Interstitial Cystitis

Many people who suffer from interstitial cystitis mark pain during sex. This can be not just unpleasant, it can be life altering. The good news is you can still have a healthy sex life with IC with just a few changes.

AZO

There are many products on the market that target urinary tract pain. If you take one of these before analgesics before intercourse and you should see a decrease in the discomfort caused by sex. If possible, take it thirty minutes prior to any sexual activity to give it a chance to kick in.

Pain Relievers

If your doctor has prescribed you pain relievers or muscle relaxers, try to take these before any sexual activity. This will help to ease your muscles and should help with any pain associated with sexual intercourse as a result of your IC.

Hot Baths

A hot bath before sex can help to relax and ease the muscles associated with the pelvic pain brought on by IC. A bath can be romantic too. Set up some candles, turn on some music, and you can make turn this pain relieving method in to a romantic interlude with your partner.

Lubricants

Lubricant is a good idea to have around regardless of whether you have IC or not. But living with IC it’s even more important to have if you want to maintain a healthy and somewhat normal sex life. Lubricant will make the act of sex much easier and will help to reduce the pain associated with sex and IC.

Urinate

A lot of the pain associated IC are caused by your bladders contents. You can relieve a lot of the pain by urinating before you begin any sexual activity. You also want to make sure you urinate after sex as well to prevent any infections.

Positioning

Experiment with different positions that won’t cause pain. What works for one person may not work for another. It helps if you have an understanding partner. You may need to stop and try something else. Try to keep your pelvis in a straight position. This can help to avoid muscle tension which can lead to pain.

Go Slow

Take your time, it’s not a contest! Often times if you start slowly the pain won’t be as bad. If you go to fast, and try to penetrate too quickly, the pain can be sudden and severe. It’s also a good idea to skip anything rough. The muscles internally will react to external stimulus. Keep this in mind when you attempt sexual activity.

Know When To Say No

Sometimes it’s just not going to happen. If you’re in the middle of a flare up, you may need to just but sex on the back burner. Don’t get angry with yourself over this, it happens. An understanding partner shouldn’t give you any grief over this either. If you treat the flares, they shouldn’t last too long and you can resume sexual activity as soon as the flare subsides.