Though my IC (i.e. bladder pain) officially began when I was 32, I spent much of my 20's struggling with many of the conditions we now know are related to IC. I had vulvodynia in high school and college that felt like a painful yeast infection. Despite many trips to the doctor, they rarely found [...]
We are delighted to announce that the Summer 2018 IC Optimist is now available. This expanded issue of our magazine not only covers all of the highlights of the 2018 American Urology Association meeting but also sets the stage for our 2018 IC Awareness Month Campaign. All subscribers can now download their copy from their [...]
While IC patients are frequently in the bathroom to urinate, sometimes the very medicines recommended to help the condition cause another bathroom-related problem: constipation. And constipation causes increased discomfort in the pelvis, which is the last thing ICers need. According to the Harvard Medical School, some of the medicines that can cause constipation, especially in [...]
Are you struggling to maintain your job? Are you being denied restroom access?? Taunted for having to use the restroom? You are certainly not alone but thankfully there is a law that can help! The American's With Disability Act has helped tens of thousands of disabled people maintain their jobs and careers. Under the ADA [...]
While swimming is one of the best exercises you can do when you have IC and/or pelvic pain, think twice before using a hotel swimming pool or spa. The US Centers for Disease Control released a startling new research study that tracked infections and chemical trauma from swimming pools from 2000 to 2014. There were [...]
Are your IC symptoms keeping you up at night, causing you to feel as tired in the morning as you do when you go to bed? Nighttime is hard for IC patients. We lie in bed with nothing to distract us from the pain and have to get up to use the bathroom one more [...]
When Nicole Cozean released her book "The Interstitial Cystitis Solution" in 2016, we knew that she was dedicated to the treatment of not only IC but also pelvic pain. She is one of the few Board-Certified pelvic physical therapists in the country and opened her Orange County CA clinic, PelvicSanity, to "restore sanity for patients [...]
Every year during the September IC Awareness Month Campaign, we ask IC patients to nominate clinicians (doctors, physical therapists, nurses) who have treated them with compassion, respect and effective treatments. Nominations are often incredibly heartfelt with patients sharing personal stories of clinicians (and their staff) who listen to their struggles, who patiently explain treatment options [...]
The Winter/Spring 2018 IC Optimist, the magazine for our ICN members, is a special expanded issue which covers a very delicate topic: intimacy, sexuality and interstitial cystitis. Also in this issue: (1) Editorial: Why The IC Network Left Facebook - If you’ve been paying attention to the news, you’re probably aware that Facebook has come under increasing [...]
Research Studies Explore Manuka Honey's Potential For Treating UTI and IC Honey offers a natural sweetener for food as well other popular uses like soothing sore throats, coughs and burns. However, recent studies out of the U.K. have found that Manuka honey can have therapeutic benefits specifically for the bladder.(1) (2) Manuka honey is produced by [...]
