Clevsea W.

This is the MOST helpful and friendly website on the topic of interstitial cystitis on the web. There are other good places but this is MY "go-to" for information, for help, for support, and they even have a printed quarterly magazine that is so good I bought ALL the back issues going back years. That is how they finance the website and they have a small online store of good stuff that is difficult to find or even know about.

They have countless articles on countless topics. They have a food list that helps you to know what foods you might be able to eat to avoid pain and other symptoms. All of that is free of charge. You only pay if you buy something or you want the printed magazine.

In other words this is a HUGE, helpful website that covers ALL aspects of interstitial cystitis at NO cost to you.

The owner is THE most knowledgeable person on the disease of IC that I have ever heard of and that is saying a lot due to the fact that I own (and have read) about 6 huge books on IC. She is a great spokesperson on behalf of those with IC as well. She has spent a lot time researching, writing and then appearing on panels in order to bring more attention to this disease.

The website is great but there is more. There is a VERY helpful forum attached to it. You are allowed to join it and write posts and, of course, read posts. You can read all the posts going back for years. It has a search feature so you can zoom in on what you need to know about right now. No forum is perfect but it is the ONLY support that I have because I don't know anyone in real life that has IC.

I really can't say enough about this website. It's the real thing. It's a lifeline to me. It contains so much information in one place AND they stay current. They provide the AUA guidelines and when those change they provide the new guidelines as just one example. If the only thing they had was the free (printable) food list it would be worth coming on here and yelling from the mountain tops how great it is but it is so much more than a food list. Pudendal nerve entrapment is fully addressed as is overactive bladder, family relationships regarding IC. It's a place for both men and women. It's a place to share your best recipes too because it's so difficult to find food that our bodies can tolerate.

If you have IC go there, join the forum and be helped. 40,000 other people already have. Don't live with IC and not use this website to help yourself. Self-care is so important and being current on the latest cures, ideas, medications, etc., is vital. You have to be your own best advocate when you have IC. No one else is going to do it for you. There are good doctors out there but they are outnumbered by doctors that did not study IC in medical school. Even some urologists did not have one single class on IC during their entire education.

I could say more but I'll let you visit there and find out for yourself how useful and friendly this website is.