Interstitial Cystisis

[Worriedwoman26]

I have recently (as of September) been diagnosed with IC. I have irritation in my urethra that radiates up into my bladder. I knew when I first began having these symptoms that what I was experiencing was different from a bladder infection because I felt some relief while urinating and shortly after. After a few minutes that discomfort would return. I went to see my OBGYN and he said that I should go to a urologist because I was in pain after two treatments of antibiotics (Septra and Cipro) and my urine analysis was free of bacteria. The urologist that I went to performed a procedure (I don't remember what it is called) where a catheter was inserted into my bladder and then filled with saline until I felt a good deal of discomfort. The amount of saline that I expelled indicated that I adequately emptied my bladder. The amount to fluid that I was able to hold also was in the normal range. Then without the surgical procedure that I heard is necessary to diagnose IC, my urologist told me that I indeed did have this lifelong incurable illness. He gave me a lot of UTA capsules and sent me on my way. I later saw my GP who prescribed Zoloft to help deal with the chronic pain. Well, it is now January and my symptoms are still here but I am a bit confused. I do not meet all the criteria for someone with IC. I do not have pain during intercourse (even though after sex my symptoms come back very strongly), my bladder tests indicate that I can hold a normal amount of fluid and I do not have any problems expelling urine. My urethra was also found to be of normal size even though my urologist stretched it just to see if it helped, which it didn't. As of today, I am a 26 year old woman who cannot eat anything appetizing, drink anything but water, or have sex. I am constantly in discomfort, expect when I am on antibiotics. I forgot to mention that after each round of antibiotics my condition vastly improves then I have sex and the symptoms come right back. I have been both visually tested for herpes and had a blood test for herpes simplex 1 and 2. My results were negative. I have several theories about my condition: 1. I do in fact have some form of Herpes that is not obvious and is causing the irritation, 2. My boyfriend has a a 9.5" penis that is very curved and could be damaging my bladder, 3. I know that I do not have anything bacterial because it would have been treated with all the antibiotics I have taken (Septra DS, Cipro, Leviquin) but maybe my boyfriend has something that we keep on passing back and forth to each other (I have been tested for clamidiaand gonorrhea and am negative for both. I have not had a test since last November and have had unprotected sex with one partner and oral sex with another) or the antibiotics are not actually treating anything bacterial but the relief I feel from them is more anti inflammatory. What do you think?