Forums:
Hi,
I'm not a patient of yours, though i would like to be, i found you about a year or so ago and sent a few emails, but i was not able to come to America and here we are. Whilst i have seen my IC slowly but surely improve over the last 4 years, my pain zones are mostly when i am hormonal or when i have eaten or drank something very acidic. I live a normal life and would say i have a mild form of IC. Anyway i have just fallen pregnant about 2- 3 weeks i would guess and the IC is coming back. I'm scared, i was pregnant before and had painful sympotoms in the first trimester, i miscarried at week 10 and have not contemplated pregnancy again because i wasn't well enough. Whilst i knew i wasn't perfect, i thought i could give it a go and here i am.
My IC feels so closely related to hormones, what are your thoughts on this?? I know i have alot of sensitivities and allergies, but nothing that sets me off like the hormones.
Do you have any advice as i journey on this path, anything that might help with the pain and sypmtoms.
Muchly appreciated
Anny
Question
Hello Anny,
I'm sorry you're not feeling well, I know what it feels like to be scared and in pain. While Dr. Brizman makes blog posts to this site regularly, she's mentioned that she doesn't actually read or answer the forum posts--this is meant to be an area for her patients to chat with one another. If you're trying to reach Dr. Brizman directly I suggest contacting her office at 310-231-3300, then press 2 to speak to one of her receptionists.
Whilst I am NOT a doctor and certainly don't want to advise you as an expert, I believe that hormones certainly have an effect of IC. When I was sicker, my pain levels would fluctuate depending on my hormonal cycle, with the pain being at its worse during ovulation and right before my period. I'm now six months into treatment and I'm actually now out of pain most of the time (knock on wood).
In terms of help with pain, I followed Dr. Brizman's list one diet for months before I made the trip to see her. That helped a lot. I also felt that drinking lots of spring water (1.5 - 2 litres per day) made a difference. However, as a long-term solution, I truly believe that if anyone can help get healthy, it's Dr. Brizman. I thank my lucky stars I found this site, and made the difficult decision to fly to L.A. from Toronto. I consider it one of the best decisions of my life.
I wish you all the best with your pregnancy.
Lauren