How do you know if you have interstitial cystitis?
Interstitial cystitis symptoms can also be typical of regular cystitis; including pelvic pain or frequent urination. However, there are also often some distinct differences, such as a lack of infection in IC. Whilst a diagnosis should always be made by a doctor, understanding some of the key characteristics can help in the management of this condition.
What signs and symptoms would you expect to see with interstitial cystitis?
Now, as much as making a diagnosis should be carried out by your doctor, understanding some of the common signs and symptoms of interstitial cystitis, plus, really exploring some of the common reasons why this condition might come about, can be helpful in its management.
1. Typical symptoms of interstitial cystitis
The symptoms of interstitial cystitis can often be fairly similar to traditional cases of cystitis. This means there can be quite a bit of overlap in terms of some of the pain or the discomfort experienced, the frequency of urination, the urgency or feeling that you need to go to the toilet often and quite quickly.
2. There is no infection found
Interestingly, the main difference between interstitial cystitis and conventional cases of cystitis is that there's often no infection found in cases of interstitial cystitis. So, for me, this process is a little bit similar to IBS in this respect, in that quite often, there isn't a specific test that results in a diagnosis, since there is no specific infection markers to be found, but its often the case that other, often more serious conditions will be ruled out, in the process of making a diagnosis.
So, if there is no infection found, then what other underlying factors could suggest that it may be more likely to be interstitial cystitis?
Well, firstly I just want to consider the 'lack of infection' consideration, in a little more detail. More specifically, there is a lack of infection in terms of the 'typical cystitis-causing pathogens.' Usually, when the doctors are trying to find an infection, they might look for quite standard or specific strains of bacteria, for example.
So, just to note, if this has come back negative, it's not to say that 100% there isn't an infection, but it's just there's no infection for the main types of bacteria that they're likely to be looking at. It's plausible that other, even good bacteria, or different micro-organisms such as yeasts, could still be out of balance.
But, generally, this does mean that a case of interstitial cystitis is much more likely if antibiotics aren't working...
3. Antibiotics aren't working
Let's consider exactly why antibiotics may not be working for you. One plausible explanation is that there's no bacterial infection, or, even, the bacteria or pathogen causing the infection or irritation aren't responding to the antibiotics. Then we are also faced with the problem of antibiotic resistance due to the overuse of these medications.
In this case, if you've been told there's no infection, or there's likely no infection, or that antibiotics aren't working, one thing that you could do, one last attempt could be something like the Uva-ursi & Echinacea Complex. This is licensed for relieving minor urinary complaints associated with cystitis and UTIs but isn't strain-specific and could be helpful if you suspect there is some sort of stubborn underlying infection affecting the urinary tract.
Please note of the Uva-ursi & Echinacea complex doesn't work within seven days, then this could suggest that perhaps there isn't an infection relating to cystitis, and that would be when you should stop taking it and go back to the doctor for further investigations. But it can be worth a try, just a further step to try and rule that infection cause out and/or treat it!
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4. There are some other symptoms at play
Interestingly, interstitial cystitis can often be associated with some other conditions or symptoms, either in and around the urinary tract, but actually, not always restricted to that area specifically.
And so, what we do know about interstitial cystitis is it's likely to be linked to some underlying inflammation, and in fact, inflammation in some other areas could translate, and potentially have some negative effects on the urinary tract as well.
Again, these processes don't seem to be clear cut and can be quite individual, but it's just something else to consider; and for you and your doctor to identify if there are other inflammatory conditions going on.
One common scenario, for example, is digestive malfunction. Something like constipation, quite often can be associated with interstitial cystitis and urinary tract symptoms.
Remember, constipation can be a symptom relating to other digestive conditions too, such as IBS. But if we remember, the term IBS doesn't tell as much apart from there is some digestive symptoms going on. So, constipation may or may not be part of that, but it could suggest that there's some low-grade inflammation going on. Although inflammation isn't readily associated with IBS, that's more IBD, inflammatory bowel diseases. In the naturopathic world, IBS there may be considered to be involved in some very low-grade inflammatory processes.
Stress is another one. So, stress, anxiety, these kinds of symptoms could potentially give rise to some degree of inflammation if they are driving a hormone imbalance.
Cortisol in excess, for example, the stress hormone, this is considered inflammatory when it is out of balance. And then, of course, that could often drive other hormone imbalances. So, stress can quite often drive sex hormone imbalances, for example. Cortisol competes quite directly with progesterone, in many cases. That could give rise to an imbalance between progesterone and oestrogen, potentially.
Stress may also cause some imbalances in the immune system. It may drive histamine, for example. And quite often, antihistamines can be part of the management of cystitis and interstitial cystitis in the conventional world. So again, that suggests that there may be an immune ailment going on there, potentially involving histamine, in some cases.
In all of these cases, we want to be trying to manage the root underlying causes. So, you could start with managing these individual symptoms quite specifically, if you suspect they are quite likely to be connected (usually helpful regardless!) or more generally, targetting the inflammation.
The herb Devil's Claw can help to target inflammation, more generally, or then we have herbs such as Passiflora Complex for the stress side.
Something like Linoforce for constipation, for example, is also an option.
In summary here, it can also help to tease apart some other symptoms that may be connected when it comes to interstitial cystitis.
5. Structural changes
Now that we've covered inflammation, I just quickly want to touch on hormones again as part of my final point.
See, a hormone imbalance could potentially drive structural changes, as well as inflammation, such as fluctuating and low oestrogen in menopause. Issues like a prolapse can potentially impact the vagina and the nearby bladder.
In males, we have testosterone, and changes in testosterone as a man gets older; as a more inflammatory type of testosterone is produced, this can give rise to enlarged prostate. So, those are some of the hormonal changes, which can in turn, give rise to structural changes.
Some of these situations could be when a doctor would see it fit to perform investigations with something like a cytoscope, and that could potentially flag up ulcers, or swelling, or inflammation, or some sort of structural change (in the bladder) there.
Structural changes could potentially exist without an infection, as such and as there may or may not be an infection present alongside these physical symptoms, then this would affect how the cystitis is characterised.
