I have had frequency, urgency, and pain for I don't know how many years, and last year I was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis. Keep note of what you eat or drink. If you have the urgency to go after you have had soft drinks (carbonation) and especially diet drinks, tomato products, anything citrus or with citric acid in it, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, vitamins and supplements, or chocolate, you may have interstitial cystitis. NOTE: You can have IC and not have pain.
You can check it out at:
www.ic-network.com/whatisinterstitialcystitis/When I was diagnosed, I saw a urologist and she did a scope of my bladder. After that, medicine was instilled into my bladder, and I had to hold it in for 20 minutes before I could go to the bathroom. I went for treatments for five weeks (once a week). I was supposed to go back for a sixth and final evaluation and treatment, but she wanted me to see an OB-GYN to see if I had pelvic dysfunction first, and I haven't been able to see one (lots of life interventions and money problems). I can say I'm about
70% better just following the IC diet and with the treatments. I have also lost one size since I started the diet (down from 3X to 2X in tops and into a 1X in some jeans at Catherines).
I wish Healing Well would add a support group for interstitial cystitis. I would volunteer to be a moderator.