Chlorine and IC

[Sheila6830]

I can't believe I am just now connecting my IC pain, flares and diagnosis with chlorine and swimming pools.

We had pools my whole life growing up and I was constantly in them. Then, as an adult I have had 2 pools. It seems I get flares only in the summer months and usually the frequency and urgency start very quickly after having been in the pool. Last year, as an attempt to be able to swim in my pool, we converted it to a salt water system, but that hasn't worked. About a month ago I was in the pool for a few hours and my poor bladder hasn't been the same since.

I was in the pool over the past few weeks and I have been burning and in terrible pain.

I think I am going to test out my theory and quit the pool. It takes so long to get my bladder healthy again after a flare and infection.

I just wonder if chlorine can cause bladder and stomach cancer, it seems possible that it could be the cause of my IC.

[Claredale]

I too have been around pools my entire life. I don't remember associating chlorine with my flares, but we quit using the strong chlorine system several years ago. We use the Nature II system. Since we are empty nesters now, we don't use our pool much. It's mainly used by our dog and the few times my younger son comes home and wants friends to come over. Which of course will be next weekend. I am trying to get myself excited about a pool full of kids which is hard since hubby and I are so used to a quiet house these days! No soda cans everywhere and definitely no wet towels thrown all over the place!

But I happen to swim in a hotel pool a couple of weeks ago and I believe it gave me a UTI. I never tested positive at my doctor's office which was probably because of being on Prosed which can mess with the results, but I used the AZO strips after I quit taking the Prosed for a few days and it came out purple immediately. I was able to take some red OTC pills that my pharmacist recommended since every time I am on an antibiotic, my Eczema flares. After about 4 days I finally quit feeling like a 4 year old that had to pee and couldn't stay still. If it was really an UTI, it was my 2nd one ever. I am going to a friends house tomorrow to swim but she has a salt water system in her pool and it never bothers me. We are changing to salt water whenever we replace our pool pump. I absolutely love the way it makes my skin feel. The salt water converts the water to chlorine (I don't even try to pretend I know how it works) but I have swam in Susan's pool several times with no problems. I just learned from a few weekends ago which I really knew, that I can't swim in public pools since the chlorine is always higher than I am used to. I was only in that pool at the hotel for maybe 15 minutes. Unless I ate something I shouldn't have, which I can't think of, it was the chlorine in the pool.

[turnaround]

I actually believe that chlorine caused my IC. I have never had any urinary problems until the time about 3 years ago, when I started swimming every morning before work, at the local gym. It started out mildly, when I would urinate after the swim, my urine felt hot. And then I started having uti symtoms, which would be treated by er as infections, although after the cultures, would be negative. I finally got an IC diagnosis after my symptoms went through the roof. Once I stopped swimming, my symptoms improved dramatically. Although I still flare, I stay away from chlorine and truly believe it's the chlorine that caused my IC.

[Maxeeeeene]

I seem to be sufffering from a vitamin c deficiency since I can't eat fruit. And vitamin c vitamins are out--as are multis. Anyone have any suggestions. Also, I thought watermelon would be okay and I just ate a ton of it, but I'm flaring now so I think it might be the watermelon. Great. Anyone flare from watermelon?

Thanks.

[ICNDonna]

I can swim with no problem as long as the pool isn't clorinated. What I can't do is to sit around in a wet swimsuit --- so immediately after swimming, I head for the bathroom to urinate, then put on dry clothes.

Donna