Causes of IC

[Phoebe M]

I think its a combination of things:

repeated bladder infections that are left too long

not drinking enough water

drinking pop, coffee and alcohol in excess

not taking care of yourself and not eating well

[playethic]

Things that coincided with my getting IC

I think I believe in the autoimmune and/or mast cell causes. Or maybe like one study said, 'an interplay of neuropathic, inflammatory and functional factors'.

However, in my case there were three factors I noticed, & I wonder if they had any involvement in causing/triggering my IC:

In 2008 when I had the first bout (what I thought then was moderate but now think was very mild), the launch of it coincided with when I was running (jogging) quite a bit. The timing was so intertwined with running, and nothing else had changed in my habits.

I drank really strong coffee for years. Not tons of coffee, and mornings only not all day long, but I hated the weak stuff - I liked three or four-shot Americano's, and it wasn't unusual for me to have two or three of them.

When pelvic pain came back autumn 2010 (after two-year remission following bladder fulguration), it hit with an intensity that was blinding. It felt like a blowtorch in my pelvis, a pain that takes me to my knees. If I'm not on 24/7 opiates, I'm in ER. The launch of it came soon after a diagnosis of HSV-2. I've since read that HSV-2 can trigger IC. I've also read that HSV-2, which isn't curable so remains in the body, significantly lowers the body's immunity. I believe that HSV-2 may have triggered the much much more severe IC.
(Most people don't know this, I didn't, but STD tests don't include testing for HSV (in Canada, anyway). Plus - It's thought that the vast majority of people who have HSV-2 don't know that they have it. This might be a long shot, but I'm curious whether IC-HSV are linked in more people than just me.)

[Linda May]

i think its in our water supply and the way food is preserved. that is why we are hearing from younger and younger people. just my oppinion.

[123456]

I had HSV first too!

[bob04951]

There are so many theories, so many possible causes, it could loop around the world. What caused it for one may have no effect on another with the same condition. Do agree with you, us abusing our bodies when we were growing up probably doesn't help, but then just about everyone would have IC. It has to be something with the immune system, how it has turned on us, and why some rather than others? What if you come from a healthy family, who live forever and have no history of major diseases? Nothing makes sense, that is why research is so very, well, going off in all directions. There are a lot of illnesses and diseases that have no rhyme or reason, they come out of nowhere. We just have to keep hoping a light bulb will go off over a scientist's head, or one of us will discover the magic thing that helps everyone, and wouldn't that be wonderful! Nature put a lot of things out there for us, always love it when some are trying to stay all natural and away from RXs, but for those of us who are so accutely suffering, the RXs are a necessary evil. Someday..........

[cmclien]

I think maybe autoimmune, maybe systemic as mine came about the same time as IBS and later autoimmune thyroid. I don't think its what we eat or drink that "causes" it, I think its because we are pre-disposed to a weak bladder lining or a slow healing one and those foods/drinks irritate a bladder that is not healing well to begin with.

I also do agree that maybe an infection can start the process because so many people come on here saying they had a legitimate UTI before it all began. Somehow that traumatizes our sensitive bladder lining, breaking it down and weakening it and the rest is all history.

[flowerangela]

im going to say the theory about allergies and histamines having something to do with it is correct... i take a benadryl and my ic feels a hundred times better. just went and bought some non-drowsy benadryl today to see if it gives the same effect.

[ScarednConfused]

I think that people have certain weaknesses in their bodies, either from genetics or from subluxations in your spine (which can make certain organs and areas in your body to malfunction and allow disease to take over). then when people abuse their body by the food they eat, water, stress, not exercising it accumulates over time and eventually disease sets in. symptoms take a long time to come out and by the time they do your body has been sick for quite some time. i have been learning a lot about the body lately. Im saying this is the case for everyone but i strongly believe a lot of people with many different health problems are caused this way.

[ScarednConfused]

Im not saying**

[Crystal30]

In my case my theory is:
it runs in my family
stress
recurring bladder infections for 15 years

[ABliske]

What is HSV?
I have had so many thoughts about this. I had an infection that was left too long. I used to drink diet Pepsi a lot and I've been throught some very stressful events. I kinda doubt coffee brought it on simple because my parents drank coffee like crazy and never had any problems.

[cmclien]

I used to drink diet Pepsi a lot and I've been throught some very stressful events. I kinda doubt coffee brought it on simple because my parents drank coffee like crazy and never had any problems.

You made me think of that "experiment" you can do where you put a piece of raw meat in a glass of coke or diet coke/pepsi etc and it disintegrates it. I, like you, LIVED on diet coke, diet pepsi in my teens and 20's, I don't even remember drinking water. I pretty much got up and drank diet pepsi for breakfast and then added coffee and more diet pepsi/or coke throughout the rest of the day.
I doubt its actually the cause but you sure gotta think it made it worse. I haven't drank those beverages in years and years now and still have problems but you gotta wonder about its role. Maybe it broke the bladder lining down and we all have one thing in common and that is whatever broke it down, we can't seem to heal back up.

[Landish]

I would not be surprised if one day somebody discovers that IC is caused by drinking Coca-Cola and Pepsi because I also didn’t use to drink water, I use to drink a lot of sodas and a sometimes juice. Now I know it's bad, you can put Coke or Pepsi in your toilet bowl and it will get sparkling clean, imagine what it can do with the bladder, stomach and colon.

[playethic]

Further to Coke/Pepsi

I never drank any Coca-Cola or Pepsi. But I drank strong Americano's (I'd have like 3 - 9 espresso shots) for years, and over the several months leading up to the shut-my-life-down IC (the first version of IC two years previous was comparatively mild) I was prescribed one after the other after the other prescription medications for ADD (none of which had much effect and I eventually stopped all of them, but I wonder if it's more than coincidence that the severe IC hit right after so many prescription meds.).

[ABliske]

cmclien - I've never heard that about the meat but I've heard coke can disolve a tooth if left overnight!
Caffeine (soda in particular) was the only thing I noticed on my own that I couldn't drink when I started feeling really bad. I've been on the strict diet off and on now since my Dr. recommended it. It's just really hard for me.