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 care and quality of life. Members can immediately download it from their member page in the ICN Shop. It will be sent by US Mail this week to those with print subscriptions.
In this issue:
(1) Feature Story – Inflammatory Bowel Disease Associated With Elmiron® Use
This Spring, we learned of a devastating, new adverse event that has been associated with Elmiron® use. Researchers at the Emory Eye Institute who were studying pigmentary maculopathy noted that many IC/BPS patients using this medication were also struggling with severe inflammatory bowel disease with some requiring the removal of their bowel. This may explain why so many patients using this once popular medication struggled with bowel distress.
(2) Feature Story: The Role of the Microbiome in IC/BPS – Could dysbiosis in the bladder be playing a role in IC/BPS?
At the annual American Urology Association meeting in May, Dr. Anne Ackerman stunned the audience with new insight into a bacteria found in some, but not all, IC/BPS patients that could be causing damage to the bladder wall. Did you know that some lactobacillus can be harmful?
(3) Meet The Expert – An Interview With Dr. Tara Sullivan
Dr. Tara Sullivan has dedicated her career to the treatment of pelvic pain and pelvic floor dysfunction. An instructor at the Herman Wallace institute, the pre-eminent training facility for pelvic pain disorders, she shares some of her insights into the treatment of pelvic pain in a new “Meet The Expert” interview.
(4) Microhematuria & IC/BPS: Is it a concern?
Were you alarmed when you were told that you had microscopic blood in your urine? This article discusses both visible and microscopic blood in urine, why it might happen and how it should be evaluated. In the great majority of cases, microscopic blood is not a cause for concern but a workup should be performed.
(5) The Latest Research: ESSIC 2023
The European Society for the Study of Bladder Pain held a fantastic meeting in New York this year. One study that caught my eye found the Epstein-Barr virus in the urine of patients with Hunner’s lesions and, most importantly, that the use of antiviral therapy was remarkably successful. We share this study and other highlights from the meeting.
(6) Feature Story: Uncovering the Long-Term Effects of Toxic Exposure on Urinary Health in Veterans
In a supportive nod to our military and veteran members who are baffled as to why they are struggling with urinary symptoms during or after their deploy- ments, we explore the topic of toxic exposures and how they could affect urinary health.
(7) Back To School Strategies For Children & Teens With IC & Pelvic Pain
Believe it or not, school begins in just a few weeks. To support those children who worry that they will struggle because of their IC, we share our best back to school strategies on working with teachers, requesting restroom access, food, bus rides, field trips and much more!
(8) Tips For Teachers With IC/BPS
Teaching is the profession most commonly associated with IC/BPS. With limited restroom access and challenging work schedules, many have left the profession. We’d like to keep you working in a career that you love with practical tips and suggestions offered by other teachers with IC/BPS.
(9) Consumer Alert: Artificial Sugars Mount
Miss artificial sugar? You might be surprised to learn that the World Health Organization has now recommended against the use of all artificial sugars with a strong concern that aspartame could be a carcinogen. Sugar alcohols like erythritol aren’t much better.
(10) Self-Help Tip: Safely Stay Active in Hot Weather
IC writer Stacy Shannon shares a wide variety of tips to help you exercise safely during these hot summer months.
(11) Self-Help Tip: Dive in With Confidence: Swimming Strategies for IC
One of the most bladder and pelvic friendly exercises out there is swimming but it does post some challenges and worries for patients with IC/BPS. Stacey shares tips to help you enjoy a day at the pool or lake without increasing your risk of UTI or flares.
(12) Struggling With a Long-Term Flare? Soy Could be a Hidden Trigger
This might come as a surprise for patients struggling with longer, unexplainable bladder flares. Something as simple as soy in bread could trigger long-term bladder irritation and inflammation. Bev shares the story of three patients who discovered hidden soy as the cause for their symptoms!
Pages: 36
Publisher: Interstitial Cystitis Network
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