How many times do you go a day?

[Pammylynn8]

I am just curious how many times people with IC who are being treated go to the bathroom a day compared to when they were first diagnosed?
I haven't been officially diagnosed (yet)but the number of times a day I would have to use bathroom before is anywhere from 20-60 (I wish I was exaggerating with that last number).
Now that I am on IC diet and Elmiron I go maybe 8-15 times per day. I think this is a VAST improvement from above.
I wonder what a normal number is?
How about you?

[statesboro]

I will state I don't even know how many times that I have peed so far today. Why? I stopped keeping count because it was too frustrating to me. I know I was diagnosed back in 1997, but I still pee more than 20 times a day. OK. I don't know how many times yesterday, but I can figure 20 times in a day would not be all so bad compared to 60. (which I have been there) If you don't urinate more than 15 times in a day, then you definitely improved by now. I am not saying I have not improved at all. I did notice you don't consider yourself to be officially diagnosed yet.(hmmm) I will just state I can see why the doctor did suspect IC by now. None of us enjoy having IC, or any chronic illness, but it is still good to be properly diagnosed. Yep! Oh! I happen to be a male, by the way. IC does suck for us as well.

[Pammylynn8]

I haven't been diagnosed b/c the person I saw was a nurse practioner who was almost positive I have IC. She said it needs to be confirmed by a urologist. I can't get it until Aug 18,,, frustrating!! Luckily I found this site, thank the Lord, and I found out about diet. The nurse practioner is the one who prescribed my Elmiron, so she must be pretty sure..

[JenAZ07]

At least 25-30 times....on a good day. Sometimes it is as much as 10 times in the 30 mins before I go to bed.

[Mothergoose]

I probably went every 15 mins or so, now I can ussally make an hour. Last time I did a voiding diary I still adverage 20 times a day, more if I am stressed or flaring.

MG

[ICNDonna]

I go anywhere from six to twelve times in a day.

Donna

[nineteenwinters]

I am still 'new' to this but:

With the medications and/or diet for 2 weeks I go once every 2 hours during the day. At night I get up about 2-3 times. However with my period on the way I am going every hour or so. SUCH an improvement over my week before I got meds. Back then it was once every 10-15 minutes and I only got sleep for an hour or so when I would pass out.

I think I have always gone more than 'normal' people when I look back. Probably once every 3 hours. If I even had the slightest stress/worry it was every hour. I would have to go 4 times before I went to sleep and was getting up 2-4 times a night. Even as a child I remember having a phobia when I didn't know if there would be a bathroom or if I would be allowed to use it (in school).

[Renate]

I was just diagnosed in February and I go any where from 8 to 12 times a day and also more when Flaring. But I wanted to add that it all depends on how much water each of us as individuals drink, I for example drink 2 liters a day in water and when Flaring even more to try and flush things out. How much water do you others drink averagely on a day to day basis?

[Claire_A]

I drink 1.5 litres of water and make the rest up with milk/hot water and honey/herbal tea (total 2litres) and go between 6-9 times between when I get up 6.30 and when I go to bed 10pm. More if im flaring but only like 3 times more.

On the weekend I drink less water (about a litre) and go maybe 5 times a day.

Claire

[nineteenwinters]

Water is a struggle for me. I do drink more than I did before IC (since it's the only thing I can drink right now.) If I drink the recommended quantity I get physically ill. When I have flared in the past drinking more made it worse. I am wondering if that's because I have frequency IC and rarely any pain. I spoke with my Uro about it and he told me not to force it. So I only drink 2 bottles worth a day. I know water can be an ICrs saving grace but for me more than usual for me prolongs my flare. Since I only have had noticeable IC for a month perhaps as I progress water will become my friend and not my enemy.

[ICNDonna]

If I don't drink enough, my urine becomes concentrated and frequency increases and it's painful.

Donna

[skybluesoul]

On a good day, I usually go 10-12 times during the day, and once at night. On a flare day, it would be at least double those numbers.

I'm very thankful for my "normal" days, though I know they're far from normal for people without IC with all the urgency I experience.

[Mothergoose]

I drink lots and lots of water. I do much better keeping my urine dilute.

I know this causes me to pee more often but at least I can pee, I always feel as if I have to go anyways, so if I have urine in there at least I can go and it hurts less and is a bit less frustrating for me.

I have a big water bottled labeled just for me, I take it with me everywhere I go even room from room and I sip on it all day, I find this is better for me than a lot at once my bladder doesn't like that.

Over the course of a day you can take In a lot of fluid this way, when it is hot the importance of this goes up.

We all need a certain amount of water to function but if what you are drinking you are doing fine with then that is the right amount for you, it just depends on how much you sweet, if you are active in the heat etc.

Most Dr's to tell you to drink lots to keep your system flushed out, if you are not having increase pain from it being to concentrated, or UTI's from urine being in your bladder too long than you are probably drinking what is right for you.

I don't know about the type of tea you are drinking most teas and coffee if you go there are diuretics, so is alcohol so if you are going to indulge in any of these you should drink a glass of water for each glass of the other.

Hope this helps you trial and error like always.

MG

[meResque]

As statesboro mentioned, I no longer track how much I go in a day. It was crazy-making for me. I had a chart. I kept track of ounces. It was not a good time to be in my brain.

Since I've been diagnosed, I haven't noticed a decrease in my frequency. That said, I went probably only a few times more than "normal" and still do. I probably go between 4-9 times a day, depending on a lot of factors. I do not go at night. I generally go anywhere from every 30 minutes (when I'm in a flare, which is rare) to every 6 hours. Yeah, that's a pretty big spread. I'd say I average at this point every 3 or 4 hours. I drink a lot of milk and water. Keeping my urine diluted actually helps me go less. I probably take in about 100 oz of liquid a day, the majority of that being water. I used to pee anywhere from 8-14 oz at a time, unless I was flaring, then it would be about 4. Usually 16-18 in the mornings. Don't know about now, and that's probably for the best.

[mary124]

I usually go about 6-8 times aday. I Know yesterday at work I think I went once in the whole 8 hours (and that's when I realized that I haven't went except in the morning. At night I usually get up once.