How much water do other patients drink in a day? I can't manage 2 litres - its too much - I am fairly small and its cold as UK winter now, the most I manage is 4 or 5 glasses (I measure a glass as being 1/4 litre).  

Also, on other support sites, some ICers say its best to sip water slowly over the day rather than drink a whole glass at a time - leads to less frequency/urgency; and that warm water is less diuretic than cold.

Any thoughts?  

Hi I recently started treatment and no matter i trust doctor Brizman completely it seems that my bladder is worse. I just wanted to find out if somebody felt worse with the medicine at the beginning and then got better.I feel very scared, have been so sick for so long... Thank you all 

how does everyone keep their relationships strong with ic?  all the relationships i have seem to be falling apart due to this. my boyfriend and i of 5 years have been so happy untill this came along. whenever we talk about it, it just leads to an argument. i dont know how to make him understand what i am going through. he doesnt understand why i am going to california to get help, he questions me everyday about''why cant someone here do the same thing'', he thinks i should try other alternatives before making the trip.

Do you add a new food by eating it on its own and waiting to see if there's any reaction? or do you only eat a new food only in the context of a meal? I am struggling to add new foods becos cautious and fearful of possible reaction.

I am about to try millet and i am wondering if anyone noted that millet was less bloating then rice?

hey i was wondering if anyone else has the swollen belly problem. my stomach always looks like im pregnant, i feel like im carrying a ball around. the diet has helped the pain go away, but now i just have annoying pains kind of like little spasms, feelings like things are moving in my bladder. sometimes i get this annoying sensation that something is falling out of me and pressure? also i have these awful tension headaches that make my jaw hurt,is this a problem for anyone else?

I am visiting a friend in Nicaragua sometime in the near future and wondering if anyone has taken a trip there or in the general area and knows what water would be ok to drink??
Thanks!!!! 

Hi everyone,
I'm Vicky (from Europe) and I will be a new patient within a couple of months, I decided to go to Matia because I found so much hope in all your stories.
I don't know if I have ic, but my biggest problem is urethral pain.  I have continuous pain and burning and often a feeling of urge, but I don't have the frequency problem.  After urinating I always get a lot more pain. 
I'm already trying to change my diet and since I stopped eating sugar I feel worse than before, do many people feel worse at the beginning?  My urethra now burns and itches 24/7.

Hi,

I have two food questions...

1. does anyone know if there is any kind of chicken broth that someone on list 1 could eat? Even the most "all natural" ones with the least ingredients in them still have some cane sweetener and tumeric. just wondering if maybe i am missing a brand that would be acceptable.

hey everyone. i am going to be seeing matia soon and would like some info from those of you who are long distance who have made the trip out there. i m from ohio so this is going to be a pretty long trip. does anyone know of places to stay(cheap as possible) and airlines that are resonable?