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hi. ive had ic for 2 years- burning and stinging pain plus achiness in the bladder and urethra. i have tried lots of things: the ic diet, accupuncture, reflexology, herbs etc but the thing that it responds best to is rest. i am currently off work and have had a huge symptom reduction. however as soon as i resume work it all starts up again! what would be your top recommendations to address this very distressing and lifestyle limiting illness? any advice would be very much appreciated. thanks. sarah
In Reply to: interstitial cystitis posted by sarah muncey [5138.1351] on January 23, 2006 at 16:38:47:
Hi sarah. It sounds like a lot of your problem is stress-related. Have you checked the glossay and the archives on this site re skilled relaxation (SR)? Practicing this twice a day as recommended could help you a lot.
Also, is there any chance you might have a candida problem? Candida can cause IC or UTI symptoms. have you tried D-Mannose or cranberry capsules?
Naya
In Reply to: interstitial cystitis posted by sarah muncey [5138.1351] on January 23, 2006 at 16:38:47:
Sarah,
Listen to Naya and let us know what you learn.
Walt
In Reply to: interstitial cystitis posted by sarah muncey [5138.1351] on January 23, 2006 at 16:38:47:
Hi Sarah,
Here is Dr. Stoll's article about IC - http://askwaltstollmd.com/cystitis.html
I had this problem too, a few years ago and found this article so helpful. I learned to reduce the tension in my pelvic floor muscles by doing kegel exercises. I would hold them for as long as I could, several times a day. I also started drinking LOTS and LOTS of water, which helped me tremendously. This wasn't a quick fix - it took a few months of consistently doing the exercises, as well as following a wellness program, but I am cured. I notice that I "flare up" occasionally when I am particularly stressed out. When that happens, I again start to do the kegel exercises and the pain and irritation eventually subside. I hope this helps you and that you feel better soon - I know how terrible it can be..good luck!
-Amy
In Reply to: Re: interstitial cystitis posted by Naya [120.14] on January 23, 2006 at 17:02:40:
i have ordered the book dr stoll recommends on SR and will practise twice daily.
i dont think its candida as ive taken a long course of diflucan to make sure.
In Reply to: Re: interstitial cystitis posted by Amy [650.1399] on January 24, 2006 at 09:47:03:
thats weird as I heard kegals can be bad for IC as they cause even greater tension!
did you do a special diet or just drink tonnes of water?
In Reply to: interstitial cystitis posted by sarah muncey [5138.1351] on January 23, 2006 at 16:38:47:
Hi ,
I have had IC since the birth of my daughter a year ago. Like you, I have been going nuts trying to do everything.
I would recommend reading "A Headache In the Pelvis" by Dr. Wise and Dr. Anderson. It states that IC is caused by tensing the muscles in the pelvic area. It is a very good book and requires a lot of dedication to do stress reduction techniques.
I am also trying to find a cure to IC. I have ordered another book called Solving the Interstitial Cystitis Puzzle. I got it through Barnes and Noble.com I will let you know how I do after reading the advice.
Just know that you are not alone. I am a stay at home mom with two kids 1 and 4, so I definitely can relate to stress.
Keep your chin up!
Jen
In Reply to: Re: interstitial cystitis posted by sarah muncey [5138.1351] on January 24, 2006 at 12:37:01:
Hi Sarah,
I guess in some cases the kegels can cause you to "lock up," but I never had that problem. I think the thought behind doing them is that it exhausts the muscles so much, they are forced to relax. When I did them, I didn't do them "quickly" or fast at all - I tried to hold them for as long as I could, and as tight as I could - at first I couldn't hold them for very long at all, and it was very uncomfortable and frustrating. But I kept with it and gradually I was able to hold each for about a minute - but it took a few weeks to reach that point. I was in tears so many times, ready to give up, but I'm glad I didn't. I think I must have had YEARS of built up tension in those muscles.
I read a lot about diet on this website, and started incorporating more organic and whole foods into my diet. I cut way down on sugar and processed food, and started drinking water as my only beverage. But I didn't and don't follow a super-strict diet. Drinking lots of water really helped/helps my symptoms.
Good luck to you!
-Amy
In Reply to: Re: interstitial cystitis posted by Amy [650.1399] on January 24, 2006 at 14:06:00:
amy, what were your symptoms? how long did you have to do the kegals for before you noticed changes? did you do sr as well? thanks for your advice!
In Reply to: Re: interstitial cystitis posted by Jen [148.1351] on January 24, 2006 at 13:47:33:
Thanks, Jen, for the pelvic headache reference!
Walt
In Reply to: Re: interstitial cystitis posted by sarah muncey [5138.1351] on January 24, 2006 at 16:25:25:
Hi Sarah,
I had the same symptoms as you, plus some others and self-diagnosed myself as having vulvodynia and IC at the same time. (Have you ever heard of vvd?) It is an awful thing to expereince - constant pain and burning in the vaginal tissues, pain with urination, painful to the touch (sex was absolutely out of the question), could not wear jeans, etc. It's a long story, but I went to the gyn thinking at first it was a yeast infection or something, but the pain and discomfort just never ended. It was a nighmare not knowing what was wrong with me and feeling as bad as I felt. I came very close to quitting my job because I couldn't do ANYTHING without pain. It had taken over my life.. Thankfully, I found this site and started reading and researching like crazy - somewhere in the archives I read about a woman with exactly the same symptoms as mine and how kegal exercises helped her. So that got me onto them. I would say it was probably about two weeks before I noticed them doing anything. But I would do the exercises as much as I could - I tried to do about 20 holds in the morning, and 20 again at night, trying to hold for as long as I could. Some days were harder than others, but gradually it did get easier.
Yes, I started doing SR as well, but I have to confess that I don't do it as regularly as I should. I tried to meditate and breathe very deeply, from the abdomen. 20 min twice per day, as recommended on this site, was hard to do and still is, but I try to do it as much as I can. I also found that taking deep breaths between each kegal exercise was helpful. I would hold the kegal and then after releasing, I would take about 10 slow, deep breaths before starting the next one. I still try to breathe deeply all the time - really helps I think.
I sure hope some of this helps you, Sarah - I can imagine how you must be feeling right now - I remember all too well!
Take care,
Amy
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