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A few days or weeks after an IC/BPS diagnosis, the question usually comes: does interstitial cystitis symptoms get worse over time? Lying in bed at 2 a.m. after our second bathroom trip of the night or curling around a heating pad to try and find relief, we can't help but wonder if life will [...]

As the founder of the very first website built on IC, as well as the very first forum (the ICN Support Forum), I have strong thoughts on the state of IC support online today. In the earliest days, we viewed the internet as a marvelous way of bringing the world's best resources directly into the [...]

Interstitial cystitis / bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is one of the more confusing diagnoses in urology — not because doctors don't understand pain, but because "IC" isn't really one disease. It's an umbrella term for a set of symptoms (pelvic pain, urgency, frequency) that can arise from several different underlying mechanisms: bladder-wall abnormalities like [...]

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - September 1, 2026. Patient advocates are calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to formally reevaluate Elmiron® (pentosan polysulfate sodium, or PPS), or at minimum adopt stronger prescribing and monitoring requirements, citing a growing body of research linking long-term use of the drug to serious retinal and bowel complications. According [...]

A particular kind of quiet can settle in on the drive home from a urology appointment. You went in with a list. You came out with a photocopied diet sheet, a suggestion to try to keep your stress down and a follow-up in six months. Somewhere in there, someone used the phrase "you'll want [...]

Summer is winding down. The days are getting a little shorter, vacations are coming to an end, and before we know it, we'll be trading swimsuits and sandals for sweaters and boots. But before summer disappears completely, your bladder has a few things it wants you to know. Some of the habits, foods, drinks [...]