ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Living with Interstitial Cystitis

Updated on February 13, 2017
Source

How It Begins

For many people, a sudden onset of pelvic pain and an increasing urge to use the restroom turns into an infection. No concern: a physician prescribes antibiotics and sends the patient on his/her way. The horror comes when the symptoms return with more intensity, and the next set of screenings come back completely normal. What just happened?

Interstitial cystitis (try saying that five times fast), or painful bladder syndrome, is defined as a chronic bladder condition causing pelvic/bladder pain and pressure, ranging from mild to severe. The condition affects mostly young to middle aged women, but can also occur in men and in rare cases, young children. Caucasian women with red hair and conditions like IBS, fibromyalgia, and autoimmune conditions have a higher chance of developing IC. The exact reason for the onset of symptoms is unclear, but factors like weak bladder lining, heredity, or autoimmune reactions may all contribute to the growing discomfort.

Symptoms for both sexes can be described as pain or pressure in the private areas, a constant urge to urinate with possible flare ups, frequent bathroom visits (more than 8 a day on average and as high as 60), and a painful, irritating feeling when the bladder is voided. There may also be pain during intercourse, although some find temporary relief.

The Itch Your Bladder Can't Scratch

Even for people with mild symptoms, daily life is greatly affected. Daily tasks that were once taken for granted are now burdened with a discomfort that previously did not exist. Bathroom visits tend to take longer, as double voiding is recommended to relieve a reduced capacity bladder. Getting up from a seated position can cause sudden discomfort, and even walking can be difficult at times.

The most seasoned urologist is very limited in terms of medication. The two options that are fairly easy to acquire are low dose antidepressants, and a weak blood thinner called Elmiron (Pentosan). Those with mild symptoms tend to stick with the antidepressants. However, with those with intense symptoms, stronger medications like Elmiron are the go-to.

Besides being expensive and very slow to work, Elmiron is not something that can be taken if a patient is already taking blood thinners, or is pregnant/planning on becoming pregnant. At this stage, a urologist will bring up more invasive alternatives, such as bladder installations (repeated lidocaine injections), Botox, or surgeries involving mesh installments to “hammock” the bladder. For those who cannot or will not consider these options, you are not alone.

Supplements

There are a few supplements that seem to have worked across the board for both men and woman with this condition. While one or a combination of these have worked for others, it is suggested to try one at a time and check with a pharmacist to make sure they do not negatively interact with other medications.

-Glucosamine Chondroitin is a supplement that is meant to increase the amount of “cushion” between the bones in the joints. It can assist with arthritis and osteopenia. It is also thought to assist in bladder discomfort caused by UTIs, both in humans and animals. It is derived from a carbohydrate found in shellfish, so make sure to double check with your pharmacist if you have an allergy to shellfish.

-Calcium Citrate is a calcium supplement that can alkalize the urine, reducing its acidity and reducing discomfort.

Herbal Remedies

-Alkaline water can be purchased, or made at home with a half teaspoon of baking soda in a full glass of water (no more than 3 glasses in a day).

-Pumpkin seed has diuretic properties, and can assist in emptying the bladder more completely.

-Turmeric is another herb with alkaline properties.

-Vitamin D is thought to have anti-inflammatory properties, and is also used in treating Crohn’s Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

-Lemongrass tea has been rather promising, detoxifying the digestive track and organs like the pancreas and liver.

-Medical marijuana, depending on US state of residence, is being introduced to treat Interstitial Cystitis and other bladder conditions. Proper screening and a medical card must be achieved before receiving this method of treatment.

This is not a complete list. The list above mentions solutions that do not need to be stopped due to risk in long-term usage. For a larger list, please contact a urologist or a pharmacist.

Perseverance

While no cure exists for this condition, and countless others that often accompany IC, it is important to remember that medicine is getting better every day. The pieces of the puzzle exist and slowly, urologists and other specialists are trying to slowly rebuild the construct of what makes the bladder react in error. New methods should always be attempted, and old methods should not be forgotten.

Was this article helpful to you?

See results
working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)