Newbie here...

[heidicurl]

Hi My name is Heidi :hi: and I was just diagnosed with IC and am trying to learn as much about it as possible. I'll start my story in the begining when I was little(2 or 3) I started having bladder problems my mom always gave me showers and I never had things like Orange juice. When I was a teen I went through phases of horrible abdominable pain and not really being able to eat much at all. After I had my two boys I was diagnosed with a prolapsed uterus and bladder. I had a hyst 2 years ago but was able to keep my ovaries but still had pain off and on. After the surgery my stubborn bladder refused to "restart" and I was stuck with a catheter for 6 weeks, in and out and all the excruciating pain that went with every try. Since puberty I have had what I thought were either chronic yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis but surprisingly no one could diagnose as either one and usually time would heal me (if I had only known then what I know now). So that brings us up to this year I start having very accute pains on my left side which I attributed to my bladder being sensitive and was later found to have three cysts growing on my ovaries. My *%$#@@ old GYN wanted to remove my ovaries (did I mention Im only 27) so I found a new one!

Ive now been diagnosed with IC started the diet a week ago and on Elmiron 3x a day and Vesicare 1x a day.
So I guess my question is when does it get better? Is this truly a life long condition or is there hope for us ICers?

Oh yeah and is folic acid one to avoid or an acceptable acid?

Thanks
Peace and Love
Heidi :smile tee

[mlzippy7]

Hello Heidi,
I wanted to say :welcome: to the ICN. I am so sorry that you have IC and it sounds like you have been through a lot.
I hope you can find the information you need here.
WELCOME!

[crazy_beautiful]

Hi I am new too, but not to good ole IC.. there are several medictions they can try, its all about getting the right combination. you might get lucky and these help you right away.
I no noting about the diet because thingss on it can flair me :(

[leelee88]

:hi:And :welcome:to the ICN.. I am glad you found us..

I know when you have been first Dx that is the worse. Because this is such a confusing disease. But If you just keep reading and be your own advocate about IC you will be able to get back to a more normal life. Because the is life after IC.

Have you read the Patient Handbook? There is SO much information in there can help you! Here's the link.
http://www.ic-network.com/handbook/

Also I have found that drinking lots of water really helps, but I only drink filtered water or sring water. Other bottled water can have additives in them. The IC diet also seems to play an important roll in my IC. But we are all differant. I hope you start getting some results on your meds. Please do not get to dicouraged about Elmiron it can take months for it to kick in..

I wish the the best, and please know we are here for you!

[SharonA]

:welcome: to the ICN... :)

There is so much room for hope with this disease. Just because we have it does not mean that there is not any help. Take a look at the Patient Handbook (leelee gave you the link). In it, you will find a lot of information about what is available to help with symptoms. The IC Diet has given many of our number a lot of relief...Me included. By finding out that there are foods/drinks that caused my symptoms to increase, I was able to decreased many of them. Give the Diet time to work. Your bladder needs to calm down for a while. That can take several weeks.

I have been diagnosed since August 2001. I can truthfully say that I feel so much better today than I did back then. So yes, even though there is not a cure for IC right now, there is hope, there is help, and you stand a very good chance that, once you find the right meds/treatments for you, you will feel better, too.

It can take from 6 to 12 months for you to feel the full effects of Elmiron.

I take Folic Acid everyday. Have done that for years with out problems. Here is some information on it:


Folic Acid

Also called: Folacin, Folate, Pteroylglutamic acid, Vitamin B9

Folic acid is a B vitamin. It helps the body make healthy new cells. Everyone needs folic acid. For women who may get pregnant, it is really important. When a woman has enough folic acid in her body before and during pregnancy, it can prevent major birth defects of her baby's brain or spine.

Foods with folic acid in them include leafy green vegetables, fruits, dried beans, peas and nuts. Enriched breads, cereals and other grain products also contain folic acid. If you don't get enough folic acid from the foods you eat, you can also take it as a dietary supplement.

National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements



:) :) :) :) :)

[TaraTX]

You've found the right place. It does feel very overwhelming at first when you are diagnosed with an "uncurable disease". It sounds like your life is over...but it's not. You will always have IC, but hopefully you find the combination of medicine and diet that works for you. It's hard but once you accept the disease, do all the research you can so that you are educated about what is happening to you. Good Luck, and don't give up! We are here when you need us!