Sex question for all the ICer's

[pburghippie]

Is there any ICers that have no problem in the love making department? I was diagnosed with IC about 2 weeks ago, and was just wondering if this was always an issue?
Thanks for reading my comment!!
Brittiany

[icgennifer]

Is there any ICers that have no problem in the love making department? I was diagnosed with IC about 2 weeks ago, and was just wondering if this was always an issue?
Thanks for reading my comment!!
Brittiany

Hi Brittiany,

I was recently diagnosed too-

I have been intimate with my BF one time since diagnosis.. I don't think it cause a flare but it did cause a UTI. Im going to ask my URO for antibiotics to take after intercourse.

[kablois]

I doubt there are many with NO problems whatsoever and I can only speak from personal experience,but there are phases when I can engage in active love-making without flaring my IC and others when I can't. It is easy to get very down about the effects of IC on intimacy and I have shed my fair share of tears, but am learning to take each day as it comes and there are good ones and I can still have great sex! I think it's important not to get paranoid about it flaring you, and avoid sex even when you're feeling OK, because it really doesn't always happen. I have also noticed that if I take Tramadol an hour or so before, it really helps with post-coital discomfort and urethral inflammation (but it makes climaxing harder, as do a few of the other IC drugs like Atarax (amytriptiline). It also helps to be TOTALLY honest with your partner. Good luck!

[crazy_beautiful]

sometimes I have pain and sometimes I don't during sex. After sex, I usually get a flair and it burns when I pee.

[Natsy]

I am sorry to have to say that I get bad flares from intercourse. Not always, but quite often - they last for days unfortunately. (On the positive side, I'm not as sensitive to dietary factors as some people).

I thought there were some great tips on this site about trying to minimise the risk of flares from intercourse. (Under 'Romance and Intimacy' under the 'Patients' section on the main page).

Take care

Natalie

[traceann]

I never had any real trouble with sex, but would sometimes feel as if we'd had very um, 'vigorous' sex, afterwards. When I was in a flare, hubby and I avoided it. Like around the time of diagnosis for me, I was in one long huge flare, so it was a couple months that we skipped intercourse - but once things started calming down, we eased back into things and for me all was fine. ;) I did learn that when I took "precautions" like, Uristat or AZO Standard beforehand to just be safe, that it turns more than just your urine orange, lol. Hubby and I had a few laughs out of that one, lol!!! :biglaugh:

[aleet7]

Is there any ICers that have no problem in the love making department? I was diagnosed with IC about 2 weeks ago, and was just wondering if this was always an issue?
Thanks for reading my comment!!
Brittiany

I wonder if it matters if you have PFD also. But I had my first symptom after intercourse. Sometimes I get flares from sex and sometimes I don't. I think it depends on position and if I plan for it then I don't have problems with it. I have PFD and my muscles are very tight so I often times get pain with intercourse.

Best Wishes,
Aleet7

[MiLynn]

So far, my experience has been like Traceanns. I don't have pain and I don't flare, but I do get sore easily. But sex scared me a lot after diagnosis (I had really bad flares, which led to diagnosis (in Feb), that happened after sex) so we are just starting to get back into a "normal" sex life (about once a week to two weeks).

[krisillis]

Sex for me is SSSSOOOO not comfortable. Foreplay can be fun but the last time I had a role in the hay I ended up in the hospital with a 4 day flare.

Christine

[pburghippie]

Thanks everybody for the great comments!!! Right Now, Sometimes after sex it burns when I pee. I do realize that it is a big difference on how we are positioned. Not to sound weird... But I feel like I have little to no flare with me being on top. I hope and pray with keeping a good Diet and taking my meds, I can keep this IC under control and not let it take over my life.

Thanks Again
Brittiany

[Maddy487]

Hey I just wanted to let you know that I have had IC for about 6 years but was recently diagnosed. I used to have pain during sex a few years ago but I've had a steady bf for almost a year now and I never have pain during sex anymore. I do tend to pee 1-3 times after sex and every once in a while I have to interrupt during to pee but he's very understanding about it and that rarely happens. Everyone is different is the bottom line.

[aleet7]

Sex for me is SSSSOOOO not comfortable. Foreplay can be fun but the last time I had a role in the hay I ended up in the hospital with a 4 day flare.

Christine


OMG you ended up in the hospital? That was one awful flare! Maybe that's why I'm so scared to even initiate sex because I don't know if it will lead to a flare or not! The fear of a flare is always in my mind so I don't mention anything about sex because of my fear!

I read from one poster that her PT told her to always have foreplay before or she could have painful intercourse because of the position of her cervix(I hope I said that right). We hardly ever have foreplay(my hubby is a wham bam thank you mam sort of guy)! Does it make a difference if you lubricate before sex for you or not? I asked that because the last time he woke me up at 4 am and there was no lubrication, I had a flare from it(I'm on my 3rd week in this flare)!

Thanks,
Aleet7

[jen74]

I also cannot tolerate sex since this disease. My hubby and I have not had intercourse for over a year. There are other things you can do to be intimate with each other and to keep each other happy. I am pretty lucky, my hubby is really understanding with this whole mess of a disease. I hope you can get some relief.
Jen

[aleet7]

I also cannot tolerate sex since this disease. My hubby and I have not had intercourse for over a year. There are other things you can do to be intimate with each other and to keep each other happy. I am pretty lucky, my hubby is really understanding with this whole mess of a disease. I hope you can get some relief.
Jen
I take my hat off to you and your hubby for being so understanding:bow:! My husband is very sweet but he's not that understanding! I remember having a gall bladder attack and my husband was steamed at me because he thought I was making excuses to get out of being intimate(I ended up in the hospital on demerol that night:rolleyes:) He says that he's understanding but he puts me on a guilt trip. That's why I told my doc that I needed to be able to have sex so she wrote me a script for Ultram just to take before having sex!
At my last PFT my therapist told me that one of her patients hadn't had intercourse for 5 years! I felt so bad when I heard that! I agree, there are other ways to keep each other happy, I need to try them sometime!:smile tee

[sickofmybladder]

After physical therapy for PFD - I do not experience pain (normally) during sex - but I do have flares afterwards that can last from 1 day to 4 days. I never attempt to have sex if I'm already hurting. Unfortunately - this is a big issue for alot of ICers - however, try not to get discouraged. There are some wonderful tips floating around this board - and definately discuss with your doctor to see if he/she can give you something to help out.

[jen74]

I have to say that I do miss having sex with my hubby and I know he misses it too, but we are honestly happy without it as well. Like I said, there are other ways to be intimate (hugging,kissing, touching), Ok, I wont go too far into that, but you know what I mean:)
I asked my hubby last night if he was ever mad because I cannot have sexual intercourse since this horrid disease and his answer was "no, he said that he would not even think of having sex with me if it was going to cause me pain" He said he loves me too much and why would he be mad." I guess I am very lucky, which is one reason I thank God every day for giving me such a great husband. I do really miss being intimate though. Even for me, if I get sexually aroused, I get pain down there. It is so unfair. But again, we have to remember, marraige is a whole lot more than just rolling around in the sack.
Jen

[aleet7]

Wow Jen,
you are so right, marriage is a whole lot more than just sex! That's why I wished that more men were understanding if we couldn't be intimate everytime his testosterone called for it! My therapist told me about several patients of hers that have split up because of this! I told my husband and he asked why did I mention it to him. He assured me that he would never leave because I couldn't be intimate everytime. I really didn't tell him that for his response, I just wanted to tell him how sad it is when a man leaves his wife over sex! I could understand infidelity but because it causes her pain?

Anyway, It's great that you have an understanding hubby, mine just isn't that understanding! He would say that he is but I can tell when he pouts and get's quiet on me over it(you know your husband after being married 24 years)!
Aleet