sigh. does anybody else flare from smoke?

[itzbezzy]

i swear, i'm going out of my mind. i'd be able to deal with ic a bit better if it were only my fault i got flares (ie i ate something i shouldn't have) but i'm at the end of my rope because i get flares from environmental hazards i can't control. my biggest, #1 flare causer is smoke- not cigarette smoke, i can tamp that out if i take preliefs. i'm talking about woodsmoke, or smoke from fireplaces and chimneys, or even if you burn something in the oven. if i breathe it for more than 10 minutes (even with prelief) i feel like i've got razorblades in my pee bag for a week straight. it makes me want to (and does make me) cry, just to feel like such a prisoner. i can't go outside anymore because if someone has a fire going, i'm a gonner. i love camping and outdoor events but now i can't have anything to do with them because of smoke. it's something you never think about until it's there and hurting you, and here i am, trapped in my house because my IC has been going strong and showing no signs of going away (like it did 4 years ago...it had completely gone away by now last time i'd had it this long) and just...ugh. i hate being held hostage to things i can't control :mad: :headbang: :help:


so...am i the only one?

[kadi]

Have you tried Atarax for your IC? It's an antihistamine that a lot of IC patients have had success with. You might be flaring from smoke due to allergy.
I notice that when the air is very poor quality (smog) that my IC will often act up. (I can't take Atarax, it makes my heart pound, but this is what my doctors have suggested when I've mentioned environmental triggers, like pollen, mold, smog.)
Hope you find something that helps!

[ICNDonna]

Smoke usually doesn't bother me unless it's tobacco smoke, which burns my nostrils horribly. I can't even stand to walk by the smokers who loiter around the doors to stores. I'm so glad that smoking isn't allowed in most public buildings here.

Donna