Interstitial Cystitis Advice

Quintessentially there are certain symptoms of interstitial cystitis which are found in the vast majority of people who have this complex bladder condition. Just as with many medical ailments, it is standard that a set of symptoms are present in order for a disease/illness to be considered present in a patient. In the world of IC the primary symptoms which are experienced include urinary frequency, urinary urgency, pain (of the bladder and in some people also other areas such as the lower abdomen, pelvic/ suprapubic area, lower back, urethra, perineal area, and in men, in the penis and scrotum), a burning or stinging feeling when you urinate, and pain which is associated with the act of having sex (during love making, afterwards, or both). In the following article we'll further describe each of these respective IC symptoms, as well as look at others which occur in some, but not all, cases of interstitial cystitis.

Firstly, it is important to point out that several medical conditions can present symptoms which are very similar to - and in a few cases almost indistinguishable from (based on a verbal explanation of a patient's symptoms alone) - IC itself. Perhaps the closest "symptom cousin condition" to IC is a urinary tract or bladder infection (UTI). However, the key factor which sets IC apart from a UTI is that an infection which is caused by bacteria, whereas IC has not been found to conclusively be linked to any type of bacterial agent (and as it logically follows, in the vast majority of cases, people do not find that their IC improves at all when they take antibiotic medication).

Upon the initial development of IC, many patients understandably believe that they are suffering from a bladder infection (perhaps even more so for those ICers with a past history of re-occurring or chronic UTIs) and usually see one or more doctors in the hope of having a UTI diagnosed and subsequent antibacterial (antibiotic) medication prescribed for their suspected infection. In reality however, IC itself does show up as a bacterial infection when urine tests are carried out, and as such, these types of tests come back negative for an infection (do note that it is possible to have IC and a UTI at the same time). Some people find that UTIs cause them more frequency than IC does, or that it causes them to have blood in their urine more easily. Neither of these factors are enough though to say that a person has a UTI and not IC, as frequency is a hallmark symptom of IC, and in some cases ICers (who are not suffering from any type of overlapping kidney or urinary tract infection) also report having blood in their urine (theoretically this may be the result of having an incredibly raw and injured inner bladder lining, which is known as the bladder's glycosaminoglycan or "GAG" layer). If a UTI test comes back negative some doctors will still prescribe antibiotic medications (which makes little to no sense in all actuality), perhaps because they think that a slight infection is present and that it's just not showing up in their tests. Unfortunately for many with IC who have found themselves in this situation, not only do the antibiotics do nothing to help their IC symptoms, but some people also feel that these drugs ultimately increase their IC symptoms and further lessen the health of their bladder.

If a patient does not test positive for a UTI, it is wise that the doctor (and certainly the patient if he or she is already aware of what the medical condition interstitial cystitis is) either carry out further testing on their own or that they refer the patient to a urologist or gynourologist (a gynaecologist who also specializes in areas pertaining to the urinary system). If you are seeing a doctor who does not appear to want to help you further look into the root cause of your inexplicable bladder symptoms, it may be worth considering getting a second opinion or finding a new doctor (GP) entirely. The sad, stark reality is that for many of us with this perplexing condition, despite the seemingly obvious fact that if someone tests negative for a UTI, IC is a very probably condition to investigate next, we often see many (many!) doctors and specialists, undergo scores of tests/surgeries and continue to suffer needlessly before we are diagnosed as actually having interstitial cystitis.

However, simply because a person who tests negative for the presence of a UTI this does not mean that she or he actually has IC. There are several other solid medical reasons why a person can experience IC-like symptoms or other urinary related problems. It is also a good idea to keep in mind that a patient can also have IC plus any number of other bladder related medical problems, which can make a formal diagnosis of any one condition - let alone multiples - all the more difficult. Some of the conditions which can exhibit similar symptoms to IC (and for which IC is sometimes misdiagnosed as being) include: