Not sure if I have IC

[CA girl]

Hi All,

I've been reading this message board for over a month now. I'm finally able to get in to see my GYN on Wednesday (she's canceled on me twice). This place has kept me sane while I've been waiting for my appt!

About my symptoms: Started getting UTIs in my teens - bacterial and at times symptoms with no bacteria. The UTIs would occur once a year or maybe twice a year. I'm 36 now, and over the past three-four years I've been getting the symptoms every few months and the flares are taking longer to clear. I had a terrible flare a few years ago (frequency, pain during urination). My doctor could not fit me in so she sent me to the lab without exam. She said my urinalysis showed no bacteria, but my urine was very acidic. She suggested reducing my acid.

I didn't bother reducing my acid because I could take Uristat for two days and be fine by the third or fourth day. However this is no longer the case. I started reducing acid back in May. I'm getting less burning (also using Prerelief for a month now) but I'm having terrible abdominal pains. Several days ago I felt like my urethra was on fire after it woke me in the night. However, the next morning I was fine again. Two days ago I felt like someone had hit me with a baseball bat between the legs and across the abdomen. The symptoms are somewhat different than what I am used to.

Sorry for the long post. I'm just scared, confused, anxious waiting for my appointment. Does what I have sound like IC or something else perhaps? One symptom I have that I do not see mentioned here is that I pass air bubbles from either my vagina or urethra (can't tell) many times throughout the day when I am in a flare.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

[Moad]

I'm not a doctor so I dont want to say yes or no. It does sound alot like it and what I know I experience. If you still dont get any clear answers from your Gyn. then I would recomend seeing a good urologist. they are more likely to be more educated in IC. atleast from what I here I dont havea urologist but m going to find one now. and I get ther air bubble thing too. not sure what its caused from but I know its annoying. and I have heard of others on here who exoerience that also. I have had IC for 9 years but still dont know as much as I should. just what I have learned on my own. this site has taught me alot. I know I wasnt much help but I do hope and will be praying you finnaly get a sure answer. so you can start working on feeling better.
Melody

[purpleviolet]

Try to stop this disease in its tracks - I would check out pelvic floor therapy before your muscles and nerves have a chance to have pain pathways ingrained in them. Take d-mannose and blueberries if you can to keep infections at bay. Maybe go to a good acupuncturist. It has been proven that they help the bladder avoid infections but getting it to empty better. Find out your food triggers. I didn't know any of this stuff years ago and the IC got too ingrained I think and too much damage was done. Don't allow sex to give you any infections - take low dose anti-biotics or herbs if you believe in them to. Maybe try cystoprotek or glucosamine/msm. Do everything you can that is not invasive first. PV