probaly have ic heres my story

[hope4eva]

Im a 25 year old new mom to a 4 month old baby girl . Ive always had sum urinary frequency ( 10 -14 times a day ) but never really lookd into it . At 13 i had complete kidney failure due to ecoli but was able to fully recover . since then over the years i noticed if i drank soda i would feel burning pain & constant urge to pee , this wouldnt last more than a day or so & i stoppd drinking soda altogether .After the birth of my daughter i noticed more frequency & burning this began at 6 wks post partem . I then noticed a urge to pee that woundnt go away ! & burning is on & off . this is extremely frustrating to say the least . i made an apt with urologist & am going to suggest being tested for ic . ive been thru numerous tests for utis & stds ,infections ext all negative . if i can just get to the point where i dont feel constant urgency i can deal with frequent bathroom trips the most awful part is getting up to wash my hands after voiding & having the same strong feeling to pee ! i work full time as nurse assistant & care for my baby so this is very hard . i also have pcos a mild case but am on metformin and vitamins . i need to find a treatment plan that works for me &this frequency has to go ! im still young & not done having children id love to have one or even 2 more so im concerned on how this will affect my future . right now if i can just get to the point where the constant urgency goes away i can cope but im extremely irritated this has been going on for a month and my apt is next wk ! i have state insurance so i need a referral from ob for every 3 visits to urologist . i dont drink soda & can stay away from acid fruits & sweets but i love chocolate so thats gonna b tough .i have to drink splenda & take vitamin for pcos i recently stopped breastfeeding so meds are an option right now . thanks to all that reads this & please tell me what helps with your frequency .ive heard elmiron dosent always work let me know what works for u thanks to all .

[hope4eva]

i just found out elmiron can b very expensive i cant afford it if state doesn't cover what r sum other options for burning in vagina & urgency ? thanks

[amy09]

Hi!
Welcome to the boards. I totally understand how you're feeling. I just got diagnosed with IC this year and I'm only 23. My boyfriend is in the military and we live across the country from our families so it's definitely very stressful. We are planning to get married and start a family in the next few years. It sounds like you probably do have IC but try to remember that most people usually find good treatments options. I have the same urgency and vaginal burning problems.. drives me nuts! My insurance does cover Elmiron but I haven't taken it yet because I'm scared of the side effects so I'm trying Cystoprotek first. It's a natural supplement that's supposed to do the same thing as elmiron (rebuild the bladder lining). You can find information on it here in the forums and in the ICN store. For urgency, I've found that antispasmodics (stops your bladder from spasming) work well. Some examples of those are Ditropan, Detrol, Toviaz, Vesicare, etc. And for the vaginal burning, I've found Elavil helpful. It's a tricyclic antidepressant which helps block nerve pain. Sometimes the burning sensation is caused by irritated nerves and sometimes it's caused by pelvic floor muscle tension so you may want to ask about that too. Sorry if that's a lot of information at once but hopefully it helps! IC is complicated and there are so many different meds to consider so I know how overwhelming it can be. Take care!

Oh, congrats on the new baby!! I can't wait to become a mother

[hope4eva]

thanks i will mention 2 my doc i really appreciate ur advice