Sexually Transmitted?

[NB]

I was just wondering because alot of us got it after becoming intimate with a new partner, including myself. I'm aware this isn't the way it started for all of us. Maybe IC is a multitude of unknown things. It's probably one of those diseases that in a 100 years people will look back on us now and say "can you believe they just thought it was that?!"

I was sexually active before my current partner. And when i started seeing him two years ago we became intimate pretty soon after. And then i got a wicked vaginal/bladder infection. And wasn't recieving proper treatment for 4 and a half months and so it lasted that long. Then i got a URO and he cleared it up. Then i just had symptoms without any infection ever since.

[rnewman]

Interesting...
I was diagnosed after being really sexually active. HOwever I had NO UTI or infections and still have not. (Thank goodness!!! wink.gif )

I also havent been sexually active in years now and havent seen any resolution....

BUT I have thought along the same lines...I also thought it had something to do with me starting the pill but I dont take that anymore either.

I think that there are many, many etiologies of IC. For example: allergy, neurological, autoimmune, etc. I think for everyone its different too. For me I think its allergy and perhaps a collagen disorder...Im still looking into that one. BUT your thoughts are intersting and entirely possible.....

Yeah, i think in 20 years they will look back and be like "huh? what were those nuts thinking??" watch its simple and right under our noses...or belly buttons for that matter....
Rachel

[lm2]

I didn't know that was how it started for a lot of people. However, I think that myself. A lot of people seem resistant to that idea though. Personally it really freaks me out. I feel like I'm being punished. And I was hardly promiscuous. Wish I would have just gotten a "regular" STD. I had a really weird infection that also wasn't treated properly.

Rachel did it start for you after being with someone knew? I wasn't sure what you meant in your post.

[Teri]

I don't believe for 2 seconds that that is how IC starts. I was very promiscuous and the IC was there WAY before sex entered my life, infact, it entered my life before I even knew what sex was rolleyes.gif

[rnewman]

Knew him....thought I knew him.....

Was the most amazing relationship of my life but was ended upbruptly. Its been quite some time...about three years, and I am fine and we actually talk now and again. I never thought of this as a sexually transmitted infection. I was in love with him, knew him well, and he was only the second person I was ever with-and have been with. But then again the end sucked and I was surprised with the way he acted...anyway, I always thought of it as a syndrome. I suppose Sexually Transmitted is possible. I think that if this was indeed an "infection" though, it would have more symptoms (haha! You say thats not possible??) I mean like fever, etc...well I guess just fever. Other things- nausea, fatigue, we have.... <img src="graemlins/lmao.gif" border="0" alt="[lmao]" />

I think tommorow I am going to go running into the Hospital of The University of Pennsylvania and say "IM a nurse practitioner student with IC.....TEST ME WITH ANYTHING YOU CAN!!!!"
<img src="graemlins/scream.gif" border="0" alt="[scream]" />
I never had any infections though....but I guess we never know. Im gonna try to investigate it, as always im intrigued.

Elm, I still dont want you to think you brought this upon yourself. Sometimes things happen despite all safety precautions taken...and that goes for anything (drive with your seatbelt sober and wide awake, look both ways before you cross the street....things can happen despite.)This does not make you a bad or less conciencious person. Its just a new part of life. So so so SOOO cliche- but as my mother says:
Wherever you go, whatever you do, there will allways be someone healthier/faster/better off than you and someone moreill/slower/worse off than you. Get used to it and be thankful for what you've got.

She said it when I was sick...she said it when I was on the swim team and always came in third...she says it now about life in general. I never liked the statement too much..but it sure is true!!!

Sending healing wishes hoping you feel better wink.gif
Rachel

Rachel

[Gaby7]

I still think that IC is a result of some initial attack on the bladder that damages the lining. In some cases, a sexually transmitted bacteria or virus, in others, perhaps some sort of physical trauma (via surgury, perhaps even pap smear).

In any case, I do think there is a precipitating factor, whatever it may be.

Gaby

[ICNDonna]

One reason I seriously doubt the STD theory is that small children do get IC --- like Teri said --- before they even know about sex.

Donna

[NB]

No No! I'm not saying all of us have an STD. See we have to get out of this thinking that we all have the same thing. I'll explain.

IC is a labeled term to describe maybe a 100 different things wrong with our bladders, and each of us having something different or maybe not. Alot of us have different symptoms. And i'm not saying that having different symptoms means that we each have something different.
BUT there are groups of us that have totally different things going on down there and the most common factor between all of us is our symptoms.
It's just like saying the bladder is sick. That leaves endless possibilities. I know that some of you have had this since you were kids, so of course i didn't mean you guys have this as a result of sex.
A LITTLE SIDE NOTE:
AND if it is a STD for some of us, it doesn't make us gross. The most careless, and careful people still get them. ALl different types of people get them, premiscious or not.

And this is just ONE LITTLE possibility i was thinking. I don't even know.

[rnewman]

NB I think you touched upon what I was trying to and you said it much better than I.....


IC is a syndrome, which mean it encompasses MANY things and has MANY etiologies. Thats why I mentioned neuropathic in origen, autoimmune in origen, etc etc.

I suppose if you think of it this way, an STI (as they are now being called....just so you all know, the "technical" terms have officially changed, the CDC now calls them sexually transmitted infections <img src="graemlins/lmao.gif" border="0" alt="[lmao]" /> ) Im sure there is an organism out there that could affect GAG layers in some...for others, there are no hunners ulcers and perhaps then its neurologic...etc. etc.

For now, Im onto this collagen disorder thing.
Anyone else feel this way??
Rachel

[Mark (Male IC website admin)]

This is a religious issue <img src="graemlins/lmao.gif" border="0" alt="[lmao]" />

Lots of different triggers may lead to a final pathway, is my Zen comment.

[IC all my life]

I believe there may be more than one cause for IC so perhaps there could be a STI version of it, but I first started having IC symptoms at age 2 when starting potty training.

[lm2]

Rachel thanks for your reply. I'm so embarrassed, I just re-read my post, and it was a typo - I meant to say "new" not "knew" so I hope it didn't sound like I was asking if you were with sleeping with a stranger or anything... wink.gif