IC and Anxiety Connection ???

**Tatianne** · 08-17-2008, 03:54 AM

Ive doing a lot of research on IC, and Im starting to wonder if there is a connection between IC, or painful bladder and anxiety and depression ??

Is there anyone who has anxiety, depression or high stress levels when they developed IC ?? Im just curious to see if theres a connection..

Thank you

***kadi*** · 08-17-2008, 05:15 AM

I've had anxiety & stress issues from about the age of 10 on.... Depression in my twenties. IC at age 35 to present. My mom has had anxiety & stress for most of her life & she has IC also.

Some researchers have speculated that anxiety, panic attacks are on the same gene as the vulnerability to IC.

vm · 08-17-2008, 05:39 AM

I bet you'd like this article from here at the ICN, Tatianne:

http://www.ic-network.com/clinicaltr...ngton1202.html

**leelee88** · 08-17-2008, 07:15 AM

I was Dx with IC right after a very stressful time in my life. So I do believe there is some sort of connection.

**Tatianne** · 08-17-2008, 08:32 AM

I was just going thro a very stressful time myself and I am diagnosed with a anxiety disorder...i had intercourse two days before this started with an ex that i had just ended the relationship with..it caused a stir of great emotions inside of me and then 24 hours later the symptoms hit me of UTI along with cycles of anxiety attacks..Im not saying that its in our heads, Im thinking it might be our bodies physical reaction to over load of stress, as stress can do with so many things in our bodies.

Thanks for sharing...I really feel for myself I need to get a hold of the mind things that are causing the physical symptoms in my body.

Thanks again girls, love this site !

**jen74** · 08-17-2008, 08:47 AM

I have to say that I developed the IC first and then the depression and anxiety followed.
Jen

Paininthe*.* · 08-17-2008, 08:53 AM

I've never felt depressed in my life...until I got IC 3 yrs ago. Now when I flare, I find it hard to be optimistic.

**bigred** · 08-17-2008, 11:34 AM

I have battled depression more than once. I think it for me comes when I have alot to do and can't feel like I can get it all done.

**NewLife** · 08-17-2008, 11:59 AM

I don't know if I was clinically depressed as I was never evaluated by a psychiatrist and never took any depression medication, but I did go through a series of devastating family events over a 3-year period immediately before I was diagnosed and I also started a business, which was very stressful, in the same month as when my IC symptoms became continuous. Every time I stress out about something, I get a flare. For me, this disease definitely appears to be stress-related.

**Charisse** · 08-17-2008, 03:42 PM

My first ever twinge of IC pain came on suddenly during my great grandmother's funeral. I don't think it's any coincidence.

**ddscrazy** · 08-17-2008, 03:57 PM

Wow, I have always thought that IC was stress related and now after reading all the replies to this thread,know that their is a connection.Was dx after my whole family passed away in 3 years and had abad breakup.Boyfriend feels very regretfull and responsible for my dx.Women are such stress conducter's!!!!!!

Thanks for all of the info,I too love this site!!!
Hugs
Diana

**amaranthe** · 08-17-2008, 06:45 PM

I have 2 very good friends I talk to regularly who I "met" here on the ICN. All of us have had the worst flares we have ever had as a direct result of stressful events in our lives at the time. (I am not talking about a day or even week long flare. I am talking about flares that were so bad that they were serious enough to require ER treatment or even hospitalization.

One friend went thru an extreme period of stress when she lost her job b/c she was fired when she had to miss alot of work b/c of IC. She got an attorney, the ADA, and her union involved and they were forced to take her back, but then made her life at work pure you know what! This resulted in her having to be hospitalized for retention where her pelvic muscles just locked up from the stress of it all! (She ended up leaviing there and getting a job elsewhere b/c the stress was tearing up her bladder and body so badly. She is now back in remission.)

Another one was going thru major marital problems with the prospect of divorce, losing her home, and kids b/c her ex was slandering her. She also had her pelvic floor lock up resulting in retention related to the stress. (She was in remission prior to that). However, after the retention episode, it jumped started her IC symptoms again and they came back with a vengence. Her symptoms were much worse than they had ever been. She was even vomiting and lost an extreme amount of weight due to the stress and not being able to eat hardly anything. (They ended up working things out, and once that stress was removed, her IC was managable again on her normal "maintenace" levels of meds. However, during that time, her Dr had to add many other meds and increase the levels of her other ones, yet nothing seemed to help until the stress was removed.)

Lastly, I have also noticed a distinct correlation between my symptoms and stress level. When things are okay, my IC is managable with my 24 hour pain med and a minimal amount of breakthru meds. However, during periods of extreme stress, I have to go back on rescue instills, anti-anxiety meds, sleeping meds, anti-depressants, and numerous IC meds. I have also had boughts of retention during extremely situations and also have to take the max amount of my breakthru meds during those times to get my pain level under control. During those times, I have also been much more likely to get UTIs and other infections, and my SED rates have also always been high. I firmly believe that stress sets off the inflamatory process. Stress has been linked to high cortisol levels and they have been linked to inflammation.

So, yeah, I DEFINATELY believe that stress can affect our bodies in more ways than we will probobly ever understand! BTW, this is a great topic for a thread! It was interesting to read all the replies and the way it has effected IC in others.

**jen74** · 08-18-2008, 05:08 AM

I believe no doubt that stress can worsen your IC and cause a flare, that is for sure, but I honestly do not think it causes it. If that were the case, everyone would be walking around with this disease, or at least more than what there is.
Jen

**Trishann** · 08-19-2008, 09:02 AM

Speaking for myself IC has an emotional impact on one's life:

1. it affects our sleep
2. eating habit have to change
3. Losses: can't do the things you did before, finding new ways to do things.
4. People around you don't understand your illness.
5. Learning to accept oneself again as changes are made.

For me I believe stress and anxiety came when IC made a big impact on my life. The roller coaster of it all, but you can learn and make it alittle easier.

Trish

**Claredale** · 08-19-2008, 10:31 AM

I tend to believe that stress and anxiety can certainly be one of the denominators in what started my IC, but I have always believed and it my body has proven to me that stress and anxiety do impact my body in many different ways.

While growing up, I had plenty of times that I was stressed and my Ezcema would flare or I would end up with a migraine. I took on alot as a kid when I was growing up. I learned at a very early age that being unhappy or dwelling on things that made me sad was when I always found it harder to deal with things. I don't believe that my IC was "caused" by anxiety or stress, but again, I really don't know what started it since I never had any bladder issues prior to the onset of my symptoms. I just know when I first recognized the onset of my symptoms, I was in the middle of a long road trip with 3 carloads of people when my IC symtpoms started. I don't know that I was "stressed" but I had a MIL that thought I wasn't able to tend to my own two sons since she was always making certain I knew which car they were in. I guess she didn't notice that I hadn't lost my kids yet or that I always made sure where they were before the caravan took off to the next destination. It wasn't in a "nice" way either the way she dealt with me or my SIL who was almost 10 years my senior! Now my SIL has major chrnoic migraines and Lupus! We went through that routine at each and every "pitstop".

My body can definitely tell when I am having anxiety issues or things are getting to be too much for me before I even recognize it as happening. Expecially now that I have most of my symtpoms under control, I have learned different techniques to help myself calm down. Sometimes, I still get out of control and set off a trigger, but for the most part now, I either turn on a funny movie I have seen a hundred times, spend time with my hubby (unless he is my source of stress LOL) or just take my dogs out in the backyard or for a walk. I also call up a friend to chat that I know will calm me down.

Hugs, Tracey