What is Interstitial Cystitis? Diet for Interstitial Cystitis

Interstitial cystitis is a condition that many people do not even know exists. This includes gynecologists, general care physicians, and others. I came to learn about interstitial cystitis in the least desirable way, by coming to the realization that I have the condition.

Interstitial cystitis is a condition of the bladder lining, in which the interior wall of the bladder contains holes or gaps and is easily irritated or becomes inflamed by particular foods and beverages. Is it something that someone is born with? I have no idea, but as of April this year I began battling myself and doctors in the search for what was plaguing my urinary system. I went to a walk-in clinic three times with symptoms of a severe bladder infection, two of the three times they confirmed that I had a severe infection and I was treated with antibiotics. The third time, however, I was told that there was no sign of a bladder infection and that they couldn't help me except for to refer me to a specialist (an urologist).

Before going to a urologist, I decided to ask my ob/gyn about the issues I had been encountering with my bladder. She basically told me that she had no idea what my problem was and to just "give it another week and it should go away". I asked her if she knew anything about Interstitial Cystitis and that I thought that this was what my problem was and her response was, "I've never heard of Interstitial Cystitis".

The problem with getting a diagnosis with IC (interstitial cystitis) is that most people, even doctors, are not aware that it exists or even what causes it or how to cure it. The speculation is that one out of every four women lack a certain type of immunity cell within their bladder and urinary system, which means that they are not as protected from contracting infections as other women. Eventually after so many infections, the bladder and urinary tract becomes weakened and the inner lining even becomes injured, so to speak. Obviously if you have holes in the lining of your bladder anything is bound to irritate your urinary system.

This is what is happening to me, though I can't prove that I have interstitial cystitis yet. I am going back to the urologist for IC testing. The only way to get a firm diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis is to have a cystoscopy performed by a doctor to determine the damage to the inside of your bladder. Most urologists try to avoid doing cystoscopies on your first visit, as it is uncomfortable and sometimes painful. But this is the only way for a firm diagnosis of IC.

Unfortunately, once you've received the diagnosis, there's not a whole that can be done as far as getting rid of Interstitial Cystitis. Interstitial Cystitis is not a disease, it's a condition at this point and many foods and beverages can cause pain for the person with IC. Take it from me, I've found out the painful way.

So what does it feel like to have Interstitial Cystitis? It is like having a bladder infection all of the time. Pain and burning upon urination, increased frequency of urination, and cramps in one's bladder and urinary system in general. Diet is a large factor related to the levels of pain in people with IC.

In order to prevent pain from Interstitial Cystitis, one must experiment with her diet and change her diet as needed. Most of the items that cause the most pain for people with IC include all things acidic (which unfortunately are some of my most favorite foods to have in my diet):

• coffee
• tea
• tomatoes (which means anything sauce with tomatoes or juice, etc.)
• orange juice
• grapefruit juice
• citrus fruits and correlating juices
• wine
• spicy foods

The list could go on longer, depending on each person's specific pains. You have to experiment. Try out a food for a day and see if your pain is escalated, take it away the next and see if your pain is reduced. That is how you will find out what makes your IC pain worse and what you can rid from your diet or reduce from your diet in order to reduce your IC pain. I've found that while red wine will absolutely kill me the next day, white wine isn't as bad. I can have one cup of coffee, sometimes up to two cups of coffee, but if I drink more than two cups a day, I am destined to be in pain that evening.

It's all about moderation and finding what works for you and your IC and what doesn't. Drinking a good amount of water every day will lessen the IC pain substantially. I've also found with my IC that using the bathroom more frequently, while the process can be painful, ultimately reduces the prolongation of the IC pain.

Again, I'm hoping that IC is not my diagnosis and that it's something that can be fixed, but at this point, I'm 99.9% sure that IC is what I have. While it's not the worst thing in the world, it is something that one must get used to and deal with. Diet is an important part of managing one's Interstitial Cystitis.