Hi Everyone,
I'm a 31 year old female. I live in a small fishing town in the west coast of Scotland.
I have two beautiful boys.
I have been fighting recurrant bladder problems for many year (since early childhood) and after a horrific ordeal and a few less then useless consultants later i was finally diagnosed with intersistial cysitis late 2008.
Currently fighting and suffering with suspected Vulvodynia....is horiffic pain!
Anyone wanting to share stories or would like to get in touch please do so.
Thanks
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I was diagnosed with IC in 2007. After many months, I got tested for food allergies and discovered that I was allergic to yeast; I had probably developed it after taking red yeast rice for several months to lower my cholesterol. My immune system was thrown out of whack, resulting in IC, along with a highly elevated auto-immune system factor, SCL 70. When I stopped taking the yeast & removed it from my diet, I was eventually(5 months) able to get off the meds. I have had only 1 major flare-up since then, when I got immunizations that I later found out contained yeast. (tetanus, whooping cough, hep). I am now, however, prone to chronic, low level UTIs and so am on long term low dose antibiotics, which have helped.
September 10, 2011 - 2:37pmI also have vulvadynia, & have been diagnosed with severe pelvic floor dysfunction. Physical therapy & topical muscle relaxants have not helped, so I will be getting injections of botox. Keep looking for answers and uro-gynecologists who understand IC & the whole pelvic floor. The treatments I have gotten usually help but mine has proved intracable so far.
I have had severe constipation for years & have been taking Miralax for the last 5, & drink a great deal of fluids. It has been a life-saver!
Even with all of these conditions (& more), I live a full, active lifestyle...I keep seeking & finding answers & remedies (often after I cry about some new condition).
Good luck & don't give up! I hope that some of this info helps!
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Hi Erica, and welcome to EmpowHER!
I encourage you to go to our IC page which is at https://www.empowher.com/condition/interstitial-cystitis where you will find multiple articles and stories.
If you look towards the lower right side of the page you will see a section that says "Connect with other women like you" where other members have self-identified as having IC. You can contact them through the private email system on the site or click on their profiles to see if they have posted information.
Our site is about two years old, and was developed to help women just like you. We're glad that you found us and look forward to hearing more from you.
Take care, Pat
June 25, 2010 - 4:59pmThis Comment
Hello Erica
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. We have had discussion on both vulvodynia https://www.empowher.com/condition/vulvodynia and interstitial cystitis https://www.empowher.com/condition/interstitial-cystitis.
I'm sorry you have to deal with these painful conditions. Hopefully previous discussion here on the site will be helpful to you. Thanks again for sharing.
June 25, 2010 - 12:07pmThis Comment
I am 27 and I was diagnosed at age 20. I suffered for nine agonizing months before I got to an actual urologist. I am now pregnant with my first baby and the only big issue I have had lately is constipation. It is so severe that it actually causes a pushing feeling on my bladder, so I have been up all night peeing hour after hour but not a lot comes out. I am reaching 11 weeks and so I know the baby sits on the bladder, but I can tell my frequency is directly related to this constipation. I have been close to asymptomatic for the last three years, but I had an aweful flare up just before I found out I was pregnant. It is tough because it is the only on going battle I face and although it could be worse there are days I ask why me. Keep in touch. Rachael Kenyon
June 28, 2010 - 10:58amThis Comment
Hi cary,
June 25, 2010 - 2:32pmThanks for the friendly welcome.
To be honest thats not my full story, because i could go on forever about my treatments, bloops and blunders in the last 10 years. But i really did want to go on and on.
Do you suffer from either of these horrid conditions?
I'm on facebook to...i'll have a wee look out for you on there if you are?
Can't beleive i've just found this site now! Grrrrrr.
How long has this site been going??
So yeah, anyone with their own storys or advice please share.
Thanks again.
Looking forward to gettin to know you more.
Best wishes
Erica
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