Are there any home remedies to relieve symptoms of interstitial cystitis?

Are there any home remedies to relieve symptoms of interstitial cystitis? A bladder condition that hurts like a bladder infection.

I've had pelvic floor pain misdiagnosed as IC. I know how really bad it is. I was off work for months until I got some relief and I am still slowly recovering. Work with your doctor to try all sorts of medications to relieve the pain. Don't rule out muscle relaxants and in my case Klonopin, an anti-anxiety drug that can relax the pelvic floor and reduce pain. Some of IC pain is the bladder but usually there is some pain from tight pelvic floor muscles too. Most urologists overlook this, stick you on Elmiron and hope you're one of the 20% it helps, or they do DMSO instillations. If your urologist is not working with you, find another. Mine was willing to try experimental treatments.

As for easy thing you can do at home - heat really helps. Get a rice or buckwheat heating pack for the microwave oven and use that.

Try the IC diet - it did not work for me but it helps some people. And see if you can get a prescription for physical therapy for pelvic floor - THAT is what changed my life.

If you can, go see Dr. Jerome Weiss in SF - I flew there to see him. He is a world expert in this. I paid a lot of money to get there and see him but it changed everything. Worth every penny. He is very supportive and he really helped me.

Also check out the IC network: http://www.ic-network.com/

Be careful there - there is good advice - there are also desperate people who have not gotten control of their illness for whatever reason. I took what I could from there and moved on and did not let it suck me down.

The main thing is to never stop looking for answers. If hadn't, I would still be where I was two years ago - on the sofa, non-functional and in pain. I'm back at work and about 80% recovered now and have a good life again.