At the onset of their urinary symptoms, most IC patients assume that they have a bladder infection yet urine cultures are usually negative leaving the patient very confused. "How can I have a normal urine culture when I'm peeing every 10 minutes?" asked one recent patient. She insisted that it had to be a urinary tract [...]
(Editor’s Note: This article was originally inspired by an IC patient who called our office in 2020 and shared that her symptoms were apparently caused by hidden black mold in her home. When the mold was eventually eradicated, her symptoms dramatically improved. In October 2023, we had yet another patient call our office who was [...]
It's ten days before Halloween and time to get into the ghosty spirit. These pumpkin drop cookies make for a great snack while decorating pumpkins with your kiddos. Topped with cream cheese frosting, they are also a perfect accompaniment to your favorite warm fall drink! A steamy cup of Dandy Blend herbal coffee, Pumpkin Spice [...]
If this is your first holiday season with a diagnosis of IC, we've assembled some resources that we hope will help you enjoy the season, including new videos, articles, meal tips and many IC friendly recipes to play with. Surviving a holiday like Thanksgiving is all about pacing yourself, communicating clearly with your family [...]
Working toward a life less interrupted for people with IC/BPS. Living with interstitial cystitis and bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) can be debilitating, but Ironwood is sponsoring a clinical research study of a new potential treatment that could offer relief. The IC/BPS Clinical Study will evaluate an investigational, foam-based drug designed to inhibit pain receptors [...]
IC Awareness Month begins this week and we always start with a press release that YOU can share and send to your local newspaper and media outlets to help us raise awareness for this condition. As we have been anticipating for the past few years, the new AUA Guidelines no longer consider IC a [...]
Interstitial cystitis patients in New Orleans & Atlanta certainly remember Dr. Martha Boone, who provided exemplary care for many years at Tulane University and in private practice. After her retirement in 2020, she felt that she hadn't quite finished her job as a urologist. Patients and colleagues continued to call her because their needs [...]
We are delighted to announce that the Spring/Summer 2023 IC Optimist has been released and is now available. The IC Optimist is the IC Network’s patient magazine and is read by thousands of patients and providers around the world. Our goal is to give you information that you can use immediately to improve your medical [...]
(Editors Note 2: After the publication of this article, we received our first call from a Vietnam veteran with proven agent orange exposure who developed IC shortly after his military service. We are committed to helping our active duty and veterans who are struggling. Please don't hesitate to give Jill a call (800-928-7496) if you [...]
We, in the IC/BPS community, know the dangers of artificial, non-sugar sweeteners. Nutrasweet (aka aspartame) is a well known bladder irritant that can trigger agonizing pain. A growing number of studies have found significant and potentially life threatening dangers, so much so that the World Health Organization’s cancer agency is considering listing aspartame as [...]
