IC) include bladder frequency, very painful bladder spasms, low bladder capacity, and sometimes even incontinence. Many times people that suffer with IC often go miss-diagnosed. Many doctors diagnose the problems as a common bladder infection. Doctors have even diagnosed such symptoms as stemming from emotional problems.
Now let’s take a look at what a bladder infection is all about. A bladder infection is also known as a urinary tract infection or UTI. It's caused from bacteria and is a bacterial infection that affects any part or all of the urinary tract. Many get confused as urine contains many bi products of waste from our bodies but none of which is bacteria. Urine can contain many different fluids such as waste products, water and salt, all of which are bacteria free. When bacteria get into the bladder it multiplies fast in the urine and causes a bladder infection.
There are many different symptoms that come with a bladder infection. An urgent need to urinate is perhaps one of the main symptoms that characterize a bladder infection. The bladder will feel full and you will feel pressure as if you have to urinate immediately and quite frequently. Many also feel a pain or burning sensation when they empty their bladder and often times little to no urine actually come out. Some people may even be able to see the bacteria in the urine as the urine will appear cloudy and can have a foul odor. A fever may also be present.
Hope you feel better. : ) (
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Are there any home remedies to relieve symptoms of interstitial cystitis?
Are there any home remedies to relieve symptoms of interstitial cystitis? A bladder condition that hurts like a bladder infection.
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I've had pelvic floor pain misdiagnosed as IC. I know how really bad it is. I was off work for months until I got some relief and I am still slowly recovering. Work with your doctor to try all sorts of medications to relieve the pain. Don't rule out muscle relaxants and in my case Klonopin, an anti-anxiety drug that can relax the pelvic floor and reduce pain. Some of IC pain is the bladder but usually there is some pain from tight pelvic floor muscles too. Most urologists overlook this, stick you on Elmiron and hope you're one of the 20% it helps, or they do DMSO instillations. If your urologist is not working with you, find another. Mine was willing to try experimental treatments.
As for easy thing you can do at home - heat really helps. Get a rice or buckwheat heating pack for the microwave oven and use that.
Try the IC diet - it did not work for me but it helps some people. And see if you can get a prescription for physical therapy for pelvic floor - THAT is what changed my life.
If you can, go see Dr. Jerome Weiss in SF - I flew there to see him. He is a world expert in this. I paid a lot of money to get there and see him but it changed everything. Worth every penny. He is very supportive and he really helped me.
Also check out the IC network: http://www.ic-network.com/
Be careful there - there is good advice - there are also desperate people who have not gotten control of their illness for whatever reason. I took what I could from there and moved on and did not let it suck me down.
The main thing is to never stop looking for answers. If hadn't, I would still be where I was two years ago - on the sofa, non-functional and in pain. I'm back at work and about 80% recovered now and have a good life again. (
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After treatment for interstitial cystitis, will my bladder capacity go back to normal?
I am 25yrs old and I was just diagnosed with interstitial cystitis. The doctor said I only have to take medication for a few months and I should be fine.
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I really can't speak for what your situation will be: this diagnosis can mean different things for different people.
My mom (mid-50s) has had this and it has not been the best. She's had surgeries and medication, but still has big issues with her bladder capacity. I also talked with a woman whose daughter had it, and said it was a colostomy bag. So I doubt your doctor is correct, but maybe it's a newer medication? If it works, please email me and I'll let my mom know about it. :)
Thanks! (
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Does anyone out there have Interstitial Cystitis or have a loved one with this condition?
I'm just curious if anyone here has any experience at all with IC. I have found the websites for the Interstitial Cystitis Network and the Interstitial Cystits Association and both sites have been a huge help. Any personal experience or ideas would be much appreciated. :)
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Here is my experience:
I've been diagnosed with this condition, Interstitial Cystitis or IC about 5 years ago. I went to many urologists over the years before that, and they all dismissed my problems or prescribed the wrong medications to treat my bladder. One prescribed Detrol, which I took twice a day for a couple of years with no results. So the doctor switched me to Detrol LA and it magnified my problem to the point that I couldn't pass urine.
So I quit taking anything. Then we moved and soon after I had a bladder infection, so I went to a new urologist, who happened to be a woman. I received a different examination and advice. She told me she suspected that I had IC and gave some pamphlets about the condition. She prescribed Elmiron which I took for about a year with no improvement. Then I found another woman urologist and she sent me for bladder instillations. It worked for about a year. So I went for another set of treatments and it worked for about a year again. However the third set of treatments didn't work at all. So I am back to start.
Diet is my only recourse, which I find difficult to follow. I love to eat fruit and vegetables, some which can cause problems. I gave up caffeine and diet sodas. I never smoked so that is not a problem. I always make sure I know where the rest room is located.
I am sure we can sympathize together. (
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Does anyone you know suffer from Interstitial Cystitis?
I have "Interstitial Cystitis" bladder disease and was wondering what kind of treatment works for them?
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I have it, and honestly, not much works. What DOES seem to work, however, is avoiding foods that seem to make a flare-up worse. For me it's anything green, cranberry juice, and soda that make it worse.
Medications, like a combination of ibueprofin and vicodin helped me.
A former teacher of mine who had it got a surgery that fixed it. (
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Is it ok to take AZO for Interstitial Cystitis if I have Nephrotic Syndrome?
Is it ok to take an over the counter medicine such as AZO containing Phenazopyridine Hydrochloride if I have Nephrotic Syndrome? I have Interstitial Cystitis and need to take something for the pain, but my health insurance has expired, any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Call your nephrologist. You can also ask the pharmacist. (
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I am looking for information and/or support with regard to Interstitial Cystitis and Endometriosis?
Has there been any research conducted with regard to whether or not a catheter can cause Interstitial Cystitis symptoms to become more severe? I underwent three surgeries to deal with Endometriosis. With each surgery I had extreme pain in my urethra immediately upon waking up. Each time the pain was more excruciating. The staff treated me like I was insane and had no solutions or compassion. My insticts suggested that the catheter was causing the problem. They refused to take it out. My last surgery was about a year ago. Since then a Urologist seems to think I have Interstitial Cystitis. In order to determine this for sure one needs to undergo a test involving a catheter. I cannot bring myself to inflict this pain on myself again. If there is anyone who has had any similar experiences, I would appreciate any support. Since my last surgery, I now have daily pain in my urethra. I want to get to the bottom of this. It cost a lot of money to receive this new pain. Anyone?
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IC and Endo are often referred to as "Evil Twins." There is a high preponderance of patients who have both, with one complicating the symptoms of the other.
Often, use of a catheter is used to relieve severe cases of IC; however, it stands to reason that the placement of a cath during surgery might cause additional pain. Even women without IC wake up in pain from the cath; however, this should have subsided with no long term effects. Clearly, something is amiss and you deserve to obtain the proper treatment to be relieved of your pain and regain your quality of life. There may even be Endo involvement of the region, causing additional/complicating symptoms; the pain of which is often mistaken for IC.
I would recommend consulting with one of the Endo specialty centers who have the knowledge, expertise, surgical team, and more importantly, the compassion to help you find the answers and the relief. There are a few throughout the country which immediately come to mind:
http://www.centerforendo.com
http://www.endometriosissurgeon.com
http://www.drcook.com
http://www.endoexcision.com
Hopefully a free consult with one of the above professionals will shed a little light on what steps to take towards recovery. Good luck and feel better. (
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can you eat macroon (made of coconut and egg white ) and persimon when you easily get interstitial cystitis?
I just had a interstitial cystitis. I still have bladder never pain sometimes. How can I get ride of the pain permanently? Can I eat macroon and persimon?
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You can have coconut if you have IC if the coconut does not have preservatives in it.
You want to stay away from acidic foods and juices. They irritate the bladder and also cause you to urinate more. IC is not curable but it is manageable and it is not life threatening.
A good drink for IC is 100% Black Cherry Juice. It lowers the acidity in the urine. You must be very cautious of this juice your hearing a lot about being advertised on websites if you have IC., the acai. It is good for others but not for bladder problems. I have IC and have had it most of my lifetime. It is very manageable if you watch what you eat. Also try to drink plenty of water to keep the bladder flushed. You want to stay away from foods with lots of preservatives in them. Sometimes if you have bladder pain it is due to a food or drink you injested. Like lunch meats and sausages with high amounts of salt, spices and preservatives are a irritant. Coffee,teas and pops are as well. There is diet for this bladder disease and lots of helps for it. If you have not seen a urologist and had a cystoscopy done then try and do so because they can look inside the bladder and see if you have pinpoint bleeding, Hunner Ulcers and other issues related to IC. There is a support group for this illness and lots of do's and don'ts, the diet and so on. Here is the link to it.
[email protected]
There are all kinds of treatments for IC. I don't know if you have been tried on Elmiron yet for it. DMSO you want to stay away from as they make the bladder worse. There are other instills however with ingrendients like lidocaine and so forth that do help when the bladder gets too painful. Sometimes heat on your ab helps and something for pain. It depends on if it is something you ate that caused it to hurt. If so then it will pass in a few days.
Take care and know this disease is can be lived with and it just takes some adjustments to your diet. Also some vitamins are a problem for IC patients.
Hope this helps,
Shar (
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can you eat macademia nuts if you have interstitial cystitis?
I read it somewhere that you should not eat almond and nuts if you have interstitial cystitis history.
But if there is macademia nuts in a natural energy bar, can I tolerate it? or you just simply can not touch any kind of nut, period. Please help.
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I've never heard of there being a problem with any kind of nut unless you have a nut allergy to begin with. These are the foods they usually tell you to eliminate.....
Coffee, tea, soda, alcohol, and citrus juices including cranberry juice
Foods and drinks with artificial sweeteners (aspartame and saccharin)
Hot peppers and spicy foods
Some foods with high potassium levels, like avocados, bananas, chocolate, and oranges (
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Is there a cure for Interstitial Cystitis, or a better way to deal with the side effects?
My wife has had this for over 3 years, and it prevents us from leaving the house because of frequent urination. Is there a way to strengthen her body so she won't have the need to urinate so often?
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For one, you cannot get rid of IC through by the way you think. That is completely false. Believe me if I could stop "thinking" I had this and made it dissapear I would, so that was the most ridiculous answer I have ever heard. And for two, there is many ways to help deal with the symptoms that your wife could try. You could go to the ICN which is the interstitial cystitis network and find a lot of useful information. Using baking soda and water is a usually a quick way to reduce the symptoms for a short time period but there are also a lot of natural and medical treatments that can help as well in the long run. By the way, it is a very horrible disease so having very understanding and supportive family members really helps. Hope I could help a little bit. :) (
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