Chronic Pain Today

Interstitial cystitis is a chronic and debilitating disease of the urinary tract and bladder that affects approximately one million people. It may not be just one singular illness but one incorporating many different illnesses. There is an inflamed and irritated bladder wall that leads to many bladder symptoms. The bladder wall of an IC patient will have stiffening and scarring of the bladder, less bladder capacity as a result of the scarring, small pinpoint bleeding on the bladder (glomerulations) and ulcers in the bladder lining (Hunner’s ulcers). 5-10% of Interstitial Cystitis sufferers will have Hunner’s ulcers, the rest have a non-Hunner’s type. So much isn’t known about the illness, even though it has been around for a while now.

My story begins in 1988 when I begun having urinary tract infections quite frequently. By 1991 they were happening every month and I was on a constant stream of antibiotics. I had so many antibiotics going through me; I thought I’d live on yeast infection cream. The antibiotics were lowering my immune system to the point that I caught every cold that went around. I was also having bad hay fever. My body was drained from the attack that the antibiotics were having on my immune system. There were more times than not when the doctors would give me antibiotics to “fight the infection” and I wouldn’t even have an infection. I just had the symptoms of one.

By 1993 I went to an urologist that was highly respected in our city, one that wanted to do a cystoscopy on me to see why I was like that. I had hope for the first time as he wanted to see why I was having so much trouble with my urinary system. During a combination cystoscopy/hydrodistention/bladder biopsy, he found 26 bladder polyps that were causing all the infections and “moderate” glomerations that he diagnosed as IC “on paper”; but never told me in person. I wouldn’t know about this IC diagnosis until I requested medical records in 2004! In fact, this first urologist told me that carbonated beverages and cranberry were fine to keep the urinary tract infections down, and I now know that those two items are killers for IC patients. The acid in these probably ate up a serious amount of the bladder lining I still had at the time.

After plenty of treatments, some working, some not, ALL expensive, I am now combating my IC through diet, serious amounts of water intake, and plenty of rest.I also take Elavil, 25 mg every night, to take that bit of edge off and to help with sleep. IC has taken so much out of my life, and there isn’t really anything to do but a trial and error of what works for you. Sadly, what works for one, may not work for another. But I know it’s not the end of the world, you can survive with interstitial cystitis. There are new treatments and options coming out all the time. If you have the symptoms of IC I urge you to go to an urologist and tell them to test you for IC. Early knowledge can be most beneficial.

The symptoms and signs of interstitial cystitis are varied and not every IC patient will have all of them. It is a difficult illness to pinpoint and this is meant only as a guideline to some of the symptoms that the interstitial cystitis patient may have.

1) Pelvic and perineal pain and pressure
2) Urinary frequency: over 8 times/day; average is 16 times/day; can be up to 60 times/day
3) Nocturia (excess urination at night)
4) Urinary urgency: urge not relieved by voiding
5) Over 9 months of symptoms
6) Dyspareunia (painful sex)
7) Hematuria (blood in urine)
Symptoms worsen during menstruation
9) Diminished bladder capacity
10)Penis and scrotum pain and pressure
11 )Dysuria (pain on urination)
12) UTI (Urinary tract infection) symptoms that do not improve upon antibiotic treatment

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