Hi Jayne
I've also been diagnosed with IC (aka painful bladder syndrome) which I think is really just a blanket term for a collection of symptoms. There are various theories as to what causes it, including chronic embedded infection, autoimmune disorder, mast cell (histamine) intolerance and more.
One thing which can definitely cause IC symptoms is lack of estrogen - which can cause vaginal atrophy (VA) which is not just atrophy of the vagina but also the urethra and bladder. The vagina, bladder and urethra are all formed from the same foetal tissue and all contain estrogen receptors, as Trey has said. I don't know whether you've experienced vaginal discomfort too? Most people with VA do experience vaginal discomfort, but not all - I didn't, and a couple of other ladies on here have said the same.
If your symptoms are managed by taking estrogen, it sounds like you have VA, in which case you'll need to carry on taking the estrogen indefinitely. The medical advice these days is that this is safe to do - especially if you're only using topical estrogen such as Vagifem. How were you diagnosed with IC - was it after a cystoscopy (and all the other lovely urology tests)?!
As well as the Peeing thread, mentioned by Hasty, have you looked at the Burning Club thread, in Private Lives? I recommend it if you haven't already.
