Interstitial Cystitis Archives

For everyone with Interstitial Cystitis - some possible help

Hi all,

I've seen a lot of posts here recently about IC and bracing, and I thought that it might be helpful to give a list of things that I noticed, in retrospect, indicated the large part that muscle tension/bracing played in my IC. When I developed IC, I would have answered YES to everyone one of the following questions:

Do you tense your shoulders most of the time (pull them up towards your ears)?
Are your legs relaxed, or do you pull one or the other into the centerline of your body when sitting down (working, driving, etc.)?
Are the stomach muscles to the side of your solar plexus, just under your rib cage tight and painful?
Do you clench or grind your teeth?
When you consciously relax using meditation, yoga, or whatever form of SR works for you, do your IC symptoms subside?
Do you get an adrenaline rush (fight or flight response) when little things go wrong, like missing an exit on the freeway?
Do you ever feel like the muscles in your pelvic floor, suddenly clench and lock up tight when the fight or flight response occurs?
Is intercourse painful, especially at the start of penetration?
Is it harder to reach orgasm than it used to be? or are you not reaching it at all anymore?
Are you under a lot of stress, and are you trying to contain and conceal that stress inwardly?
Do you think you're not under any stress and you're handling things great, but in reality you really are stressed and you're denying it? : )

I think there are other contributing factors that come into play with IC too. For me, muscle tension was a big factor in the symptoms I felt (urgency with some spasming in my bladder). Hope this list helps.

Take care,
Daisy

Follow Ups:

• For everyone with Interstitial Cystitis - some possible help TESTIMONIAL Walt Stoll 09:14:50 4/26/03 (0)
• Re: For everyone with Interstitial Cystitis - some possible help Dayne 13:45:35 4/25/03 (2)
  • Re: For everyone with Interstitial Cystitis - some possible help BAF 14:46:20 4/25/03 (1)
    • Re: For everyone with Interstitial Cystitis - some possible help Daisy 15:34:42 4/25/03 (0)

In Reply to: For everyone with Interstitial Cystitis - some possible help posted by Daisy on April 25, 2003 at 11:53:34:

Daisy,

Great list! Now can you map out and list how you overcame your IC? What helped the most? Great info!

Dayne

Follow Ups:

• Re: For everyone with Interstitial Cystitis - some possible help BAF 14:46:20 4/25/03 (1)
  • Re: For everyone with Interstitial Cystitis - some possible help Daisy 15:34:42 4/25/03 (0)

In Reply to: Re: For everyone with Interstitial Cystitis - some possible help posted by Dayne on April 25, 2003 at 13:45:35:

Thanks Daisy. I answer yes to each of these questions as well. Just a question: Did you ever notice (or did any of the other ICers out there ever notice) that your IC was not that bad during an actual stressful time but then the day after that time was over your IC was terrible - i.e. studying for finals will be fine for me but the day they are finally over WHAM!! My IC is full blown terrible. Is there a flight or flight explanation for this?

Follow Ups:

• Re: For everyone with Interstitial Cystitis - some possible help Daisy 15:34:42 4/25/03 (0)

In Reply to: Re: For everyone with Interstitial Cystitis - some possible help posted by BAF on April 25, 2003 at 14:46:20:

Yes - absolutely! 1-2 days later it would hit. I also noticed that it would get bad right before my period started or the first day of my period. Still today if I have a month with almost no IC twinges, the first day of my period will generally be a day when I have much more urgency. I wish I understood that mechanism.

In Reply to: For everyone with Interstitial Cystitis - some possible help posted by Daisy on April 25, 2003 at 11:53:34:

Thanks, Daisy.

Congratulations!

Namaste`

Walt