Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a long-term inflammatory condition of the bladder. Some of the more common symptoms a person with IC may experience are listed here. Please keep in mind that symptoms of IC are not the same for every person. It is also true that symptoms may vary, over time, in the same individual. If you have some or all of these symptoms, you should ask a healthcare professional to evaluate you for possible IC.
Women: Understand Your Symptoms
- You feel unexplained pain or pressure in the pelvic area
- You feel pain during or after sexual intercourse
- You have frequent, sometimes painful, urination (Normally, people urinate an average of 6 to 7 times per day. Patients with IC urinate an average of 16 times per day, and some urinate as often as 60 times per day.)
- You wake more at night to urinate
- You may feel the urge to urinate, sometimes even after you've emptied your bladder
- You have symptoms like a urinary tract infection (UTI) or are diagnosed with more than 2 UTIs per year
- Your symptoms come and go—flare-ups may be associated with menstruation, certain foods, allergies, and stress
Men: Understand Your Symptoms
- You feel unexplained pain and pressure in your penis, testes, and/or scrotum; the area above the pubic bone, the lower abdomen, the lower back, or the groin area including testicular pain, in any combination
- You have pain when you ejaculate
- You have frequent, sometimes painful, urination (Normally, people urinate an average of 6 to 7 times per day. Patients with IC urinate an average of 16 times per day, and some urinate as often as 60 times per day.)
- You wake more at night to urinate
- You may feel the urge to urinate, sometimes even after you've emptied your bladder
- Your symptoms come and go—flare-ups may be associated with certain foods, allergies, and stress
For more information on a prescription medicine for the treatment of IC,
click here.
Keeping a Record of Your Symptoms
The Symptom Journal is a place where you can keep track of the symptoms you experience and how severe those symptoms are. This information can make it easier to communicate with your healthcare professional. You will be able to keep track of how often you urinate, your level of pain, and your diet. Use the journal for a week. Your daily entries can help your healthcare professional determine whether or not you may have interstitial cystitis (IC). And, you will be able to determine if and what foods cause you discomfort so that you can avoid them.
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