hi i'm new here

[lauram]

I was just diagnosed with IC two weeks ago after a year of symptoms. I started the elimination diet and Elmiron today, so we'll see how that works out. It's weird to read how many young women there are on the board, I feel like the only 21 year old with these type of problems at UCLA. I've also experienced similar symptoms with alcohol that I read about on other threads, it actually seems to improve my symptoms. I was wondering if anyone had any advice about dealing with flares around my period. it's the only time of the month that my pelvic pain increases above ignorable and I'm already on birth control. It almost feels like there is acid in my bladder when it gets like this. Any tips or do I just have to ride it out? Ok that's all for now, I'm sure I'll be back for more diet questions. Thanks for your tips.

[traceann]

Hi lauram! Here's a few self helps that I have depended on many times... if one didn't work, I'd just work my way through them, lol!!

Heating pad/Thermacare Heat Patches: I now have a heating pad with an auto shut-off so if I do fall asleep with it one, I am safe. The heat patches are wonderful for when your heating pad isn't feasible - like for travel or sleeping. Heat was my number one friend for my bladder!!!!

Cold pack/frozen water bottle: For the vulvar pain and for my urethral spasms cold worked the best. Depending on what was going on all urethral or all clitoral/vulvar etc, I would use either one. The frozen water bottle is fantastic for putting between your legs, it fits perfectly. (I discovered this trick on a horrible car trip, that the water my hubby bought me, when I held it between my legs my urethra calmed right down!) I would even half sit on it -- straddling it. It helped sooo much!!

Prelief tablets: These are tablets you can buy in your drugstore or online that help to reduce the acid in foods. You take them right before you eat. They have helped me to expand my diet and tolerate some things I wouldn't normally be able to tolerate. I get them at my local Rite Aid, I spend anywhere between 8-10 dollars on them, and that's for a bottle of 120. It's just basically a calcium supplement, but it's wonderful.

Baking Soda/Tums: If I had eaten something that did not like me, I would drink 1/2 -1 tsp of baking soda in a big glass of water. Tastes yucky but helps neutralize things, even used to help with my urethral spasms. But be careful with it if you have salt-sensitive health issues... Also eating a couple of Tums can help as well. I usually use that trick for travel than the baking soda in water.

Uristat/AZO Standard: These two are over-the-counter Pyridium. Basically an analgesic for your bladder/urethra. It numbs things up quite nicely, and they had helped me immensely with urgency and frequency problems! But, they are for short-term use only, it's not a regular every day thing. I think the directions say not to use more than 2 days in a row. I talked to my doctor and got the go ahead to dose more than it stated, but you do have to talk to your doc if you want to use it more often. Apparently from what I have read and understand, is, it can build up in your kidneys and cause problems. And it also makes your urine orange, so make sure you have plenty of panty liners, because any little drip and you have stains!! LOL

Hope this helps a little bit and I hope you are feeling better soon!

Hugs!

[dancemomof2]

:welcome: Traceann gave the best suggestions! Feel free to ask away anytime.