Interstitial Cystitis (IC) Support Group

Interstitial Cystitis (IC) is a urinary bladder disease of unknown cause characterised by pelvic and intense bladder pain, urinary frequency (as often as every 10 minutes), and pain with urination. It is not unusual for patients to experience nocturia and pain with sexual intercourse. IC is also known as painful bladder syndrome (PBS), particularly outside of the USA.

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could I have caused my IC?

deleted_user
deleted_user
I have been wondering about something for awhile about my IC. For as long as I can remember I prided myself in how long I could "hold it". Could not going when I had to for so long and so regularly have weakened my bladder causing my IC? Did anyone else do this prior to being diagnosed with IC? I go as regularly as possible now (which seems like every five minutes being pregnant now) but I'm wondering if this could be the cause and if so if that could help to find an answer of how to overcome this.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I did do the same thing and I still do. My doctor told me that could have played a role in the IC but mine was also due to damage during hysterectomy. I hope all is going well with your pregnancy!
deleted_user
deleted_user
I have always been the one that has to go, but I never held it for long. (my friends made fun of me when I was a kid). I find now that I have full blown IC, it is actually better to hold it and not go every time I feel pressure. When I go a lot of times in a row it freaks out the muscles and I get really bad spasms. No, I don't think you caused your IC! It's just your body's way of telling you that something is wrong.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I can see how going a lot can keep your muscles from developing and I can see how not going can weaken them and maybe stretch out the bladder...so I just don't know if I had gone when I had to instead of forcing myself to hold it beyond the point I should have for so long did so.
whitsinn
whitsinn
Hi! Congrats on your pregnancy.

My Uro told me that IC is most often seen in two different types of people. One is the type of people who hold their urine for long periods of time, like a teacher or truck driver. The other is those who have recurring bladder infections. My Dr. said those two things don't cause IC, but IC is most often seen with those two types of people.

Hope your pregnancy goes well!
deleted_user
deleted_user
whitsinn- thank you so much for your comment. That makes a lot of sense and makes me feel a lot better. Also thank you on the pregnancy congrats :-) It is finally not affecting my IC as much as it did the first several months...and that's with the daily kickin and tumblin now...but it's all worth it.
deleted_user
deleted_user
COnGRATS on your good news (baby). Don't let anyone tell you this is your fault. nobody knows for sure why IC happens. It could be genetic (not known). I've had UTIs at least 4 times a year when I was younger. When in kindergarten the teachers wouldn't let me go to the bathroom when I needed to, causing me to pee all over myself (an every day thing) it got so bad that my mom started putting extra changes of clothes in my back pack each morning. I think it's a number of things that influence IC, non of which we can stop ourselves. Don't stress, and take care of you and that baby!!!
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