Anyone have this? AKA cycsitis of the bladder. It makes it very difficult to diet when you can't have citrus fruit, anything spicy, take meds, and your bladder never is empty.

Yes! I have IC. I had been in remission for years, but I am now having an awful time again due to the fact that I just had surgery and had a catheter while in the hospital. I would love to talk with you and offer you any tips I have. I'm feeling hopeful, because I have found some new herbs as well as some terrific books dealing with IC. I'm trying to be on the bland diet again, and I have just started the prescription drug Elmiron. Please free to send me an IM anytime. Anyone else out there dealing with this condition...let's start a thread to discuss it!

My doc thinks I might have it and since there is no test for "it" how do they know for sure...I get bladder pelvic pain all the time..off and on......Like a bad UTI but no infections shows up. Can you all enlighten me ob how you weer diagnosed please!

Candice, I actually went into the hospital for a surgical procedure called a "bladder distention"..where they fill the bladder up and look at it through a scope so that the doc. can see what the bladder lining looks like. Since I had the "appearance" of IC as determined from this procedure, and since I had the symptoms, I was given the diagnosis. It is so encouraging to me to see all the information out there now about this disease, because 10 years ago when I was diagnosed - there was very little.

Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions or if you need someone to talk to. I would like to offer you hope..because, yes, I have found hope along the way- and some ways I have helped manage the pain and flare ups. I sincerely wish you all the best...and, also, go to Amazon.com to check out all of the books they have about IC! I've spend a good deal of money lately just ordering books there!

Have you tried modifying your diet to see if you get relief from your symptoms? As frustrating as it is, changing your diet will perhaps be the best thing you do. I would be glad to give you the list if you are interested.

Take care!