my theory

[mayray518]

I had only one bladder infection before I had IC. I had not had any pelvic surgeries of any kind and was in perfect health. The only thing I can relate to it was that my periods were getting lighter and my gyno told me I was going into perimenopause (I was 38 and this can last for a 10 year period). A month after that the IC came on. May have been a coincidence but it seems mine was related to lower estrogen levels.

[JessicainArkans]

I cannot say mine where do to estrogen levels ?? I was about 10 when I started having IC pains, sleeping with a heating pad every night with a mama worried I was going to burn the house down cause I left the @#$& thing on.
I personally think it has to do with immunities or lack of them.
Wish there where some answer, if we had that we might have a cure!

Much love,
Jessica Day:kiss:

[holles]

i wonder this too. i didn't start having any symptoms until i was doing a treatment that put me into temporary menopause. i was not allowed any estrogen replacement during that time. and that's when i started having difficulty urinating.

[sleepyangel30]

1. There maybe hidden bacteria 2. Could be unbalanced hormones 3. Injury to the bladder 4. Cells attacking themselve 5. Maybe toxtic sneaking into the bladder making it worse and 6. acid-alkali imbalance

[peiti]

Mayray518,

Your story sounded so much like mine. I only had one UTI before IC and responed so well to the antibiotics in two days. Never had surgeries before and was in good shape and good health (worked out 3-4 times a week). I did notice my periods were lighter (about 2-3 cycles) and then IC came suddenly. I can't remember the date, but I got up in the morning peeing every 10 minutes. From that day on, my journey of finding a cure has started.

[peiti]

One thing i forgot to mention in my last post. I don't know if my ic cause is related to hormone imbalance. I was 23 when IC started.

[makeyourday]

I think it is caused by Terrorist.

just kidding

[sleepyangel30]

speaking of terrorist, I have dreams about them often lol.

[hikeeba]

I'm in exactly the same boat. I never had any urinary problems of any kind, and one day I wake up peeing blood. Cipro knocks it out in three days, but I'm left with this constant abdominal pain, bloated feeling and feel like I have to pee whenever I lie down. Then more UTIs, and after each, symptoms are always worse.

My theories are:
a) hormone/ birth control pill issues (I also had short, light periods - practically nonexistant - because I was on the pill so long.), i
b) mmuno-disorder, probably involving the kidneys and
c) ex-boyfriend with a voodoo doll.

It's good to know I'm not the only one with the light-period tip-off. Hmmm....

Do you think it'll get better if I get a sex-change operation? I'm thinking I'd rather be a healthy short gay man than a sick straight woman. :D

[WendyLB]

I have had problems with what I thought was recurrent UTI all my life. A recent visit to a urologist has made me start doing a lot a research about IC. The one time in my life that I did not have any problems with my urinary tract was when I was pregnant. So maybe this is wrapped up in hormone balances.

[kirasieni]

I agree with the hormone theory. Mine started when I started taking bc. Then during my pregnancy it went into remission. Now as my periods are beginning to come back again with the IC.... I like the terrorist theory too though.

[kadi]

Mine started shortly after I stopped taking a birth control pill I'd been on for 10 years.

[kimberlee]

I think my IC was brought on by the stress my boyfriend put me through. Because he stressed me out so bad that I had to go see a counselor and then be put on sleeping pills and what not and then bam top it all off I have bladder infection, or what seems like bladder infection after bladder infection, then the doctor tells me i have ic. Most of my flares are because of stress i think the days that i have the most pain are the days that im most stressed out. So yea thats what i think caused mine

[Sharon]

My IC started at 25 after a bladder infection, the IC was mild, and I was in remission more often than not. Then in my late 30's my IC got much worse, at the same time I was experiencing hormone inbalances. My IC has been here to stay ever since. I wonder what menopause will bring.

[blue]

I only had two uti's my entire life!

[sedavis]

My IC started when I went off Hormone Replacement Therapy. You can bet I'm back on. I did have many UTI/s over the years but no IC symptoms until after menopause and stopping my HRT. I hope the docs are looking at this link. Sue

[crystilclear]

I had symptoms ever since I can remember. I was a sick child. I was always getting strep throat 5-10 times a year until 15 (stopped after I had my tonsils taken out), I had asthma, allergies seasonal and to medicines, reoccurant broncitus, frequency and pain, when I started my cycle early I had severe menstral pains. I think it could be immune or hormonal problems for me. I still can't keep my hormones in check. I can't take any type of birth control pills or the depo shot (they both give me horrendous side affects). It got really bad after my first child. I had some really bad kidney infections one that seriously nearly killed me. All the while the doctors were telling me it was from severe depression and emotional problems? Like it could cause the severity of pain I was experiencing. After many years and exhausted testing.... my hubby typed my symptoms into a search and got back IC. I have blamed my symptoms on so many things. I was told it all stemmed from PMS! I am so glad that we figured atleast part of the mystery out. I was given wierd looks and treated like a drugie because I was constantly complaining of pain and was off and on of T3 and other things before diagnosis. Crazy? Well atleast I have some progress and hope to find out more in the comming months from all the specialists that I am going to see. Hopefully there will be wisdom in this counsil of many and I will find something that works for me. I pray that we all will find relief from pain and get the treatments, support, and that all of our needs will be filled. Take care - Chris:)

[dancemomof2]

Mine started after laser surgery for endometriosis and a 6 month treatment of Lupron Depo, which puts you into menopause to give your body a rest from periods. So it is like a quick total horomone withdrawl. Interesting I never thought of it until this post that maybe the medication may have triggered it Thanks Mayray I wil ask URo about this theory.

[Lyn40]

I had a very normal childhood in terms of my bladder. My only problem was severe seasonal allergies (borderline asthma). I grew up on shots. I was on many doses of antibiotics until I had my tonsils removed at age 5.

As an adult, I had surgery to remove an ovarian cyst and a laparascopy & 2 vaginal births. My IC got started with a continuous viral infection, asthma, followed by hormonal changes with pain, and another laparascopy. I have always been a good eater (health conscious). My only sin is my love for chocolate. I am feeling a bit guilty about that one!

But all in all, who in the heck knows where this came from. I keep thinking it may someday leave me the same way it came......as a BIG MYSTERY! :hmm:

Lyn

[Daniel]

I'm a guy. I have always had low estrogen. What caused my I.C.?

[ICLori]

I think there may be many different diseases that all lead to the same result - IC symptoms.

Maybe some people have an autoimmune disease, like lupus or sjogrens that can lead to IC symptoms.

Maybe some people have a hidden bacterial infection that lingers.

Maybe some people have a back problem that causes nerve damage etc. that leads to IC symptoms.

Maybe some people have hormonal imbalances that lead to IC symptoms.

And maybe it's many other things, or none of the above, or....?

Blessings, Lori

[Annie2]

I had UTIs every few years beginning in my 20s. Never were they back-to-back and sometimes I went 4 or 5 years between infections. When I did have one, it was always severe but resolved after just a couple of days of ABs. No other bladder problems throughout my life. I had tremendous capacity and a healthy system. At 35 I started into a very early menopause. I was on HRT for many many years, did just fine and went longer times without UTIs. At 40 I had a hysterectomy (ovaries not removed). When I was 54, scary HRT reports caused many of us who had been using it to quit. Within and a few months of quitting, I had a very nasty UTI. IC symptoms began a few months later.

We know that, in women, estrogen helps maintain healthy urethral and bladder tissue. I am convinced that my urinary tract was vulnerable because I stopped HRT and had very low estrogen levels. That last pre-IC infection I had served as the trigger and the whole mess began. Stress and anxiety levels were also very high at the time and could well have contributed to the mix.

My line of thinking is it may take many pieces to create the full IC puzzle. If the last piece of the puzzle happens to fall in place with others already there, it serves as the "trigger" and completes the IC picture. I do like the terrorist theory, too, though. It probably doesn't help if there is a Blue Moon that month, either.

[haylee86]

i dont know what brought my ic on, but i have never had UTI's, but i used to stain by bladder a lot by not going to the toilet for along time. the birth control pills only had a affect on my moods so that didnt bring it on. but i have had ic for the last 3-4 years but i only got diagnosed in the last 2 months and my doc put me on steriod injections to make my bladder walls stop bleeding. the worst thing is that my doc told me that i have it really bad. which sucks!!!!!

[darlene]

I think we all have genetic defects. If APF is a flawed protein, we need flawed genes to provide a blueprint for it's production. The trigger to start the process may vary from person to person. For some it might be a UTI, for others it might be pelvic trauma of any kind.

[fireflicker285]

Wow. Who knows. I have always been prone to inflammation and allergies.....