I also wanted to ask:

Do pain relievers (such as ibuprofen) have any effect on IC? And what about exercise? What causes the most problems and what works for you? Do you find that drinking a lot of water helps or makes it worse?

For me the big thing is caffeine. I usually don't have problems, until I drink too much and then the pain starts. I find that if I stick mostly to water and keep my urine diluted I feel a lot better. I think everyone is different in what bothers their bladder and what doesn't. It's kind of a trial and error thing to find what works for you.

I keep AZO around just on case I have pain, it helps a lot!!

A ton of water. For now get rid of all caffeine. No citrus of any kind, no tomato, no sauces, condiments, marinades, juices, sodas, or dressings. Those are all the worst for me. No alchohol- yikes and ouch! Chocolate never really bothered me but I don't eat too much of it anyway.. You can try carob chips instead of chocolate if you need something sweet.

Soothing for me has been oatmeal, blueberries (which I eat daily now), eggs, and milk. I have found that the diet helps a TON! Ibuprofin, peridium are also good to take the edge off the pain! Hang in there!

If you have not yet visited the IC Network, I would highly recommend it. The IC diet is listed on there and I believe you can print it out. They have an abundance of info on their website www.ic-network.com. The diet has been helpful for me, but stress is a huge factor as well. I wish you the best of luck, it's not an easy road. Keep us posted on how you are doing.
jae

Iworry,
You sure came to the right place! Yes, the IC diet can help tremendously. Print a copy out (if you can), and keep it with you. Pre-lief tablets (Wal-greens) can be taken with a food that might bother your bladder and can help neutralize acids a little. Bladder spasms can be calmed with meds like pyridium and Uribel. Start out your diet plan by eating the foods that are safe, then slowly add things that you crave, one at a time. I learned that some things, like oatmeal, milk, and baked potatoes are soothing. I learned (over 30 years) that not all chocolate is pain-causing! The chocolates made with chocolate liquor are concentrated and cause me pain. I can sneak a few (a teaspoonful) Hershey's milk chocolate chips for a taste of chocolate, and still be OK. It takes work to follow the diet but it is SO WELL WORTH IT!
I also watch my meds--because some OTC cold medicines aggravate IC. I take benadryl every night to help me sleep and sometimes use a heating pad. Please let us know how you do--best wishes.

Citrus and sugar were my worst offenders. ,Baking soda, deep breathing, hot foot soaks, feet up, loose clothing and Tylenol with Codeine really helped me with the pain. You can still have a good life with IC. isabelle1954