If you could take away only one of your symptoms...

[penneyjo]

Burning when I go and just in general where my bladder is. I have much more burning than pain.

[cmclien]

Feeling like I always have to go pee - is that urge? I think so, I'd get rid of the urge, I don't have alot of pain but if I did, it would be #1.

[mary124]

The pain afterwards, lasts for 15 minutes before finally going away.

[MamaZ]

The urethral burning!!!

Ditto. And connected with that -- to be able to have sex and not worry about hurting the next day or the day after that. I've never been able to do that.

[amaranthe]

My Uro asked me this question many times in the beginning and always told him I could not choose. Be in pain 24/7 but not pee or pee every 10-15 minutes for life without pain? I just can't choose.
Not to sound stupid but what is a perineum ?

The perineum is the area between the anus and the genital organs.

[bubbe1]

one thing

Just what I was going to say!

[KatieB]

Wow, I'm glad he likes it!! But I understand the sentiment!!!

[bob04951]

Bob says if he didn't like his so much, he would chop off his penis. LOL. Jill, wife of Bob

[suzannes]

I'd get rid of pain, it really limits my activity.

Waterflow, the perineum is the space between the opening of your vagina and anus.

Suzanne

[Tuckersmom]

The urethral burning!!!

[maria1968]

I so feel for all of you! Sometimes I feel like I am the only person in the world that goes to the bathroom every half hour! I am 42 but feel so much older than I am most of the time and this illness makes you so self conscious at times and can be quite depressing. Im sorry you all have this, but it is truly comforting to know that there are others out there that understand this frustrating problem. Maria

[waterflow]

My Uro asked me this question many times in the beginning and always told him I could not choose. Be in pain 24/7 but not pee or pee every 10-15 minutes for life without pain? I just can't choose.
Not to sound stupid but what is a perineum ?

[KatieB]

Okay,
If I had to pick just one, it would be the pain, but if the genie granted me more than one wish, I would add leaking and frequency.
Now if I could just find the right lamp to rub!

I'm gonna go rub ALL the lamps in my house, just to be on the safe side!!!

[needsrelief]

I hate urgency!...its the most annoying thing

[VickiB]

Whitney, I'm not sure exactly how common of IC this symptom is, but I do know many people here have mentioned having it.

On the increased frequency thing, the first thing I do is to increase the amount of pure untreated water I'm drinking. I know, it sounds backwards! Your solution may depend on what is behind your increase in frequency though. When it happens to me it's usually that I ate something I shouldn't have, or I've become a bit dehydrated. So my increase in water either flushes it out or hydrates, solving the frequency. If my flare is the (rare for me) stress related flare, I still increase the water but it isn't quite so helpful.