What causes your IC flares?

[CandleCat]

Hello for anyone with interstitial cystitis, what causes your flare ups?

What symptoms do you get? How do you manage them? And how long do they last?

Thanks ! X

[pelvicpain123]

Hi CandleCat.

What causes my flares?

*intimacy

*baths

*acidic food

*stress

Symptoms;

*pain in pelvis

*increased frequency in toilet trips

*general feeling of being unwell

*nausea

*bloating

*vommiting

To name a few.

What helps?

*massages

*hot water bottles

*meditating

*bicarbonate of soda

*probitoics (intimate probiotics)

*bed rest

*yoga (when it is not too painful)

*bladder instillations

*antibiotics

How long does a flare last?

I am not sure to be honest. I dont think that I have ever recorded it to check.

How are you managing yours?

[CandleCat in reply to pelvicpain123]

Hello, thank you for your reply. I’ll try those tips.

At the moment I drink mint tea and use a hot water bottle for the daily pain. I also try deep breathing when I’m laid down as I find I hold my muscles in that area a lot and I think it makes it worse... or could even be the main factor. I’m still not sure what the actual cause is.

A couple weeks ago I had a bad flare up of pain, but it may have been a bad flare or infection. I was on naproxen and lots of codeine and neither helped much 😬. In general I like to avoid pain meds and try natural methods but sometimes it’s a necessity.

It’s interesting that antibiotics help you. Do they calm a flare down? Or have you had infections too?

[pelvicpain123 in reply to CandleCat]

I have sent you a private message x