How to Cope with Interstitial Cystitis Flares

Interstitial Cystitis, also known as IC Disease for short, is a painful, chronic bladder disease. Interstitial Cystitis is so painful due to the inflammation of the bladder wall. Like many other chronic illnesses, the cause is unknown and it can be very frustrating living with this illness. The main symptoms of IC Disease include urinary frequency, urgency, pain and pressure in the vaginal area and the lower abdominal region.

I was diagnosed with IC Disease approximately four years ago and during that time I have developed some coping skills that have helped me to deal with both the physical and mental aspects of the disease.

Most IC patients will find that the first few months up to the first year of their illness are the worst. My symptoms were so severe the first several months that I could not walk more than a few feet. The pain and pressure were so severe that walking through the grocery store became impossible. Symptoms typically will begin to decrease and IC patients will tend to have "flares", which are a sudden and dramatic worsening of their bladder symptoms. Learning some coping skills early on in your IC illness can help you deal with the flares when they happen.

Here are some tips I have found helpful in managing and coping with my Interstitial Cystitis:

Journal your symptoms and urinary frequency. I found that in order to know how to control my flares I needed to journal my symptoms and urinary frequency. The first year of my illness I was urinating every 10 minutes. Along with journaling symptoms, you need to write down everything you eat, drink, the supplements and prescriptions you take daily.

Was my flare due to sexual intercourse with my spouse? This can be a tough one for many women. I know of a few women with IC Disease who have completely given up sex with their husbands because the pain and the flares are so severe after intercourse. There are ways to still have sexual relations with your spouse and not have a flare. You can try changing positions and spicing up your sex life in other ways. The missionary position tends to be the worst for IC women so experiment a little and talk to your spouse.